[Ragtop Man]

Guessing the starter has to come out, wires are completely inaccessible by any other means. Putting hard light down by the manifold shows the + cable is half burnt through, there's no good hillbilly fix for this one.

Battery is out of the car, positive cable still intact, wire guide tube is loose... now just cuss the damn thing out?

Procedure looks like getting the nose brace out first, then undoing the starter bolts and pulling up on the + cable?

Any tips on the removal are greatly appreciated.

Somewhere, the service engineer is laughing at me from Hades.

[Goatracer1]

Leave the wires connected to the starter. Put a jack under the starter and lower it down enough to remove the wire. Trying to hold it with one hand and working on it with the other hand is a waste of time.

[Kenth]

Replace the inner starter bolt with a 2 foot long 3/8" UNC threaded rod with a nut and lower the starter on it.
Safe and prevents dropping the starter on forehead.

HTH

[Andre]

My memory is a bit fuzzy, but I think I have changed these wires with starter in place by using a 1/4" drive with a couple of extensions and accessing from the front. I think starter was loose, but bolts were not removed. Its been a long time. long long time. I do recollect on other occasions that I used the floor jack to lower the starter down, and put it back in place. If removing with wires in place, i recollect you need to unhook them from a couple places so the harness has enough give to let the starter reach the ground.

[george kujanski]

Threaded rod idea makes sense.

George

[Longs]

Does anyone know the size of the connector on the starter end of the positive cable, the diameter of the stud and what size is needed to accommodate it? I was thinking of getting positive and negative cables made, but I don't want to select the wrong end at the starter. My cables are original, and have the "emergency" aftermarket terminals at the battery, have been that way for forty years.

[Goatracer1]

I believe it is a 3/8-16 stud.

[b-man]

Yes it’s 3/8-16.

[Longs]

Thanks for the starter stud information. I had seen some recommendations for batterycablesusa.com so I am considering ordering from them.

[Ragtop Man]

Originally Posted by Kenth

Replace the inner starter bolt with a 2 foot long 3/8" UNC threaded rod with a nut and lower the starter on it.
Safe and prevents dropping the starter on forehead.

HTH

Got the rod, are you suggesting backing the nut down to slowly lower i t and prevent it falling in my face and knocking me out cold?

[Kenth]

Originally Posted by Ragtop Man

Got the rod, are you suggesting backing the nut down to slowly lower i t and prevent it falling in my face and knocking me out cold?

I think you caught the idea.

[fyrffytr1]

Before you drop the starter get as much slack in the small wires as possible. Also, remove the transmission dust cover so the starter will drop. And watch out for any shims that may come loose. I am 74 and have used the threaded rod method several times.