I understand this to be one of the more amusing things to deal with on these cars, but it appears I need to swap out the starter on my 84 325e. most of the stuff I've seen about it caution that this is one of the things it is best to pay someone to do...someone who has done it before. Can anyone give me an idea of book hours to R&R the unit and what retail price on a replacement unit is likely to be? (it sounds like cost of replacementt could more than double my total investment and that I don't think I'm willing to do)
You can always check parts prices, generally, on Pelican Parts or Bavauto websites, for instance. I don't know book hours, but without grabbing the Bentley manual to see if there's something unduly complicated about it, I would tend to think an experienced professional in an appropriately equipped shop might well be able to swap it out in less than hour, perhaps substantially less (unless there's some ridiculously impossible access problem that makes it take substantially longer). Mere mortals such as ourselves probably could do it over a weekend, or maybe even an afternoon!
Pelican Parts is a good place to check a normal part price like this. Good bosch units last alot longer than crap store units. Generally price is around $150.00. This is a fairly easy unit to change out, plan on an afternoon with no "specialty" tools needed. You DO need a good set of rachets and sockets and wrenches, ratchet wrenches even. Other than that, start by disconnecting battery and jaacking up drivers side front of car. There are only two bolts holding starter on(big bolts) and two or three wires held on with locking nuts. Remember to remove air filter box and intake hose to get room to see down from the inside of engine bay, no big deal.
Once everything cooled down, it fired right up. Had that happen to me last Fall as well. when it finally cooled down, it ran fine and not another problem until yesterday. Autohaus AZ has Bosch-branded remans for $120+50 core, but the shipping costs back and forth eat up the core value fast...so $170.. That's not too bad. I'm going to check NAPA and see if they can get B-branded. What I have read (probably in the Pelican "101 things..." book) is that you need to remove the intake system and other stuff.( 'course, i don't know why I should believe that because not one other thing I've read in that book is anywhere near correct for this car.<sad grin>) Is this a smallish (relatively light weight) starter (like a SAAB 900S) or one of the great big heavy sob's (like I recall from an 80s T'bird)?
