e34 m60 starter motor removal

[turbolizard 38]

I am replacing a starter motor that is often reluctant to operate when hot. It gets power when the key is turned on (checked at starter while malfunctioning) but nothing happens until it cools for a while, then back to normal, so I am swapping it.

How do you get the starter out of the car? It is an e34 with M60 (V8) engine - manual if that makes any difference. I have the mounting bolts out but cannot figure out how to extract it from the space it is in. All the gaps seem too small. Will it come out from below or does it need to go forward and up? Or do more parts need to come off?

[BM WORLD 1283]

it will come out the bottom , remove all the tin shields , undo the the power cables etc,

then it comes out the small gap between some of the pipes and steering system, almost vertically

quite tricky from memory

some info here

http://forum.bmw5.co.uk/topic/28083-e34-m6...oval-heres-how/

http://tis.spaghetticoder.org/s/view.pl?1/00/13/27

Edited October 1, 2011 by Brent HARTGE535i

[turbolizard 38]

some info here

http://forum.bmw5.co.uk/topic/28083-e34-m6...oval-heres-how/

http://tis.spaghetticoder.org/s/view.pl?1/00/13/27

Thanks for that. Interestingly the long combination of adaptors extensions and universals described in the first link were exactly what I had also used, so I feel on the right track at least. I will have another go now I have rested up a bit from the frustration.

[turbolizard 38]

Got it done so thanks for the help. Certainly more painfull to access than most starters I have dealt with.

A few notes for anyone else doing this job...

1. The heat sheild has two 10mm nuts on the end and one 10mm bolt on the side. It is easier to unbolt the heat sheild if you pull the starter from the bellhousing first - this allows you to rotate the whole unit to access the heat sheild bolt located on the solenoid side.

2. The three wires are secured with 13mm, 10mm and 8mm nuts. Removing the starter from the bellhousing also allows you to rotate it to access the 8mm nut holding the third wire.

3. Loosely bolt the starter back in place while you manouvre the heat sheild out of the space at the bottom.

4. Unbolt the starter again and turn the soldenoid side of the starter toward the left of the car to drop the starter out.

Finally, I think the link provided above to TIS refers to the M60/M62 in another body. There is a blank space on the right hand side of the block of my engine that appears to be there for other transmission or body applications. On e34 the stater is on the left of the block.