Dont change your starter. it sucks.

[jtkpitbulllover]

so Im down to the starter and got my new one in the mail today just still waiting on someone to tell me what I should block off and if I can or not pass safetly with the deletion of the egr stuff thanks..
I did it on my Rx7 and never passed again just wondering how it works on the sc

 

[stevechumo]

You don't need to delete the EGR to replace the starter. If you delete it, you may not pass Smog inspection. Just remove the upper and lower intake manifold to access to the starter. If you decide to delete the EGR, then just buy the EGR delete kit and it has the plates to block the back, side, and the EGR on the header. It also includes the resistor.

 

[jtkpitbulllover]

yeah I ended up just putting it back on the pipe is so stiff you can't really get around it.. my car is back and up to speed...the starter replacement really isn't that bad as long as you know what your doing..and put every vacuum hose back where it goes. I only had 1 extra bolt and it wasn't even necessary to put back thanks to everyone who has posted pictures of there starter replacement they were very useful I love this forum

 

[stevechumo]

It's actually very hard to remove the EGR pipe. No room to do anything back there. I had to cut the pipe in half to remove it.

 

[jibbby]

Ok.. After years and years of posting on this thread I now have a new appreciation for this fellas!!!! I am doing this today!!

I spent 3 hours and got to this point in the pictures below.. The hardest part so far is figuring out how to remove that back wire harness and water bridge.. I had to feel to find the bolts behind that shit.. I haven't even gotten to the Starter bolts yet but I can see and feel that I am fairly confident about removing those two starter bolts.

Quesiton? HOW IN THE HELL DID YOU GUYS REMOVE THAT HUGE WIRE HARNESS? It's all taped up and you can't locate the disconnection sources????

This car is so close to be parted out but I refuse to lose so I will not part out.. I drive another Lexus today but have sentimental love for my old 92 still running on Nitrous.. The motor still purs and doesn't burn a drop of oil and a few years ago I dropped in a young tranny, no dents or scratches on body and the inside leather is still clean so I keep my vintage gold SC400...

Anyways, I like the idea of drilling out the starter bolts from the front and removing the starter that way and then tap thread out larger holes and bolting the new starter from the front.. Anyone do that yet successfully? Can you even get a drill and bit into that area around the starter to even attempt that? Maybe an angle drill should be used for that application, hmm?

Anyways - I was about to consider to part out the car if I couldn't figure out on how to remove the water bridge and wire harness. Lot's of goodies on this SC400 still today. I try again tomorrow!!

Just wanted to post and say - You guys are my hero's for actually completing this job successfully..

These are my current pics as of today..

I just hope I can remember on how to put all this back together.. I got a bunch of cracked little hoses that just broke apart when removing but no biggie though..

Any suggestion or help would be greatly appreciated on the back wire harness... I'll keep grinding it out for now, but if not I will try the front drill out

 

[jibbby]

Last pic...

 

[XR8tt]

TMK the bolts that hold starter motor go through from bell-housing side, the thread is on the starter motor..
Mine is JDM motor and different auto..
You may get away with 10 / 12mm 3/8 drive socket ???
Or flex tube spanner..

 

[stevieg]

ratcheting wrench for the starter bolts

 

[jibbby]

TMK the bolts that hold starter motor go through from bell-housing side, the thread is on the starter motor..
Mine is JDM motor and different auto..
You may get away with 10 / 12mm 3/8 drive socket ???
Or flex tube spanner..

XR8tt, still around on the forum I see!! What's up buddy hope life is treating you well these days

Well, back to subject - when you drill out the starter bolts from the front there will be no threads after and it wont matter.. You will have two clean holes ready for thread tapping.. I will measure and get the right size tap dye and re-thread from the front... Buy two new over sized bolts with a couple lock washers and bolt in the new starter.

I think that game plan might be easier in all honesty if all else fails..

I haven't had the time to get back under the hood yesterday or today... Tomorrow, I'm gonna give a few more hours to do it the old conventional way.. I have the angle 14mm ratchet so I'm gonna give it the ole college try

Will be drilling this weekend with the angle drill if I have no luck and get frustrated beyond reason.. Stay tuned and thirsty my friends..

 

[XR8tt]

Aha much easier out of car ...
WHY wasn't the thread in the block ??
So bolts can be removed !!!!
Ahhh !!!

 

[jibbby]

I've searched every starter motor thread change and nothing states what you should do when you reach the water coolant bridge and wire harness that sits directly above the starter motor bolts.. You need to lift both up to access the 2 bolts in the back!!!

I had to take off the nuts to the water bridge just below the wire harness, used a crow bar to pry everything up and now can easily access the starter bolts in the rear.. I did have to bend that gold pipe near the passenger side starter bolt to gain full and easy access. I removed the starter very easily and fast after that.....

The hardest part of the job is lifting up the aluminum coolant bridge and wire harness above the starter bolts.. DON'T UNDERSTAND what everyone is talking about when saying the bolts are hard to remove.. It's gaining access to them that is hard and not removing them!!!! All these threads are full of misleading crap!!!!

Just stating the truth as none of these starter motor threads were of any help what so ever!!!

Well the 14mm flex wrench was of help but that's it really... I know my Lexus SC4 is no different then any others either.. Pics coming up... Sorry just venting a bit....

 

[gloverman]

Heres a way to get at the starter bolts. Come up from underneith with a series of wiggly extensions. Engine is a VVti 1uz packed into a YN106 hilux and I had to work on about a one foot box to reach the engine bay and to get a few bolts I was on my knees on the rad support panel. Starter bolts where both accessed from the bottom and refitted the same way. One hour to get the starter out , one to strip the starter and find it was not worth fixing and go to supplier to get a replacement and just over an hour to refit and reassemble. Maybe it helps that I do one to two starters every month.

 

[Zuffen]

I use the same technique to access the bellhousing bolts.

I also need to sit in the engine bay to reach. The bonnet opening is over 1200mm from the floor. And I'm only 1650mm to the top of my head!

 

[XR8tt]

Anyone thought of tapping bellhousing and drilling out starter motor threads and install bolts from starter motor side ?? Using larger dia bolts ..

 

[BlackUZZ31]

great until you want to do a transmission or rear main seal!

 

[XR8tt]

great until you want to do a transmission or rear main seal!

Mine has a trans adapter to which its bolted ..
Yea....Equal and opposite reactions !!..

 

[stevieg]

the starter bolts are easy to get to using a ratcheting wrench from the top side once the intake manifold is removed. in my celica i have ZERO clearance to get at them from the bellhousing side and i cant still do a full Re&Re in under an hour

 

[peterr89]

Hello, changing out the stock exhaust headers is a real challenge if you ask me... Getting the tools on the header bolts are almost impossible towards the back of the motor