[dataway]

I'm going to have to pull my starter to install the excellent new Ames engine mounts ( to replace my unused parts store garbage) so I was down there looking at the situation.

I need to hook up the wires from my new engine harness to the OEM type starter ... holy crap that looks like a pain in the butt, I know I've done it when I was a kid more than once .. heck I can barely see the wire terminals. On the test stand it was way easier. At the very least it looks like the exhaust pipe has to come off.

So I'm thinking of just springing for a mini-starter. Greg I read your excellent thread on your recent purchase. Any additional thoughts at this point? Can it be clocked with the cables on the bottom of the starter? Would you still get the IMI if you had to do it again? Are you using an OEM flexplate/flywheel? I'm wondering about the tooth engagement issue.

I just don't think I can leave that monstrosity of an OEM starter on there.


And .... One of the bolts on my exhaust manifold flange is very difficult to get to .. wondering if this is normal on a 68. I actually had to cut the stud off some so I can get a wrench on it .... it's very close to the frame piece that supports the rear of the lower control arm. Am I just being a pansy, or is this normal (see photos). Manifold is a genuine 9779032 OEM piece. It's like it is clocked wrong or something.

I ask because in Greg's starter thread I saw in the photos his exhaust hook up and it looked way easier to get to than mine. It's worse than it looks in the photo, the exhaust flange on the pipe actually overlaps the top of part of the frame. In the photo it looks like you can just put a socket on it, you can't ... well you can, but just the socket, the extension runs into the frame. I have to do it with an open end wrench turning about 20 degrees at a time. If it was clocked about ten degrees clockwise you could easily slide a socket on both nuts, easy pesy.