Ford 292 starter removal?

[Spitfire1776]

....anybody got any advice? Tried pulling it and seems that the front A-arm prevents the bendix a 1/4 inch shy of clearing the shroud. just wondering if there may be any tips for pulling it, without having to loosen mounts and jacking the engine. Its on a 55 Fairlane.

[Mike]

Can you put a jack under the A arm and move the suspension up out of the way? Maybe it'll clear then. (I'm assuming that the car is up on jack stands already)

[Petejoe]

35 yrs ago my first car. A 59 ford with 292 actually got the starters changed more often than the oil. I should know the answer to this by heart. But I guess time and blocking out the terrible experience has taken its toll. I do remember it was a bitch and The starters wouldn't hold up for shit. Sorry but good luck.

[lucky_1974]

I got a 56 Ragtop and had to do this. Loosen the motor mounts and pull up is how I did it. A pain. Also there is one bolt that is a mother to get to at least on my 3 spd setup. Good luck. If you find a better way let me know.

[du$ty]

think your gonna have to jack it up and pull it.the mounts make it hard that way.had to do the sme thing with the fe's in those cars too.

[Deyomatic]

NOOOOO... don't fuck with the motor mounts- or anything else. You just have to play with it a little. I JUST did this 2 weeks ago on MY '55 Fairlane. It can be done. I think you pull it toward the front of the car either up and away from the wheel, or down and toward it. I really don't remember but it is all about angles- you just need to play with it. You may need to jack the body/frame up a little more to give yourself room to get in there.
I gotta head out and check my tranny fluid level for the week, so I'll see if I can remember what I did. I'm gonna PM you, also.

If you think that's a bitch, wait until you have to put the top bolt back IN. I used a 6" ratchet extension and put a piece of duct tape over the end of the socket, so that it wedged the bolt into the socket, then you just have to feel around until you know it goes in. A real pain in the ass.

[DrJ]

My Brother had a '58 Mercury that needed a starter.
He ended up unbolting the engine and jacking it up to pull the starter.
All while our Cadillac-mechanic-Dad was telling him to scrap that piece-of-shit Ford.... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

(Dad owned a '52 Mercury among others...)

[Petejoe]

I do remember My 59 did not have to have anything removed to change the starter. I agree with Deyomatic. Its all a matter of finding the right angle position for removal. I hated changing those things!

[Rocket Scientist Chris]

On my '55 Mercury (with power steering), I found it was alot easier to get the starter out by pulling it from the top. The last time I had to do it, I removed the heater duct from the blower motor and the heater core itself. With a little jostling, it comes right out. Since I have had to do this atleast four times, I decided to replace the original starter with one of the new gear reduction types. It was a bit pricey, but it solved alot of problems: hot starting, bad starters and having to actually replace the darn thing every other year! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Satinblack]

Well I had a 55 Ranch wagon and never had a problem. but I also had a 351 cleveland.....LOL

[Deyomatic]

I'm not sure, for this application, that there is any room to get it from the top, it's tough to even see from the top.

I just took a look at it and I think you need to move the steering wheel all the way in one direction, but I don't recall which. I think you will need to push the starter up and toward the direction of the passenger side headlight. Then I think it you drop the tooth side down and back, and pull it from between the steering components and the flywheel for the bellhousing.

I'd take mine out again to figure it out, but I'm frightened to death of that top bolt not going back in!

[Spitfire1776]

Thanks guys, I think I might try jacking the A-arm up a little, and contorting it some. I'm working on it in a parking lot and not the shop, so resources aren't as readily available, which is why I really wanted to avoid jacking the engine.:)

[Spitfire1776]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm not sure, for this application, that there is any room to get it from the top, it's tough to even see from the top.

I just took a look at it and I think you need to move the steering wheel all the way in one direction, but I don't recall which. I think you will need to push the starter up and toward the direction of the passenger side headlight. Then I think it you drop the tooth side down and back, and pull it from between the steering components and the flywheel for the bellhousing.

I'd take mine out again to figure it out, but I'm frightened to death of that top bolt not going back in!

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah I got the starter pulled out part way, so I could check if it was spinning(which it did, just doesn't have enough oomph to turn engine), and put it back in temp, that bolt was a bitch. Almost as bad as working on a Honda.....

[Deyomatic]

I think the steering wheel will be your answer.
Good Luck.

[286merc]

Swap the Fairlane for a F-100!
Everything is so much easier in a truck, even that f/n bolt.

[warbird]

Keep playing with it, it'll come. I did lots of these on '56-59 Fords and don't remember any problems getting the starter out. I will agree that the top bolt is a real pain. Snap some extensions together to make one long enough to reach out past the end of the starter, then use a magnetic insert in the socket or some "monkey shit" (electrical sealer) in the socket to hold the bolt in while you start it. Have some patience and you'll get it.