Starter motor

Let's be honest, for a DIY mechanic, removing a Delta starter motor is as bad as jobs get.

The thought of removing so much stuff to get to such a simple unit, is challenging.

But we'll have to overcome that, to properly access our car's starter motor, we'll be removing many nuts and bolts.

Most of you will know the Delta starter motor is a simple item, it's a pre-engaged starter, which means a solenoid pushes the drive cog into the flywheel ring, then the motor turns.

So before removal, you can make a few checks for electrical faults on the car with a test light. The feed is straight from the battery, so you can test that, you can bridge the motor terminals to see if it turns. You can attach the test light to the small red wire terminal and turn the key to start, a live feed can be carefully taken from the battery to this small terminal to see if the solenoid works. If there's still no life it'll have to come off.

Before doing these tests, you should remove the fuel pump fuse behind the cardboard bulkhead. this will stop any fuel spillage and risk of fire.

Let's get started, with the car on its wheels, remove the battery terminals and lift the battery out.

Loosen the 2 x 13mm bolts fastening the alternator belt tensioner to the engine, then loosen the adjuster locknut and wind off the allen key bolt that tightens the adjuster. Slip the belt off the alternator.

Jack the front of the car up and secure well with axle stands and wood blocks. Remove the offside wheel, and the plastic wing liner.

The picture below shows the space you'll have available to reach inside, undo the 2 bottom alternator fixings, then the big top through bolt. There's a locknut on the belt side of this bolt, you'll have to slot an open ender up the side to hold it, if you have help, she can catch it from above. Undo the terminal wires, support the alternator then pull the big bolt out inwards, the alt will fall, then draw the unit out.

You'll really struggle unless you remove some items. I would remove the alternator, steering arm, roll bar link and suspension to body bolts at the minimum. Actually being able to swing the suspension out of the way is very useful. You might find the power steering pipe is blocking you also, you can release that at the pump end if it's in the way, put a pot underneath to catch the fluid. The time this all takes to do will be forgotten when you can do the main job easier.

Not much space for removal

Loosening drive belt

Removing alternator

I had other work to do on the Delta, so the drive shaft and suspension had been removed, this made the starter motor job much easier. If you can get your head round all the extra work, it is worth doing.

The starter motor has to come out of the gap below left, it's now much bigger with the alternator removed, so you can get a torch and your long extensions and get inside.

Remove the 13mm bolts on the end of the starter motor's battery feed terminal and pull the clip off the small terminal. Now get your long extension with a u/j link, then another extension and a 13mm socket, put that lot and your arm up the back and remove the 3 long bolts fixing the starter to the bellhousing, the starter can then be removed

Very long extension

It's a boy!

My alternator's top mounting holes were out of line, this made it hard to pull the bolt out when removing the unit.

The alt must have been rebuilt before and not reassembled quite straight, This was fixed at the electrician's.

And that's the job done! Take the starter and the alternator to the auto electrician for a good servicing, you don't want to be doing this again for a while.

Top test equipment! My man is good, careful and reliable. Cheap too!

So with everything repaired, replacement is not too difficult, take your time and it'll be ok! Connect the small red wire to the starter terminal with the solder behind it, my leccy's top tip. Probably best to attach the alternator spade clip before the alt is fixed in, you'll not find it otherwise. Everything else of course in reverse.

This is an amateur's report, I'm sure at Tanc's or Keith's the boys or girls will have this job nailed! But again, the satisfaction of doing a job yourself that's really difficult, and getting it right, is most rewarding.