Tips On Replacing Starter

[johnmsch]

My starter is shot, just ordered a new one and want to try replacing it without pulling the engine out. Easy access with my right arm/hand, but left arm/hand is going to be hard. Anyone tried doing this one-handed?

 

[matt167]

What engine?

 

[1985 Century Mustang]

What engine do you have? I just replaced my starter on a Merc A1G1 1985. Took me 45 min. I went on YouTube and it was a great help to me.

 

[cyclops222]

Do it the super safe and easy way.
Remove both battery cables . Make sure they can not touch battery posts.
Remove the TOP starter motor nut or bolt. If a bolt ? take it to a hardware store and buy 1 bolt that is same diameter and thread size. Make sure it is about 1 inch longer. Cut the head of the bolt off. Put it FINGER tight into the motor hole. Now do the same thing with the bottom bolt. Remove electrical parts from the motor.
BEFORE sliding the motor off those guide bolts. If you drop the motor ? No good parts are damaged. Those 2 headless bolts are the only way to do starters.

 

[1985 Century Mustang]

This video helped me out tremendously.

 

[cyclops222]

I enjoyed the comedy show. Replace all the easy to get to parts.

 

[Scott Danforth]

OP has a BBC (its in his signature)

@johnmsch , post a picture of the starboard side of the motor / mount / starter. one-handed will be tight/difficult/swear-ridden and you may throw a wrench. one-handed will be impossible with the old heavy direct-drive starter. No way to hold that heavy thing in place one-handed and get the bolts started with the motor in situ

you can do it with a PMGR and someone laying on the motor to help hold it assuming you have room for two people

 

[cyclops222]

THe super heavies require 2 mechanical guys with 2 lines around the starter. Then the strong guy can SAFELY and easily slide it off and the new one on .I always remove wires first. Put on last. They can be difficult sometimes.

 

[Grub54891]

That video was a bit funny. On a 120-140 it's easier than a v-8. I've taken and tied a 1/4" line to starters, drug them through the bilge after cleaning the bilge and pulled the starter up in place with the string. Then lay on your belly and screw around getting the bolts in. Never had to pull a motor for a starter! Yeah it's a bugger at times.......

 

[dwco5051]

Do it the super safe and easy way.
Remove both battery cables . Make sure they can not touch battery posts.
Remove the TOP starter motor nut or bolt. If a bolt ? take it to a hardware store and buy 1 bolt that is same diameter and thread size. Make sure it is about 1 inch longer. Cut the head of the bolt off. Put it FINGER tight into the motor hole. Now do the same thing with the bottom bolt. Remove electrical parts from the motor.
BEFORE sliding the motor off those guide bolts. If you drop the motor ? No good parts are damaged. Those 2 headless bolts are the only way to do starters.

Just replaced a starter on my skid steer with this method since it also was a one-handed job. Got a couple of manifold studs the right size as guides. Finger tighten a nut on one before removing the other one to hold the starter in place to replace the stud with bolt. Yes it was a gear reduction starter which made everything a little lighter but since I am 85 everything seems a little heavier.

 

[Lou C]

I did the heavy Delco style starter one handed on my 4.3 2x over the years, you could lay a 2x4 across the gunnels and tie a line to the wood and then use that to tie up the starter to hold it while you get the bolts started. The PMGR are like half the weight. Make sure you use the correct length bolts; if they are too long they can allow the starter to shift under torque & break the bolts off in the block. That will put you in a world of hurt!

 

[cyclops222]

Old but not down and out.

 

[Lou C]

Here you can see the size difference between the 2 starter types.

 

[johnmsch]

Wow, thanks guys for all the info! Will post a pic shortly.
The original engine was a 1994 7.4L Mercruiser, replaced with a custom built 496 stroker 3 years ago. Still has the original starter P/N 863007A1.
@cyclops222 - That method is pure genius!

 

[johnmsch]

BTW, what the heck does "PMGR" stand for?

 

[1985 Century Mustang]

BTW, what the heck does "PMGR" stand for?

Permanent Magnet Gear Reduction.

PMGR is short for Permanent Magnet Gear Reduction. What exactly does that have to do with an upgrade? Well, it means that when retrofitting the older positive engagement starters it provides a 50% weight reduction (8 vs. 20) and requires less cranking amps.

 

[1985 Century Mustang]

I did the heavy Delco style starter one handed on my 4.3 2x over the years, you could lay a 2x4 across the gunnels and tie a line to the wood and then use that to tie up the starter to hold it while you get the bolts started. The PMGR are like half the weight. Make sure you use the correct length bolts; if they are too long they can allow the starter to shift under torque & break the bolts off in the block. That will put you in a world of hurt!

Yes the new starters are much lighter. I just replaced mine last week. It cranks very nicely and efficiently, if I may. It's half the weight of my original starter. 1985 Merc A1G1

 

[Scott Danforth]

I would definitely replace that direct drive starter with a PMGR

not only is it half the weight, it will spin your motor over faster when starting

 

[1985 Century Mustang]

I would definitely replace that direct drive starter with a PMGR

not only is it half the weight, it will spin your motor over faster when starting

Yeah I noticed a considerable amount of cranking and starting power with the new PMGR starter.

 

[Pmt133]

The nice thing about a direct drive starter is they're easily rebuildable. Thing that sucks about them is you usually have to rebuild them sooner or later. As far as the peanut starters go (PMGR, dad liked calling them peanut starters for whatever reason) they typically last a lot longer in my experience... to the point I think I only ever replaced 1, boat or car. And it well... sank.

I'll never not run a PMGR again. You can run down a battery a lot further and still typically get running where a direct will just crank too damn slow and pull the voltage too low.