I HAVE MY AIR SYSTEM APART TRYING TO REMOVE MY STARTER. I FOUND THE 2 BOLTS, BUT I CAN'T GET THEM OUT. ONE OF THEM WON'T BUDGE AND THE OTHER HAS SOME KIND OF THIN WIRE OR PIPING IN FRONT OF IT. DID ANYBODY WHO WORKED ON THEIR STARTER USE FREEHAND TOOLS AND NOT POWER TOOLS?

 

1) It is a violation of Netiquette to post a message in all capital letters. It makes people think YOU ARE SHOUTING!

2) It is common for these bolts to be tight, even tighter than the factory torque specification. They can be removed with hand tools. You may have to resort to using a "cheater". This is a 3-foot length of pipe which you slide over the handle of your breaker bar or ratchet wrench to increase your leverage.

 

how do i torque the bolts?

 

With a torque wrench. The factory specification for starter mounting bolts is ...
short bolt 22-30 foot-pounds
long bolt 57-72 foot-pounds

 

I should mention I recommend you only use a breaker bar with this method. I have destroyed a few ratchet wrenches by using pipes to increase leverage. The ratcheting mechanism cant take the added torque, so only use a breaker bar.

 

Your point is a good one. However, you could look at this as a test of tool quality. A good ratchet mechanism is so strong you will bent the handle before the ratchet mechanism gives up.

You can also fit a "cheater" to a box wrench. Using a cheater is an abusive practice but sometimes you have no alternative.

 

Daniel do you just know this stuff by heart or are you looking it up in the manuel? Cause damn you know your ****!!!
Props to Daniel B. Martin, he has helped me a bunch.
When is your b-day Daniel I think the board could be nice enough to throw in money to get you a mod for your ride for helping everyone out so much

 

I just make it up as I go along. Sometimes I get lucky and give a correct answer.

Thanks for the kind thought. Not necessary. Helping other Maxima owners is part of my automotive hobby. I call it Virtual Wrenching.

 

cool! , maybe just a card then!

 

Haha, well this was done with using other's bargain basement "made in china" tools... I on the other hand use Craftsman/Husky products which have lifetime warranties, even with abuse.

 

it's ****ing me off

 

This post is not informative.

Did you try a "cheater"?

 

and good thing they have a lifetime warranty too... i've busted a 3/8 craftsman ratchet and so has a friend. not to say they are bad tools, but don't work too well abused!

btw, what area are you from eric? i have a '97 sage green and ride a 2000 kawi zx9r (i commuted on an r1 for 1 year and 18,000 miles and it beat me up!

-V

 

I bought a torque wrench yesterday, and got the bolts out. now i can't figure out where to disconnect all the plug and wires attached to the starter that are holding it in.

 

I'll guarantee if you use a torch just to heat the bolts up a bit and spray them down with a rust inhibitor, they'll break loose. It worked for me on the rust bucket I used to own.

 

The torque wrench is needed for putting the bolts in not for taking them out. However, you now have them out, and have overcome that obstacle. Keep going!

If you haven't already done so, please look at this Web page: http://vbxmaxima.8m.com/starter.html
I hope it will answer all your questions.

 

I've seen that site, thanks. There is only one connector I have to disconnect to get the starter out from the point I'm at? How do I go about opening it and regreasing it, because the are no directions for it? Thank you for being so patient with me Daniel.

I was just reading an old post about spark plugs, and someone said that Bosch Platinum +4 spark plugs gave them serious problems. What kind of problems would it give? I replaced my spark plugs with these a little over a month ago. Could this be contributing to the problem?

 

I've never seen a manual which gives instructions for doing this. I suppose that's because most techs (and shop owners) prefer to install a remanufactured starter rather than spend the time rejuvenating the customer's used starter.

If you are a relatively inexperienced home mechanic maybe you should take the easy way out and replace the starter.

If you have mechanical aptitude and want to forge ahead, follow your instincts. Remove the two Phillips head screws which secure the solenoid to the starter motor gear case assembly. Remove the two long bolts which clamp the starter end cap, body, and gear case assembly together. The heads of these long bolts are at the end cap. When they come out the whole starter motor pretty much falls apart in your lap.

Not likely. Some owners report satisfactory results with the Bosch Platinum +4 spark plugs. Those who do not usually complain of rough idle and uneven acceleration. These are engine running characteristics, not engine starting characteristics.

 

Here's my problem:

I unscrewed the 2 bolts that hold the starter into the motor, and there were 2 plugs/wires that were connected to the starter. I couldn't figure out how to remove either of these connectors, so I turned the starter over and found an opening. In this opening was a wheel that turns. I'm guessing it spins something inside there when I turn the key. I greased that up with high-temp grease and replace the starter and all other parts where they belong. When i tried to start my car, the crank sounded weaker than before I messed with the starter.

 

You can't lubricate the starter drive parts without opening the case. There are limits to what can be done with written advice. Some things are learned by doing. Perhaps you can enlist the help of a friend who has experience with starter motors.

 

Thanks so much. Do you think I could've messed up the starter more? Or will lubricating the inside help the problem with my starter?

 

to elaborate on Dan's point with the torque wrench. it's better not to use a torque wrench to loosen bolts as the sudden/extreme forces you use to break something free can damage the wrench which costs much more than a normal wrench!

make sure you get the one with the correct range too, as torque wrenches aren't as acurate at the extremes of their measurement.

-V

 

We don't really know where your added lube wound up, inside the starter. If it found its way to the brushes or armature commutator it could weaken the cranking power of the starter because it creates conductive paths which should not exist.

 

In dealing with electric motors in the past, you should really on be lubricating the bearings. If you lube the commutator were the brushes are supposed to sit, you will have terrible problems like dirt and sand attracting to the oil or grease and scratching the brushes and commutator causing drops in voltage by arcing. Let me know if you get the starter apart. If its designed like most electic motors with the endbell that detaches from the can which holds the magnets I can help you get it together without the thing falling apart.

 

i got the starter out, what do i do

 

are you going to disasemble the whole thing?

 

yes, i am. do you have aol or aim? can you tell me where i need to grease this thing?

 

No and I am leaving work right now. I'll start of with this use some kind of good electronics cleaner to clean the the inside of the whole case and commutator. Make sure you clean all of the carbon out. If you have a brass bearing within the endbell that holds the commutator in place, us the grease there and only there. If you have ballbearing use an oil. I used to use motor oil to lubricate ballbearings because it will not break down like WD40 will. Send me a private message and keep me updated to your progress. I will be home in about an hour.

 

i dont know where to put grease and where to put oil

 

Can you take pictures with your digital camera?

 

I put the starter back in the car along with everything else, this morning after cleaning it up last night. Now, when I turn the key to start the car I get a funny noise that reminds me of a remote control car. Instead of the rrr-rrr-rrr I was getting before, it's like reeeeeeeeee. It's not very loud like the grinding noise the starter was making before, but it can be heard clearly. I checked my ecu codes and got 0407 and 0505. I'm going to look them up now.

My car still does not start. Where can I get a good starter for a low price?

 

I didn't know you were having problems with your starter from the gitgo. No wonder you broke it down. Try Pepboys or Autozone. They'll have a core charge for yours to be returned to them. Sorry all that work didn't help.

 

Will they give me money for my starter or charge me a fee? How much do you think a new one will cost?

 

They will charge you more if you don't have the old starter with you when you buy the new one. If they have to charge you for the core, it will be refunded to you when you give them the old starter. You will have to call one of the stores for the price, I really don't know what they are charging for Maxima starters. Can't be as much as the dealer.