Well today I finally got it off. Your last two bits of info
really helped.
I broke my 3/8th U/J and my magnet on a telescopic stick wasn't strong enough, a piece of wire witha loop in the end just slipped and got annoying. So i went and got a new 6 sided 3/8 15mm socket, two different extendable magnets, one with a gripper thing as well. Then I went 3/8 for the new socket and a shortextension, then convertor to 1/2" then U/J then lots of extensions followed with a long breaker bar. I also used a crowbar to jam the socket/first extension in place. It worked first time
.
Thanks ever so much!
The other two bolts were complete sods as well. There just didn't seem to be enough space to move a bar. However all off now so tomorrow I'll replace the contacts. Don't know if I'll put it back on then, as it's my 65th so I think I'll be drinking a bit!
When the top nut came off it fell out of my fingers as apparently happens to lots of people. After trying to find it and failing I left it until the starter was off. I thne searched through the surface of the gravel, all over the chassis top, etc, sh!t myself, "could it have fallen into the how the starter came out of?" Tried to search that using a mirror. Had a final look. It had lodged itself in the very front propshaft U/J!!!
It is now sitting safely in my new magnetic tray.
Also fitted a new Tayna battery. Though the old one tested at 12.5 volts and had been on the car since I bought it in 2014. It had never failed me and always threw the motor over fine on the starter, but I haven't done a drop test. The new one didn't fire the starter up any better than the old one!
. But its specs show it to be more powerful. Still I have two other D1s with dead batts. Just my luck, I'm sure the old one won't fit them, physically.
Just one last thing, once the starter was off I noticed the plate carrying the clip for the two ATF(?) pipes stood about 3/4" off the face of the bellhousing. And they felt stiff, not as if they had just swung there. When I put it back on should I just compress the plate back into position with the starter and bolts or should I loosen and reposition the clip holding the pipes? I hate the idea of a stress fracture in one of those pipes!
All the best and thanks ever so much again.
Stan