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Dear Packard Friends,

I'm at an impasse removing the Delco-Remy starter from the engine block of my '54 Packard Clipper, 327 3-speed with O/D and six volt electrical system. Trying to replace the solenoid that is fastened with four bolts to the top of the starter, two of which are unreachable without removing the starter from the block.

Insufficient space for me to get a wrench on the bolt with enough room and leverage to move the wrench to loosen the upper bolt that fastens the starter to the block. Tried looking at the situation from underneath the car and no apparent help or advantage.

Please see the attached picture of a threaded contact post that protrudes from the top of the starter. If I could remove this threaded post, I feel certain I could get a 5/8 socket with extensions on the upper bolt head so that I could remove the upper starter bolt with a ratchet. With the depicted threaded post in place, I can't get a straight shot to the upper starter fastener bolt.

Does anyone know if it's possible to remove the threaded post without damaging the starter, and, if so, how is it done without damaging the threads on the post?

Does anyone have any other suggestions on how to remove the starter? Crow bar, stick of dynamite, jack hammer? I don't have a hoist to remove the engine block from the car, so that's out.

If not, I believe the car will need to be towed to my shop for them to have a to at it.

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You are very likely in for a visit to the motor shop if you remove the post. Some wires are just terminals the stud goes thru but others are soldered. The worry would be in the plastic or rubber insulating bushing the stud goes thru. It is old and if it cracks a chunk could break off when removing the stud and then you will have problems.

Maybe a gear wrench or a universal joint socket on an extension would work. When removing mine I did as others said and just did it a hex at a time reversing the wrench as needed to get a clear approach on an open set of flats.

When replacing, one thing I found helped was having an extra bolt about 4 inches long. Cut the head off and when reinstalling the starter you thread that pilot bolt on the bottom to guide and support the starter back into position. Makes it a lot easier than trying to hold the starter while you are trying to thread a bolt. Put the top bolt in then remove the pilot stud and do the bottom bolt..Make sure not to get too long a bolt so that it stays in the neck area and doesn't run into the starter body when unthreading it.

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Thanks, Howard

I will give the universal a try. I suppose if I could find a 5/8 in spanner that is a bit longer than the one I own, that might provide the added leverage I need. Extended length 5/8 open end wrenches don't seem to be a common item.

Did you soak the threads of the upper bolt with Marvel Mystery Oil before you applied the wrench? I guess anything would help.

Thanks again for all the suggestions.

Best Regards,
Warren

Some PB Blaster or Liquid Wrench wouldn't hurt but I didn't need anything except to break it loose. Once they turned enough the lockwasher released I could remove them by hand.

What about a ratchet 5/8 spanner(wrench)?

I used an open end wrench, although I don't remember whether it was a standard length or a 'tappet wrench' length. To break the initial torque you could use the 'trick' of slipping a box wrench over the free end of the open end wrench. I have no experience with the universal socket HH56 posted . . . I did try, but failed trying to use a universal and standard socket . . . both 3/8 and 1/2 inch drive. I also tried one of those curved box wrenches marketed as 'starter' wrenches . . . it too would not fit. After that experience I went out and bought a set of flat ratchet box wrenches.

Steve828, in previous posts suggestions were offered to use a jumper wire to 'jump' directly from the battery to the small post on the solenoid. Would you share the results of that diagnostic test?

I would not attempt to move the threaded post (put the nut back on so it doesn't get damaged and can't be pushed into the starter), and I would avoid the use of dynamite. To expand on Howard's advice of using a stud to aid in aligning the starter during installation; I believe I located a stud at the lower hole and propped the starter with a block of wood until the upper bolt was started . . . but that's a bit in your future.

The bolt can be removed and replaced with an open end wrench. Make yourself comfortable because you'll be face down for a while. There is also no need for you to question the Packard design engineer's wisdom on the location of that bolt . . . I have already done that . . . at length and quite loud. Not that it matters, but the 'small solenoid' design has a lot of room and the upper bolt can be removed with a regular socket set-up. I suspect following '53 Delco offered the 'large solenoid' design or nothing, and the restricted access was something the dealers would have to figure-out.

dp

I recall using a specially shaped wrench for removing starters. It looked like a conventional box end socket wrench, but bent into a "U" shape in order to fit around the starter housing. We used to call them "starter wrenches".

The best luck I have had with getting to the inside top starter bolt is to use a flexible socket on a long extension like HH56 suggested. The threaded stud to act like a guide to install the starter is also a good suggestion.

JWL

....It looked like a conventional box end socket wrench, but bent into a "U" shape

Sounds like you're describing a "manifold" wrench. Certainly for any hex-head fastener with very limited room for rotation of a wrench, a 12-point wrench is probably an imperative. Another type I find useful is the Flex-box type shown below, it's a 12-point box.

Can someone post a photo that shows just what this starter bolt is so hard to remove - I just have a hard time appreciating the problem.

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I'm guessing that my '51 starter is the same as yours. Here are two solutions. Both use a 5/8" 6 point 3/8" drive sockets. One is a deep socket with flats for a wrench. The other uses an extension to get by the solenoid.

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Jumping from the hot non-ground post of the battery to the small terminal on the solenoid produced nothing but a spark upon contacting the jumper wire to the small terminal. No starter motor action or any sound from the solenoid. Thus seeming to confirm that the solenoid is inoperative.