Sunday, I went to go put the new starter in the convertible. The day started off well with plenty of time to get the starter in and trouble-shoot in case it still didn't turn over. I took all the wiring off the starter, and unbolted the bracket, and the first bolt easily, the last bolt was a bit of a pain and took a while because it is a really long bolt, and the ratchet would not fit and I had to do with a regular wrench. All while I lay on the ground and held the starter up to keep the bolt aligned. As I unbolted it, all I was thinking was "damn, I wish we had a ratcheting wrench set here."
Then I broke the third starter, and had to go get another...I was trying to take the nut off of the copper bolt that is where the positive battery cable connects to the starter, and the nut was on there so tight, that the entire copper bolt twisted right off when I tried to take it off.
I went to Kragen down the street and got another, got lunch and when I got home I was looking around in the garage and found a ratcheting wrench set that was missing a couple wrenched, but NOT missing the size wrench I needed! How easy it would be to put the new starter in...
...so I thought
Once I got under there and got the new starter positioned, I realized the ratcheting wrench was also too thick to fit between the bolt and the transmission. Uh! What a pain to hold up the (heavy) starter and try to align and tighten this huge bolt at an awkward angle. plus, I must have had food coma after my lunch, because the first few times I tried putting this on, I was turning the wrench the wrong way, and kept wondering why the bolt kept falling back out (Jim says this is actually because I don't know my right from my left, but it's not true! I claim disorientation from being upside down and food coma).
After I get the thing in there with the two main bolts, I go to but the bracket back on and realize that there is no hole in this starter to screw the bracket into. Then I look at where the starter meets the transmission, and notice that it does not line up exactly where the old one did. SO, I check the one I just took off and the new one, and they are different part numbers. Ugh! What a waste of a day.
2 comments:
Then you what?
Too bad you were down here, I bet I've got a ratcheting wrench set in the garage. That garage has everything!
Impact wrench. I'm not sure if it would've helped you in that situation but my husband says it's the best damn tool he ever bought! And why wasn't Jim helping out to hold the thing in while you tried bolting it? Uh! and stupid different part numbers (I will remove comment that I would have made to my husband in this situation - you can ask me later, once the pain of a wasted Sunday subsides...)
Post a Comment