Tackling a starter, need suggestions (and sympathy)

[phidauex]

Hi,

Around 2pm this afternoon I decided to finally do my 82' 300TD's starter replacement. My starter has been intermittantly whirring (without clicking), preventing a start. It gets worse as the weather gets cold, so I'm heading it off at the pass and changing it while the weather is decent (at least, thats the theory).

After a huge struggle that is basically a miniature version of what you are about to read about the top bolt, I was able to get the lower bolt on the starter loose, but now the upper bolt is giving me hell (of course).

My first tactic was to connect my 3/8" 10mm allen socket to a universal joint, then about 18" of extensions, which I fed up alongside the transmission pan. To this I connected a breaker bar. The problem was that even if I got the socket seated well, the socket would pop out before the bolt turned. Now, in its defense, it would pop out while I was pulling incredibly hard, as hard as I could pull.

The next tactic was to improve my socket by making a new one. I cut a piece from a 10mm allen wrench, and slipped it into a 10mm impact socket. It would let me pull a little harder, but would still eventually slip out.

To get some more torque, I started using my pneumatic impact wrench, which puts out a modest 250ft/pounds of torque. Unfortunately, I could hammer away all I wanted, and the bolt would not loosen.

Then I tried the 'from the top' method. I removed the aircleaner assembly, the battery and tray, and the heat shield that is in the way. From here, I could get small wrenches in, and was able to do things like insert the 10mm allen 'nub' I had made into the bolt, then grab it with a 10mm box wrench or something. Unfortunately, pulling as hard as I could from underneath with a breaker bar meant that getting sufficient torque with a short wrench was not going to happen. The space is still too tight to get my 1/2" breaker bar in from above.

Then I went to a store, and picked up a 500 ft/pound impact wrench.

More attempts from underneath, and no luck. I could get the socket to stay in the bolt, but nothing would move the bolt.

Went to more extreme methods, and drilled a big hole in the firewall. Now I've got a straight shot to the bolt, but STILL can't get it to budge, with either breaker bar or impact wrench. I'm worried that my compressor can't put out the full CFM necessary for the new wrench, so I'm half tempted to take the car to one of the gas stations with free air, quickly remove their tire chuck and attach a quick release, and put on my impact wrench, and see if I can break the bolt loose there. (I could tighten the lower bolt again, just enough to hold things in place, start the car, take it to the station, break loose the top bolt, and then gently retighten, restart, drive home, and then remove both bolts). But of course, there is no guarantee I could do it, even with more CFM...

All this time I've been squirting it with PBlaster and intermittantly applying heat with a MAPP torch, as well.

At this point I'm running out of ideas, and I've been tackling this bolt for over 8 hours. I'm filthy as sin itself, and in dire need of a beer and hot meal, but I'm not happy aboutthe prospect of ending the night in defeat. Anyone got any great ideas?

peace,
sam