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How To Replace Third Gen Starter

Discussion in '3rd Gen. Tacomas (2016-2023)' started by grubburg, Apr 10, 2020.

  1. Apr 10, 2020 at 5:43 PM
    #1
    grubburg

    grubburg [OP] Well-Known Member

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    STEP 1: Buy Appropriate Starter
    Get OEM. As you can see from the below, there is a difference in quality and design. Notice the teeth. OEM should be $200 out the door. I tried the cheaper non-OEM China refurbished and got a nasty squeal. I had to return it and re-do the job. Don't take short cuts like my dumba$$ :frusty:

    s1d.jpg

    s1b.jpg

    s1c.jpg

    TEETH SUMMARY.jpg

    STEP 2: Disconnect Negative Terminal Battery
    10 mm, 1 nut

    STEP 3: Remove Splash Guard Apron
    Be careful not to break the tabs

    STEP 4: Disconnect Steering Column Yoke
    12 mm, 2 bolts
    You need to disconnect this to make room for removal of starter and it's a tight squeeze

    Yoke1.jpg

    yoke 2.jpg

    STEP 5: Remove Heat Shield From Starter
    10 mm, 3 bolts

    Shield.jpg

    STEP 6: Remove Positive Terminal Nut and Plastic Cap From Starter
    Plastic tabs
    12 mm nut

    Positive Terminal Nut.jpg

    STEP 7: Remove Negative Terminal From Starter
    12 mm nut

    Negative Term.jpg

    STEP 8: De-Attach Wire Harness From Starter
    10 mm nut
    Pull wire harness away from entire area to make room

    10 mm wire.jpg

    STEP 9: Disconnect Electrical Harness
    There is a middle, bottom, long tab that needs to be depressed

    20200410_161120.jpg

    STEP 10: Disconnect Exhaust Bracket By Header/Cat
    3 14 mm bolts
    Remove the bottom 2, leave the top one loosened. Move the bracket out of the way to access starter mounting bolts. When re-installing these 3 bolts, note that you can only tighten the top one when the middle one is out.

    bracket 1.jpg

    bracket 2.jpg

    STEP 11: Disconnect Starter Mounting Bolts
    2 14 mm bolts
    A stubby ratchet arm is ESSENTIAL. Accessing the upper bolt is the crux of the job. It is very difficult to access with very little clearance, hence the need for a stubby ratchet oriented socket down and handle up.

    starter mounting bolts.jpg

    stubby .jpg

    STEP 12: Wiggle Starter Out
    The starter comes out through the bottom, not by the exhaust and not by the wheel well. It's a game of tetris. After messing with it for some time, I recommend the following orientation and I think it's the only orientation that works. Otherwise, additional disassembly of truck or disassembly of starter is warranted. Be careful not to force it and damage suspension, brake or steering components.

    orientation 1.jpg

    orientation 2.jpg

    STEP 13: Install New Starter
    Reverse of above instructions.
    Note, when attempting to re assemble the steeling column and align the yoke, you may have to put a key in the ignition to give the steering wheel wiggle room to get the orientation correct.
     
    Last edited: Apr 10, 2020
    CrashZone, Jabes, Ebola888 and 21 others like this.
  2. Apr 10, 2020 at 5:43 PM
    #2
    grubburg

    grubburg [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Estimated time:
    - 40 minutes expert
    - 2 hours intermediate
    - 4 hours newbie
     
    Last edited: Apr 10, 2020
  3. Apr 11, 2020 at 6:04 AM
    #3
    Wyoming09

    Wyoming09 Well-Known Member

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    Super Springs
    Very good !! It was the starter drive making the noise ??
     
  4. Apr 11, 2020 at 1:31 PM
    #4
    grubburg

    grubburg [OP] Well-Known Member

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    K & N Intake, Gibson Catback (chopped), Weathertech floormats, 285/70/17 Ridge Grapplers, Black Rhino Glamis wheels, Kicker Key, Kicker Hideaway, Infiniti Speakers, OV Tune, 888's, 5100s X 4, HS 3-leaf, LR SPC UCAs, Diff Drop, Carrier Bearing Drop, OEM Bed Mat, Morimoto HID low beams, Morimoto LED 2 Stroke High Beams, KC 336 LED bar, KC C3 LED pods for rear, KC LED 6'' SlimLites ditch lights, N-Fab Steps, Auxbeam Interior Blue Lights, 7r41lbr34k3r Shift Knob, Wet Okole Seat Covers, Diode Dynamics SAE Pro Fogs, Cali Raised ditch light brackets, hidden light bar brackets, tailgate light brackets.
    I have no idea. All I know is I've changed a starter on a 2nd gen and 3rd gen. They DO NOT like water.
     
    shotgunbilly420 and Rick111 like this.
  5. Apr 29, 2020 at 11:18 AM
    #5
    grubburg

    grubburg [OP] Well-Known Member

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    After a few weeks, I can say the OEM starter is 100x better than the non-OEM. It just starts faster. Look at the detail in the teeth.
     
    shotgunbilly420 likes this.
  6. Aug 29, 2020 at 9:03 AM
    #6
    BillsSR5

    BillsSR5 Looking out for #1

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    nope
     
  7. Aug 29, 2020 at 10:11 AM
    #7
    tirediron

    tirediron Well-Known Member

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    Great write up
     
    Dopplerplus likes this.
  8. Aug 29, 2020 at 10:22 AM
    #8
    davidstacoma

    davidstacoma Friendly Curmudgeon

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    *OEM Mods: Intermittent wipers, Fogs, Keyless Entry, Lomax
    Great writeup! This is why I quit doing my own mechanical work since the 70s and 80s. Last time I replaced a starter it went like this:
    1. Remove old starter
    2. Install new starter
    They were designed for maintenance back then, now you can barely see the engine. o_O
     
  9. Aug 30, 2020 at 12:53 AM
    #9
    Eatmorevegtables77

    Eatmorevegtables77 Well-Known Member

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    I believe you on the,they don't like water,shit you replaced this on your 2019.lol great write up with all the pictures will help a lot of people.thanks
     
  10. Sep 19, 2020 at 4:48 AM
    #10
    Bcjammerx

    Bcjammerx I'm not ALWAYS an a-hole, I swear

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    NEVER buy chinese parts! I have RARELY had good experience with chinese parts and you can pretty much tell if they are by the poor casting quality too. And don't EVER use DNJ parts...they have U.S. flags all over their site and state they sell "japanese parts" but TRUST me they're chinese. Guys on an old 4runner forum swear by them but I used their t-belt kit for my subi, it cost as much as the aisin kit but was supposed to be "made in america"...it was obviously chinese parts. Worst part the tensioner leaked and failed at 12,000 miles (JUST out of their warranty) and I got to do a no-warranty head job and replace ALL my valves too.


    The bigger question...why did your starter fail on such a new vehicle?
     
  11. Sep 19, 2020 at 9:08 AM
    #11
    grubburg

    grubburg [OP] Well-Known Member

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    Literally drove through water one time. It submerged the starter for 15 seconds or less. Starter died a week later. I had the same experience on my 2nd gen. These trucks are not made to drive through water. Don't let the snorkel fool ya.
     
  12. Sep 19, 2020 at 9:09 AM
    #12
    BillsSR5

    BillsSR5 Looking out for #1

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    good writeup
     
    grubburg[OP] likes this.
  13. Sep 19, 2020 at 9:44 AM
    #13
    Jowett

    Jowett Well-Known Member

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    The breathers can be extended, just like we do on the diffs. I'm looking at upgrading the 1.4kw starter to a cold spec 2.0kw from the older trucks... either way, the breather will be raised and modified to prevent the water ingress.
     
  14. Sep 20, 2020 at 5:57 PM
    #14
    Bcjammerx

    Bcjammerx I'm not ALWAYS an a-hole, I swear

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    Good to know! How deep would you say the water was? Like where did it come to on the truck? We get some flooding in these parts and having a 4x4 trd offroad I can see myself being braver than I should
     
    Dirk Diggler likes this.
  15. Oct 5, 2020 at 6:46 AM
    #15
    Dirk Diggler

    Dirk Diggler Under the Stun Gun

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    Holy crap this is exactly what I am looking for
     
  16. Oct 5, 2020 at 1:14 PM
    #16
    Bcjammerx

    Bcjammerx I'm not ALWAYS an a-hole, I swear

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    tacomas are for dry offroading only apparently, saw another thread regarding a messed up front diff actuator because it got wet
     
    VeeSix and Dirk Diggler like this.
  17. Oct 5, 2020 at 1:16 PM
    #17
    Dirk Diggler

    Dirk Diggler Under the Stun Gun

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    Oh yeah. When I yank the skid ill toss some dielectric in that too. Hopefully to help keep moisture out of that shit show
     
  18. Oct 5, 2020 at 3:12 PM
    #18
    VeeSix

    VeeSix Yotahead, Deadhead.

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    You're saying a new Tacoma starter is $200?? I would have thought it was 3 times that.
     
    SR-71A likes this.
  19. Oct 8, 2020 at 7:26 AM
    #19
    cubie

    cubie Aznrednek

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    Thanks for this write up, I'm going to change my starter out this weekend. Coppinger Cove has mine ruined and clicking when starting. Damn you water....
     
    grubburg[OP] and Dirk Diggler like this.
  20. Oct 8, 2020 at 1:26 PM
    #20
    Dirk Diggler

    Dirk Diggler Under the Stun Gun

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    I'm waiting on mine to be delivered over the weekend
     
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