» Site Navigation | | » Recent Threads | | My 318ti build 05-21-2024 04:48 PM 05-21-2024 04:48 PM 0 Replies, 962 Views | | | | | 01-01-2008, 10:21 PM | #1 | Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: boston Posts: 24 | Can I get to my starter bolt through my radio slot?? Hi guys, newbie on the 318ti front but know Bimmers. A sweet '98/80k miles ti recently joined our other E39/540 in the garage. Love the 318 but I'm looking at replacing an erratic starter and cannot believe how buried the thing is. Are removing the intake plenum or loosing the transmission (mine is auto) the only two options?? Can't imagine BMW would do that. Lower bolt of starter and connections no problem, but top one?? Even considered (for a second) popping the radio and poking a temporary hole through the firewall, I bet it would be close to that top bolt. Any ideas? I know this is an old subject and I think one member said it can be done without removing anything, just pushing water hoses around. Is that really true?. Thanks for input, hate to accept defeat and take it to the dealer. | | | 01-02-2008, 12:10 AM | #2 | Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Minneapolis Posts: 1,587 | I've pulled the radio out and I think there's plenty of stuff back there. Not exactly an easy shot in. I'm not quite sure that's the ideal answer. Doesn't seem like it would be lined up vertically anyways. If you pull just the upper intake manifold off, here's what it will look like. It won't help too much. If you also pull the lower intake manifold off, here's what it looks like. Should be simple at this point. Getting that lower intake manifold off is not a very fun project. According to the Bentley manual, both upper & lower starter bolts (as well as the starter) can be removed from underneath the car. | | | 01-02-2008, 12:50 AM | #3 | doesn't care about you. Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 3,925 | Remove the upper intake manifold and then put a jack under the tranny. Remove the tranny support brace and SLOWLY lower the tranny. This will tilt the tranny and motor back. Now use like 6 feet worth of socket extensions to reach the start bolts from back behind the tranny. It's not the easiest but it can be done if you take your time. Good luck. __________________ '99 Dinan M3 | | | 01-02-2008, 01:50 AM | #4 | Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Richmond Hill, GA Posts: 1,231 | ratchet wrenches FTW! I got mine from the top every time. get the stubby ones. | | | 01-02-2008, 03:45 AM | #5 | Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: boston Posts: 24 | Quote: Originally Posted by CirrusSR22 I've pulled the radio out and I think there's plenty of stuff back there. Not exactly an easy shot in. I'm not quite sure that's the ideal answer. Doesn't seem like it would be lined up vertically anyways. If you pull just the upper intake manifold off, here's what it will look like. It won't help too much. If you also pull the lower intake manifold off, here's what it looks like. Should be simple at this point. Getting that lower intake manifold off is not a very fun project. According to the Bentley manual, both upper & lower starter bolts (as well as the starter) can be removed from underneath the car. | Cirrus, thanks for pics, very useful.... Looks like a better (and more tedious) way to go than risk busting the Torx bolt with so little room from under, hard to imagine how Bentley sees it. | | | 01-02-2008, 04:15 AM | #6 | Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: boston Posts: 24 | Quote: Originally Posted by angel318ti ratchet wrenches FTW! I got mine from the top every time. get the stubby ones. | ... Every time? Like you do this often? I can see it with a short wrench as you say, now is the bolt going to go with rust, crud and short lever ?... maybe, worth a try, thx | | | 01-02-2008, 05:08 PM | #7 | Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Cincinnati Posts: 890 | Quote: Originally Posted by DustenT Remove the upper intake manifold and then put a jack under the tranny. Remove the tranny support brace and SLOWLY lower the tranny. This will tilt the tranny and motor back. Now use like 6 feet worth of socket extensions to reach the start bolts from back behind the tranny. It's not the easiest but it can be done if you take your time. Good luck. | Yes ^. If you take your time, the starter can be removed through the bottom of the car as well. I think I took mine down behind the oil dipstick tube right by the fuel lines. Didn't touch the intake at all. It takes some time though. __________________ SOLD!!! 1999 332ti //M Sport Titanium Silver M3 S52 3.2 I-6 Engine, M3 Clutch w/ ti Getrag Trans, Z3 3.15 LSD medium case diff and half shafts, OEM Hatch Spoiler, Eurosport HP Underdrive Pulleys, FDM, 17" DS1 rims, M3 Front Struts & Springs, M3 Instrument Cluster, 3-spoke //M steering wheel with tri-color stitching, SSK, CCFL Angels in Depo projectors with 5k HIDs | | | 01-02-2008, 07:58 PM | #8 | Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Antelope Valley, CA Posts: 55 | when we replaced mine, we took off the drive shift and exhaust, tilted the trans a considerable amount and we were able to reach it from under the car. | | | 01-02-2008, 08:09 PM | #9 | doesn't care about you. Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 3,925 | Quote: Originally Posted by raj27 when we replaced mine, we took off the drive shift and exhaust, tilted the trans a considerable amount and we were able to reach it from under the car. | Oh yeah, exhaust and drive shaft need to be removed. __________________ '99 Dinan M3 | | | 01-03-2008, 12:04 AM | #10 | Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: boston Posts: 24 | All right, I'm getting a little confused. I've got a good relation$hip with my dealer, I asked him about the starter job and he says 1.5 hours labor. From the posts here, taking the plenum out, dropping the trannie, exhaust, driveshaft, etc... ALL sounds like a major PITA and a lot more than 1.5 hours. So how does BMW do it?? Special tools?? Super smart mechs?, they can't be smarter than his group ;-) I know, I know, you guys are going to say: "Take it to the dealer then..." Still, I'm stumped and would like to know what the best way is to get it started... | | | 01-03-2008, 12:06 AM | #11 | doesn't care about you. Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 3,925 | You probably don't need to remove the intake manifold. Just drop the tranny brace with the exhaust and shaft removed and you'll have access. __________________ '99 Dinan M3 | | | 01-03-2008, 12:46 AM | #12 | aka Stabby Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mead, CO Posts: 5,336 | the dealer also has a bunch of nice tools, lifts, etc to use just jacking my car up so i could get under there to do the real work would take 1/2 hour to an hour. i have no compressor or air tools so getting off the rusted exhaust nuts and such ... would likely soak them with penetrating oil and let 'em sit for a half hour. yeah, this job would easily take me all day, lol __________________ 1996 318ti, California package, 267k miles current mods: bilstein sports, bavauto springs, e30 m3 LCABs, solid metal ball joints, bavauto RSMs w/reinforcements, e30 3.73 LSD & halfshafts, supersprint cat-back exhaust, turner rear sway bar reinforcements, IE poly subframe & RTABs + camber/toe kits, powdercoated e36 32x front calipers, sport mirrors, H&R 28mmF/19mmR sway bars, x-brace, auto solutions SSK w/poly bushing upgrade, BMW CD43 head unit, DICE HD Radio w/iPod integration and "stealth" HD antenna, staggered style 68s, orange electronic TPMS, leather arm rest, JT Designs metal undertray acquired and awaiting install: heated seat kit, cali top switch relo, lumbar support kit, park distance control kit, heated washer nozzle kit, m-coupe rear subframe, trailing arms, differential, and halfshafts, m-coupe front/rear brakes with master cylinder, under hood light kit, mud flaps, rear sun blind, auto-dimming rear view mirror, tilt steering wheel retrofit, apexcone 5000K HIDs with 55W ballasts 2002 X5 4.4 Sport Package, 53.5k miles Current Mods: e46 m3 steering wheel | | | | Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests) | | Posting Rules | You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts HTML code is Off | | | |