Club 80-90 Forums

For a while I've had intermittent issues with my starter motor. Sometimes it works fine, and sometimes you hear the starter solenoid click and nothing, try a few more times and then it works.

The van is a 1986 1.9 DG

Anyway it's got to the stage where I can't use the van for fear of it not starting to get me home!

So the van has a new battery and I've checked all the electrical connections are good so I need to remove the starter motor next to take a look at the bush in the bell housing to see if that is the cause. Easy you might think, but the hex head bolt at the top of the starter motor is rounded!

Any ideas on removing ruined hex heads... it was probably originally an 8mm hex fitting

You will need a good quality 12-point bit of the appropriate size (or maybe a larger size torx) and belt it into the rounded-out socket, then undo.
Surprizingly effective.

Yes I was thinking along those kind of lines or maybe this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STUD-BOLT-EXT ... 3641.l6368" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

there is a nut on the other end so you only have to hold it enough to stop it turning, you may even get mole grips on it.

Hi Itchyfeed,

It's a good thought and I really wish there was a nut behind it, but it's not the bolt you might be thinking of, at least not on my van. The issue I've got is with the top retaining bolt for the starter motor. To me it looks like it screws into the engine / bell house casing. I've managed to remove the bottom retaining nut without issue, however the almost impossible to access top hex head bolt is ruined.

I did however try mole grips without success as you suggested, which hasn't worked...

Never mind I like a challenge

mbcamper wrote:Hi Itchyfeed,

It's a good thought and I really wish there was a nut behind it, but it's not the bolt you might be thinking of, at least not on my van. The issue I've got is with the top retaining bolt for the starter motor. To me it looks like it screws into the engine / bell house casing. I've managed to remove the bottom retaining nut without issue, however the almost impossible to access top hex head bolt is ruined.

I did however try mole grips without success as you suggested, which hasn't worked...

Never mind I like a challenge

Just a shot, but are you sure its not an Allen bolt? Mine is, with a rather concealed hex nut on the engine side

Hmmm, but maybe I need to take a closer look tomorrow having read this:

https://aircooledvwt25.wordpress.com/20 ... ter-motor/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Maybe there is a nut!!!

mbcamper wrote:Hmmm, but maybe I need to take a closer look tomorrow having read this:

https://aircooledvwt25.wordpress.com/20 ... ter-motor/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Maybe there is a nut!!!

There is one - definitely.

I changed my starter in the summer, the starter end is an allen key style, the other is a nut ( 13mm from memory, although it was back in July I think, so could be wrong on nut size. )

If it's the same as an air-cooled starter, the nut is definitely in the engine bay. The head you think is rounded off is shaped to lock against the starter housing.

Sorry. I read that it was the cap head bolt that had been gouged-out.

Right this was troubling me so I've just taken a better look.

Yes I stand corrected (sorry Mr Itchyfeet), I've found the nut you were talking about and with mole grips on the curious "rounded head" I've managed to release it!

It's raining outside so I'll take a look tomorrow if the weather is better.

Thanks all!

I'm hoping to find a dodgy starter bush which can explain my starter issues.

Somebody must sell them, looks to me like N 10022401 M10x122 cap head

Okay starter removed and the bush in the bell housing looks okay to me - it's all there!

The starter motor isn't so good looking. Sadly when I was removing the main battery connector, it just snapped off:





Given the damage to the casing am I looking at a complete reconditioned unit now? Am I going to have trouble getting this accepted as a "serviceable" exchange?

Can you replace the solenoid part on its own. I can't see anyone selling it.

buy a second hand starter motor