I asked not too long ago about a starter install on my 2nd car, but I have since gotten rid of it to focus on redoing my "good" II. I have a new CSI starter (CSI is now CSR) I got with the car and my stock starter just died. Is there room for this type of starter? Once the car is on ramps, what is the easiest way to get the old starter out of there and install the new one? This mounting plate has about 10 different positions so getting it installed properly will probably be lots of fun. Is it necessary to unbolt the engine in order to change the starter??
You should be able to remove the bolt-on crossmember, remove the nuts from the steering rack bolts, slide the bolts back, and drop the steering rack down. That will give enough room to remove the starter, UNLESS you're running the hedman headers.
on my 351W, I went through all 18 positions on a Summit starter and only found one that fits... as said above, drop the steering rack, jack the engine up a little, remove the motor mount/frame mount and everything will be accessible.
If your rack has never been removed before, you're in for a hell of a time getting it off. Water builds up in the bushings and rusts the bolts. d
If you jack the motor and pull the mount you don't need to pull the rack. trust me it works ---I always hated that steering knuckle
I never removed or loosened the rack to get a starter out of a II. I have always pulled the long bolt that holds the motor mount to the frame mount, jacked up the motor (put the jack under the motor first and lift slightly so the bolt will slide out easily), removed the frame mount, and used a combination of every extension I owned to loosen the two bolts holding the starter in with the rachet ending up front near the radiator (it's a straight shot this way). Wish I knew this the first time, it took me four hours laying under my car in the street in freezing weather when I was teen. It has worked for me with two different II's, one that had Black Jack (now Dynomax) and the other chopped up Headman headers (#1 and #2 run under crossmember). Sorry, not experianced with CSI starters. Always used stock starters.
Be careful when you jack the motor up if you have the original fan shroud. You don't want to crack that mug.
Never tried pulling the mount, I guess because dropping the rack is so easy. Helps to have long extensions, etc. I can see where way up north it might be problem, though.
