DRACO

Well, I wasn't too happy with the tech manual and not enough detail on past posts so I figured I contribute my experience :dunno:

1st, you need at least 4 hours to do this but caveat you will probably break things while you are in there, especially the hardened breather hoses and maybe but hopefully not the Fuel Pressure Regulator ($400 New or Good Used one at Pick a Part for $15, it has to have fuel in it, if not most likely the diaphram is shot, so be "picky" sorry for the pund)

Tools: ( I found the following to be time savers )
Harbor Freight's "S" 17MM box wrench
Small Phone Book & Block of Wood
Double End Ratchet Box Wrench 17MM
M10 1.5 pitch tap threader
Mini Ratchet Phillips Head

All other tools should be part of your every day DIY stable, if not I urge you to get them, you will always use them, i.e. floor jack, jack stands, socket extensions, oil/fuel line wrenches.

Starter, I went with a lifetime guaranteed refurbed BOSCH Starter from Clarks Discount Auto Parts in Bellflower. I bought my Porsche starter from them and I am completely satisfied, $52 with core exchange ain't bad.

TECH MANUAL:

It states, you need to remove the Air Filter Assembly, Air Flow Meter which require disconnecting all the fuel connections (JOY, REMOVE GAS CAP TO RELIEVE THE PRESSURE), I also found you need to remove the Oil Filter, Remove the E-Cruise Control and move it out of the way.

Off Reservation

This is where I went off reservation and followed some threads about removing the engine mount, great but no one said it required the moving of the engine up and down to gain access to the freakin two 17MM mount bolts and to drop the starter out. Without this there is absolutely no way you can gain access to those lovely bolts.
Remember the phone book? Well this is where it comes in. Place it under the oil pan (disconnect that oil sensor plug) and use a block of wood to even out the pressure. If you have a low profile jack like mine then you will need a block of wood to raise the engine off the mounts so you can remove the driver side mount, yes remove it so the engine can tilt to the side up and down.

Once you have access to the bolts, use the "S" wrench to break the 17MM loose then use a ratchet of socket to take the bottom one out, the top will require the double ended ratchet.

Look at 12 o clock on the oil filter mount, that is the top 17MM bolt :irked:

Before you remove the starter, disconnect the 13MM 12v Lead and use the mini ratchet phillips head tool to remove the solenoid lead, a regular screw drive is just too tight to work, a shorty is not enought torque to break that sicker loose, trust me, on this.

Now drop the engine until the front coolant line touches the crossmember, don't worry it can't go any further, but use it as a guide. Turn the wheel to the right, You will not have room to drop that bad starter out from under the car

Install in reverse order but....

Why the TAP Threader, well my refurbed starter was mushroomed from previous owner of the refurbed starter using a hammer to force fit it. Funny, there was a sticer on the starter "DO NOT HAMMER" :shake: I filed the mushroomed area off and used the tap threader to clean up the threads, Definitely check the threading even on the new ones, this way you have no chance of cross threading, :tu:

TEST: VAROOM , old starter was confirmed bad, the refurbed one instantly started her up :woot:

Thanks to all members about the engine mount, spoke to a 30+ year retired MBZ mechanic, he said engine mount removal is the trick MBZ did not want DIYers to know about. :maddest:

WIAIT: Well I have $40, in breather hoses to replace, will be ordering them from Pelicans, all in stock and 5 minutes from home