On the ride back home yesterday on a 1 1/2 hour trip, I thought I was hearing a little bit of a clunking on bumps. I didn't think much of it, as I know the sway bar links aren't tip top shape. About an hour after making it home, I needed to go get butts, so hopped in the truck and turned the key, and only heard the starter spinning....oh well, didn't feel like crawling under the truck to investigate at 10 o'clock in the cold.

Today I went under the truck to give it a little love tap, figured maybe the solenoid was stuck/bad etc. and just saw the starter move around as I tapped it. Great. Saw with a flaslight in hand the the lower bolt closest to the block was about 3/8" backed out, the lower bolt further away from the block looked a little loose and the upper bolt was out, sitting inbetween the starter and engine block. This bolt looked very worn, although no metal shavings/pieces were stuck to it. So I went to the hardware store to get some grade 8 m10's, and I went to thread the upper bolt in to no avail, just kept spinning. I was able to thread in the lower bolt close to the block and tighten, but the lower bolt away from the block (which didn't look tight) would not move.

With no way to fit a drill into the upper hole for a heli-coil, I just tapped it to 7/16x14, which I had to weld up a 1/4 drive 5/16" socket onto a 1/4" extension backwards so I could actually turn the tap with a ratchet. After about 2 hours to tap a hole, got the bolt in nice and tight, went down underneath to snug up the lower inner bolt, which after about 10ft-lbs just sheared off the material the bolt tightens up to, on the starter.

I still haven't moved the lower outter bolt, I need a new starter, probably will have to tap at least one more of the mounts....I just had to vent.

Hopefully tomorrow I can get a 12pt 10mm socket to get some more leverage on the bolt and pop out the old, slap in the new. Wishful thinking I'm sure!

 

Sounds like you have it under control.
Look on the light side-
Got to pity a guy who would take his rig to the dealer for the same problem.
They would probably sell him a new bell housing and charge over $1000 to install it.

 

I wonder if your stuck bolt is not bent in the hole and jammed from the heavy starter getting so out of alignment? Try PB Blaster or some penetrating oil and let it sit for a day or so if you have the time. Hopefully it will lubricate it enough for it to twist out instead of snapping.

 

Well I got it! I think the 30mph wind gusts on top of it being a shade over 20 degrees was enough to motivate me. The stuck bolt was bent a bit at the head, but after cranking the top bolt it came out with just a little leverage. I ended up tapping all the holes to 7/16-14 because there was too much play when I threaded the bolts in by hand. What a relief! (although I could use another day off work...)