I think that my starter is bad. its a 99 24 valve. the other day i noticed the lights dimming and the voltage dropping a small amount every 10 seconds or so while i was idling. it started and drove just fine a couple days after that, but 2 nights ago it would not start. wouldnt turn over at all, I think the best that i got was a partial turn, then nothing. the voltage meter would drop and it was like everything was completly dead. lights didnt even work. i had the batteries tested, and they are both good, so the alternator is ok. the autozone thought that it might be the starter. I cant figure out how to pull the starter to have it checked.

here is my question. how the hell do you remove the starter. it looks like 3 nuts, but they look like some special kind of nut. its definatly not a torx nut. i tried a 7/16 socket with no luck, tried the metric equivalant with no luck, tried the 12 pt and 6 pt versions of each with no luck. I am about 30 minutes away from making a pipe bomb and sticking it under the hood. someone please help.

 

Doesn't sound like the starter to me. If the voltage is fluctuating at idle, it sounds like a loose cable causing a high resistance. You need to check all your battery cables both hot and ground for corrosion.

 

I think that i checked all the cables, and i didnt find any problems. the reason that i believe that the starter is the problem is because everything appears to be normal until i try to start it, then nothing works.

 

Double check those connections. Look closely at the cable where it attaches to the clamp for corrosion. Turn the key on and try to start. If it does not start, leave key on and turn on headlights and windshield wipers. If they are functioning then the batts are good. Order some oversized solenoid contacts and do this:
https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...arter+contacts

 

the starter is easy to replace---it takes a 12 point socket or wrench--I believe its a 10mm---the bolts are not special--just 12point.

 

Doesn't sound like the starter. If you battery connections are all good, check to make sure they are clean as well, then it could be the alternator. The previous post is correct the bolts are 10mm 12 pt. They are torqued down pretty good. Hope this helps.

 

Yeah the starter is held on with 3 10mm 12 pt bolts. You need a good but short (standard) 10 mm 12pt combination wrench. I used another larger wrench as a cheater on the top bolt. I find that if I lie facing the rear and reaching up kinda behind me I can really get some leverage on the top bolt. Done it in the sleet and rain.

I got a auto zone life time starter. (closest auto store in walking distance ) The laugh is on them...I've won twice on the warantee.

You actually probably have bad contacts. Some auto stores carry them. Napa I think. Not a hard job to replace. You should do them about 75k or so just to be safe.

 

finally got it out, and it took about 15 minutes to put the new one in. hooked everything up, turned the key and it fired right up. I think the wrench that i originally used was worn or somthing, and thats why it wouldnt grip.
when you all talk about replacing contacts, do you mean on the starter itself, or the battery cable ends?
funny thing was that the autozone tested my old one and it passed, but they put the new one on the machine and it kept blowing the breaker. they then called another autozone and had them do the same thing, and the other store experienced the same thing.
Thanks for the help, my truck runs now and thats all i care about.

 

https://www.dieseltruckresource.com/...arter+contacts

This would have saved you a boat load of money. How much was that starter anyway?
This process for changing the contacts only takes a half hour once the starter is out.