Final Push #1: The Starter

Kenny removed the starter a couple days ago.  He said it was the hardest one he has ever removed.  It would have been impossible for me to do, which is why we replaced it even though it was working fine.  The question was, how long would it have worked fine, it's original 1985 equipment, and as I am coming to understand, sometimes things break just 'cause they are old.  I will take the old guy into the shop for new bearings and brushes, and will have a nice spare for a part that I physically cannot replace by myself.

The big, dirty, corroded thing laying on the engine is the old starter.  If you look a little to the right of the starter you will see a silver cylinder and a oil dip stick with a red handle.  Behind this is a black box with a piece of blue tape, this is the air filter housing.  All of these things were removed and the starter came up through the opening, but only after three nuts were removed from the studs holding the starter in place.  These nuts  had never been touched since the day, long ago, the starter was installed, and they did not want to be removed.  Additionally, the stubborn nuts were about an arm length and a half deep, with access further reduced by the starter motor itself.  The slightly larger diameter motor made it impossible to get a socket on the nuts. 

I was there assisting Kenny, watching the whole thing, and I don't quite know how he got these nuts loose, but he did, and got the new starter installed and running.

 

As you can see, the degree of difficulty extracted a toll.  Thanks Kenny for not giving up!