Replacing the Starter

This is a simple task that most any shade-tree mechanic has, at one time or another, attempted and completed. On most vehicles, this is a part easily replaced in minimal time, so when I set out to replace the starter on my new-to-me Wrangler, I was sure I'd be done in time to pull out and replace our front porch the same weekend.

I was wrong. Having said that, I'll say this, replacing the Starter on an 88 Jeep Wrangler 2.5L is easy. The way that I did it, is not.

(This is my old starter still in place and how you'll see it underneath your Jeep. Please ignore the sludge on it and surrounding it, that is another problem completely.)

The starter mounting bolts on an 88 Jeep Wrangler 2.5L run vertically rather than horizontally. This detail wouldn't be that important if it weren't for the fact that the back/rear mounting bolt of the starter is seated directly above the transmission dust cover. This is important for 2 reasons, 1. The distance between the starter mounting bolt and the dust cover bolt isn't enough to get a 3/8s drive rachet and socket in to remove the bolt, and 2. The bolts are actually Torx bolts, which are, in my opinion, from Hell.

If you're not familiar with Torx bolts, you should know that using a regular socket (6 or 12 point) is risky. What was recommended to me (after the fact) was a set of extractor sockets. These sockets will fit your 3/8s drive ratchet but are typically used on bolts once they have been stripped. Oddly enough, they work perfectly for Torx bolts before and after they have been stripped.

This is the most important detail of replacing the starter on your 88 Jeep Wrangler 2.5L:   REMOVE THE TRANSMISSION DUST COVER BOLT FIRST!

The Torx bolts will be the least of your worries if you do not first remove that pesky lil'dust cover bolt. Trust me, an extension on your ratchet won't work and neither will an adjustable headed ratchet to get around that bolt. The Torx bolts don't have points like "regular" bolts so your socket won't grab them, it will just round the tips more until the Torx bolt becomes a dome. I tell you this from experience.

The dust cover bolt will probably not come off easily so try using a cheater bar on the end of your ratchet. If you're not familiar with using a cheater bar, the best way I can describe it is a (any) pipe that fits on the end of your ratchet and can give you more leverage.

Once you have the dust cover bolt off, removing the rear/back starter mounting bolt should be a breeze.

If you skip the dust cover bolt removal, your core starter could end up looking like this:

YIKES!!!

88 Jeep Wrangler YJ 2.5L 4X4 Manual

Bought my first Jeep a couple of weeks ago. I've always wanted one and the opportunity to buy an older model with a solid body came up at just the right time. It's the model that I wanted when I was a kid!

I'm starting this blog in efforts to aid other YJ model Jeep owners/rookies with any of their repair/service needs. There are numerous forums out there that are extremely helpful but I had to do a lot of searching to get to them. And, I had to wade through a lot of technical jargon I did not yet know in order to find specific items. Hopefully, I will/can simplify some of this stuff for other people.