It appears my Bosch aftermarket starter has failed. The spring that sends the gear out is not doing it's job, thus the starter just zings and doesn't engage. Also, the starter is about three years old but only has about 1k miles on it, very disappointing. My indie shop did the install and I don't want to rack up that bill again. After some research, I have come to determine that the top bolt is a real bear to deal with. Does anyone know of a step by step replacement guide for this job? I have a 107 manual disc and a Haines book, neither address what others have cried about in this job (3' long ratchet extension, etc.).

Jay,

I agree that the top bolt is a bear to remove. I'm not aware of a step-by-step guide for this. When I removed my starter last year, I think I got that bolt out out using a long (maybe 8") ball-end hex wrench, a short (maybe 12") length of pipe for leverage on the short end of the hex wrench and plenty of colorful language. The ball-end lets you have the wrench extending out from the bolt at an imperfect angle. I had the front two wheels on ramps so that I could work from underneath the car. It was not fun!

Good luck,
Steve

Steve Maiocco
1961 190SL
1965 220SE Cabriolet
1984 380SL
1985 380SL Euro (For sale)

Has anybody had any luck replacing a starter since this last message? I am thoroughly frustrated by the inability to reach the top bolt. Am i alone in this? Is there some magic method short of pulling the engine?

quote:

Originally posted by Jay Dill:
It appears my Bosch aftermarket starter has failed. The spring that sends the gear out is not doing it's job, thus the starter just zings and doesn't engage. Also, the starter is about three years old but only has about 1k miles on it, very disappointing. My indie shop did the install and I don't want to rack up that bill again. After some research, I have come to determine that the top bolt is a real bear to deal with. Does anyone know of a step by step replacement guide for this job? I have a 107 manual disc and a Haines book, neither address what others have cried about in this job (3' long ratchet extension, etc.).

That bolt is not only very difficult to get to, it is also extremely tight. So it is typically done by passing one or more very long extensions from the back of the transmission, through the tunnel created by the plate under the transmission, to the bolt. Then, while you're trying to keep the allen head seated in the bolt, you have to find a way to put enough torque on the bolt to loosen it by, say, using a breaker bar, or by putting a pipe over your ratchet. So, it is ideally a two man job: one to make sure the extension stays seated, and the other to apply force to it.

I know this because, after trying to do the job myself for a couple of hours, I asked the local dealer if they would just loosen the bolt for me and charge me for the time, which they did for $50 (app. 1/2 hour using 2 men and a lift). I then took the car home and did the rest of the job myself, saving myself a couple of hundred dollars.