I am trying to change my starter and the bolts will not break loose. I have put a cheater on half inch drive. Will it be better to try breaking bolts loose with the motor hot? Bolts thread into starter from rear. Please help with suggestions and comments. I am stranded!!! Thanks Jack

I did it cold. I used some extentions on a 1/2 inch drive and then used a 24 inch pipe and hit it with a mall hammer. Once they are started the rest is easy.

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1983 300SD
200000miles

any chance you can hit the bolt with a hammer while it's under tension?

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My drivers:
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1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
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I don't know if there is enough room to get one of these impact wrenches in there?
I own about 4 (1 in each car 1 for the tool box) of these impact wrenches (12 volt and clip to the battery) that were made for removing the lug bolts during a tire change but I have found they are good for alot more than that. I got them from Harbor Fraignt: when on sale aroud $20; not on sale around $28. I use it to remove a crankshaft bolt that was supposed to be torqued to 350 foot pounds; I believe they work much better than their appearance and you do not need an air compressor.

An yes I also use them to remove the lug nuts when I rotate tires.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

They are hard to remove especially if they were never taken apart before.Use a 1/2 pry bar and maybe a short length steel pipe and you should be just fine.
Good luck
Dan
Vancouver Canada.

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Heat applied to the starter flange will help a lot as well. Reduces the chances of rounding out the fastening too. Engine heat is too low to really help.

These bolts kind of initially loosen with a snap noise more often than not. Then easily back out. At least the sd bolts are more accesable than the five cylinder 300d.

For a real treat the differential plugs can be quite interesting as well. I was once concerned I was going to break the area around it out of the cover before it let go.

Thanks for the info. I will try again tomorrow. I think I will lower transmission and try to get a straight angle. With a cheater.

If you were to add a bit of heat to the head of the bolt and the bolt lengthened slightly, the clamp load would be greatly reduced and the bolt would easily release.

The only risk is that you cannot heat the bolt more than 350°F. or the steel will temper and the hardness will decrease.

So, it's a bit of a balancing act............heat it to around 300°F. and see if the increased length will be sufficient.

If you try it, I'd be curious as to your success..........or not.

I snapped about 4 3/8 drive sockets, UV joints, and extensions before i finally went and got some 1/2 proper tools.

If you are able to hit the bolts the impact will help, but its not always possible to swing a hammer in the confined area.

Make sure the 10 mm allen is well seated before you really apply the torque.

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1984 Euro 300SDC, (4spd standard)
1986 Toyota Landcruiser Diesel HJ60 5spd X2

Gone but not forgotten (some sold, some stripped)
1983 300 SD, 1985 300 SD, 1983 240D, 1986 300 SDL, 1985 300 SDL, 1983 300 D, 1984 300 D, 1985 300SD, 1987 300 SDL, 1983 300 SD, 1985 300 TD Euro, 1983 380SEC, 1990 300 D, 1987 300D, 1982 300D, 1982 300D, 1994 E420, 1987 300 TD, 1987 300 D, 1984 300 D

They are easy to remove with:

1. Cut off a 1.5" long piece of an allen key wrench (of the correct mm)
2. Place that piece into allen bolt on starter (make sure its clean and seated all the way in the bolt head)
3. Place open end wrench over piece of allen key sticking out of the bolt.
4. Place pipe over wrench
5. Push up on pipe
6. *Crack!* (That was the bolt coming loose, easily.) Works like a charm.

__________________
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'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
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Brian. I have not had to use heat on my mercedes starter bolts so far. I am not even sure how they lock up. Corrosion in the bellhousing where they pass through or rust in the threads? Or just clamping effect as you mention.
Perhaps a combination of all three.

Others have reported that heat helped in desperation. On the next one I have to change that has never been out before. I will heat up the starter ears. Some heat transits the bolt as well.

It usually does it in my opinion with most simular situations. You can get the starter flange ears quite hot. The rust in the threads isolates the heat transfer fairly well. Combined with the low actual contact area in the threads, As you mentioned once everything expands a little things usually let go much easier.

As you mentioned even three hundred degrees helps. A good example is getting a wheel rim to drop away from the rust takes usually little heat. Otherwise you can damage the rim by hitting it they stick so hard. Barring that loosen off the wheel studs and drive the car a few feet will usually pop the rim. Especially if you come on the brakes hard.

I got the bolts out. PTL I lowered the transmission and was able to get a straight shot to the bolts. Thanks for all the help and suggestions. It was a pain. That is why I appreciate this Forum!!!

Use 1/2 inch drive hardware and make sure that you have a 10mm metric allen socket so that you don't round the inside of the bolts. Try spraying ,from the front of the starter threads into the two threaded holes that the bolts screw into with wd-40 and let it soak a while.If you look closely you will note that the screw holes do come all the way through the starter flange and you can see the ends of the bolts.Also try to get some wd into the starter transmission flange holes as well.

Kroil works much better than WD40. Even PB blaster does a better job than WD40.

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1985 300D 198K sold
1982 300D 202K
1989 300E 125K
1992 940T

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3. Would be better to use the Box end, more contact area.

Charlie

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there were three HP ratings on the OM616...

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2) Even less power
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Anyone that thinks a 240D is slow drives too fast.

80 240D Naturally Exasperated, 4-Spd 388k DD 150mph spedo 3:58 Diff

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