Maybe someone has done this before, and whoever you are, I want your advice: My '76 Maverick 4 dr (one of those vanilla specials with an AM radio, a cigar lighter and no A/C, engine is a 250 cid inline six that can boogie hard) went thru its starter this week. After a lot of pushing, pulling, twisting and cursing, I pulled the old unit out, had my local parts store test it... no surprise, it was busted. I now have a new starter that won't go into the frigging hole I pulled the old one out of. The parts guy and I both Mark I eyeballed the new part to make sure it was the same as the core, so I DO have the right part. The problem is that the brake lines (I think), steering gear and some other stuff is in the way when I try to insert the new starter. I don't have a grease rack to jack the car up on in order to do the install, the car's parked in front of my house. Has anyone else done this, and if so... HOW?
Yeah, taking them out through the bottom is no fun. You have tranny lines, exhaust, and steering linkage to interefere. I have always done them through the top.
Try moving the steering linkage around. I found that getting it off to one side created enough room to slide the starter back in from below.
thanks! thanks for the ideas... I think I may have bollixed myself up by turning my steering gear hard right before removing the core. I'll turn it left and/or straight center and see how that works. Rock on.