1. Remove the air intake and battery.
2. Remove the 3 bolts that secure the battery tray and remove the tray itself.
3. Unplug all the sensors. The VSS is on the top-back of the differential, there are 3 on the top and front of the tranny housing, and unplug the engine position sensor located on the front of the engine, at the flywheel.
4. Use pliers to separate the mini ball-joint that holds the shift lever to the selector switch. Use a crescent wrench to remove the two banjo fittings that hold the transmission cooler lines to the transmission.
5. Loosen the strut piston retaining nut 5 full turns on each side.
6. Loosen the wheel lug nuts and raise the vehicle.
7. Remove the wheels and driver’s side splash guard.
8. Remove the rotor and secure the caliper to the spring with some bailing wire so it doesn’t hang by the brake line. Separate the tie rod from the strut and remove the pinch bolt. (both sides)
9. Separate the strut from the steering knuckle (both sides)
10. Use a pickle fork (ball-joint separator) to release the lower ball-joint from the steering knuckle. (both sides)
11. Unbolt the nut that connects the steering rack to the steering knuckle. (both sides)
12. Reattach the nut loosely and hit the joint with a hammer to separate it. (both sides)
13. Use an impact wrench to remove the drive axle hub nut, located in the center of the steering knuckle. (both sides)
14. Hit the end with a mallet or use the special tool to free the drive axle from the steering knuckle. (both sides) (remove knuckle)
15. Wedge a pry bar between the driver’s side half-shaft and the differential. Tap the bar forcefully with a mallet to separate the half-shaft from the differential. This may take some work so keep at it. Remove the shaft and set aside.
16. Remove the retainer that holds the passenger side intermediate shaft to the engine block by removing the 2 nuts and taking the piece off.
17. Use the pry bar technique to remove the passenger side half-shaft.
18. Remove the cat converter / down pipe and lower engine mount.
19. Reach up form under the vehicle and disconnect the starter by removing the 3 bolts that hold it to the transmission bell housing. Take note of the direction and location of the bolts as this will be important during reinstallation.
20. On the back side of the engine block at the flywheel, is a round, black, plastic cover. Remove this to gain access to the torque converter bolts.
21. Use a 19mm socket wrench to rotate the engine via the crank pulley. Turn the engine over until you can see a bolt that holds the torque converter to the flywheel in the small hole exposed by the plastic cover you removed.
22. Unbolt the nut until the nut is ALMOST off the bolt. Use a long needle nose pliers to remove the nut from the bolt. If you drop the nut into the housing, it will be ok at this point. If you drop it during reassembly, keep rotating the engine until the nut gets caught on another one and comes up into the hole again where it can be removed with the pliers. There are four bolts.
23. Remove the transmission filler/level check pipe by removing the bolt holding it to the bell housing and pulling the pipe up and out.
24. Remove all the flange bolts that connect the bell housing to the engine block. Take not of their location and direction as this is important to reassembly.
25. Use an engine brace to secure the engine. Adjust it so that the side supports are in the hood tracks (on the sides of the engine bay) and place the engine support rod near the steel eyehook that connects to the block. Most overhead braces don’t fit the focus well so use a length of chain to connect the brace to the eyehole.
26. Place a jack with a piece of wood under the oil pan and raise the engine slightly to remove tension from the mounts
27. Remove the passenger side engine mount.
28. Unbolt the four outer nuts of the upper transmission mount bracket.
29. Making sure the engine is supported by a jack underneath; remove the center bolt of the upper transmission mount.
30. Slowly lower the jack so the mount pops out of the bracket.
31. Using the impact gun, remove the doweling pins that hold the mount to the bell housing. It may be easier to buy new dowels and nuts if you will be replacing the ATX.
32. Remove the mount from the bell housing.
33. Make sure the transmission is hanging by the brace and is angled down and out the wheel well. Support it with a transmission jack. Rock the transmission back and forth to separate it from the engine.
34. Remove the transmission.

REASSEMBLY

Installation is the reverse of removal. The following are tips to ease in the installation.

1. Before installing the new torque converter, pour about half a bottle of fluid into it.
2. Seat the new converter by pushing it on the splines until you hear a click, turn and push for another click, turn and push for a third click. The converter is now fully engaged. Verify this by placing a straightedge over the bell housing and measuring 1 inch from the straightedge to the converter. The converter MUST BE FULLY ENGAGED TO AVOID SHATTERING THE NEW CONVERTER.
3. Buy new oil seals for the differential. You need two of them. They often get damaged and if they leak, you will have to remove the half-shafts to fix them. Buy the parts from Ford as NO auto parts store carries them.
4. Use a new retainer clip for the driver’s side half shaft.
5. Torque the drive axle hub nut to 214 ft/lbs. This nut can only be removed and re-used four times.
6. After reattaching the cooler hoses, fill the transmission by pouring fluid thru the check pipe and then checking the level. When it reads full, start the car and let it idle for a few seconds. Shut it off and check the level again. Do this until the level remains at full.

Good luck and remember, you can do it!

How To Courtesy Of TXFO