I have an exact replacement engine. Is it better to remove the entire engine, transmission and transfer case and do the replacement while its on the floor, on blocks or try to pull just the engine out and restab it onto the transmission spline? Its a 4wd and I was planning on removing the radiator and front grill for better access.

 

If i had no other reason to pull the transmission i would leave it in.

 

OK thanks Jim.

 

X2 on leave all the other stuff in, and just pull the motor. Cause the trans and transfer case are heavy and the cross member is a PITA anyway.

Make sure to use a floor jack and a piece of wood to hold the trans in the level or slightly up position. Put it under the trans before you separate the motor and trans, that way it does not bind.

Leaving the front clip all together is way easier that just pulling the rad and core support. Core support itself it a PITA also. The front clip is 3 man lift, or one guy and a eng puller.

14 bolts and the complete front clip comes right off. Not counting the 4 for the hood. Speaking of pulling the hood, 1st sharpie mark around the hood hinge positions, it will make for a way easier time for realignment.

Come here for step by step where the bolts on the front clip are and some other eng pulling tips.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...then-some.html

 

Here you go:

Ok then here goes, there are 5+ ways to skin a cat, here is just what works for me. I am going off memory and am a long way from my truck to go look. This worked on my none a/c 79 4x4 F250 w/standard transmission, more than once, and I used the same technique on a 79 Bronco with a/c and a automatic transmission.
Painters tape on the door front edge when opened, and a little more plus the back edge of the fenders to prevent scratches. Disconnect battery and remove. Then drain radiator.
Tag and bag each piece of hdwr, or stick it in a large piece of card board and mark it accordingly.
1. Make sure you park the truck where you can get both doors open. Or BEFORE you put it inside a narrow shop....Open each door and remove the one bolt on each side that is right between the hinges. Now put it in the narrow shop...lol.
2. Take a scribe or sharpie and trace a mark the hood hinge positions on the underside of the hood. This will be helpful come reinstallation/realignment time. Hood removal is really a 2 person job. If you go it alone, be careful, great way to scratch the hood/cowl. If the hood is all the way open, it is front heavy when you remove the bolts. I can’t really explain a 1 man job here, but it looks like a monkey f..in a football. Just get a helping hand for this. If the hinges are compressed once removed, be careful as they can pop back up easily and get a finger in the process. Disconnect the hood ground on the passenger side. Make sure you make note of the stiffener brackets (under the hinges), if you have them. Ok hoods off.
3. At the very bottom edge/back side of each fender, is one bolt.
4. Make sure if you have the front fender/front edge to frame, small support bars (some do, some don't) remove them from the frame. I would remove them from the fender side also, just to prevent anything from getting bent.
5. Masking tape tag each electrical connection point on each side of the connection and mark them like (1-1), (2-2) or A-A, B-B and so on. There are 3? Main electrical connections on the dvrs side back by the fire wall, behind the hood hinge. Tape, tag, and disconnect.
6. There is an electrical harness that runs across the back side and above the fire wall on the passenger side and goes to the starter solenoid. Disconnect from solenoid (make sure you know make note, where each elbow plug goes on the starter solenoid.) There is a plug for voltage regulator, and then lay wiring on engine. Ground wire from solenoid to eng block (remove from solenoid side).
7. Look over the area behind the headlights/behind the core support area (each side for 1 small square plug) and the windshield washer tank for a elec plug in the front end of the tank. And the rubber feed line that goes to the T up by the cowl.
8. Top and bottom radiator hoses from back side of radiator. Fold rubber hoses back out of the way and zip tie, so they do not flip back open. Is it a automatic transmission? Disconnect transmission lines from radiator and cap lines.
9. There are these 1” or 2” wide rubber straps (one on each side) on the back side of the metal inner fenderwells that attach to the firewall, disconnect from firewall.
10. Scribe mark where the bracket that support the inner fenderwells (where it attaches to the fire wall). Remove 3 bolts per side.
11. Now if you are lucky here, down on EACH side of the radiator there is one main mount bolt for the radiator core support. Lucky meaning, it will come out and is not all rusty and stuck. But if it is rusty, stuck and or the head is stripped. Time for the sawzall. Red Diablo blades here and carefully cut between the top of the frame rail and the bottom of the core support. These bushings and bolt parts are available. A torch is not a good idea here the rubber bushings will smoke like crazy.
12. Have an old tire or some other similar support to set the front clip down on once removed. Put it under the middle of the core support/radiator. So you do not bend the front edge of your fenders.
13. I use 2 other FTE buddies + myself and we just pull the complete front clip off. Make sure the plastic inner fenderwell liners do not get hung up on the shock brackets. As far as by yourself, attach the cherry picker to the middle of the core support, it can be done with a piece of cable, some folks just pull the radiator and use chain. Make sure you triple ck all electrical connections and the core support bushings are free. Lift it up just a bit and ck the fenders, and then lift it up again, just a little. You are wanting to pull it more forward than up, so that the back edge of the fenders contact the back side of the tires. Like I said, it’s doable, but a PITA as far as a one man show. 2 guys can pull it way easier.
I am NOT positive on all the electrical connections, but that is the big stuff. I am sure some FTE members are reading this and will double ck me and chime in with what ever I missed.

Or maybe they have a better hood trick? See prior pic for a one man show.

 

Hey thanks a lot Rich. That sure was a lot of typing in a short amount of time. I'm probably going to go it alone. I have a couple block & tackles I can hang from the top of the garage.

 

I am just copy and pasting from my stash of info...if you read the link I sent you there is a TON of info and diagrams.

The diagrams help show how to take stuff apart, like the core support or front clip. Make sure your rafters can handle it...you know that they are not really a lifting point?

Safety 1st...safety glasses are cool, especially if tinted, mine have a reading lens in the bottom.

http://www.walmart.com/search/?query...th%20magnifier

 

One of the support bolts was rusted - I probably should have spent more time soaking it with PB Blaster - so I had to remove the radiator to get to it with a cut-off wheel. It was still easier than taking the fenders off and the radiator support and grill, etc.

1977 Ford F150 4wd Engine Swap Project