Removing front drive shaft to get at upper starter bolt

Trying to get starter off a 4wd 2006. We've pretty much got it except for the upper starter bolt holding on the starter to the transmission. I cannot remove the steering shaft flange that most say to remove and the cat is definitely in the way.

So I thought I'd go from underneath. I can get the socket on the bolt, but there is no swing room between the cat and the front driveshaft.

So, took out the four bolts that hold the driveshaft to the front diff flange. But the front won't drop. Do I need to smack it with a hammer?

I've done a search to find something on removing the starter and its pretty scarce out there. Everything one video states to do won't work. I'm not really wanting to remove the exhaust system as the repair manual states. So the front shaft seem to be the best alternative if I can move it! The stupid thing is fighting me at every turn...

 

Go in from the DS fender well. I never take anything off other than the bolt holding the hard brake lines to the frame and the fenderwell splash guard. You can pull the starter out through the fender well as well.

 

Yes, that is what I've read, but can't get at the upper starter bolt from the side. Can't get anything on it. One video said to use a 14mm wrench and go in on top of the catalytic converter. Can't even get the wrench on the bolt that way! Sooooo I read that to get the driveshaft off the flange, smack it with hammer. Sure enough, it dropped! Whew!! Easy access now to swing ratchet underneath, get bolt off...take starter out from the side after maneuvering it around! Brake lines need to be loosened but all those things are new! frame replaced a month ago!!!

 

I have never had to take the DS loose to get it. Don't know why you couldn't get a wrench on it.

 

Well, a wrench I could get on from underneath the cat from the side, but there certainly was no leverage to move it. I even got underneath to try and move the wrench. No joy! I don't know why the trouble, but dropping the driveshaft in my case, allowed me access to the upper bolt.

Another observation/question I have is that I just read a post where someone got the starter out from the top. All I can say is mine does not give me that kind of access from the top!

 

Yeah I don't see that happening without a lot of playing with it to get it in the right orientation or taking the steering shaft and other things out of the way.

 

Get a long extension and a wobbly socket

 

This is one of the professional mechanics secrets. They use 2-3 feet of extensions, wobble sockets, universal joints, flex extensions and flex head ratchets to get to things. The other thing is custom heat bent or ground down cheap tools to get at things that are inaccessible with regular tools.I still have a custom bent wrench I used to get at bell housing bolts on a BMW a long time ago. I picked up a 1/4" drive flexible screw driver handled spinner tool at a garage sale at some point. It works well to reach the screws that hold the heater blower resistor on our trucks. It was just the tool to get at the thermostat housing bolts on another BMW. Without it I could see no way to get there. Modern cars require all types of tools to access things.

 

Tried extensions and wobbly sockets. No joy. So, easiest in this case was 4 bolts on the driveshaft and smacked it. It dropped providing clearance. I've been thinking on this and maybe access is limited due to the small lift the dealership put on when the frame was replaced. Don't know. But, getting the starter rebuilt now and then engaging in replacing it!!! I picked up a spare at the junkyard to put in while the original was off being rebuilt, but after this, I only want to do this once. Going to rebuild both and have a spare on the shelf.