help: Starter replacing on IHC 86 School Bus

[micgolub]

Hello

I'm still trying to remove the starter on my 1986 IHC Bluebird school bus.

The starter has three bolts. I can get to the bottom two, however the top bolt...I can't figure out how to get to it ?

Do I need to remove the header?

thanks in advance

Michael

[Dallas]

Michael,
What IH motor is it?
Can you take photo's of the offending area and post them?
Remember, for us people on dialup, bid files are hard for us to download.

Dallas

[TomC]

Most likely, an extension of the right length that gets the wrench just clear of the back of the starter.  Good Luck, TomC

[Brill-o]

Hello-
I have an IH dump truck that had the same prob'. None of my tools would work.

I went to a big truck shop and they let me borrow two wrenchs that the mechanic had to modify (years ago) to work on IH starter bolts.
It still took some time for that one bolt because you can only turn it a tiny bit at a time. No other spanners (wrenches) I have, or could get would work- other than the mechanics' I'd borrowed.

Good luck with it! It will come out eventually!

Cheers..

[Dallas]

Hello-
I have an IH dump truck that had the same prob'. None of my tools would work.

I went to a big truck shop and they let me borrow two wrenchs that the mechanic had to modify (years ago) to work on IH starter bolts.
It still took some time for that one bolt because you can only turn it a tiny bit at a time. No other spanners (wrenches) I have, or could get would work- other than the mechanics' I'd borrowed.

Good luck with it! It will come out eventually!

Cheers..

Ya' just gotta love mechanical engineers. They all believe that all mechanics have a God given universal joint in their arms halfway between the wrist and the elbow. Also there are sockets that fit the thumb and forefinger.

Engineers should ALL have to serve an internship as a mechanic, just as doctors have to serve an internship.
Plus they should be subject to stoning or a bath of boiling Herring entrails when judged by a jury of their superiors..... mechanics.

Dallas

[micgolub]

Hello-
I have an IH dump truck that had the same prob'. None of my tools would work.

I went to a big truck shop and they let me borrow two wrenchs that the mechanic had to modify (years ago) to work on IH starter bolts.
It still took some time for that one bolt because you can only turn it a tiny bit at a time. No other spanners (wrenches) I have, or could get would work- other than the mechanics' I'd borrowed.

Good luck with it! It will come out eventually!

Cheers..

Yeah, tell me about the tools? What did they look like?

What about getting the starter back in?

Thanks

[Brill-o]

Sure, I'll be happy to-

They are nothing complicated:

The first was a straight open-end wrench, which was cut down to about 4 inches and one tip which grabs the bolt was ground down thinner and narrower with just the very tip of one edge ground down slightly, also.

The second wrench was just a curved spanner that was also cut down to about 4 inches and most importantly the box head was ground very thin around the circular edge.

If I recall, I had to put the box on it first and just barely break the bolt loose, then it was millimeters at a time with the open end flipped over and over until it finally came out almost all the way. I also remember that once the bolt is almost out you still have to use the wrenches to get it all the way out. It was a tedious process to say the least.

My recommendation is what I stated above—

While it's possible to "make" your own wrenches, that will be trial and error. If nothing else, you could try a big truck shop and let them allow you to examine the re-worked wrenches so as to give you an idea as to how to modify your own (if they won't let you use theirs).

Best of luck-

Cheers..