swap starter or whole motor - what is easier

[vh-holden]

I have two vks. One runs but the body is a bit yuck. the other doesn't run but has a straighter body.

my mate reckons that it is the starter that is dead on the dead one.

the motor that runs has extractors on it already. they were a pain to get on.

I was thinking it would probably be easier just to swap the whole motor out. as far as i can tell, it is less bolts than pulling off manifolds. i also know that the motor runs whereas we don't know if the dead one will start. it will also save time taking the extractors off and on.

what would others do?

[dreamcatchu]

i'm guessing there 6 cylinders? if so i'd probably be more inclined to just change the starters, as to do it the way u want requires you to lift out the motor and box together, as you said there is less bolts to undo but once you add removing wiring, hoses and everything else it's easier to just do the starter

[DANNY8]

Yeah I'd change the starter over first....if that don't work then find out where the problem is....then if the problem is gonna be costly or time consumng just chuck the other motor in.

When u change the starter over, u can always kick it over b4 u put everything back on.....just to make sure it works....just hit the key for a second to see if it kicks over. If it does then put everything back 2gether.

[vh-holden]

stupid car. was going to swap them over yesterday. has anybody got any tips for getting the starter out with minimal effort/stress/dirtyness? i undid the top bolt from the top, and for the bottom one i jacked the car up, put it on stands, took the passenger front wheel off and slid in from there. there was less than 45degrees to swing the socket on the breaker bar unless i straightened it out. then the socket kept catching on the starter and wouldn't come off. then the extractors were in the way so we went to pull them off. to get them off we had to pull off the polution gear and to get that off we had to pull off that blower thing and the bracket. then we had to loosen off the alternator bracket.

the wagon doesn't have extractors so we are hoping it will be easier to get it out. i'm tempted to take it to a mechanic to get the extractors put back on.

[dreamcatchu]

it's not an easy job, thats why i have a bosch high torque starter, there a damm site smaller and can be removed without touching the extractors, but on the plus side the more you do it the better at it you become

[vh-holden]

i went and had another go at the car today. got the starter bolts undone, but it is still stuck. it has the stock exhaust manifold on it but there isn't enough clearance. the ellery manual had nothing in it to help. any suggestions? surely you can get it out without removing the exhaust, which also requires removal of the intake manifold, air blower and alternator.

[dreamcatchu]

sorry to say this but no, you will have to undo the manifolds to remove it, when i took mine out to put the smaller one in all i needed to do was take the fan belt of to move the alternator a bit and undo the manifolds, ooh, and disconnect the battery

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

You only need to drop the engine pipe off the manifold to get the starter out. This can be a pain to get back on as well because they have a habit of snapping the studs when you undo them.

[dreamcatchu]

crap, my bad, i was thinking extractors, to help reduce the risk of snapping the bolts theres a product like wd40 called bolt off, it's the one of the best products i have found for seized bolts e.t.c, i have even used it to un-seize an old villiers motor and it worked a treat

[vh-holden]

this car is beginning to frustrate me. i'm tempted to just rip the manifolds and polution gear off, and put the extractors and other intake on. what's the chances of it passing rego like that?

[dreamcatchu]

that all depends on everything else, lights, rust, suspension rubbers, tyres e.t.c,

[The Darkness]

and how friendly the roadworthy mechanic is.....

[dreamcatchu]

and how friendly the roadworthy mechanic is.....

that is soooooo true

[vh-holden]

and how friendly the roadworthy mechanic is.....

it's probably going to have to go to the registry pits. or just stay a trailer queen!!

[PEAKN6]

ive done a couple of these before.
something that will make the job easier is a little gizmo that i like to call a 'floppy dick' lol. (not sure of the propper name) its sorta like the uni joints in ur tailshaft but it lets you have ur ratchet in all sorts of wierd and wonderful positions so therefore u wouldnt need to take ur pump thingy off or loosen ur alternator, saves alot of fcuk-assing around.

when i do them i just unbolt the throttle linkage, fuel line, all the vacuum hoses, then the carby, unbolt the manifolds and move em out the way, then get ur 'floppy dick' and undo the starter bolts and then throw it all back together but vise-versa but remember to get a new manifold gasket.

one thing i dont like to do is take my car to a mechanic unless its getting put on the dyno. if i cant find something out in my workshop manuals then someone of here can usually help me (and just about everyone has )

ill have a look for a pic of the floppy dick and chuck it up

hope this helps

[The Darkness]

i swear when we did mums old vc, all we undid was the manifold...but snapped a stud lol

[vh-holden]

ive done a couple of these before.
something that will make the job easier is a little gizmo that i like to call a 'floppy dick' lol. (not sure of the propper name) its sorta like the uni joints in ur tailshaft but it lets you have ur ratchet in all sorts of wierd and wonderful positions so therefore u wouldnt need to take ur pump thingy off or loosen ur alternator, saves alot of fcuk-assing around.

when i do them i just unbolt the throttle linkage, fuel line, all the vacuum hoses, then the carby, unbolt the manifolds and move em out the way, then get ur 'floppy dick' and undo the starter bolts and then throw it all back together but vise-versa but remember to get a new manifold gasket.

one thing i dont like to do is take my car to a mechanic unless its getting put on the dyno. if i cant find something out in my workshop manuals then someone of here can usually help me (and just about everyone has )

ill have a look for a pic of the floppy dick and chuck it up

hope this helps

i already have a "floppy dick." It is too big though and won't fit in the gap. (that sounds so wrong) I did find that the breaker bar thing in the socket set (the handle that doesn't ratchet) swivelled enough to get to the bolts.

the problem is getting the starter out. i'll have another look today.

[vh-holden]

It's alive. ended up undoing the pipes and pulling them towards the front of the car. my mate pulled the motor out from the top. then the reverse to get it in. a spray of nulon, and wallah. a massive black cloud of smoke and a heap of noise. i didn't bother bolting the pipes back on just yet. wasn't going to waste effort if it wasn't going to start. some nice flames were coming out the manifold under full throttle.