PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum - View Single Post - One more question about the starter on a 84 300D

tcane · #6 05-27-2002, 01:03 PM

Glad to read you were successful, I've seen this nightmare - no fun.

The spring washers are a type of lock washer, not as good as the split lock washer or the type with the series of small fingers with serrations, but they work.

The top bolt is probably as tight as it is because either the starter has never been removed and the steel bolts have partially welded/corroded themselves to the either alum. or cheap metal the starter housing is made of, or the starter has been removed and the car was up on a lift where the tech could apply full force and leverage to really grunt on that bolt to make sure it never comes out, or the starter was replaced and the threads were not cleaned with a tap and the tech really torqued the bolt while standing on the floor with the car on a lift, or the everything was in good condition and the threads we're oiled/greased and then over-torqued by a tech standing on the floor with the car up on a lift.

When laying on the ground you have far less ability to apply force to this or any other bolt. I've used my legs, a small hydraulic bottle jack, torch for lots of heat, even used a breaker bar jammed into the ground and lowered the car to break some really tight bolts/nuts - in other words, use your imagination and whatever it takes to get those suckers loose! I wear brown cotton garden gloves to help with getting a good grip - and gloves also keep busted nuckles/cuts to a minimum and my hands stay much cleaner.

As mentioned, it is a very good idea to run a tap through the threads on the replacement starter - clean threads make a big difference in easily threading the bolts into the starter.

Leathermang has a very good suggestion, use Anti Seize compound if you have it or high temp grease if you do not.

Using hex head bolts is another good suggestion. On the adapter plate these are the only Allen-head bolts, all the others holding the engine and trans together are hex head - go figure.