I am replacing my starter on a 2002 4.6L and have issues with removing the nut on the easy to do bolt. This is the bolt on the bottom of the starter that has the black wires attached and has a bolt with a threaded piece that the wire attach to with a spade end and then another nut secures that in place. It is this nut that is rusted in so tight that I cannot remove it. It has loosened the bolt from the transmission point as I try to remove the nut and while I have the other 2 bolts loosened I just spent the better part of 3 hours lying on my back trying everything I could think of to get this nut off. I have applied numerous varieties of penetrating fluid and even let it sit over night. I purchased a 13mm open end wrench to try to hold the main bolt still while trying to loosen the nut however the 13mm wrench doesn't fit the bolt; 9/16 doesn't either. Tried wedging something between the spade while I crank the ratchet however I don't want to damage the electrical connection and have to try to repair that as well. There isn't much room to get leverage on the ratchet because of the black wires that are in the way. I have thought of splitting the nut however I don't think the apparatus for doing this will fit. I have tried tapping it with a hammer and chisel to attempt to loosen the nut to no avail. Working under the truck in tight quarters is difficult and at my age 3 hours was enough. I don't have access to a torch and with all the penetrating oil and also the wires not to mention the confined space, I don't think that is an option (or a safe one). I have searched the Internet for ideas however all I get is how to remove the difficult out-of-the-way hidden top bolt. Any suggestions would be appreciated; I'm at my wits end!

 

Let the penetrating oil work on it for a while. Give yourself a break and take a fresh run at it tomorrow. I know it sounds offensive for me to say this, but sometimes when I'm upside down working on stuff I get turned around, remember it's lefty-loosie, righty-tighty.

 

" It has loosened the bolt from the transmission point" Is it a bolt or a stud? Can you remove all of it so you can work on it in a vice? A photo would really help PB Blaster is your friend like said let her soak. You may be able to shock it with a small hammer also heat will help a lot.

AIRBORNE 82nd.

 

It's the lower bolt of the three on attaching the starter. I wish I could take it to a vice. The bolt appears to have a threaded stud attached to the head where the black wires attach by way of a flat wire connector that fits over this threaded stud and then the nut in question is securing that. Like I mentioned previously the wires get in the way to get any good leverage on the wrench and since the entire bolt moves it puts pressure on the wire connector which I don't want to break off. That would be another issue trying to repair that. I have to go out of town for a few days so won't be able to work on it however I'm going to soak it again with penetrating oil and let it work while I'm away. If this stud breaks off the bolt, if that is how it is attached, how difficult will it be to obtain another one should it break from the torque?

 

Those bolts break off often
My buddies truck after about 5 starters over the years then I get it with the broken bolt
Teaches you to have a little finesse with a oxy acetylene torch
Several ways to get one of those bolts out
Torch to give it some intense heat then freeze bolt remover penetrant
As for finding another good bolt / stud go to the wrecking yard and look under a few ford trucks. They are easy to find
Good luck
You can use mapp gas if you have no torch be careful

 

Mapp will work just fine on that. Don't melt any wires...LOL. Next time get the 5.4....they all leak a little from the head above and keep that area rust free..

 

Don't have access to any torches except propane. Since the second bolt head turns, I need a wrench to hold it still while turning the first nut. That is what I tried with the 13mm open end wrench since it is a 13mm bolt however it won't fit. Go figure! If I could somehow stop the second bolt from turning I could get the other one off or it breaks from too much torque.

 

Propane will still help. Find a wrench that fits or a pair of needle nose vice grips. If the wrench is too thick grind it flatter.

 

@Spotty has some good ideas. You have to get the correct wrench needle nose vice grips work great you can get a new nut if you mess it up. See if you can borrow a heat gun from your auto parts store a good hair dryer is better than nothing. No fire to worry about. "I tried with the 13mm open end wrench since it is a 13mm bolt however it won't fit" If it is a 13mm bolt the nut will not be. Not being a nit picker just thought you would like to know. When I said to use a hammer I meant to drive it like a nail from the end not the side sorry for not making that clear. You could also get a can of air (think computer) turn it upside down to freeze the bolt/stud use the red straw.
https://www.wikihow.com/Measure-a-Bolt
AIRBORNE 82nd.

 

Thanks guys. The needle nose vise-grips Spotty mentions is something I will have to look into and give those a try. I thought of making the wrench fit and grinding it down somehow. Airborne 82nd, I like your idea of a heat gun, I have one of those and the compressed air I know gets very cold so that is another option to try. The nut is 13mm, the 13mm socket fits nicely over it and the same socket turned the other 2 bolts. I only assume the remaining bolt that I need to get a grip on so I can get this stubborn nut off is also 13mm, why should it be different but you never know! Some good ideas to try 'cause I've pretty much run out. If you can picture this, I was just laying on my back under the truck staring up at this starter situation for about 10 minutes hoping some revelation would come to me which it didn't, (I thought if I looked at it long enough something would pop into my head, it didn't) my feet were sticking out the drivers side so it must be a sight for anyone that walked by!! I'm 6'4" so pretty much can lay the width of the truck.

 

Read this https://www.wikihow.com/Measure-a-Bolt bolts and screws are NOT measured buy the wrench size. You may be looking at this wrong. " since the entire bolt moves"I wonder if you have a stud/bolt with a jam nut? If so try this tighten the nut closest to the engine hold it tight while you loosen the outer nut. I think you have just loosen the jam nut that is why it wants to spin. A photo would really help!!!!
https://www.wikihow.com/Measure-a-Bolt
AIRBORNE 82nd.

 

You need to change the name from (easy to do bolt) to pain in the a** bolt.
AIRBORNE 82nd.

 

Any follow up on how you got it off???? Others might find it helpful.
AIRBORNE

 

Back! I had to go out-of-town for a week and just got back to my starter repair yesterday. I'm happy to report that I finished the replacement today and the truck started first pull!. So the second nut that was turning when I didn't want it to was a 13mm as is the nut that wouldn't turn. Tried needle-nose locking plier however they slip off and would end up stripping the nut. Tried tapping it with a chisel to perhaps loosen the nut to no avail. My neighbor has an impressive collection of tools and I knew he did repairs to his vehicles so I asked him for suggestions. When I showed him the situation he looked through his tools and came up with a thin 13mm wrench. Well that fit over the nut and while he held it I turned the stuck nut until it came loose. So the answer to the problem was you require a thin wrench in order to fit behind the wire terminal that, in my case, was in the way for a full-size wrench to fit. Brushed all the threads with a wire brush and used dielectric grease on all the wiring when I put everything back together. That top bolt was not too bad to get in, I was able to get my hand behind the manifold and use my fingers to thread it back in. (I have long hands and long fingers). I provide a photo with markings to illustrate . In the photo, the red arrow points to the the nut that was stuck, the yellow arrow to the nut (which is actually a bolt with a threaded end after the head). This is the nut that turned and required the thinner wrench to hold it. The green X marks the insulating material that would make using heat an issue. If anyone has this issue hopefully this will help save them the hours I exhausted working on it. Thanks again for everyone's suggestions.

 

Read reply 11 "I wonder if you have a stud/bolt with a jam nut? If so try this tighten the nut closest to the engine hold it tight while you loosen the outer nut. I think you have just loosen the jam nut that is why it wants to spin. A photo would really help!!!!