Well, today didn't go nearly as well as I had hoped. I figured installing the new PowerMaster starter would be the easiest between the motor mounts and the starter, but nope, the starter turned out to be a problem.
I didn't have any problems getting the starter bolted to the block. And when I checked the clearance and alignment of the gear to the flywheel it was pretty much dead on without needing any shims. But when it came time for me to put the electrical leads onto the studs, that is when I hit the brick wall.
On the stock starter, the electrical studs are in the back of the solenoid, up at top of the starter. On the PowerMaster 9509, the studs are on the side facing away from the block. Now this doesn't sound like any real big problem, except for the fact that the wires and leads just will not reach those studs on the starter. I tried moving the wires around and checking to see if there was some way to get a couple more inches out of them, but it was just no-go. I really didn't want to tug on the wires a whole lot and break a wire someplace completely inaccessible without pulling the engine. But still, I did try my best with a gentle hand to coax just a little bit more reach out of the wires.
So that basically put a screeching halt on things until I can get another starter. This time with the electrical studs in a place where the wires can actually reach them.
Been reading that the starters for trucks in the same time frame as the C5Z have the two long bolt mounting points, so I'm going to be looking into that route.
Back to the drawing board on starters.....
