2.5 V-6? If so, the alternator stays in place but it's a TIGHT fit removing the starter. The Starter mounting bolts (if never removed before) are a bear to break loose too. A good ratchet, extension and a 6-point socket is the way to go.

 

Starter Removal

Thanks Max.

I have the connections off and the lower bold out, but the upper bold is proving to be a bit of a pain in the you know what. When I look in there you really wonder how in heck the starter can be yanked out without other stuff having to come out.

The shop labor rate for time on the job is .7 of an hour, so I figured it should just drop out. I have to try and find some sort of extension to get some leverage on the upper bolt.

Is the starter cable/wire connection supposed to just pop off when you remove the nut holding the cable on?

S

 

Is the starter cable/wire connection supposed to just pop off when you remove the nut holding the cable on?

Yep. Just an eyelet end type connector over that stud as I remember.

The starter will have to be rotated and turned to get it past the interference. And yes, that top bolt is a tough one to break loose. You'll think something is going to BREAK, then it will snap / start turning out. Again...6-point tight fitting socket or you may "round off" the bolt head.

 

Starter Removal

One more quick question Max...

When you put the new starter back in, is there any special positioning of the starter motor/gear, or do you just slap it in?

S

 

Slap it in. There weren't any shims at the mating surfaces were there? Mine didn't have any.

Why did you pull it by the way? Those starters are pretty bullet proof, is why I ask.

 

Starter Removal

Basically checked everything else, grounds, wiring contacts, the battery is less than 3 years old, alternator seems to be working fine.

Earlier if i gave the solenoid a whack it would work, but that eventually stopped working. That seemed like a pretty strong indicator of the starter. It did seem like when it first stated acting up and I whacked it you could here some movement of parts inside also.

It better be the starter after all of this. I will let you know.

 

Did you ever try and jump 12V + to the solenoid connection (white clip / spade connection in pic) to see if it was a start CIRCUIT problem?

Is it a standard trans vehicle? IF so and the problem is in the start circuit (per the test above), check the clutch pedal start / safety switch.

See...

http://www.suzuki-forums.com/1g-1999-2005-vitara-grand-vitara/20820-ignition-blackout.html

 

I did not try that Max.

It is an automatic, not a standard. I realize I am making a hundred dollar assumption here, but the case seems pretty strong for the starter. I figure if I could tap the starter/solenoid and it would turn it over it seemed the most likely culprit.

I just received the starter via courier and will try and get it in tonight. I will let you know if I identified the correct cause.

Thanks for your interest however.

Max,

I had to buy an extendable drive to reach the upper bolt on the starter and that got it out. The main wire/cable fitting was a bear to get off, it was a bit corroded, but there is just not much room to work down there.

Speaking of room to work, is there some magical position to get the starter out of there, because I played around with it until it got dark trying and could not get it free.

Did you pull yours out towards the top of engine or from below?

I have very sore knuckles this morning!

 

Glad you got it broke loose. I can't remember for sure, but I think it wiggled through and out from above, but don't hold me to it. Had to keep turning the starter to get just the right clearance though I remember.

After all that, it wasn't even a starter problem for me, that's why I mentioned the pedal switch / start circuit earlier. Mine was an intermittent issue too, which made it harder to troubleshoot. It would NEVER mess up at home w/tools and stuff to figure out what was up. Sometimes it's weird stuff like the neutral safety switch, ignition switch or wiring connections btwn those items too.

 

Thanks Max.

Was your vehicle a standard?

I did a lot of wiggling and then resorted to trying to force it. I am hoping for better success tonight.

I also noticed that there was a lot of play in the engage gear on the old starter compared to the new one.

 

Mine's a stick, but I don't think that a tranny difference comes into play with regards to removing the starter. MAYBE if you have tranny cooling lines in close proximity is all.

Tracker vs. Vitara shouldn't make a diff either, I wouldn't THINK. :huh:

Hopefully all you need is a fresh perspective and she'll come right out!

 

Starter Removal

Thats one of the issues Max, tranny lines. I think they will move a bit if I am careful.

Let you know tomorrow.

It sucks having to sit at work all day and stew about getting it done though.

 

Maybe it would be advantagous to loosen the bolts of the motor mount, that may give you just a little extra room.
When I did my engine swap I played with that for quite a while then I just left it in and took the engine out with the starter still laying in the mount. However even looking at it with the engine out it looked like it would be a very very tight squeeze. Good luck

 

I've had mine in and out twice in the last couple of weeks - its currently in getting reconditioned - the throwout clutch has packed it in....
Mine wasn't too bad to get unbolted - both extensions in my 1/2 inch set and a uni joint got both bolts out OK. I took mine out thru the bottom - didn't even think of trying to go out the top.....
Mines a manual however, so no Trans cooler lines in the way - and its still a very tight fit....a lot of wiggling and rotating trying to get it thru.

Hope to get my reco'd starter back tonight and refit....

 

Starter Removal

Hey Max,

Well...removal issues ongoing. It will NOT come out without something being removed. I told my Dad I was going to remove the alternator, rad etc. to pull it out through the front and he thought I was nuts, so he went and tried to pull it out...no success. He even removed the exhaust manifold shield to make more room.

So...last night I started with the wholesale removal of everything in front of it and hope that works. There is absolutely no way the standard shop rate for this job would have been .7/hr...no way.

Anyways, that where I am.

 

Thanks to everyone else for the replies.

I actually messed with the idea last night of lossening the engine mounts and cinch strapping the motor up on the start side to see if I could get enough room, but chose instead to try and pull it out through the front. It appears there is enough room. Its hard to believe the engineers would not design space to replace a starter so you didnt have to pull the exhaust manifold or something more extreme like motor mounts.

Wait a minute, did I just say it would be be hard to believe an engineer...

 

I swear, I didn't have to remove any interference to get it out.

 

I never had to either lot of twist an turn but out through the top side close to front went in same way

 

Starter Removal

I believe you Max, there is no need to swear.

From what I can gather from some of the other comments this is a much easier job on with a standard versus an automatic.

A caveat to all of this is the truck was also in a minor front end accident. I say minor but maybe things have shifted slightly, I don't know.

I do feel better about doing it myself now, knowing a shop would have had to hit me for way more than .7/hr shop time. Maybe they would have just loosened the motor mounts and pulled it up out of the way with a winch, it just didn't seem logical that you should have to do that to change a starter.

Oh well.

 

Maybe they would have just loosened the motor mounts and pulled it up out of the way with a winch

Naw. A floor jack under the oil pan buffered with a piece of wood.

OK, I'll quit cussin' now.

 

Starter Removal

That will be what I try Max.

My next job is to change the rocket boosters on the Space Shuttle...I heard it is an easier job.

 

So...how did it go? :huh:

 

Starter Removal

Well Max...funny you ask.

I ended up removing the fan, rad, alternator, brackets and pulling it out the front. Then I proceeded to put the new one in and discovered it would slide nicely into the housing but it needed to turn approximately a quarter of an inch to line the bolt holes up properly and of course it wouldn't turn. It was catching on a broken piece of white metal (parts of which we pulled out earlier).
The broken piece of metal turned out to be the passenger side motor mount, it had broken and wedged itself into the mount bracket nicely, so nicely that you would never be able to know without looking very carefully at it from below. This truck has been to certified mechanics for oil changes etc. I even had the mechanic that last did the oil change tell me about a broken O2 sensor on the catalytic side right below the broken mount but he didn't notice the mount. It would appear it has been broken for a while because there is wear on the front drive shaft where it had been rubbing against the exhaust manifold/pipe. And I haven't engaged the four wheel drive since winter time.

So, now I am searching for a motor mount for the passenger side. Anybody ever removed the motor mounts on one of these vehicles?

This does however explain why I couldn't get the starter out normally.:mellow:

 

Well Smitty, I'm glad you got it figured out at least.

Motor mount...that would probably be a good pick at a junkyard from a Tracker / Zuki.

Are we talking about the bracket portion that bolts to the engine here, because I'm looking at my spare engine in the shop and the bracket I THINK you are talking about is sort of "C" shaped and made of cast steel?

 

Engine Mount

Mine is actually made of some sort of aluminum alloy. Why they wouldn't make it out of cast steel is beyond me. Mine is a similar shape to yours, but it appears mine somehow wedges the rubber dampener in between an upper and lower portion of the mount.

S

 

Wow. Those ARE different from yours. And we thought that the Tracker was for the most part identical. Guess we found out at least one engine related difference. The ones I show happen to be from a 2000' GV by the way.

You could possibly slip in Zuki ones, but you proly have to do both sides, but they MAY not fit.