Removing a bosch starter motor.

[SteveD]

The nose on mine has cracked. 11/81 R100RS

https://youtube.com/shorts/LMZX-MtEt7k? ... yhnumFNX6t

I have everything ready to go to remove the starter, except the rear left bolt.

I can fit a 13mm socket onto it into the small recess there, but there's a lip rearwards that doesn't allow the ratchet to fit. An angled adapter also doesn't quite do it and I want to avoid rounding the nut. The bolt head at the front doesn't provide access either...tight against the starter body.

Am I missing something? Any advice?

Brook Beams video at 1:10 shows a starter without the lip. Looks easy. https://youtu.be/onUPbWtMbmI?si=VCpEvvwMqOIUSoPM

Could I just reduce the height of the lip for access or is there a less destructive method to remove the nut?

Cheers

[gspd]

My Snap-On 1/4" drive ratchet + socket combo works perfectly in there. It's part of my under seat tool kit. The Snap-On ratchet head is relatively small and its handle is quite thin. It only requires a very small angle of rotation to reach the next 'click' so you can back the bolt out one click at a time. Many ratchets simply won't fit, or when fitted, will not permit enough swing of the handle to get to the next 'click'. Remove the right side bolt and any front mounting bolt or bracket (if applicable) first, that way you can creep the starter towards the front of the engine as you loosen that last bolt so your ratchet doesn't get stuck.
This is not a plug for Snap-On tools, there are surely some cheap chinese-ium tools available that are direct copies at a fraction of the price.

[SteveD]

My Snap-On 1/4" drive ratchet + socket combo works perfectly in there....

Cheers...I'll look into that further. My cheap set almost does it...but not quite.

[SteveD]

... surely some cheap chinese-ium tools available that are direct copies at a fraction of the price.

Yes there is. $OZ20. Fit with room to spare! Bonus, now I also have a smaller 1/4" drive set. Can't have too many tools!

[SteveD]

Some pix.

I'm guessing that most of the experienced Airheads here know most of this. However, it's not a regular task for some and might be a first for others, so here's a few tips I've come across.

The 3/8" drive and socket was too long, wouldn't fit. In the next picture it's on the left and that socket has also been trimmed, maybe 5mm. The 1/4" drive stuff fit fine. There's a lip at the rear of the left retaining bolt that obstructs access. I've seen a video where that lip isn't there.



Snug fit with the 1/4" drive. Here you can see the lip.



Snowbum describes a possible issue with misfitting the starter, which he suggests might contribute to the nose cracking. Mine looked like it was fitted snug but the front bracket bolt wasn't tight. Don't know if that contributed or not but it all looked ok otherwise.

Two things to consider when replacing the bikes oem starter, and/or a replacement, Bosch or Valeo or Nippon Denso.
1. Ensure the area I've circled in the next picture is smooth. Doesn't take much. If it has any burrs or is rough, It might create a minor misalignment when fitted.
2. Fit the starter from the front, then move it rearward to engage it's position. Best not to "drop it in" from the top.



Fitting a Valeo means the front bracket isn't required because it's lighter and shorter than the Bosch. The Valeo retaining bolt holes are threaded and the bolts are placed from the rear then tightened into place. The Bosch uses nuts accessible from the rear and the bolts are pushed thru once they're removed.

[gspd]

The ratchet type I was referring to is on the left. It's much thinner and has a small lever to change directions instead of the cumbersome knob to turn (like the one on the right). This 'lever' type is a lot thinner, and its direction can easily be changed one-handed with the flick of a thumb when being used deep down in a cluttered engine compartment or up in a tight under dash space.

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[SteveD]

Yeah, I was looking for something like that, but came across a small socket set that fit. It got the job done. Thanks again.

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[Kurt in S.A.]

When I encountered this, I did something similar with the 1/4" drive. Upon reassembly, I reversed the bolt so as to make it easier next time...if/when!

Kurt

[SteveD]

With the Bosch, once the nut is off, the bolt is just tapped thru an unthreaded hole towards the front. Same on the right side but a magnet is very handy removing the bolt as it falls thru under other structures.
With the replacement Valeo, the body is threaded, so the two nuts aren't required. The bolts enter from the rear and thread into the Valeo body.

[Rob Frankham]

As a matter of interest, the Valeo staters fitted by BMW, certainly in the early years, did not have threaded holes. Not sure if this applies to all OEM Valeo starters (ones with threaded holes being replacements) or whether later ones had threads. The real point is that Valeo starters may o0r may not have threaded holes...

Rob