Date: Thu, 16 Jun 2011 22:51:06 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Tips and Tricks Requested - Starter Change
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=response
disconnect the battery.
don't wear any jewlery working on a car.
remove the air filter, then the throttle body to get at the top start nut on
the engine side.
you need an 8mm allen wrench to hold the top starter bolt. ( vice grips
might work ) .
the lower nut should be 15mm ...but they can be 17mm .
while under see if your firewall fitting area has been upgraded...
'the weak spot' ..
'the spot' that leaks and causes vanagons to burn up is ..
not the firewall piece..
not the 1 1/2 inch long hose that's on the starter side of that piece..
but right where that hose joins onto the black plastic line coming from the
fuel pump.
There is a crimp type clamp there...
that is 'the spot' that leaks and burns up vans.
if you just cut that crimp clamp off and put on a very good screw type clamp
..
you'll be much better off.
If you bypass the whole firewall piece...
you'll be way better off, with one connection where there used to be 3.
put a 'starter trigger wire' on while you're working on the starter wiring
..
a cheater wire you can hide in the engine compartment, so that you can
connect a remote starter switch to it anytime, without getting under the
van.
make it long enough, and you can touch it to the alternator main hot
terminal to operate the starter in an emergency. It sparks some when you do
that ....so not a good idea to do that very often. But real handly for your
remote starter swithc,
which has many uses.
if you replace the bushing ..be super careful.
I use a tap screwed into it to worm it out.
to install.....
what you really need is shouldered punch ..
that'll hold the bushing and drive on the end of it.
I gotta make one just for installing bushings.
it's easy to either drop the bushing into the bell housing ..
or ...mess it up trying to install it with a flat nosed large punch.
there's so much more to addressing everything it the area , compared to just
slaming in a starter.
eyeball the ring gear teeth on the flywheel too, when the starter is out.
btw ....engine compression causes the engine to stop in the same four places
mostly ..
so the teeth get worn only in four areas, not evenly all around., Usually
they are ok.
have fun !
scott
www.turbovans.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Rodgers" <inua@CHARTER.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Thursday, June 16, 2011 8:07 PM
Subject: Tips and Tricks Requested - Starter Change
> My starter just quit, finally. Time for a change. I dug through my
> stack of spare parts, and there was a starter in it. Had the local
> Armature company check it out. They said it was basically just fine.
> They cleaned it, tweaked up a few things inside, gave me a starter
> bushing , and at my request installed a new solenoid then sent me on my
> way.
>
> Any tips and tricks for R&R on this beastie??
>
> Thanks,
>
> --
> John Rodgers
> Clayartist and Moldmaker
> 88'GL VW Bus Driver
> Chelsea, AL
> Http://www.moldhaus.com