1993 caprice

I bought a 1993 caprice recently that has been hit in the side pretty hard. It was hit right in the center of the passanger side door. It sat for a while(all winter, outside) before I bought it, and now I'm trying to get the engine running before before I pull the engine (305 tbi) out of it. Not quite sure what to do with the engine yet, but a 1993 305 for $200 couldn't be passed up, not to mention the car is full of good glass. :biggrin:

Anyway, here's my problem: I've never owned a caprice before, so I'm new to the quirks of the engine. Trying to get it running has been fun so far, but a little confusing. After getting the engine to turn freely by hand (compressor had corroded and wouldn't turn) I seem to be alot closer to my goal. The engine cranks weak, but atleast its turning now. So I hook a fresh battery to it, and it still cranks really weak. So I figure either a bad connection to the starter or the starter's just going out. I get down under the car, unbolt the starter and to my suprise, try as I might, I can't seem to twist the starter into the right angle to pull it out. :sly: Maybe I'm just doing it wrong, but how are you supposed to pull it out ? If it drops straight down it will land on the exhaust piping, and then a suspension brace. What looked logical enough was to bring it horizontally out towards the passanger side through the suspension (the wheel is off) but there just isn't enough room. Am I trying to do this right or is there a certain way you need to remove the starter ?

I messed with it for about 30 min and all I got was a bunch of busted knuckles :banghead: I'm no expert mechanic, but I'm learning. Pity me if there's something small and I'm a moron for missing. Thanks for your help guys. Any other tips and/or things I may need to watch for in getting this engine running would be greatly appreciated.

Tim

When I changed it on my 93, I removed the suspension brace for clearance to get the starter out- Just three bolts holding it on.