A starter includes: a gear housing mounted near an engine to be started; a speed reducing gear assembly within the gear housing; an output member aligned with a movable portion of the engine and rotatable under the influence of the gear assembly to move the movable portion to initiate operation of the engine; a motor housing mounted to the gear housing; and a fluid-driven motor within the motor housing and including a motor shaft rotating at a first speed to drive rotation of the speed reducing gear assembly, such that the output member is driven at a second speed lower than the first speed. The motor housing and motor are serviceable without changing the alignment of the output member relative to the movable portion of the engine.