I'd like to change out my stock starter with a ministarter. Has anyone tried to get the stock one out with 1 3/4" SLP headers and y-pipe installed? It looks tight. And I really don't want to take the header off. The bolts are a huge pain.

Thanks,

John

 

TTT

 

Well I don't know if this will help you or not, but if anything at least it will bump it up lol

I got a 84 TA that has an old 350 with a stock size starter. Headman shorty headers, into the stock y pipe. Now I did this when I was sixteen in my garage with nothing but my dads rachet set and some borrowed jack stands and the jack from my explorer, so by no means is removing the starter a difficult job.

The first time I tried it I got under the car, removed the two bolts that held on the starter, and the starter dropped and was sitting on the Y-pipe. No matter how I tried to move that thing around I couldn't get it out. So I tried to take the Y pipe off from where it connects to the headers. It was a three bolt flange, and it was rusted solid. So being impatient and foolish (this was my first time jacking the car and working on the engine) I torqued the bolt so much that I sheared the head off! Definitely shoot some WD-40 in there first if there is any rust at all.

The next time I was trying to get it down, I could no problem. I did have to separate the Y-pipe from the headers. Six bolts. I had the Y-pipe back sitting on a 2X4 while I did the rest of the work. Like that, it shouldn't be any trouble to get the starter off. It's two bolts into the block, and they are visible from underneath. By the way, the starter is kinda heavy (especially when your arm is bent back only a couple inches from your face), so if you are working underneath at a funny angle don't let it drop on you.

Getting it off isn't a problem, but getting it back in is. It has to be exactly the right distance from the flywheel so when it cranks over it doesn't grind the small gear on the starter down. That happened to me, but luckily NAPA has a great warranty and doesn't ask many questions...

 

welcome to my world i have the full length dougs headers and is the same deal i was able ones with the stock heads to swap it but i spend like 3 hours to do it now i have bigger heads and i cant get the starter out on any ways so good look , u may have no choise but to get something else out but again good look

 

Yes, this can be done......but, you better off just taking the passenger side header off. Yeah, its inconvienent but I'll tell you what, the 5 minutes it takes to rip off the header is a life saver. So, as before, yeah, you could do it with the header in place but you will spend 2-3x more time doing it.

Oh yeah, I say 5 minutes cause I remember thats how long it took me to remove mine when my Z had AC still in it. Now it takes me longer to grab the tools and fender cover and then to put them away then it does for me to rip my passenger side header off.

Also, when getting your mini remember to get one that has an adjustable mounting plates. I found out the hardway that some mini's may not bolt up with the header there. Jegs makes a great one that's reasonalby priced and I've been running it in my Z since about 99.

 

yeah i know what u mean take the header out helps a lot, well for crying out loud my starter went bad now so i guess im the next one doing it