I have wanted to change out my starter from the day I bought the coach. The previous owner started the coach, and it labored. Sounded like it was going to die, but then, bam....
He said " that's just the way it starts, but it always starts..."
It was an unsettling feeling, though. Sometimes, even with the boost switch on, it always sounded like it was laboring.
I took Roger's advice ( again) and today, finally got to install the new starter. As mentioned in a bunch of older posts, the top bolt was a nightmare to remove. Tried a beefy Milwaukee impact wrench....wouldn't budge it. Then I suggested a breaker bar, and we got it off. From there on, pretty straightforward.
It starts great!!! Just DO IT !!! You will be VERY happy
So. You suggested a breaker bar. To lil Amy? Who's the we?
Have a mechanic buddy here in Maine, who helped me. The upper bolt was a BEAR to get out. No room to get an impact wrench in there. At least, not on mine. Amy watched.
This is good news. So that leaves me free for pina coladas in Mazatlan.
I would do the same if my started starts to fail, right now it work great.
When you do the gear reduction starter be sure to make sure all the 12v cable connections to it are sound. The connections at the common posts near the start batteries are loaded with connections (too many). The nuts are hard to remove to clean and check the lugs. There is a nut at the bottom of the stud that need a very thin wrench (a tappet wrench works) and even still the top nut can be very hard to get off if you even can get it off.
The starter will only works as well as the battery connections.
I replaced both of the common post, cleaned terminals and used dielectric grease-- still didn't start like I thought it should so I ran 2 new 0000 cables directly to starter from batteries one + and one- . Starter had been rebuilt and with new extra cables it turned over like I thought it should
Chris