On 08/30/2011 03:07 PM, Scott Daniel - Turbovans wrote:
> "how much heavier is a starter ? ...
> like how much heavier than what.. ...say a spark plug ?
> Quite a bit heavier than a spark plug.
>
> just teasing you.
> I am very litteral. A bit asburgery.

All right, Asperger Boy, context, context!

I wrote,

"Just got a spare alternator to pack. How much heavier is a starter?"

Parse that sucker. It's an open book test.

> Starter isn't that hard to change on an auto trans vanagon.
> I also get the impression..
> and pretty sure this is accurate..
> you almost never get under your van ..
> or almost never have it off the ground...
> given you don't have a safe spot to do that.

It's true, but I do have ramps and was under the van this morning
hooking up a temp sensor to read the ATF temp on one of the hoses that
feed the external GoWesty ATF cooler thingy. Looked around a bit, saw a
lot of brown, gray, and dark black heavy metal things. Some of which I
recognized, some of which are just mysterious part of suspension and
other subassemblies.

So here I am with an auto trans Vanagon and if the starter ever craps
out the van is welded to the ground for eternity. My question is: If one
is broken down in camp, is R&R'ing the starter difficult?

Scott says, "Starter isn't that hard to change on an auto trans
vanagon." But Scott takes vehicles apart for a living, and I am pretty
proud to have done a voltage regulator/brush pack swap in the field a
couple weeks ago (Mrs Squirrel is still bragging to her friends how
smart I am), so I suspect there is a difference in skill level here . .
. so is it /really/ not particularly hard to do?

And does anyone know offhand what tools are needed to make a field swap?

-- RJS