1995 /3.8L Starter Removal... Help !

OK...I have replaced a dozen of starters in my days.....two bolt into the block..remove the electrical connections......hey no problem....but no so....

The book says nothing other than the heat shield need to come off...Ok it is off...one bolt is out...the other.....NO room for the socket.....6 point, 12 point.... there is no room...
Special socket ???? Any help here is apreciated ......is my only car for work.

Thanks JJ in SC....

ok....I see that ALLDATA say to remove the exhaust cross-over pipe. I am sure that will not be easy.....I was hoping there was another way...but I guess not....
Cheers....Dr JJ

I've done a few on the 3.4L and just loosened the crossover at the maifolds as far as it will go without completely dropping it and that helped a great deal.

Hey...thanks for the reply....I will do that....having to work under a carport so I am waiting for the temp to warm up a bit first.....
Thanks again....JJ

the good and the bad....the good, I got the starter out....now the bad....I broke off both left hand exhaust bolt in the exhaust manifold....the came off fine...yes I did spray them....but the bolts rusted in the area that is open...about 1/2 the original diameter....so they twisted off.... crapp!!!

Hint... loosening the exhaust did do much help...gave a little more clearance...BUT what really did it was loosening up the inspection cover for the starter ring...I was then able to pry it away enought for a thin wall socket to go over the 15mm head....loosening the exhaust alone would not do it...

Can a muffler shop replace the bolts in the exhaust manifold without removing it ?????

Thanks JJ

Well...time to start drinking...i mean heavy !!!! ..New Battery, New starter, broke the bolts off on the exhaust manifold to pipe...and now missed two days of work!!!

I am sure by tomorrow...I will be fired....in today's economy....I will be replaced easily..oh...I live 50 miles from work....a little far to walk....


The car still just ....clunk, click, clunk....I wonder if the motor is sezied ???? I will try turning it over by hand from the harmonic balancer...

Anyone else have an clues ??????

Thanks, JJ

Arragh :banghead:

That bites. Yeah, you have to use your own judgement when loosening the nuts weither they will survive or not. Also that's the reason why I only backed them out and not removed as they cross thread very easily going back in.

There's nothing left to put some vise-grips on a back out?