Saturday, November 20, 2010

How do I change the starter in a 1987 Mercury Grand Marquis?

I need to pull the starter on my husband's car and get it looked at. I'm fairly mechanically inclined, and I usually do our vehicle work myself, but this is a new one for me. Can anyone explain to me how to do this?How do I change the starter in a 1987 Mercury Grand Marquis?
Sweet! I love these cars. I'm guessing yours has the regular 302 (5.0 liter nowadays) engine in it. Either way you're in for a treat. The starters on these cars are remarkably easy to get to. You will have to do it from underneath, and unless you're a scarecrow that means jacking the vehicle. Make sure you pull a battery cable before you start! That starter has a dedicated cable directly from the positive terminal of the battery, and if it hits anything metal it'll ground itself out. They say to disconnect the negative, but either one will do. Hell, if you're unsure disconnect both if it makes you feel better, just don't fool around with that cable while attached to the battery. Now, if I remember correctly the starter should be on the driver's side of the engine. You'll see a cylinder about 8 inches long and as big around as a tuna can, and Ford usually paints it black (hey, get your mind out of the gutter! lol). It will be in line with the engine and the attached end is where the engine meets the transmission bellhousing. The good news is there's only 2 mounting bolts. The bad news is there might be shims. Disconnect the wires to it first. There should only be 2, one big red one straight from the battery (mentioned earlier), and a smaller one going to the solenoid. Ford may have included a third wire in later years but I'm not sure. Anyway, unhook the wires and remove those 2 mounting bolts. They're very long and the starter weighs over 8 pounds so it's quite a handful... don't let it bop you in the head. Anyway, look for shims if they were used and note how many there were. These little spacing plates have to go back on the same way they came off. There's usually only one or two but there might not be any. Just make sure one's not stuck on either the bottom of the engine or to the starter after you've yanked it. They tend to stick sometimes. Now, bolt on the new one in reverse order. Oh, there's a core charge for starters so return the old one to the store you bought it at for your refund. Oh, I almost forgot... buy the starter first before you start. They'll charge you a core charge but like I said, you get it back. As for prices, Advance or Auto Zone are usually cheapest at around 60 bucks for a 302 starter. The core charge might be an additional 30. Either way, a shop would easily charge you over $100 in labor for this simple procedure. I hope this helps. Good luck!How do I change the starter in a 1987 Mercury Grand Marquis?
I did it on my '92 marquis fairly easy. It took about 20 minutes. You need to raise the car and find the starter, take it off and put a new one in. Mine was a silver bulky circular thing. It was kind of hard taking it off, but was much easier if you have it at a shop where you can raise the car way up. (my friend had a shop and he let me use it)

My friend says this kind of job would cost $250 parts and labor.How do I change the starter in a 1987 Mercury Grand Marquis?
Not easy, but not too bad.

This is the generic version.

Disconnect the battery. Jack up the car far enough so you can get underneath it easily. Use jack stands to support the weight, NOT the jack.( Make sure you use them properly.) Disconnect the wires at the starter and mark/remember where they go. Remove the starter mounting bolts. Remove the starter.

If you need to ask where the starter is located, don't do this by yourself. No disrespect meant here-but you could get hurt doing this. Also, you may have to move/remove other components to do the job.

If you're really determined, but want detailed information, try a Chilton's or Haines shop book. You can find them at parts stores, online and eBay-and even at the library. Get one specific to your car-that will tell you EXACTLY how to do it. Also, you're hubby will love having one (even if he's not into mechanicals)!How do I change the starter in a 1987 Mercury Grand Marquis?
take off the negative from the battery, take the two bolts off the starter, remove the two wires and change it

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