Fun with Starters

[lowrider]

In my ongoing yet sometimes fruitless quest at fixing my pathfinder myself, and though there has been some discussion on this in the past, i haven't seen a full write up, therefore....here you go (and in the spirit of the t-stat thread http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=6268, i have included the right way and the lowrider way )

 

The right way:

 

If your truck is lifted (even just the t-bars cranked) you shouldn't need to jack it up to do this

 

Tools:

 

3/8" rachet

2 6" extensions

14mm socket

12mm socket

10mm socket

 

Before you do ANYTHING, disconnect the positive lead coming off the battery. The starter wire is live and you can easily hurt yourself/weld a tool to your motor if you skip this important step

 

Remove the skidplate

 

Hop underneath the truck and look up and next to the oil filter, that's the starter.

 

Now follow the harness that contains the starter wiring and look for the big red connecter that's an a 16 ga yellow and black wire that comes out of that harness and attaches to the side of the block. Disconnect that wire, it's the oil pressure sending light wire and since it runs in the same harness as the starter, it will accomodate removal with the starter wiring.

 

There are two 14mm bolts that run through the bellhousing and attach to the starter to hold it in place. To get to the top one, use the 2 6" extensions on the 3/8" rachet and remove the top bolt. The bottom one, you can't fit both extensions on, so just use 1 6" extension. You won't have much of a sweep, but you'll be able to get it out quickly nonetheless.

 

Ok, now gently pull the starter down and forward so it comes off of the bellhousing.

 

At this point, reposition yourself at the front of the truck, it will make the next steps much easier than trying to reach all the way from the bellhousing.

 

Looking at the front of your truck, you'll notice the hardpipe that's integrated into the lower rad hose has a small bracket on it that attaches to the block with a 12mm bolt. Remove the bolt, you will gain an additional inch or two of clearance, making starter removal and reinstallation much easier.

 

You'll also notice a wire loom hanging down with its own tab that attaches to the oil pan with a 10mm bolt. Remove it as well, as it will make the removal much easier.

 

Okie dokie, now you can remove the starter.

 

If your right handed, put your right hand up and next to the exhaust manifold and support the bottom of the starter. Take your left hand and put it over the centerlink and grab the back of the starter (the part that's facing you) Gently work it towards the front of the truck, you will need to rotate it as you pull it out so that the solenoid can clear the centerlink as well, take note what direction and how far you rotate it as you pull it out, you will have to do the opposite to put it back in.

 

Now the starter should be out. Disconnect the wiring and your almost done, and that shouldn't have taken you more than 30-45 mins. (Good time for a beer break)

 

Clean the starter, rebuild it, replace it, whatever it is you're doing to it and prepare for reinstallation. (Another good time for a beer break)

 

To reinstall, just do everything in reverse, make sure you reconnect the wiring BEFORE you put the starter back in, it's a real PITA to get at once the starter's bolted back in.

 

 

The lowrider way:

 

Buy a 1992 Pathfinder

 

Wheel the living sh*t out of it every weekend for 2 months straight and finally gum up the starter

 

Buy a Chilton's book for an 86-89 Pathfinder and trust it

 

Look at starter removal pictures and attempt the dumbass 'chilton' way by removing bolts and trying to remove starter out the side of the truck in between the oil filter and frame.

 

Realize this is the wrong way once you gash your finger deep enough to need stiches and consult the nissan factory repair manual, which uses such procedures as 'remove passenger side exhaust manifold'

 

Realize there's no way in hell you're doing that, and you'll need to remortgage your house to get the dealer to do it.

 

Crawl back underneath the truck you haven't cleaned very well and get large chunks of clay based mud in your eyes, let out a streak of profanity as you attempt to 'muscle' the starter straight down.

 

Call your truck such descriptive adjectives as mother f**king assc*ck piece of sh*t f**king monkey sh*t son of an ass, then realize that really doesn't make matters any better.

 

Have a smoke (why I didn't do this before is beyond me)

 

Call your buddy Dave when you realize he's replaced 3 in the last couple years

 

He advises doing it the above mentioned way, success at last

 

 

Leave it to beaver.....

Edited October 27, 2005 by lowrider

[FLApathy]

i love the low rider way thats funny, but i feel your pain

[MaritimeMan]

Good write up LowRider, I think I see a series starting. Keep up the humor.

[mws]

Good stuff..

 

One suggestion: Always disconnect the NEGATIVE or ground cable from the battery.

 

Disconnecting either cable has the same effect - the circuit is dead and no spark shows are possible. But if you accidently touch the wrench to a metal body part while loosening the clamp, here's what happens:

1) If loosening the negative clamp: Absolutely nothing. You're shorting ground to ground - no problemo!

2) If loosening the positive clamp while negative is still attached: HOLY FREAKING SH.... SPARKS! NOISE! DRAMA! FRIGGING LIGHTENING BOLTS! MORE DRAMA!

 

Trust me on this... I did it once. The wrench WELDED itself to the body panel in a most dramatic way. Fortunately, the heat from all the hundreds of amps of current passing through melted the wrench before the battery blew up.

[Precise1]

LOL, good write up Bud !! It is somewhat of a pain, isn't it ??

 

Wow, nice fireworks mws !! Isn't it 'proper procedure' to remove the neg before the positive ? And always reinstall ground last ? I seem to remember that from something. Probably something tragic...

 

B

[Mr. Pickles]

How bout "disconnect battery." Kinda all-inclusive. I love the lowrider way. Just showed the Mrs. as I'm sure it would remind her of me. A shortcut of 10 min leads to an afternoon of cussing and pain. But screw it, you're having fun... right?

[mws]

Isn't it 'proper procedure' to remove the neg before the positive ? And always reinstall ground last ?

B

YES! That's the point. Negative is first off, last on.

 

And once the negative is disconnected, it doesn't really matter if you disconnect the positive or not...

[VW_Factor]

ug..

 

I now know the pain of doing a starter on one of these things. That and the high today was like 35 degrees. It needed to be done nevertheless.

 

One thing that you should warn people about however. Those stock starters come with a "shield" of sorts that protects the "plug-in" for the starter. The shield made it impossible (with ice cold hands anyway) to remove the plug. Eventually I did get it unplugged, and got the oil sensor wire off. Got the starter cable out of the way. Unbolted the starter. (I had the tabs unbolted as well as the skidplate removed at this point).

 

The starter would NOT come out of the front. I had to play with it for about 2 hours moving it around to get a phillips screwdriver in there to remove the shield. The shield was keeping me from rotating the starter properly to get it out of the truck. Ugg.. 3 hours down. Beer break.

 

At least the new starter went into position and bolted up in about 20 minutes. Tied up all the loose ends, and she starts quicker than ever. I did find that someone removed the steering stablizer shock from the front end. So the skid plate will stay off until tomorrow, when a new one can be installed (the wife always thought it felt a little funny, I just thought it drove like a truck)..

 

Anyway. Good times. Thanks for the help gentlemen.

[Casey.T]

If you rotate the starter when you take out the 14mm bolts... You should be able to turn it so the stock shield is almost straight up