Please! Tell me you have removed starter w/out removing engine!
 

Knee deep in this! I have read all archived info. Used every extension possible. Followed Bentley to a T. Even tried to lowering engine and Trans. How in the world do you get the starter out of a 1988 carrera?? Please, someone tell me this can be done and is possible.
I have the 10mm on it but can not get enough torque to budge the allen on the starter.
Please give me any advise possible. Ready to put everything back together and let the shop handle this. Thanks to all in advance.

There's a thread by John Walker on how to do it....Maybe include his name or initials in your search....

Thanks I will try!

You can take the starter out without removing the trans. You don't need to lower it. I'm assuming your using a 3/8" socket with 10mm allen. I wrap my arm around the trans and going over the top to get to the 10mm bolt (not the starter side). You should be able to use a ratchet or breaker bar.

DING..DING...DING!!!! Give the Gumba the prize! :D

This is exactly how you remove the starter without dropping the engine.

Get up close and personal with the tranny and give it a big ol' hug. You'll have all the access you'll need to loosen that top bolt.

Randy

I guess I need to get more personal. I tried this method today w/no luck. I may need to get up in there more. I can see the end of the extension on the left side (drivers side)of trans. However, I could not get the rachet on it. If I added another extension, it went out too far and the rachet would not go onto the socket because it was hitting the bottom of the vehicle.
Thanks again to all who replied. I will dig into this more tomorrow. Wish me luck.

Exactly -- search on 'yoga' 'position' for some more threads.

It is easy but you have to really get up there and hug the tranny tight (so to speak).

After you've done it 4-5 times you'll be able to tell where everything is by feel.

Just did this on my 86 about a month ago. Prepare to get funky.

It isn't too difficult but years of grease,dirt and what ever are on top of the tranny if it is anything like mine.

Make sure to wear some eye protection because you will need to get your face up there close when you are giving it that bearhug.

You probably have already done so but make sure to disconnect the negative terminal from the battery before you touch the electrical connections.

The 88 has G50 transmission which requires you to do a partial drop of the engine so that you can access the top barrel nut.

The older transmission does not require such move.

OK...I had to deal with this last summer. I ended up having to put a small box end wrench on one of the bolts and then I hooked up a piece of wire (dis assembled clothes hanger) and then hooked up the wire to the wrench and broke it free.

you can't reach over the trans on 87 and later because the slave cylinder is in the way. you need to lower the end of the trans a bit to get to the top fastener. remove sway bar and disconnect the shifter and trans mount bolts while supporting the trans with a jack.

dang - I hate those new cars.

Safe to spray some brake cleaner in there first and wait a while? Mine had a tone of crap covering the terminals and nuts. Makes it hard to figure out what's going on up there.

+1 - actually +2 - disconnect 'em both. And of course JW is right about the slave cylinder getting in the way. I did this job in 15 minutes on my SC last year though. I was frankly amazed at how easy the thing came out :D .

If you really wanna wish you'd bought a 915 equipped Porsche - try seperating the trans from the engine. The clutch fork needs to be removed to do this, but the pivot pin is pressed and oxidized in place. There's a trick to removing this pin, and once learned the job can be easy, but try it according to the slide hammer procedure that Bentley describes and you will turn the air blue with rage.

But I digess - good luck with getting that starter out.SmileWavy

all this work..how much would a shop charge for ths starter job? (ballpark)

Exactly! If someone has done this on a nonG50 car, their advice does not apply. I did mine myself. While it is theoretically possible to do it without lowering the engine slightly, it was much easier once I gained some clearance. Be prepared to get filthy.

I just changed my 87 (G50) carrera starter. To remove the top bolt, I reached it fairly easy with a 6" extension 10mm allen socket attached to a universal elbow to another 18"extension. The ratchet ends up being up close to the body past the torque tube.

I'm trying to install the Hi-Torque starter which as a bigger solenoid body and wires on the tranny side. It's impossible to get that top bolt back on, especially with the wires in the way. I guess I need to lower the tranny a little.... but I have a 3.6 Vram and that intake is already a tight fit in the engine compartment...eek

Sometimes you need to take 1 step back to take 2 steps forward. This applies to much of the work on 911's.

Someone may have mentioned this but I wasted a LOT of time trying to avoid doing a partial drop. Don't make my mistake...do a partial drop and save yourself a lot of time an aggravation. You can learn from MY mistake!

Give that thing a bear hug!!!!!!!!!!!!