starter motor

[angus]

Was changing the cover on my starter motor and 1 of the small washers from the bolt fell under the starter motor is there any need to remove the motor to remove the washer.I don't think it can go anywhere

[Brendan W]

I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. On the bright side the 850 motor is easy enough to get out with the carbs and so forth still in place.
A micro ratchet and a few minutes working blind on the two (10mm hex ?) screws using the 'force' and it's out.
If you do remove it think about replacing the o-ring at the sharp end of the motor. It eventually hardens and lets oil out from the generator casing into the starter motor well. If you tell everyone that you went in to check the o-ring you won't seem so ocd about the washer
What's the bet you won't find it anyway.

[bwringer]

There's a goodly chance the washer went into the drain hole under the starter and is either stuck in the Mystery Hole cavity or has exited the Mystery Hole.

Either way, there's not much point to diving in just to retrieve the washer. It can't go anywhere it can hurt anything.

But as Brendan noted above, there is good reason to replace that starter nose o-ring if you have not done so already. And it's actually quite easy without removing anything else.

If you moved or removed/replaced the starter without replacing the old o-ring, it WILL leak.