Holy cow! What were they thinking? That bottom bolt/nut
is hard to get to. God Bless the inventor of flex head gear wrenches. I hope that guy is a millionaire many times over.
Those wrenches made this dang near impossible task feasible.
Well...I got it off anyway without having to pull the engine.
Not as bad as my old 250C. That took a custom made SST.
Now to see if some Bubba in a starter/alt shop can match up
the drive gear on this Japanese appearing, high torque, gear drive starter. looks like a factory type starter coupled to
a custom adapter plate. Could I just please be so lucky he can
save me from new starter purchase.
Ohm...spridget,spridget,spridget...Ohm

David -

If your guy can't do that -- for $40 I did this and it works great (1275):

http://www2.partstrain.com/store/details...ITEST16121.html

(They do have a more traditional one -- more money / less power (lucas, of course -- actually Bosch but I couldn't pass up the opportunity).

Good luck.

Geo

I'll save that link for sure. Thanks.

here is the link to Moss Motors starter that appears
IDENTICAL to mine. Same name plate and everything.
http://www.mossmotors.com/Shop/ViewProducts.aspx?PlateIndexID=46989

Now you know why they put that access hole on the right side footwell.
To get to the bottom starter bolt and the clutch slave.

so this Hi Test high torque starter sells for $40 and is actually cheaper than an original one? Funny that all of the LBC vendors sell hi torque for $200+. Am I missing something? How is it that this hasn't come up more often?

George- Did you have to do anything to the starter or is it just a direct replacement? My '66 was converted to negative ground, will that matter?

thanks,
sean

I'm thinking that this is a rebuilt stock starter. The pic shows a gear reduction type unit BUT..... It's the same picture for all HITEST brand starters.

So, is it a case of "picture may not represent product" situations.

LOL....that's gonna make the re-install easier. I didn't use any access hole on the removal.

Yeee Haaa...local shop can replace the bad clutch in
the starter. Dropped it off at lunch and should be ready this afternoon. Turns out the owner of the shop's father was best friends with my dad. Small world.

OK, here's the skinny on the gear reduction starter, a Iszuzu Tropper (for the life of me the spelling escapes this mring, what else is new right which looks to be the same as the the one in the link inteferes with the right side foot box, and rquires you to samck a dnet in the footbox for clearence. The aftermarket starter Gustfason, Moss, VB anbd other sell is a same type starter body (that starter is used a bunch of different cars, Honda, Metro to name a few) and then they machine the front section of the starter case , make a custom form bolt up bracket that let you get the orientation that will not interfere with the footbox, but on most of these startes that means the starter body now block easy acess to the bottom bolt. Winner Circle, www.spridget.com has address this by installing a permanent stud on the bottom of the adpater palte so it stays affixed, and you just have to tight the nut, and not insert a bolt on the bottom, they made them that wat for years, and it clearly a better solution, I'm sure why the rest have not followed suit. So in short when you buy the "custom" starter you buying a starter that will not have you denting the foiotbox, and if you buy the WC custom starter, you buy a starter that makes the bottom bolt easier to deal with.

I saw that one at the Winner's Circle. Mine has a similar
deal where the lower bolt is secured on one end and stays with the body of the unit. It doesn't require two wrenches to
tighten the lower bolt. If Bubba can't get mine fixed...and
he assures me he can...I'd go the Winner's Circle route.
He says he has seen the basic starter used here in a lot of
hot rod set ups. Just different adapters. Did one recently for a big block chevy rod. He said lots of Japanese cars use it.
It sure is small compared to a gear reduction starter for my
Land Cruisers.

Done deal! Picked the starter up this afternoon. Bubba
went over it real good and tested all components.
$48 and change includes new..had to order it Friday and
had it here today...clutch. 20 minute install with the
new found access hole. Works great.
Here's some pics showing what Hap was talking about with the
Winner's Circle starters. Note the head of the bolt is "captive"
between two parts with an area machine to fit the head so
it can't turn and hence the whole install is MUCH easier.
Just stick that lower stud in the bottom whole and everything lines up fine. I don't know if this is a Winner's Circle starter
or somebody stole their trick.

Anyone try to fit this on their car with a Rivergate kit? I tried one of the High Torque starters and could not get it to fit. It was too wide to fit between my frame rail and engine flange. I have a bit of a hybrid (78 Midget with a 1275), so it didn't surprise me at all. I wound up going the Partstrain route for $56 and got a standard starter.

I bet it's the extra frame beam that was added to the 1500, you may try doing a cut out there, fiquire if the earlier cars didn't need this, you can do with out it as well, or atleast be ok cutting a relief into it.

David, that looks like your PO clever add on, that looks like a High torque starter form Moss, maybe a Gustfason. The WC starters adapter paltew is not adjustable ( and really does not need to be) and the bolt bolt that is a fixed is a wheel stud installed in the adapter plate.