How to Replace the Starter in the 1984 Caprice Classic

Replacing a worn starter is essential to ensuring the reliability of your vehicle.

Starters provide the needed cycling for your vehicle to start on demand. After time and wear, these electrical motors can become faulty and cease to work properly. Older model starters in particular, have less life than newer engineered starters and can go out often. Luckily, the starter assembly on a 1984 Caprice Classic vehicle is easily accessible, which makes replacing the starting motor a simple task. This process requires only simple tools and 15 to 30 minutes of time.

Things You'll Need

• Safety glasses
• Car ramp
• Crescent wrench
• 12mm socket wrench
• Replacement starter

Instructions

1. Pull your vehicle onto car ramps and place it in park. Remember to lock the emergency brake to prevent possible rolling or sliding. Pop the hood.

2. Get out of the vehicle and lift the hood. Secure the lift bar to keep the hood propped. Then, remove the negative terminal from the battery, using a crescent wrench.

3. Climb underneath the car and locate the starter on the side of the transmission housing. The starter is an aluminum, cylindrical part with an electrical wire leading to the battery.

4. Remove the electrical connection from the side of the starter using a 12mm socket wrench.

5. Remove the four mounting bolts on the sides of the starter, using a 12mm socket, and slide the starter out of the turn shaft.

6. Slide the new starter into place in the turn shaft and replace the four mounting bolts you just removed.

7. Replace the electrical connection on the side of the starter.

8. Climb out from underneath the vehicle and replace the negative terminal on the battery.

Tips & Warnings

• Completing this process during prime daylight hours will make visibility under the vehicle less of a concern.

• Always use caution when working underneath a propped vehicle.

References

• Part Source: Removing and Installing Alternators and Starters