Removing the starter

It's hard to really help when we can't see what you have surrounding the starter. Do you have a V8 or slant? One thing is for sure you want to get the vehicle as high in the air as possible SAFELY!! This will help out a ton.

Sorry I can't help much but I would highly recommend a mini starter as your replacement. They're a little bit more expensive but they are less noisy, lighter, and smaller.