starter on a 76

[ryans76]

hi there i have a mustang ii 1976 with a 302 in it i was wondering if anyone has been able to remove the starter without jacking and or removing the engine mount i would like to find an easier way of slipping it out but seems to me like that is my only option that i can see any ideas will be appericiated thanks...ryan

 

[joeythesaint]

Nope.

 

[COBRAIIW]

Okay, having done this numerous times, I now have it down to two hours.
This is also in the manuals for the car.
First remove the steering wheel cover on the column,the plastic one, two screws. you are going to drop the steering column.
Remove the four mounting nuts for the column, and lay the steering wheel on the seat.
Jack up the front end of the car enough to get under it and support with jackstands.Wheels off the ground.
Remove the rack and pinion nuts from the bolts that go thru the front underframe piece,and push back the bolts,
Pull the rack and pinion assembly foward and down lower than the frame.
Now you should be able to see a way to pull the starter straight out the front.
Remove the starter cable,(3/16 bolt), remove the two starter bolts, pull straight out the front.

Sensibly it goes back together in reverse order. good luck.

 

[joeythesaint]

Dude, you just changed my life.

Seriously.

 

[THE COBRAMAN]

You don't need to drop the column. At least not on any of mine. I just zap off the rack bolt nuts, push the rack bolts back til the rack will drop, and pull it loose. You could also just pull the one pinchbolt on the coupler if you need the intermediate shaft pulled off the pinion shaft.

 

[Andy CobraII]

A Couple Days Late

Well, this sucks!!!!

I just went through the whole process saturday..... I read the "how to"
on mustang.org site in which he says you need monkey arms LOL
Took me forever, had to slide engine mount out of way, was cussing
ford engineers the whole time..

Anyway, just wanted to pass along what I learned.

Test your starter before you go through trouble of putting back in.....
I actually bought a dead one from autozone. Luckily I found out before
it was in car.

Also, check all your grounds. My engine wasn't properly grounding to
body.

andy

 

[Wart]

Well, this sucks!!!!

I just went through the whole process saturday..... I read the "how to"
on mustang.org site in which he says you need monkey arms LOL
Took me forever, had to slide engine mount out of way, was cussing
ford engineers the whole time..
.....

That's because quite oftenly the rack bolts are frozen by rust into the cross member. If the rack bolts can't be slid out that is how it has to be done.

Yeah, just drop the suspension brace, undo the rack main bolts, pull the one on the starter side and pull the bolt most of the way out on the starter side. Pull the starter side of the rack forward, sort of rotate it, then pull down till you feel resistance, NOTE: A good rag joint will handdle these stresses with no problem, one of the old plastic joints? Don't count on it. Overall your better off dropping the coupling bolts. /note. Unbolt the power lead, unbolt the starter, slide it out the front.

That's essentially it.

 

[Wart]

Well, this sucks!!!!

I just went through the whole process saturday.....

You should have posted here friday.

 

[COBRAIIW]

It sounds as if the 302 pan is the wrong one for a II.
If you grind anything off the rack, please be careful not to take much off.

 

[Steel Steeds]

You would be better off to unbolt the motor mounts and lift the motor a bit to get the rack back on. The pan may well be the wrong one, but if it isn't rubbing on anything, you might as well leave it until such time as you have the motor out.
I don't much like the idea of grinding on the rack. If you do, be VERY conservative...