Pulled the starter motor out today as it has been not engaging properly and then not starting the motor and with a 10 day trip offroad at xmas figured i better sort it out !!

undoing the bolts was a serious mission, ended up with a 1/2 drive socket set with a 2 foot bar before the bolts cracked, got the first one with a 3/8 set, but managed to put a 90 deg twist in the extension and still not come undone

Anyway finally got it out, and stripped it down, had to drill the 3 screws holding the soleniod as the heads had been stripped out previously by someone, a little bit of rust in the solenoid was the culprit of dodgy starter, so am going to be degreasing, skimming the communator regreasing and putting back in, hopefully should sort out the start issue.

Cheers

Pedronz

 

Where are you located?

Yes, you have found the typical starter problem, and the fabulous anti-theft design of the Disco starter. Some use a large "allen head" bolt, which has to be washed out with solvent to get the wrench all the way to the bottom, or you risk rounding it out.

 

have replaced both Cap screws with new ones, and location is Wellington New Zealand, another thing we have to work around doing the started is the steering box and steering shaft, being RH drive.

Cheers

Pedronz

 

To provide improved access to my starter, I did something that some people would freak out about, but I prefer to both see and touch what I have to work on.

I pulled the front passenger wheel off, sat in the wheel well area, took a pair of aviation tin snips and patiently cut the inner fender near the rear seam such that I can fold it up and out of the way. This allows total access to the starter, the exhaust y-pipe flange and other goodies right there in front of you for much easier access and total visibility.

I used to work on Navy aircraft where access panels were there for every item you need access to. That spoiled me. Also cut an access hole in the tunnel for the tranny to get to the CDL switch.

The reason why the Discovery has the access panel for the fuel pump is because Range Rover Classic owners were doing that to avoid having to drop the tank to get to their fuel pumps. So LR incorporated that change in the Discovery.

I hate to go thru contortions to gain access to something.

I had a GrandAm break down on a trip many years ago on I75 thru south Georgia. It was towed to a small independent garage. The owner told me that the dealership pulls the engine for that repair, but he merely pulled the front tire, removed the plastic liner, sat on a small stool he made and fixed the problem in a couple of hours without the added expense of pulling the engine. He was a retired Air Force Master Sarge that had been doing a late night and weekend auto repair before he retired and kept it going afterwards. Hollywood's Midnight Auto Repair was the name of his shop and he was Hollywood. Great guy, great way to do things. He dropped the family off at a nearby hotel, told us to enjoy the pool and relax, that he would have the car ready the next morning even though it was a holiday weekend.

When he drove up to the hotel in it the next morning, I could have sworn he had put a different engine in that Grand Am because it had never run as quietly as it did when he finished. Originally it sounded like a diesel truck motor with a really noisy idle, when he finished with it, it purred like a kitty at idle. He even got us a special rate on the hotel room.