This is on a '98 4-wheel drive Rodeo (3.2 V-6). I was getting the dreaded click, click, click, then start that these starters are famous for (due to bad contacts in the solonoid).
It wasn't that bad of a job.
- Disconnect the battery before proceeding. (Thanks Gizmo42!)
-Get the truck up in the air high enough to comfortably wiggle under it (use safety stands!).
- You'll have to loosen the exhaust down pipe both at the manifold and back where it connects at the flexible joint. Spray these liberally with penetrating oil. I used a long (2 foot) 3/8" extension and a long breaker bar to get the three exhaust flange nuts broken free. An impact probably won't work well here because the long extension would absorb the blows.
-You'll need to disconnect the wire connector for the rear O2 sensor. The front one can stay connected.
-You can now lower the pipe enough to get it to just clear the manifold studs and move slightly rearward. You don't have to remove the rubber hanger. Just move it back while you move the pipe rearward. This will provide the room to squeak the starter motor out.
- Remove the two starter bolts. They are straight up near the flywheel end of the starter.
- With the starter loose from the engine you can reach in through the wheel well (if the wheel has dropped down or remove the wheel) and remove the one nut holding the large wire to the starter and the clip for the one small wire.
- The starter can now be worked out of the bottom of the truck. It's a tight fit with the vacuum tubes right there but it will come out with out too much fuss. Just be patient and manuever it out.
- Installation as they say is the reverse of removal!
- It took about 2 1/2 hours but having done it I could do it much faster now. It wasn't as bad as I had anticipated from reading a few threads here.