Estimated time of removal/install

it all depends on work environment and ability. first challenge would be the 3rd starter bolt on the 4.6's. i would plan for an entire day maybe two just to be safe. if done on jackstands then i would recommend having a helper and a good jack to support the tranny. most ppl dont have a transmission jack so if you have to use a floor jack have a tie down strap such as a ratchet strap to tie the tranny to the jack to help balance it and make life easier.

01SN8K said:

it all depends on work environment and ability. first challenge would be the 3rd starter bolt on the 4.6's. i would plan for an entire day maybe two just to be safe. if done on jackstands then i would recommend having a helper and a good jack to support the tranny. most ppl dont have a transmission jack so if you have to use a floor jack have a tie down strap such as a ratchet strap to tie the tranny to the jack to help balance it and make life easier.

Click to expand...

that upper bolt on the starter SUCKS. sometimes i think ford does stuff like that too piss me off.

hey thank god for 3 day weekend coming up

Personally i left the third starter bolt off
between clutches, off road pipes and such its just not worth leaving it on

Once you get k member and long tubes there is not trouble at all at reaching it

yeah i left my third bolt off after installin my poly motor mounts. its been like that since uhhh.... probally early november. i made an extension for it. i took a six inch extension, and grinded it down probally no more then an 1/8th of an inch, and grinded off the little ring, and made the rest of the extension square, if you get what im sayin, and stuck it up in there with some duct tape holdin the socket on the home made extension, and got it fine. took about 15 minutes to find the bolt, after i realized it had a third one, but after i did the extension mod, it took probally another 15 minutes to get it on the bolt, and les then 45 seconds to get it off. then the second bolt, on reinstal, i taped into the socket with electrical tape, and just screwed it back in. takeing the starter out took me probally around 3 hours, but that was with figuring it out, and makeing my extension. puting it back in took probally a half hour, but that was cause i was havin problems keeping the bolt in the socket, then came the idea of the tape. two 3 inch extensions are too short, and a six incher is too long, it'll hit the mount. i think if you did this, it wouldnt be a problem for you. just keep test fiting the extension, cant be too long, or short. girnd a little at a time. its not much, ill tell you that. hope my ideas help.

Took me exactly 13 hours too with hand tools... that 3rd starter bolt is def. a bitch... and I HATE that forward o2 exhaust sensor bracket that goes over the tranny... I had to pull the damn thing back down twice just for that PoS bracket.