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Starter bolt size

be sure your rear starter bracket isn't bent! or on the starter like mine did, the rear housing twisted a bit. you can tell if it has twisted by looking at the long through bolts seeing if they look straight across or slightly angled on the body. if the bracket is bent, it will be curled toward the block almost touching where the freeze plug it on the block in that area. I have heard of others laying a bead with a welder to strengthen it. mine is bent. I am wanting to have one made out if a full piece of angle iron at some point.

getting the bolt out - do like Ak says and try turning it out with a pick slowly and with a LOT of patience. if that doesn't work, you can use a small nut that will just barley sit inside the hole but your center punch will fit through. ping it as close to the center of the bolt as possible. if you can't get a left hand drill bit, start with a small bit and work it easy and slow to get you a guide hole drilled through. then go bigger and bigger till you are nearing but not cutting into block threads. try the easy out. for these, I like to use the longer square shank ez outs that snap-on makes because they seem to bite a bit more than the short splined ones.

a side note, if it's the bolt that is on the outer ear of the block you can drill all the way through and possibly use the ez out on ether end to get it out. oh, and use plenty of penetrate oil while drilling.
 
I've used this technique more so on rounded out allen/ hex head plugs, but if you have a flat punch small enough put that to the sheared bolt and give it a good whack. If lucky you are basically making a slot where you can press in a flathead screw driver and back it out from there. Also @dbrannon79 's idea of putting in a small nut to help keep your bit centered and not damage the block threads is a fantastic idea 👍
 
Ok. Soooo.. this night sucked balls...starter decided to fall out of the truck...🤔wtf... Got under it.... Bolt looked fine, but wouldn't thread back in ..seemed really loose.. ok call bro, he gets there and noticed a nice little wire in the threads of the bolt . Frickin heilly coil... So this has been done before evidently. So truck is sitting in town till morning, can home.. bro is towing it to buddy's shop in morning.. in his words it'll probably be fixed before your ass is out of bed... Got to love family
 
@Stoney just want you to be ware on the bolt holes in the block. if they in fact have been heilly coiled, this means that they have been drilled out and the knurl on the oe bolts are useless in helping lining up the starter with the correct distance from the ring gear, also means even when torqued to proper spec two things. if the thread repair inserts aren't as deep as the oe threads it can't properly handle the torque spec and will pull out like you experienced, also when torqued, will back out without the use of a lock washer.

I recommend not to use a split ring lock washer but to use what is called a nord lock. this is a concaved washer with spline groves cut into it on both sides. I used this on my block after finding out the outer boss had been welded on and a thread repair installed. I didn't torque them, but instead used my long handle 3/8" ratchet and did the feel approach torque method hoping not to strip the thread repair out. neither bolt has backed out yet :) (keeping my fingers crossed now hoping I didn't just jinx myself)
 
Ok that's good to know @dbrannon79 . I didn't realize it would throw off the alignment... brother is still at shop with it... We have a major storm coming at us and they run a plowing and salting service on top of the construction company, so they had to get some of the equipment set up for the storm coming in tonight before they could get to my truck... Ironically as much as he hates 6.5 TD engines he said he's done this job on them about 11 times... This is just a dumb idea, why couldn't you put double-ended studs in the holes instead of using a bolt? You can basically JB weld it up into the hole or something similar, and then use the nuts on the bottom of the starter where the studs come through... Seems like that wouldn't solve the problem but I couldn't be wrong
 
the stud idea would work as long as you have clearance to come straight down with the starter without turning it any. on mine 2x4 there's no way it would clear to remove and install..

the alignment is minute but it's enough to cause a little noise when cranking. easiest thing to do is use that tool or drill bit (can't remember what size) slide between the gears of the ring and the starter to make sure your mesh pattern is right.

if your bro has done them before that many times I'm sure he knows what he's doing and has become an expert on it! especially when encountering the stubborn problematic ones lol there is nothing else like hands on experience :)
 
Make sure you put the small support back on the front of the starter . There is no way the starter falls out with this installed which means you didn't have one . My 6.2 has one stock bolt and an aftermarket bolt the next size up . Someone drilled out the starter housing and put the bigger bolt in which means the starter is fubar if anything breaks . And yes , there was no brace installed before .
 
The nut to the starter rear bracket is difficult to put on.
That is why a lot of people (may be mechanic) are too lazy to reinstall.
Although, it should not be too difficult to do with a lift.

I did it on the ground and it took me a good 30 minutes to thread it in and start tightening.
In reality, if you don't put it on that is at least 30 minutes less to be spent reinstalling it.
Plus this starter is really heavy comparing it to the gasser starter, that is why it needs that rear bracket.
 
JMJNet said:
The nut to the starter rear bracket is difficult to put on.
That is why a lot of people (may be mechanic) are too lazy to reinstall.
Although, it should not be too difficult to do with a lift.

I did it on the ground and it took me a good 30 minutes to thread it in and start tightening.
In reality, if you don't put it on that is at least 30 minutes less to be spent reinstalling it.
Plus this starter is really heavy comparing it to the gasser starter, that is why it needs that rear bracket.
Click to expand...
I have a little old 1/4" drive Craftsman battery ratchet. It has no power, but as soon as I get any of those bolts started, I snug them up with that. Savesva bunch of time. Used in conjunction with a stubby wobble 1/4" to 3/8" drive adapter and wobble extensions
 
Actually guys the rear bracket was on the truck... When I joined to this site and y'all told me about the importance of it I made sure it had one and I'm always careful to make sure it's on when I drop the starter... Because if this engine gets fubared I'm screwed... That's what's not making sense about something.. I know damn well I tightened everything up when I put the starter back in and that wasn't very long ago... For that bracket to come loose and both starter bolts to come out they had to get loosened... Considering they have both been helicoiled before, I could understand one of them coming loose and ripping the helicoil out... But for both of them and that and the bracket bolt to come loose does not make any sense to me...
 
I have had my bracket work it's self loose before, both on the block and on the little nut on the starter. as for the two main bolts. the bolt holes have been drilled and taped to accept the heilly coils, the knurling on the oe bolt also helped keep them from loosening. with that gone they can easily back out.

Has your Brother given you a status update on the damage or repair?
 
Unfortunately he hasn't been able to get to it yet... We are in the middle of a massive snow event... Got 2 in of sleet and ice yesterday and last night... And half of their plowing equipment kept breaking down so they're trying to keep that stuff up and running... Thankfully I was off Tuesday and Wednesday... Yesterday the restaurant was closed because of weather... And God willing they are today also... Because it is snowing like hell in piling up really fast and there's no way in hell I'm going to make it to work LOL..
 
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