[aerofxr]

I'm pulling the engine to facilitate internal repairs (bearings at least) and I'm having a heck of a time with the one starter heat shield fastener on top. I think its just a small 8mm bolt or nut but due to a "black pipe" (that I determined to be part of the cooling/heater system) I can't get my fingers on or see it in order to get it off to disconnect the starter wiring. It's one of those stupid things that comes up that holds up the whole show.
You Tubes show one guy getting a super long ratchet extension on it from the top but the exhaust manifold blocks access and viewing it from the top for me. I think another guy said he just kept sticking a 8mm wrench in the area and loosening it that way. Is there another method to anyone's madness to this?

 

[peva]

I replaced the starter on my 2.7 about 4 years ago, and that bolt doesn't stick out in my mind as having created any problem - which leads me to speculate that a ratcheting combination wrench made it a non-problem for me. I say that because since I started using the ratcheting wrenches several years ago, the seemingly impossible situations like you describe almost never happen anymore for me - they make quick work of turning out or in hex bolts in almost-blind close-in areas.

(Full disclosure: They are not always the perfect solution - you need some room around the bolt head to fit the ratcheting mechanism of the wrench, which is a little bigger than a regular box-end, but if there's room to get the wrench on the head and you have have just a little wrench swing room, you can zip it in or out much quicker than with an open end or regular box end - you know - where you put the wrench on the head, turn only a few dgrees, remove the wrench, put the wrench back on the bolt head again (maybe even have to flip it for an even smaller swing space), rinse and repeat 50 or 100 more times, etc.)

You don't need much wrench swing room because most of them have a super-fine ratchet increment, but if you do have a good bit of swing room, that's even quicker.

Hopefully this will be a/the solution. Like I said, if more traditional (non-ratchet-wrench) tools were a ready solution, you probably wouldn't be having the problem you're having with it, and if neither a ratchet wrench or more traditional tools were an easy solution, I probably would remember having the same frustration as you are now. I could of course be wrong.

This is what I mean by ratchet wrenches:

 

[aerofxr]

Peva, your input is always appreciated greatly by all of us. I know, I read a lot of the threads. But I'm thinking this is a simple case of "what the heck am I whining about?". I have the "click" wrenches, as my former co-workers and I called them, and the 8mm will save the day. I will go out and get the thing disconnected and finish getting all the bolts from the "bellhousing"/transaxle and get the thing out. I'm actually starting to have a little fun with this. However it would be nice to have some 50 degree days but then there's a lot of people from Canada here and many You-Tubes have cars surrounded by snow while someone is trying help others by making a video.
Thanks to you and everyone as always

 

[Adpros]

I'm thinking you might not need to "Remove" the starter if you are pulling the whole engine. After the battery has been disconnected, you can likely just remove the starter mounting bolts from the transmission case along with the dust shield, (Not the heat shield), and just let it lay out of the way. Removing the 2.7L starter is a bit of a chore in it's own rights. Also, it's a lot easier if you have the exhaust that's nearby removed in advance. LH exhaust might be easier than taking on the starter directly.

 

[Daytrepper]

Leave it on; if you are pulling the engine, just disconnect the starter mounting bolts; no need to remove the heat shield.....Once you get the engine loose, and get it up a bit, you can pop the starter out.

Even with the engine in the car, you have to remove the engine mount to get the starter out, but still do not need to remove the heat shield, pull it with the starter.

 

[aerofxr]

Thank You Daytripper. I disconnected the starter while the engine was hoisted up a bit. That upper heat shield bolt/screw is a [email protected]&^%h! I'll put the starter back on before I re-install the engine.
BTW After pulling the heads I noticed a very diabolically located sensor that doesn't show up in my manuals. It's in what would be the lifter valley (in older engines) sticking into the right cylinder bank. I'm going to guess it's the knock sensor but I haven't found any info on it yet. Whatever I find out it is, I'll replace it. Whatever designer/engineer put whatever it is there should be boiled in 30w. In the meantime, anyone know what it is?

 

[tgs]

I believe you're correct. That sounds like the knock sensor. It probably had black vinyl tube coming off it that goes out the valley to a connector ....