How to Replace a Car's Starter Motor---Part1

Replacing a starter motor is usually a straightforward but inconvenience job. Here's how it's done.

This gear-reduction starter is a lightweight drop-in replacement for the older starter that failed. By spinning the armature faster and reducing its output speed with a planetary gearbox, it's possible to get the same starter power in a smaller, lighter package.

Click. Click. Click. That's the noise your car makes when you twist the key. A few more clicks and now you've got a metallic screeching that makes all the dogs in the neighborhood start to bark. The dash lights are plenty bright, the headlights don't dim much when the key is twisted, but obviously something is wrong. With the clock ticking, you resort to that old standby: a jump-start. A few more screeches grating enough to make you cringe, and the engine finally spins merrily.

After work, it's the same story: Clunking and clicking, a few bars of the "Ballad of the Tortured Ring Gear," and you get to drive home instead of ride in the cab of the tow truck.

You've got a bad starter motor. Time to fix it before you're on the bus.

Tips from: http://www.popularmechanics.com