How much time is needed to R/R Starter in '79 308

I have not done this yet but looking under the car I would say about 2-3 hrs for R/R.

 

Clicks but doesn't engage...Are you sure it's the starter and not just a bad battery, faulty connections or a poor charging circuit (not properly charging batt)?

 

If you hear the starter spinning without cranking the engine then you will most likely need a new starter and possibly a new flywheel. I had that case on mine. What happens is the starter wears out and the gear doesn't properly engage with the flywheel during starting which in turn wears out the gear on the flywheel. Also if that is the case then you should not start it anymore with this starter as it will cause more damage to the flywheel.

I installed a new starter from British starters .com. Works pretty well so far.

Helmut

 

Of course it can also be a lose nut on the starter not attaching the cable from the battery properly.

 

If you really go aftrer it to get it out instead of lying there looking at it? I got mine out in less than 20 minutes, most of that time was spent twirling it around this way and that trying to figure out how to drop it out through the frame.

 

The Service Times manual is available at http://dino308gt4.com . that will give you an idea of the time but of course no idea how to actually do the R&R.


Gerrit
http://dino308gt4.com

 

classic case of hard grease or worn contacts in the starter solenoid. easy fix once you get the starter out if you can get a replacement solenoid. jon s

 

You can do what GM, Ford and all the other automakers do on their pre production test cars: wrap them in velcroed vinyl tarps so nobody can tell what the car looks like exactly, or who made it.

As far as the starter, I looked at mine when I did the belts and had the alternator out,and I am not sure if you can get the starter out without removing the alternator. Maybe if you have a lift and get your arms into all sorts of weird contorted positions from underneath, you can squeak the starter out with alternator in place.

As far as alternators, mine had the belt tension adjust bolt/nut installed backwards, so it required removal of the belt cover and AC unit to get it out. If your alternator must be removed, have it rebuilt with new bearings and brushes before reinstalling.

Doug

 

Sounds like your solenoid is intermittently failing. It certainly could be corrosion on the post where the battery cable attaches for example, but it's more likely the solenoid itself.

For a shop with a good lift, tools and skills it'll be a couple hours of labor for sure.

 

Can the starter come out without removing the alternator? Seems pretty trapped in there. I think it would take several hours just to get the a/c compressor and alternator out of the way before the starter can be removed. Is there a trick to getting out of the other end of the engine? (I have an '81 308).

 

The starter will come out without removing the alternator or anything else. Seriously, its one of the easiest cars out there to get a starter out of. I can think of many others that are far worse, and a few that are downright masochistic.