Help!! Starter Removal 230GE

[Dawie Louw]

Getting old(er) is a bastart! Please help!

Today, I tried to remove the starter from my '89 W460 230GE. Nearly 4 hours later and I am about to admit defeat. The joke is, I personally removed this same starter in Sept 2000, bought an overhaul kit from Bosch and had an Auto Sparkie workshop overhaul the starter. I then refitted it myself.

Lately the bendix would sometimes only kick in after three or four starting attempts and I rather replace the solenoid before getting stranded.

My expensive workshop manual (R3k+ in 2004) does not help me one bit. I searched pointedthree.com but they only show starter removal on the 280GE (M110) motor. I even 'phoned Dirk Wentzel but he says that all starters he removed simply slid out after removal of the two bellhousing bolts.

I have removed the 2 bolts holding the starter to the bell housing, the supporting bracket at the front, the battery and starter wires but for the life of me, I cannot get the starter out far enough to clear the bellhousing. It keeps jamming against the engine mounting and intake manifold support. At one stage I thought there is a casting insert between the starter and the bellhousing but that seems to be part of the actual engine block.

My oldsheimers has kicked in (not surprising at 67, a life in IT and not enough B&Coke I guess) and I simply cannot remember how I got it out 12 years ago! Multifocal- glasses also does not help!

I am about to take off the entire engine mounting, the intake manifold, or else remove the whole engine so that at least I have working space!!

Any advice will be highly appreciated.

Dawie
083 645 7728

[Alan]

Hi Dawie,
I haven't taken out a starter of the 230 but yes the ones I took out just slid out. My experience has shown not to force anything just try turn it any way possible. It will suddenly seem very easy.
Otherwise do yourself a favour and just get Dirk to do the job and spare yorself the frustration.

[Riaan Harman]

Dawie


There is a petrol warming pipe that goes from the exhaust manifold to the intake - take that pipe off.

First remove the bolts on the exhaust manifold.

There are two bolts that you can't see but you can feel them (I think it takes a ten spanner) underneath the intake where the pipe leads too, loosen them and force the pipe down a bit it should come out.

After that it is possible to turn the starter while taking it out from the bell housing and it should slide out more easily.


You can phone me then I can try and explain how I got mine out eventually if you still struggle.

Zero eight three 5 one eight two three 5 zero

R

[Dawie Louw]

Riaan
I had that pipe (did not know what it does) all undone but it is very difficult to get out of the way, being a single solid piece catching on the cluster of breather pipes and other fittings.

I also had the impression the starter had to move upwards, rather than forward to clear the bellhousing. How the heck I will refit the starter cable, front mounting, etc, will also be a challenge but that is another day's worries!

One advantage of being 'retired' - I don't have to wait to tomorrow evening, I can give it another bash in the morning.

Many thanks, also for your cellphone number. I will call if I don't get any further.
Dawie

[Dawie Louw]

Getting old(er) is a bastart! Please help!

I am about to take off the entire engine mounting, the intake manifold, or else remove the whole engine so that at least I have working space!!

I tried every which way but simply could not get the starter out. The front would not slip past the engine mounting. I also could not get the "V" - shaped intake manifold support bracket out as I could not undo the two top bolts (more later*) and gave up.

In the end, I removed the entire intake manifold and fuel distributor as a unit and then obviously, had no problem pulling the starter out. At least this allowed me to could clean the whole contraption, including the intake tubes which surprisingly, was not too contaminated.

* I still believe this "V"- bracket was the obstacle preventing the starter to be pulled out. I also suspect that I have removed this bracket when I pulled the starter 11 years ago. The reason why I could not undo the two top bolts of the manifold support bracket was that I tried to unbolt them with a long extension from the bottom. After removal of the whole manifold, I realised that it actually has welded nuts and has to be unbolted from the top!! You need to remove a vacuum switch on the left and throttle linkages on the right before these bolts can be reached. Once you know how, it’s simple!

AND NOW THE PUNCH LINE!!
Nothing wrong with the solenoid (or the brushes and bushes - which were replaced about 20,000kms ago). The pin on which the bendix lever swivels had simply vanished. Only after dismantling the starter to inspect it and to take the solenoid as sample to Bosch, did I realise I never saw this pin. Believe it or not, the starter continued to operate normally, except on a few odd occasions when the bendix would not engage. Usually after about three or four tries it would engage and I would be on my way.

It would seem that the starter spinned the bendix into the ring gear rather than shifting it in with the lever. This swivel pin is just a small bolt with nut and I suspect that it either broke (unlikely) or the nut undid itself and the bolt then fell out somewhere on a bumpy road.

The good news is that an intake manifold gasket can be purchased on its own, was in stock and only cost R27.13, VAT included! A bargain in today's terms.

I have not decided what I will do with the new solenoid (R191), four new brushes (R63) and three new bushes (R110) which I bought, thinking I will overhaul the starter while I have it out - and not used! I will probably keep them as a reminder of my school fees paid. Except for the hour it takes to conclude the sale at Bosch, the R365 odd it is not too serious but is more than double what it cost 11 years ago!

Thanks Riaan for your advice, telephone call and moral support.

At least everything is clean and well lubricated, and the starter again spins like a new one.

Dawie

[Riaan Harman]

Glad you got it out in the end!!

[Andrew]

Man, do I hear you. Like really HEAR you.

So often we have to pay huge school fees just because we can't find the teacher to buy his knowledge.

I would make a sculpture of the parts and Pratley them onto the dash until I could laugh every time I looked at it. But I think it would take me a long time.