88 F150 - I am in the process of removing an engine for the first time. I have experience replacing different parts and am not afraid to take something apart to try to fix it.

The problem I am having is with the Intake Manifold. Can anyone tell me, does it need to be removed to remove the engine? It looks like it would be easier to undo electrical and fuel connections if it is gone.

The only problem I have is the last bolt holding the upper and lower halves together. It is in an almost unreachable position, upside down and behind the manifold against the firewall.

If anyone has any suggestions or experience with this I would appreciate it.

 

Things do come apart easier with the upper intake out of the way. That last bolt isn't that bad. A ratchet, deep socket, and 6" extension gets right to it. Once you get it the first time it will be easier.

 

I shouldn't reply, my truck is a 1992 automatic and may be alot different, but since I just went thru this, I'll throw in my two cents. I'll assume this is about a 4.9L I-6.
First thing, your truck needs to be jacked up, and supported well in the front. I used two stands on the very end of the I bars, just inside the front wheels. I had plenty of room to scoot in and out with my creeper. This leads to a problem of getting up on the truck to work, I used a step stool to get there. Then you need enuf room overhead to clear the engine of the chassis. Because of the type of hoist I own, the height of the truck, and depth of my engine, I think the top of the hoist was 8.5 feet, I did it on the driveway, so no problem. If you are in the garage, watch the ceilng , it may jam you.

Videotape the engine as you go, Take a shot of the complete set up, then take another when you have removed the intake. take another when the brackets are off and so on. If you can't videotape, then a digital camera is good, if you have to sketch things that is acceptable also. People sometimes get side tracked and forget what the engine looked like, or just plain forget. No shop manuals have complete pix of what you need to know.

Fuel needs to be depressurized, coolant needs to be drained, oil needs to be drained, watch out for spilling tranny fluid when you disconnect the radiator, but I DID NOT drain auto tranny. power steering needs to be drained, A/C if R12 needs serious attention, DO NOT break R12 refrigerant lines, the stuff is toxic, Also, if the truck has not been retro fitted to use R134a refrigerant, it will cost you big bucks to get an R12 re-charge. Serious and expensive stuff, that R12

You should have some sort of manual, do what they advise, but write down what you remove, in order. The Haynes manual, says mark and remove all electrical lines, vacuum lines, etc. etc. There are too many lines to remember, tag every line and where it was. Then write it down. If you pulled three lines off a manifold tee, then each line should be marked with a number, as well as the same number where the connection went to.

Basically, my 4.9L came out with these removed:1.. upper intake/air plenum 2. pass side accesory bracket( air pump attached/alternator off)pulled to the side 3. Driver side bracket removed(tensioner, power steer/AC and A/C lines disconnected) 4. Exhaust down tubes unbolted from exhaust manifold and left hanging( it is tough to do, I used impact air tools..highly recommended.. the exhaust is seriously in the way on the pass side, and will impede you when trying to disconnect the bell housing, but I did it) 5. Fan and fan clutch, they are on bitching tight, and you need special wrenches for those 6. Radiator Shroud, Radiator, upper/lower hoses. I would replace the hoses w/new and have the radiator flushed by a pro, before you reinstall it. 7. Starter. 8 Oil dip stick tube( it unscrews at the base)9. Torque convertor plate 10 Torque convertor four nuts, turn the crankshaft with a wrench until you can loosen and remove each TC nut( mind your rotation of crankshaft, always turn it in the normal direction, mine is clockwise, I am not sure which way yours turns) 11. Bell housing bolts and brackets, 6 bolts loosen, then support tranny, I used two J-stands with a 2x4 wood board across to support front of tranny, it shouldn't move unless your tranny crossmember is rusted or the bushing 's are broken 12. I left no wiring harness attached, and there is alot of junk mounted to the engine

What did I leave in: 1..A/C Condensor( put a piece of 1/2 inch plywood between condensor and engine to protect 2..Oil pan stayed( oil drained of course) 3..valve cover stayed ( you could remove it, and remove cylinder head if head needs work, it would make it slide out much easier) 4.. distributer, Coil, all sensors, 5. lower intake manifold 6 exhaust manifold 7 fuel rail, The fuel lines can be a real dog to disconnect, they stick to the fuel rail in and out ports, I think the o-rings get varnished up and stick.


The engine can be lifted with the factory lift bracket and a 7/16" coarse thread (Grade 5 or 8)bolt that you screw into the driver side engine flange. You should see a big threaded hole( if automatic) as you look into the side of the engine, just behind the oil dipstick at the widest part of the engine. I used a basic chain no balancer required( just try to eye-up center of engine when attaching hoist hook)
The engine mounts can be released by simply unscrewing top and bottom nuts of the rubber bushing center bolts. Leave engine and frame brackets on.

The engine should come out nicely, if you turn the front of it towards the driver side as you lift it, then as you clear the front grill, come up and forward. The Torque convertor only has about a 1 1/2 inch nose that needs to be cleared, so you don't have to pull the engine too far forward before coming up. My engine hardly held onto the tranny when I started lifting. Make sure your Torque convertor is not coming with the engine, it needs to stay right inside the bell housing, and it can be screwed up if it sticks to the flexpate/rear crankshaft. I'm getting tired gotta go. Good Luck

 

Thanks for the replies. It looks like I will attempt remove that bolt once it warms up a bit. I'm working oustide and it is in the 20's for a few days.

924x2150 - I have been pretty methodical about removing things. I have taped and labeled everything that has come off (even if I am very familiar with it), taken digital pics, and put every bolt back where it came from.

My only other problem will be the exhaust manifold connected to the down pipe. The bolts holding the flanges together are beyond rusted. ( I use this truck for fishing on the beach ) I will probably end up cutting the bolts to separate the exhaust. Does anyone think this will be a problem? Can those bolts be replaced?

 

I'll second everything 924x2150 said, and add:

You don't have to unplug anything but the engine harness from the engine harness on the body. There are four plugs on the top of your fender well. The wiring can stay right on the engine until you get it out, it makes it easier to pull all that crap off if the engine is on a stand.

The manifold to downpipe studs/nuts may actually come off easier than you think. I've unscrewed them from two motors now and completely amazed myself that all four on both motors (8) came loose without that much trouble. The nuts either came loose or the studs came right out. Try spraying something like Kroil or PB Blaster on them an hour or more before you try to remove them, you may be surprised.

 

I liked leaving the harness sitting in the truck. I couldn't get the harness to disconnect!!! My harness runs off the side of the engine over to the drivers side wheel well. I never figured out how to get that big connector apart. I thought leaving the harness was better for me, because I had a new engine, and all the sensors were going to be removed from the old eng, to the new.

It is cold, I think you are right. If you have started the job, you might as well keep going. It really might be the best thing, before your truck is surrounded by 3 feet of snow.

The nuts will come off of the exhaust manifold studs , use PB Blaster as a release agent. ( I keep promoting that stuff, my days of liquid wrench are over) I did those nuts with an air impact and was surprised to see the entire stud come out of the manifold. I would buy replacement studs and nuts. They really can get mangled by corrosion.

I removed the intake bolt at the back with a 3/8's 90 degree offset angle air ratchet, that tool is indispensible. When you are pulling this 6 out, you really need to have an above average home mechanics tool set. Impact sockets metric and SAE, Impact deep sokets, metric and SAE regular sockets deep and and regular too. All kinds of extensions are good too, as well as universal adaptors. When you can get a six out by yourself, you know your tool set is becoming the envy of the neighborhood.

I don't think I could have done it without a great supply of different wrenches also. You will really need a good set of combination wrenches and box wrenches, again, both SAE and metric. Ford really screwed this baby together.

 

Any clue to which of the stores(that may be around me may carry PB Blaster? I usually use JB 80 on the tough spots. A couple of applications with some light tapping on the area to get it to penetrate has worked wonders for me.

 

Almost any hardware store or auto supply house around me has it. Look for the really cluttered looking white can with black, red and yellow print on it. It's like some of the advertising from the early 1900's. Really good stuff, I swear by it, especially with use of a torch it will take anything off. Really stubborn things, if you heat with a torch (not red or anything, just good and hot) and then quench with PB until it stops evaporating will come right off while they're still hot. I've gotten some really bad stuff loose like this. The heat must help the PB leach into the fastener.

 

Thanks for the help on the stuck bolts. I think they are the only thing that makes working with engines a problem. Everything else is easy. As soon as I get some warm weather I am going to get at them.

I have another question though if anyone knows the answer. I have to replace one of the exhaust manifolds due to a crack. Should I get a brand new one or look for one from a junk yard? And when I replace them, will they come with the flanges on them? I am not quite sure how this works.

 

Hey 924x2150 - I also wanted to add another important tool to your list. The BFP. (Big F'in Pipe) ( I hope that is legal on this site). I have a nice 4 foot length of heavy galvanized pipe that fits over the end of my ratchets and wrenches. So long as the pipe fits into the space, it has gotten past every stuck bolt.

 

Exhaust manifolds are fine from the junkyard, you have to buy the gasket between the manifolds and head. The lower intake and exhaust manifolds bolt on using the same bolts, they go on as a unit. Torque them in the right order the Haynes shows how.