My newly aquired 87 IROC won't start sometimes (most of the time), it acts like the battery is dead. Traced the problem to a bad started (put in new battery, used load meter, etc - bad starter).

With my car up on a lift at a friend's shop, I unbolted the starter, but despite my best efforts I cannot get it past the exhaust y-pipe that come down off the manifold.

My friend tells me we need to remove the y-pipe, but that's seems rather extreme, and I don't have the time.

There must be a better way to get the old starter out, and get the one one in.

Any suggestions?

 

Drop the y-pipe. I just did it myself this past weekend, in fact.

 

yeah, drop it but I got away with only dropping it a little

 

I was afraid someone would say that! The bolts don't look they are going to go without a fight!

Thanks, I will try that after work...

 

Oh, they'll probably snap off without much fight...

Plenty of penetrating fluid prior to and while attempting to remove them.

 

If the bolts snap off, do I need to remove the manifolds in order to drill out the old ones and tap the threads again?

 

It is certainly easier to do with the manifold out, but may be possible with the manifold still installed, depending upon which stud has broken off.

 

I just got a call from my friend who owns the shop, he said that they loosed the motor mounts, etc. in order to get the started motor out without taking off the y-pipe, he said that the bolts would have broken for sure, it would have been a real headache of a project.

The good news is that he put my starter in