Disco 2 Starter motor

Well, I had the classic click from the starter last week, so purchased the new selanoid contact kit with plunger. Attempted to fit it today, but gave up in the end. The two easy bolts to remove the starter were so tight, it took about an hour and lots of swearing to get them out. Then the fun really began! The top nut is so bloody hard to get to with hardly any room to get any leverage on it, that I just couldn’t get it undone. It was as tight as the other two, but with extension bar, etc, I just could get any purchase on it. Crap design!
In the end, I decided to change the contacts with starter motor in situ. Got the cover off no problem and could have changed one of the contacts easy enough, but the other one was just too fiddly and I’d wasted enough time time trying to get the starter motor off. So, I decided to just replace the plunger and leave the old contacts in. Car starts perfectly every time now, but I know in about a years time, I’m going to have to replace the contacts.
Does anyone have any suggestions for getting the top nut off the starter motor? There’s got to be a way.

Try harder

You need a socket with an extension just the right length to clear the length of the starter then a wobbly/knuckle joint & another extension so you can get enough clearance from the engine & purchase to crack the bolt from the top or same idea from the bottom but from the bottom you need to angle your extension & ratchet towards the osf wheel I done mine a few weeks ago & thought what trumpet designed this

Will you put the top bolt back in fook off lol

I had a deep socket on a 3/8 extension, with a wobbly bit, then my ratchet, but with all the joints it was hard to put any pressure on the nut.
I had no idea you could get to it from above?

Steviecops said:

I had a deep socket on a 3/8 extension, with a wobbly bit, then my ratchet, but with all the joints it was hard to put any pressure on the nut.
I had no idea you could get to it from above?

Click to expand...

usually defender from above disco from below, it needs 3/8ths thin wall socket and long ratchet

It is not too dificult to do from below once you get the right length of extension, The distance from the end of the socket to the end of the socket wrench has to be slightly less than 19cm ( on ours at least ). Lying on your back with your head to the front of the car you can feel the nut with your left hand and feed the extension(s) with the socket onto it. Then attach the socket wrench. It helps if you use griptite or sealey lock-on sockets that stick onto the nut.

I got the socket on the nut several times, but it was so tight, I couldn’t get it off. There just isn’t enough room to put any real pressure or leverage on it.

Try and get a steel pipe on the socket wrench to get extra leverage. Someone has over tightened it in the past or on the assembly line.