[V8] Starter Removal

[toml99 at todomundo.com]

Hey Bob, well after beating myself to death trying to get the starter  
out of the now gone Pearl......and removing the starter 3  
times....I've got a system. Passenger distributor comes out(only goes  
on one way by the way).   I took a 10mm allen($1.50) and cut a piece  
that is about 1.5" long.  Once you know where it needs to go(should  
have taken pics).....you need to clean out the allen(I used a finish  
nail and some spray while kneeling on the top of the motor)......Then  
with my bent nose/needle nose vise grips, got the allen on the bolt.   
Once on, a 10mm ratchetting box end with a piece of pipe broke it  
loose, then just the ratchetting box end......putting it back in....  
had to tighten the bottom nut kinda tight, then try the upper/move  
the starter a tiny bit/try the upper....till you got it....For  
reference, you can't see the upper bolt(it's not the tranny bolt  
that's right there, but reach forward and slightly above from that  
bolt, and you'll feel it(if you have small hands).......first time  
took a whole day....second time less...last time probably less than  
"book"....The ratchetting box end and small stub of allen worked  
great.  I even thought about JB welding the allen into the box end  
and making an VAG Starter Removal tool...but it was handy to hand fit  
the allen.....I just checked, and the stub is exactly 1.5", and as I  
recall could have been 1/4" longer to be perfect.  When the upper  
bolt is free, slide it backwards (using your bent needle nose vise  
grips) till it's free and you can pull it out and soak/clean it so  
it's much nicer to put in/take out later....As long as the allen is  
still solid in there, you could just slide it back 1/4",and leave it  
so it's easier to get the starter back in.......Just don't  pry the  
bolt out with a screwdriver like I did the first time, and it got  
stuck on top of the tranny and took forever to find it(even though  
it's about 8" long, and am guessing it's a spendy bolt. I had no  
interest in putting any Locktite on this problem bolt, but did use  
the blue on the lower nut.  I feel bad as I had every intention of  
writing this up as a knowledgebase thing, but in the heat of the  
moment, just wanted to get that &%$#@ bolt back in.  That first time  
was about as bad a mechanic event could be!  I could have replaced a  
motor in my old honda/toyota truck in the time/swear words that it  
took to get that upper bolt out.  I even rented a "snake" type video  
thing($10/day) to actually see the bolt, as I knew if I stripped it,  
it was motor removal time, and that was not happening. Ron(chime in  
any time) get's credit for the shortened allen trick.  While in  
there, check how "cooked" the switch wire is, as I ended up having to  
replace the whole wire from the key to the starter on the Pearl car  
as it was toast somewhere.....and they put that spade in a spot  
that's easier to do with the starter "loose".........Good luck