SO- I waliked out to the XK8 yesterday afternoon and smelled electrical burning- after disconnecting the battery, I looked around for damage and smell.

I found that the connectors from the car to the starter had melted the plastic insulation completely off and had to replace the starter. So random.

I cannot figure out why that may have happened, except that possibly the plastic had cracked, and arcing began ultimately melting the whole thing?

I HOPE that was what happened and that I do not have a different issue that will rear it's ugly head again...

 

That earth connection looks badly corroded from here. This sort of thing isn't unheard-of - connections corrode and go bad, current and heat shoots up, stuff melts.

 

Removing those starters is SOOOOOOO much fun, isn't it?

 

Too much fun. Who was the sadist who didn't get a starter solenoid even a 1/4 inch smaller? My Lord I was cussing a storm trying to get it in.

I think I figured out the top bolt problem- I put an oring on it just enough to keep it in the starter hole until I got it in place- then it was easy(ER) to thread because it didn't keep falling out...