The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Removing the top starter bolt, special wrench needed ?

I need to remove the starter on my 1954 , 3600, 235 Engine. There is very little clearance to get a wrench on the top bolt. I've tried every 3/4 open end wrench I have and there's no room to turn the wrench. I cant get a box end on it at all due to little end clearance. Can someone tell me the correct method. Thanks

I use a 3/8" drive 3/4" universal socket and enough extension to work the ratchet from just behind the starter motor.
Jerry

Years ago I took a cheapy 3/4 box wrench & heated it with the torch & bent the end to about 90 degrees. It works good on those.
If you are in the K. C. ,area I will lend it to you.

Thanks Hotrod and Wrenchbender , looks like I've got a non-standard starter and bending a wrench or getting a 3/4 "starter wrench" may do the trick. It looks like I should have took that starter off the first time it "acted up" now it died while trying to start the old girl, its "dead", won't do a thing. The PO switched to 12V system and this is definitely not the original 6V starter. Now to get it off and see what the problem is.

Men, I finally got that top bolt out and found a mess after I got to checking it over. I started a new post "Starter Woes, Need Help". If ya get a chance take a look. Thanks for the help.

Back in my high school days in the 50's I had a "starter wrench" that I used for that task.

I have one of these for that:
http://www.sears.com/craftsman-9-16-x-5-8-in-wrench-12-pt/p-00904376000P
I got it years ago to reach around cylinder base nuts. Works in funky spaces.

Perhaps I should add one of those to my tool box. Probably wouldn't have to worry about it "walking off", they wouldn't know what to do with it. Thanks for the info!

It seems to me the wrench size on the old stovebolt engine starter was 3/4 in.

Recently took off a starter, and you are correct with the bolt/nut size.

Access to the top stud is a bugger, I don't know what GM was thinking at the time as one can only get about 1/16-1/8 turn with a 3/4 open end. I make sure the threads on the stud and nut are in good clean condition so that the nut can be finger tightened (or loosened) most of the way.

As I recall, the nut on the switch is what takes a 5/8.

Yes, it was 3/4. What made this even more of a problem is that it was a 12V car starter and there just was very little clearance between the solenoid housing and the bolt head. When I put it back together using the correct 6V starter, I installed a stud in the top bolt hole. That made it easier to install.

Paul_WNC , right, its still a tough top nut! One of those curved wrenches might have helped.

I forgot that I have 2 of these. One is 9/16 -5/8 and the other is 11/32 - 3/4. So never look just grab both and use what fits. Silly me. I did manage one fine day in my youth to create one. Used a Fo%$ damper pulley nut with the wrench placed against the frame. Starter motor did the bending. Should have seen the look I got from the counter guy at Sears. I am not a big guy(150 and 5 ft 7) at the time). My buddy who went with me was 6 ft 5 and well over 300 so I just hooked a thumb over my shoulder and got a new wrench.