Dave,
It is not hard to do this yourself. The basics on taking an engine out is as follows. ( I am just posting an example)
- Engine Hoist, Jack Stands, Haynes Manual are a Must, Engine stand is helpful but not 100% needed.
- Get the car off the ground so you can be under it comfortably.
- Take Pictures of everything that you unplug. This Includes wires, hoses and vacuum lines
- When you remove an engine you must unbolt the 2 Engine Mounts, Transmission Mount and the Driveshaft. (This allows you to take the trans out with the engine)
- Remove the Radiator (drained Obviously)
- You can unbolt and move the PS Pump and the AC compressor off to each side (Look at my build thread)
- Lift the Engine.
- Once the Engine is out, unbolt the transmission.
- From here you can do all that you need. (If you look at my build thread, I seriously just did all of this and have pictures for the most part)
If this car is not a Daily Driver, this is something that you can do at the house. If you choose to. The price that you were quoted is also very reasonable for a shop to do this for you. Most of us do not use the Mustang as a DD (Daily Driver) and we do these things ourselves because we use it as therapy to get away from the world and get into something that makes us happy. (And to beat the
out of something when we need it most)
I run a shop. Many of the members here are mechanics in one for or another and all will jump in and will help you with any issue. Many of us are also 40+ years old and are educated in life lessons which make us a certain way. We will Bust your balls on things. We will poke fun at you on things. We will also help you with what we know and the experiences we have had in turning a wrench. You have already seen what replies come from typing like you are sending a Text, on Twitter, or on Facebook. We cut up a LOT here but we are also serious about the knowledge we can offer. A perfect example here is looking at the "CT" (Custom Title) of the members, They are earned by usually saying something incredibly stupid at the right time. It does not mean that anyone thinks less of the person with the "CT", usually it means that you are accepted as one of the boys. (I do know how ironic that sentence is with my "CT".
I have, in the past, been over to other members places and helped them with a build project and two have helped me at times. In time, you may find someone close in OK that can lend a hand or you could help them and learn from the experience. Like
@General karthief (Still don't know why both words are not capitalized) said. Do Not lose sight of why you came here just because the guys went all Grammar Nazi on you (One day you will see the Joke that
@CarMichael Angelo put in this thread). It isn't hard to use complete sentences here, proper punctuation and paragraphs to convey what you are asking. It really helps us follow what is going on so we can help solve the problem.
Trust me, You are not the first, Nor the last member who will come in and post with a sentence which gets many members replying with grammar corrections.