1G AWD starter removal

[motox-010]

Okay, need to replace my starter, I have everything disconnected, but for the life of me CANNOT figure out how to get the damn thing out! My friend said drop it through the bottom, but that's impossible, as there's an exhaust pipe and driveshaft to close together.

 

[1gDSM4g63]

The starter motor is no where near the downpipe exhaust.

You don't need to get under the car. Just remove the battery and the battery tray and you can go from there with a flex wrench.

 

[93clips]

ive exchanged my starter at least a million times (or around that) and yes if you remove the battery and tray you should be able to get your hand between the coolant hoses and wiggle it out. be careful as i thought it was lighter than it was and ended up with a smashed finger. and thats no fun. whats wrong with the starter anyway?

 

[motox-010]

What I was saying, is my friend with an FWD pulled his starter through the bottom. But I got it out. Oh yea I've got a 6 bolt.

 

[Novice]

Starter Swap / Install

It's a little rough around the edges, but that's how I did mine.

 

[motox-010]

Well I got it out and in once, so I think I can do it again.

 

[montuner]

thanks for the write up novice I was able to pull mine and re-install it in about an hour, good pictures.

 

[Fastasaids]

Ah a beautiful guide dude, it helped me so much! Made it really easy to change out the starter

 

[beat90tsi]

Great guide with pics, made this process much easier. This is my 3rd 1g DSM, but my first starter swap. Mine wasn't rusty, but quite oily, probably from my recently blown 14b experience, I blew a crapload of oil out of the BOV after I got the new turbo back on.

I would have preferred a rusty one, that was one slippery SOB, I had a helluva time maneuvering it in there. My abnormally large forearms were not a help there. I have big forearms from, you know, turning wrenches.

Great guide, thanks for posting it.

**so when I got to autozone, they tested it and it passed with flying colors...wtf?

Re-installed and it fired right up. It looked original, so I'm hesitant to throw it out.

 

[ferretgirl]

Reviving this because I have a newb question: on the two bolts that connect to trans, does it matter which one the ground wire is connected to? Got new starter in and now it makes a belt rub/squeal-type noise when clutch is pressed in.. about to switch the bolt its connected to, if that doesn't work, will put old one back in and see if noise goes away.

edit: switched the bolt that ground was connected too, this time made the noise soon as car started. will put old starter back in and see if new noise goes away.

 

[Vegas Smith]

It shouldn't make any difference but technically it's on the right bolt (at least on a 1G). Sounds like maybe a bad throw out bearing.

 

[gsxeclipse102]

Reviving this because I have a newb question: on the two bolts that connect to trans, does it matter which one the ground wire is connected to? Got new starter in and now it makes a belt rub/squeal-type noise when clutch is pressed in.. about to switch the bolt its connected to, if that doesn't work, will put old one back in and see if noise goes away.

edit: switched the bolt that ground was connected too, this time made the noise soon as car started. will put old starter back in and see if new noise goes away.

Pressing the clutch in has no effect/relation to the starter.

 

[ferretgirl]

Got both starters off to compare and something is sheering off on the housing (top right of spindles). Can't see a thing down there.. Any ideas/advice? One friend said could be loose flywheel (fingers crossed not too bad).

 

[pauleyman]

You do not have the trans fully bolted down. Do you have the starter plate installed also? Do you have the small trans mount bolt in place the goes in from the opposite side? Whatvyoure seeing is the flywheel rubbing the trans. Something isn't assembled correctly. Did you just recently install this trans?

 

[ThunderChild]

Worst case, if the trans is fully seated, starter plate is in etc. It may have crank walk. @pauleyman us prolly right on with it not being bolted down all the way.

 

[pauleyman]

Worst case, if the trans is fully seated, starter plate is in etc. It may have crank walk. @pauleyman us prolly right on with it not being bolted down all the way.

This is certainly a possibility.

 

[ferretgirl]

Trans hasn't been touched in the 3 yrs I've had it. But for old starter to have same (old) marks.. Put a mirror down there (can't see much) and felt nothing loose or wiggling. Put old starter back and started fine, no noise. So maybe I can get away with a couple of thin washers on mount bolts to prevent that scraping on the new one (bolts are long enough, they'll still come all the way through).

 

[pauleyman]

No. You need to find the root cause. Check that lower bolt and check crank end play.

 

[donniekak]

If you have crank end play that is bad enough to do that you'll be able to push the crank in and out by hand.

 

[ferretgirl]

It may be the flywheel then, since that's what's scraping on starter housing. How can I see if there's a starter plate? Feels like there's one but can't see a thing down there. Or do I need to get it up on stands and check from underneath?

 

[1990TSIAWDTALON]

This is what it looks like out of the car....it is about 1/8" thick and will be between your block and your transmission.

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