Another Starter Motor Problem

[greggers]

Hi, I'm currently mid-swap 320i - M52. The car is an '87 so has the chubby started motor. We've fitted a lightened M20 flywheel and clutch so know that we need to use the original starter motor... However, it doesn't fit!

I've read that the facelift starter is the one to get, but I have also read that the teeth on the facelift starter are different.

So, has anyone tried swapping the inards of the chubby M20 starter motor into the E36 casing... it looks like the bit that engages the flywheel and the spring below would come off but the springs are different sizes.

Any thoughts/suggestions would be much appreciated.

[craigieeb]

Buy the right one that will fit??

you can pick one up on here for between £10 and £30

[Kristo]

you can use starter what is coming from e34 with m20 engine.

it just like M20 starter with M50 case

[greggers]

I'd just read another thread on here, saying the profile of the teeth on the flywheel changed at the facelift so the starters weren't inter-changeable.

So pre-facelift cars don't have different flywheels from facelifts? Fair enough... Will start looking for a facelift one.

[leeparkes]

Im sure im using an early larger starter on my M52 the reason i remember is one of the wires needed to be earthed because early starters only have two terminals, opposed to three on the later ones.

Ill double check tomorrow.

[greggers]

Im sure im using an early larger starter on my M52 the reason i remember is one of the wires needed to be earthed because early starters only have two terminals, opposed to three on the later ones.

Ill double check tomorrow.

We tried offering it up, but there's a big chunk of metal on the block that it fouls on. There's a chance it could be coaxed in with a hammer but I don't really want to risk it if one of the newer starter motors will fit.

You have answered another question for me by telling me about that earth though, cheers!

[B15NAC]

I've got the same sort of problem an I've had it looked in to as my later m20 starter sometimes won't ingauge with my early m20 flywheel so I thought the teeth or pitch were different but from what I can tell the later starter has 9 teeth an is the same as early bigger starters! No difference only in body size

[greggers]

I've got the same sort of problem an I've had it looked in to as my later m20 starter sometimes won't ingauge with my early m20 flywheel so I thought the teeth or pitch were different but from what I can tell the later starter has 9 teeth an is the same as early bigger starters! No difference only in body size

Yeah, I think it might have been your original post I was referring to. I did have a look on Real OEM and it seems the later starter motor is the replacement for the early one. I've just had a later one delivered that I'll be fitting this evening.

I have noticed the M20 starters don't have threads on the mounts like the M52 one did, so I'll have to try and find some nuts for it.