Hey guys, I have read several posts about the starter contacts and it seems as if I have the classis symptoms with my 2000 4 runner,2.7 motor.
The problem is I cant get the damn starter out!! There is no room to do it with handtools while laying on my back. If I had an air rachet I would be in business. The thing is I can get to the two screws that hold the solonoid cap on. So has anyone out there done it this way? It looks like the nut that holds the positive side contact on would be blind but other than that just wondering if anyone else has gone through this before I take it apart. Thanks for the help!!

 

i dont know about the 2.7 but in my 3.4 you will get more room if you remove the skid plate. when i did mine i did not even take the skid plate off. With a little wiggling and a lot of cussing you can take it out. It helps a lot if you have various extensions and sockets, and don't forget the PB blaster. Goodluck!

 

I don't think it would be very easy to put new contacts in while the starter is attached...in fact I bet it's almost impossible. On my truck, there is a panel that is bolted on to the inner fender, that if removed, provides lots of room to work. It should'nt be that hard to remove, just get creative! Oh taking off the front tire helps a lot too.

The problem with the contacts is the bolt holding them on does not have a lot of threads to work with. And it's very close to the housing making it difficult to get any sort of socket in there. However if it's off the truck a little patience and perserverience and it's done.

 

try taking down the front sway bar. you shouldn have any other problems shouls just come out with a little fieness, or you could just split the starte while its up in that tight area.. aslong as you have some good assortment of tools you will be ok.. if you dont have the one you need just buy, i tand take it back.. really how often will you ever use it again.

 

When you talk about splitting the starter do you mean to take the two long thin bolts off? would the solonoid come off that way? That might be one solution. Also havent looked at going through the fenderwell yet. Thanks for the replies everyone.

 

if i remeber correctly you can take the thin long bolts out and it will seperate and you will have pleanty of room to take it out and put it back in...

i'll have to look at a starter break down autozone.com to see if iam right..

 

So i just took a look at the starter, ya you shouldnt have a problem taking the long bolts out and splitting the starter from the gear reduction unit and just take your time.. so if you screw if up its only 134.00 for a new one so.. thats not too bad...

 

I redid my starter contacts and it was easy to pull out the starter and change them on a bench. I honestly couldn't imagine trying to do it while still on the vehicle!

 

i work in a shop that all we do is repair starter's and alternators.. i just do all the suppervising so i try to keep up with all the different types of reparing

 

I just got a chance to look through the fenderwell. There is a small panel that when removed looks like it gives me good access to both starter bolts. I'll give it another shot tomorrow. I just saw no way of getting to the top bolt while on my back, even with the skid plate removed and I had clear access to the battery side contact post so I was just thinking that it might work. No way to replace the starter side contact with the starter still on the vehicle though.

 

Job done!! I got the starter out and sure enough the contacts were fried. That top bolt though was no fun at all. I finally got a hold of a 14mm wobble socket and that was the ticket. Replacing the contacts is about as easy as it gets. My local Kragen had a kit with a new plunger and 4 different contacts for 17.99. Beats the 200.00 quote I got from a local shop for the same job!!! Thanks for all the help guys!!!!

 

good job.