Large Body SR71X Starter Install Trouble

[ATCengineer]

So yesterday I attempted to swap out my dead starter with a refurbished SR71X and had a hell of a time getting it out and still haven't gotten it back in. To clarify I have a completely stock engine in my 1975 2002. I must of fought this thing for 3 hours before giving up. I have no idea how I am supposed to snake this new starter back down in to the correct position without tearing the intake manifold off which I really don't want to have to do. I've removed everything that all the other starter installation posts on here have mentioned and they all make it sound like it should slide back into place no problem so I am wondering what I'm doing wrong. It appears to be catching on everything: the brake booster, the engine mount, the upper starter mount below the intake manifold as well as the trans case. To be honest I don't really understand how I got the old one out seeing as how getting the new one in is causing me so much grief. Any suggestions or tips would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.  

[Hans]

I'd remove the alternator before the intake if it will go through there. From below perhaps?

[zinz]

Pics?  The later models with all the smog plumbing make this much more complicated.

 

I think what might be giving you grief is the mount under the intake manifold.  Remove that to give yourself more wiggle room...then reinstall it after the starter is in place.

 

If I remember correctly... I started with the nose of the starter pointed downward, between the booster bracket and engine, then backed it up and under the manifold.  Lined it up and was able to insert it into the flywheel hole.  I loosely installed the big, outside bolt and nut on it and then loosely put the bracket on the front side, to the engine block.  The bugger was lining up the bolt/nut on the flywheel end, closest to the block.  There's not a lot of room there... I used a mechanics magnet to hold the nut while spinning the bolt with my free hand.  

 

Good luck,

 

Ed Z

[avoirdupois]

Curious about the starter you removed, is it the same size as the replacement?  Not to create more work for you, but can you dry fit the original "dead" starter in place?  Stands to reason that if the answer is "yes" then something else may be impeding your progress.  More often then not the problem seems to be the support bracket.  Although removal of the intake manifold is ordinarily not required, based upon your 3-hour labor estimate, you might have finished in one-third the time had you loosened or removed the eight manifold nuts and disconnected the throttle linkage . . . 

 

Many of us have advanced degrees from the School of Hard Knocks and the University of Skinned Knuckles.  Some of us get to audit the classes, but the tuition can still be steep.

 

Best of luck (even if it requires manifold removal).

[Healey3000]

How did you get the original one out?  Stands to reason that it should go in the way it came out (sorry, I'm not trying to be a smart alec).  As Avoirdupois says, something must be different about the new one.

 

I had to remove the coolant sensor that goes under the intake manifold to get my starter out.  I assume you've done that?

[jrhone]

Pics. There can be different intake and engine bay differences between years.  For me the job was about 20 minutes. Hardest part was the one large bolt on the block holding the bracket on. Otherwise it literally was a 10 minute job to get the old one out and 10 minutes to mount and wire the new one. 

Edited May 8, 2017 by jrhone

[ATCengineer]

Thanks for the input guys. The starter I got is the same exact size as the original. Granted I had to work it to get it out but I still was able to get it out hence my frustration with trying to get the new one back in. I have taken the sensor off the bottom of the manifold. 

 

Zinz are you saying that the mount under the manifold where the single bolt that ties the starter bracket to the underside of the manifold can be taken off? I hadn't looked to see if that was a possibility as I assumed it was part of the manifold.  

 

I can try to get some pictures later on. 

[Healey3000]

I don't think the manifold tab separates from the casting, at least it does not on my car.

 

If I remember the gyrations correctly, I think the starter starts off horizontally, with the solenoid rotated towards the booster.  As it starts going under the manifold, it rotates to a vertical position, dropping down a fair bit.  Then, up it comes, tail first and while doing so, it eases back till the nose just clears the bellhousing.  Rotate into position and engage.  I'm sure you've tried all of this.  What I noticed is that the weight of the monster starts to get to you and then you lose patience.  Happened to me while trying to take it out.

 

You could of course make all this go away by using an SR440X or SR441X.  That one pops in and out with one hand :-)

[ATCengineer]

Yea I'm starting think I just scrap the idea of getting this one in and going with the smaller lighter one because I literally tried every different position and angle I could think of and It wouldn't even get close. I honestly started to think something had shifted in between removal and attempted install but I checked and nothing had. And you're right about the weight of thing getting to you.