D15 starter

I became concerned that the motor had somehow gotten stuck and that the starter couldn’t crank the motor, but I could rock the tractor and make the motor rock too so I assumed that the motor was not stuck. I then tried to pull the tractor to start it but this didn’t seem to work either-I grew up on a farm and pulling a tractor to get it started was not an uncommon task-as the motor did not want to spin. Now I need to add that I think the clutch may have been slipping but not sure as the tires would turn but not the motor. I don’t know if the torque converter has anything to do with the inability to pull start the tractor but either position of the converter made a difference.

So then I decided to remove the starter to see if it were locked up or if it needed to have the brushes replaced. The task of removing the starter looked rather straightforward. I noted that there was a large locking bolt on the right side of the motor just ahead of the starter and I assumed this locked the starter to the motor, however, removing this bolt, tapping the starter with a hammer while trying to pry up with a pry bar did not result in any movement or removal of the starter. At this point I stopped any efforts to remove the starter since I didn’t want to chance breaking something.

If anyone could shed any light on possible trouble shooting and/or suggestions for removing the starter your help would be most appreciated. Please help.

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