how to change starter in LHS?

Question

subject says all... friend has Concorde that has had the drivetrain, suspension, and wheels from a wrecked LHS installed (along with the interior and nose - I guess the PO, who was a body shop owner, got real bored one day.)

Anyway... the starter has been intermittent for a while, it would take a couple wiggles of the key to get it to go. He'd bought a used replacement starter but never installed it as the car never completely quit. Then today while I was over at his house working on something else the bendix stuck into the flywheel so he decided it was about that time. Well after fighting with that #@$%^%^& cable connection - what would have been so wrong with leaving another inch or so slack in the cable so that it would be easier to deal with? And how is it possible that something less than 10 years old could be so corroded? - I discovered that it was literally impossible to remove the starter. On one side it was constrained by the catalytic converter and on the other some big heavy bracket for the engine mount. We swapped places again (by this time we were working on each other's cars, as one of us would get frustrated with the starter we'd switch off) and he crawled under there with a big huge pry bar. I don't want to know what happened but he tossed the starter out from under the car. (it landed on my foot, of course, but that's not really relevant.) However, it seems that installing the new one is going to be just as problematic, involving either bending the cat out of the way or else jacking up the engine and removing the engine mount bracket, if it is even possible to do so. Any tips from anyone who's BTDT? The car is sitting in his driveway disassembled, as it got real damn cold just about the time the big shiny thing in the sky headed west and left.

thanks...

nate

Bill Putney · Accepted Answer

...except year and engine.Bill Putney(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

Joe · Answer

Now, Bill, if you were really smart, you'd remember LHS's don't have any engine options.

Nate Nagel · Answer

Don't know and 3.5.nate

Bill Putney · Answer

In my best Johnny Carson voice: "I did not know that!"Bill Putney(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

Alex Rodriguez · Answer

If I did that, I would never get anything done.  I usually take a break, sometimes for days, and then get back to work.  Eventually I figure out howto fix the problem.  ----------------Alex

markansas859 · Answer

I imagine JP can do anything he sets his mind to , with the right tools....hope the new one goes in easier than the old one came out

Steve · Answer

Of course there were "first generation" LHSes with the iron 3.5 and "second generation" LHSes with the aluminum 3.5. Don't know if that makes any difference with accessing the starter, but I'm guessing it DOES because it was perfectly simple (although tight) to change the starter on my wifes first-gen Vision (identical to a first-gen LHS). This must be a second-gen.

Nate Nagel · Answer

How can one tell the difference?  I only remember ever seeing one LHS, so I am guessing that this is a second-gen and that I just don't remember the first.nate

Steve · Answer

The first-gen has a rounded "notchback" profile. The second-gen has the "gaping maw" or "furnace grate" grille with projector headlamps. Its name was changed to "Concorde LXi" after the first year or so of production.

how to change starter in LHS?

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