Help Changing Starter

Memory says it's 15mm but that's the best I can do for you. The 2 bolts go in from opposite sides and I can't even remember which is which - isn't the top one in from the rear? Anyway, two things that might help: 1) Use a really long kludge of extensions to get it from further back - I don't recall if I could reach it that way or not, but that's a common cure for bolts in that area. 2) put a jack under the tranny and drop the cross member so that you can lower the back of the engine a couple of inches.

I know that it's a tight fit, but I don't recall having that much of a hassle with it so I suspect that either 1) helped or I got at it with a wobble extension. I KNOW it was easier than the top bellhousing bolts or I would remember it better!

Yeah the one on the top is the rear, I tried a 15mm socket and it didn't work(to big). The front bolt is 9/16 so I'm assuming that the rear bolt is also going to be standard. I've tried the 9/16 on it but it's too small and the 5/8 is too big, I guess I need something in-between but I'm having one hell of a time trying to find a 19/32 socket. Does anyone know how I can find out for sure what size bolt it is. Once again thanks in advance for any help.

Every bolt on my 88 is metric (so far) but something is screwy there. They just don't use those in-between sizes there! I recall that the two bolts were different sizes, but it was something like 14 or 15mm. The only time I can ever remember using ?/32 sockets on auto assembly bolts was to pound one on a rounded off head to get it out. No idea how you're going to get at this one without major spacemaking.

If you can reach it, you might be able to get it loose using a cold chisel and hammer on one of the points then put a known size back in when you re-install.

Funny 'cause every bolt in my '89 is standard. I finally got it off (it was a 5/8). Thanks for all your help.

I changed my `89 Cherokee's starter out just this past Saturday. Yes, the rear bolt is in a tight spot. Break it loose with a box wrench and get a

3/8" "wobble" extension for your ratchet wrench to put the ratchet head in a place that you can swing it. One bolt is English/American, the other is metric. Gotta love it.

There's only two wires, a control lead and the battery cable. When you put the new starter in, pay particular attention to which bolt the battery cable went to. Laying on your back in the driveway it will be easy to confuse the two and attach it to the wrong bolt. This will be Very Bad. You'll know by the huge spark when you try to put the battery cable back on the battery post if you've got it wrong.

I bought a 94 YJ a month ago and I noticed it has SAE and Metric hardware. If you work on say the Japanese equipment like the AX15 for example, you get metric. Besides Torx, it sure is strange have both SAE and Metric on one vehicle.