How to Remove the Starter on a 1972 Beetle

The 1972 Volkswagen Beetle is a simple yet efficient vehicle, and one that is viewed by some as a collector’s item. As with any automobile, the parts don’t last as long as the car itself. When it’s time to remove a dead starter, just follow these simple steps.

Things You'll Need

  • Adjustable wrench
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Instructions

    • 1

      Open the hood and disconnect the battery cables from the battery. The battery cables are clamped onto the battery posts. Use your wrench to loosen the bolts on the clamps, and then slide the clamps off of the posts.

    • 2

      Locate the starter on the passenger side of the vehicle. It's about the size of a small football and shaped like a cylinder, with a smaller cylinder attached to its side. You will see that it’s attached by two bolts. The nuts on these bolts have a half-moon design that keeps them flush against the starter. This is good for you because the nuts won’t spin when you are turning the bolt.

    • 3

      Remove the wires from the starter. If the wires aren’t color coded, make sure to mark them and write down some notes so you can reattach them correctly when you reinstall the starter.

    • 4

      Unscrew the bolts with your adjustable wrench. The nuts will drop to the floor. Make sure to recover them right away so they don’t get lost. Remove the bolts and lift the starter out of the vehicle.