Going to change the starter need advice

[Del Rio]

I saw the DIY on this site but I want to know how everyone else has done it. And what is the easiest (I don't care how long it takes, just want to not pull a lot of stuff apart)

Should I pull of the upper manifold or try and work around it I've seen people say they've done it both ways but I don't know if I can squeeze into the tight space and I would like to make as much room as possible.

I just really don't want to pay the $500+ for someone else to do it since I feel like it is something I can do with some help. Please anyone that has done the job before let me know how you did it. thanks in advance.

[familytruckster]

I pulled it without removing the upper, it's a bit tight. Removed the alternator to get it out. Fairly quick and easy. 12point wrenches work on the inverted torx bolts.

[slow_ti]

Where are you doing this? If I'm free I could lend a hand

[Del Rio]

I was gonna order the starter sometime this week, so not exactly sure when I will be doing it yet

[IgotBMW]

Can you post the DIY?

[cooljess76]

You need a bunch of long extensions and a swivel. After a certain date, they started using threaded starter housings instead of the bolt-through design. It makes it a heck of a lot easier because you don't need someone holding a socket on a long extension on a nut on the front side. So when you order your replacement starter, make sure you get a newer one. Any e36 starter will work 4cyl 6cyl it doesn't matter, but just make sure you get one from a newer model. And don't take apart the intake manifold. there's plenty of room to remove the starter from underneath. Unbolt it, rotate it 270 degrees and it drops straight down.

Edit; Oh yeah, make special note of the wiring(take a picture) and disconnect the battery before you start removing it.

[ti cali ed]

Has the fittings on the back of the head and side of the block ever been changed? If not pull the intire intake and make the starter job easy and while you're at it replace the coolant connectors. The intake isn't hard or bad to remove, took me two hours to get it apart and back together and that included running to the parts store and the dealer to get the parts and antifreeze.

[cooljess76]

Originally Posted by ti cali ed

Has the fittings on the back of the head and side of the block ever been changed? If not pull the intire intake and make the starter job easy and while you're at it replace the coolant connectors. The intake isn't hard or bad to remove, took me two hours to get it apart and back together and that included running to the parts store and the dealer to get the parts and antifreeze.

I've seen so many people screw up their engines by removing the intake manifold to gain access to something. Usually it's because they forget to plug something in or hook a hose back up, but people also lose stuff and break stuff without even knowing it. The starter itself is a big enough job for most DIY'ers. Why complicate things just to get slightly better access to that one nut? 2hrs worth of work and the risk of messing something else up is not a good trade off for one stubborn nut.

Instead, just get a really long extension with a swivel/socket, have someone under the car and someone in front of the car, then have the person in front of the car feed the extension/swivel/socket between the upper and lower intake manifolds while the person under the car guides it onto the nut. Once it's on the nut, have the person standing in front of the car hold the socket firmly in place, while the person under the car wrenches on the bolt. Problem solved.

Of course this is only necessary if you have the older/non-threaded starter. If you have a newer starter, with a threaded mounting hole, you won't need that second person. As for removing the starter once it's unbolted, you may have to remove the oil dipstick tube(which is easy and only takes a second), then you rotate the starter LENGTHWISE 260 degrees and it drops straight down.

As for killing two birds while replacing those plastic coolant fittings, I have a better solution. The valve cover/spark plug seals are known to leak over time. Removing the valve cover gives you way more access than the intake manifold in regards to the "Y" fitting on the back of the cylinder head. This makes it a good time replace the valve cover gasket/spark plug seals as well as clean the orifice towards the rear of the valve cover that the CCV hose attaches to.

The other coolant fitting, also known as the "octupus" fitting is located on the driver's side of the engine block. Conveniently, so is the oil filter housing. The oil filter housing has a paper gasket and two o-rings that are known to harden and leak. Removing the alternator and oil filter housing not only gives you a chance to replace those things, it also gives you slightly better access to the octopus fitting. Now I'll admit, removing the intake manifold would probably give you even better access to the octopus fitting, but you're not killing two birds with one stone, it's a lot of extra work and you risk messing something up.

Just my experience after owning several 318ti's and working on several others.

[ti cali ed]

I've worked on a lot of cars but will admitt this is my first ti. The intake was a pretty straight forward removal. Only breakage I could forsee is dry, brittle, hoses and these should be replaced anyways. My hose for the ccv or pvc? was toast and the hosing from the injectors to the intake was bad. And my injector were covered in oily grime. I'm glad I took it all apart and replaced these parts before they became an issue or perhaps they already were an issue. It is an old car. My starter wasn't out so I guess I could have removed the upper head cover, or valve cover to get my hands down the back side of the block.

[stanlwi]

Originally Posted by cooljess76

The other coolant fitting, also known as the "octupus" fitting is located on the driver's side of the engine block. Conveniently, so is the oil filter housing. The oil filter housing has a paper gasket and two o-rings that are known to harden and leak. Removing the alternator and oil filter housing not only gives you a chance to replace those things, it also gives you slightly better access to the octopus fitting. Now I'll admit, removing the intake manifold would probably give you even better access to the octopus fitting, but you're not killing two birds with one stone, it's a lot of extra work and you risk messing something up.

I know this is an older post, but I thought I'd clarify in case someone digs this up looking for info (like me). The hoses and plastic fitting referred to here are not part of the coolant system- they're air for the injectors. See post 10 in this thread: http://www.318ti.org/forum/showthread.php?t=18066

That person used generic fuel rated hose to replace the old cracked ones he had. I'm sure that's fine, but BMW also sells the plastic piece with hoses cut to length as a unit. I don't remember it being that expensive.