OK, so a "search" revealed several posts/threads on tricks to get the starter back IN. How about getting the @#^$%!! thing OUT? Sheesh, my son is flying up this weekend to take his 1961 Galaxie out of storage and drive it from RI to NC. Well, I took it out of storage and when I was showing it to a mechanic friend of mine he casually mentioned "sounds like your bendix is going out." I figured I'd fix that for my son. How hard can it be? I've changed dozens of starters in my life, oughta take about 20 minutes. Weil.... I've exhausted my knowledge of swear words and the starter is still dangling. It seems to me that the bendix is fully out and the starter body is hitting the cross member and there isn't enough room. I see in some of the old posts that Ted suggested turning the wheels all the way to one side. So, I'll try that in the morning and I'll jack up the other side of the car too to let the suspension/wheels hang. Any other tips? I read one post where somebody changed the bendix while it was still in the car but I didn't understand how to do that. I've got to get this back together by Sunday. Hopefully.



Thanks.



Seth

Thanks. Your opening line made me laugh. When I showed the new/replacement bendix to my mechanic friend, he started holding it the "right" way around and I said "yeah but this one goes in the reverse direction." He just looked at me. I said "its a Ford."



But, I digress. If I can get it back together, MAYBE I'll just leave it in--- about every other time you go to start the car, it just whirrrrs but doesn't engage. I just wait and then hit the key again and she fires right up. But, I figured I was doing my son a favor if I changed it for him now. Tomorrow is a new day--- perhaps I'll hold my tongue in just the right position and it will come out smoothly. Hah! (his car has a two-speed automatic hooked up to the 292).