All Small Six Starter Removal Trouble

[Rev.LowBuck]

Hey All,
My starter gave up the ghost probably due to the fact that it was old and did't play nice with my eBay header.
So, the header is out of the car to get a good clearance dinging. New starter is on the bench waiting for a blanket heat shield.
BUT- the old starter won't come out.
Yes- there are 3 bolts. Yes- I took them all out (and counted them several times).

I can get a big screwdriver between the starter and the block and make it wiggle a bit but it isn't walking out our coming loose.
Anyone seen this before? What's the trick?

 

[Invectivus]

3 bolt, C4? I wonder if you're stuck engaged? that triangulated contact point will add friction and keep it from wiggling much. I had that when I Bubba'd my auto starter onto my manual bell and it stuck engaged. you might have to get a pry bar on one of the flares on the starter body and pry it forward rather than back and forth.

Or maybe wrap a ratcheting tie strap around it and to the core support to add forward tension while you wiggle it, it's hard to get much force on it by hand.

 

[philford]

slidehammer tied to it ? or a poor man's slidehammer ( a hunk of chain and a weight..)

in my van I removed an aluminum cross brace to access the flywheel area and look in there, I was draining the torque converter. maybe removing that might allow a better view to see if the gear is engaged. I think you should have some lash in that gear, It shouldn't be a tight fit. if it is I'd correct that, maybe file holes to shift it away a tad but you'll care about the fit of the new starter not the older one.

I had one blown up because the driver gave it throttle without releasing the key and it caused the thing to go so fast the gear exploded and did some other damage, that was In a Volvo. Maybe something catastrophic like that could happen if it can't release right due to no gear backlash. I know most here would never turn the key and step on the throttle at the same time, it sure is a fast and easy way to wreck a car.

 

[DON]

Maybe take the inspection plate off and try to move the flywheel back and forth to get it loose. There’s nothing in there but the bendex drive and the flywheel. I doubt there is something wrong with the flywheel (broken). If you can wiggle the flywheel back and forth, hopefully it will come loose

 

[drag-200stang]

Spray some PB blaster around where the starter mates with the block plate and bell housing.
I do not feel that header heat and ford starters are a problem. Do what makes you comfortable.

 

[Rev.LowBuck]

Thanks guys,
Yes C4 and 3 bolt.
I like the idea of removing the inspection plate and turning back and forth. It wouldn't surprise me if it were indeed jammed up as it seems to have had trouble "catching" for a while...like there was excessive wear on the starter drive gear. Hearing that gear snap in will be a welcome sound. With my luck, the gear will snap back in and that 15 pound starter, now free of tension, will smack me in the forehead. I'll run a bolt in for insurance.

As to header heat and starters, I've not had problems either but once the exhaust was mounted and things settled a bit the #6 tube was actually touching the sheet metal housing on the bendix. Anyway, the header is off and putting a ding in it for a bit of clearance won't hurt anything.

I appreciate your input and will report for the sake of future thread searchers.

 

[bmbm40]

Being bashed in the head is not funny but I did chuckle. Will a mini starter fit your setup? I have one on my 250 Bronco and it works great and I remember the considerable weight difference between the 2 type of starters.

 

[DON]

I have a power master mini starter on my 390 and header tube runs right next to it, no hear shield, haven’t had a problem yet.

 

[Rev.LowBuck]

You guys called it!

Starter drive gear was hung up on the flex plate just enough to make it bind. Dropped the inspection cover, put a wrench on one of the torque converter nuts and just bumped it. CLICK! The starter would have fallen out if I hadn't run a bolt in there a couple turns.
Yeah, the teeth on the starter gear are pretty worn...it's old.

As always, THANKS

 

[philford]

good that you found it, yes that gear needs a little backlash so its glad you found it now anyway, before it took out the ring gear or similar.

 

[DON]

And didn’t have get the hammer!!