330xi starter removal help needed.

[Z3_GoCar]

Hey Jake,

My wife has a 330i, so I have some idea of what your facing. The starter is burried under the intake manifold, which is 2/3's of the way under the front of the firewall. So, maybe the Bentley manual has a point on lowering the motor. But, I realize that as an xi you've got the front axle in the way. Still, since the motor's bolted to the front cross member, I suspect that you could remove the four bolts that hold the crossmember on and the four that hold the eyeball joint, and the four nuts that hold the sway bar on, you could lower away. But, before you do that, you might want to remove the radiator to get some extra room. Just some random thoughts...

BTW, the botom cover is held on by quarter-turn fasteners, and you'll find lots of similar little short cuts. I think you'll be suprised at how easy it'll be.