2003 Centennial 4.6L Engine Removal

[2000StreetRod]

86. Position oil catch pan & remove oil pan drain plug.

87. When oil pan drained install drain plug.

88. Remove the left front wheel & then the fender forward splash shield by prying loose the push pins.

89. Using a 1/2 inch drive with short extension inserted into the serpentine belt tensioner rotate the drive clockwise and disengage the belt from the alternator pulley.

90. Remove belt from all pulleys & set aside.

91. Position power steering fluid catch pan & disconnect the power steering high pressure hose at the passenger side (red arrow below).

92. Position power steering fluid catch pan & disconnect the power steering fluid return hose at the cooler (yellow arrow above).

I have determined that it is possible to separate the power steering pump from the power steering fluid reservoir bracket and engine without disconnecting the high pressure pipe fitting at the pump (yellow arrow below) but it is not worth the time and effort.

The 10 mm power steering pump retaining bolt (red arrow above) must be unscrewed in order to separate the power steering pump from the power steering fluid reservoir bracket. The pipe can't be rotated out of the way far enough to extract the bolt. Even if the bolt is completely loosened it will not clear the high pressure pipe. If the pump is rocked away from the bracket and engine as the 10 mm bolt is loosened eventually the pump will separate from the bracket when it clears 2 guide bushings that pass thru the bracket and into the pump. Even then the stud/bolt shown below prevents the bracket from separating from the engine because of the guide bushings.

 

[2000StreetRod]

Note: The following unnumbered steps associated with removing the power steering pump are not necessary to remove the engine. If the pump is to be transferred to another engine, it would be much easier to perform the task when the engine is on a stand.

Release hose clamp & remove hose to improve access to power steering pump & bracket.

Separate the power steering fluid return hose from its clamp.

Remove the nut from the power steering fluid return hose/wiring harness bracket stud and the nut that attaches the bracket to the front cover.

Remove the nuts on the power steering pump stud/bolts & move the ground strap & wiring harness bracket out of the way.

Remove 2 stud/bolts retaining power steering pump & reservoir mounting bracket.

I had to rotate the hose clamp (yellow arrow above) away from the aft stud/bolt in order to extract the stud/bolt.

Remove nut retaining radio interference capacitor support/ground & remove capacitor from stud/bolt.

 

[2000StreetRod]

Remove power steering reservoir mounting bolts.

Remove 2 stud/bolts retaining power steering pump.

I had to rotate the hose clamp (yellow arrow above) away from the aft stud/bolt in order to extract the stud/bolt.

Using a 10 mm open end wrench loosen the bolt (red arrow below) until the wrench interferes with the high pressure tube (yellow arrow below).

Then rock & pull the power steering pump away from the power steering fluid reservoir bracket. The bracket will stay in place because of the stud/bolt shown below & 2 guide bushings that pass thru the bracket into the pump.

Continue loosening the 10 mm bolt and rocking & pulling the pump until the bolt is completely loose. At that point it should be possible to pull the pump free of the guide bushings and away from the area.

Then the pump & reservoir can be tied out of the way.

It appears that the guide bushings must be extracted in order to remove the reservoir bracket.

Note: The previous unnumbered steps associated with removing the power steering pump are not necessary to remove the engine. If the pump is to be transferred to another engine, it would be much easier to perform the task when the engine is on a stand.

 

[2000StreetRod]

There is not enough room to remove the A/C compressor from the mounting stud/bolts or remove the upper stud from the A/C compressor but there is room to separate the upper stud from the block. That will allow removing the engine without loss of refrigerant.

93. Pry loose the harness support cap at the A/C compressor bolt.

Note in the above photo that a section of the battery wiring harness is below the transmission external cooler lines. In that case either the transmission cooler lines or the wiring harness must be removed before removing the engine. I removed the battery wiring harness from the engine but it is probably less time consuming to remove the transmission cooler lines.

94. Disconnect the A/C compressor clutch connecter (red arrow below). Separate the wire retainer to free the wire and connector (yellow arrow below).

Separate the wire harness clamp from the A/C hose (blue arrow above).

95. Pry away the crankshaft position sensor wire support.

96. Disconnect the crankshaft position sensor connector & move the wire away from the A/C compressor.

97. Remove the nut from the A/C compressor upper retaining stud.

I used a 13 mm flare wrench & tapped it with my 4 lb hand sledge to loosen the nut.

98. Remove the nut from the A/C compressor lower aft retaining stud.

I used a 1/2 inch medium depth 6 point socket & 3/8 inch drive.

 

[2000StreetRod]

99. Loosen the aft retaining stud enough to attach 2 standard M8-1.25 nuts. Alternating between loosening & tightening will reduce the chance of rounding the stud hex head corners.

The specified torque for the studs is 10 lb-ft but it will take more than that to break them loose. I used a 3/16 inch 6 point socket which was a slightly tighter fit than my metric socket.

100. Tighten the 2 nuts against each other and then remove the stud using the inner nut & an open end wrench. Make sure the stud head is rotating & the nuts are not slipping.

101. Repeat the stud removal process for the upper stud.

It can be detached but not removed.

102. Tie the A/C compressor so it can't fall.

103. Detach the bottom forward stud/bolt.

It can't be removed.
The A/C compressor is now detached from the block.

 

[2000StreetRod]

104. Disconnect the heater supply hose from the block.

105. Disconnect the heater supply hose (red arrow below) from the firewall manifold.

106. Disconnect the heater return hose (yellow arrow above) from the firewall manifold.

107. Disconnect the heater control valve vacuum hose (red arrow below).

108. Position catch pan & disconnect the heater control valve supply hose (yellow arrow above).

109. Disconnect vacuum hose to vacuum reservoir.

 

[2000StreetRod]

110. Detach the engine main wiring harness from the firewall retainers.

111. Disconnect PCM connector C175c (yellow arrow below).

112. Disconnect connector C1168 (red arrow above).

113. Unscrew wiring harness retainer on firewall passenger side.

The retainer isn't actually threaded but its easier to unscrew than pry off & possibly break it.

114. Remove stud/bolt and engine ground strap terminal.

115. Separate engine wiring harness from transmission wiring harness.

116. Carefully coil the brittle wiring harness on the top of the engine.

 

[2000StreetRod]

117. Disconnect the pre-cat O2 sensor on the driver side.

It was easier to access the sensor from above but I couldn't depress the release tab. Working under the vehicle I managed to pull the wire with one finger and depress the tab with a finger on my other hand.

118. Remove the driver side downpipe to exhaust manifold inboard retaining nut.

Soaking the nut & stud with rust solvent made it easier to remove the nut. I used a 15 mm 6 point deep well socket with a 1/2 inch drive.

119. Remove the driver side downpipe to exhaust manifold outboard retaining nut.

I used a 15 mm 6 point deep well socket with a 1/2 inch drive.

120. Disconnect the pre-cat O2 sensor on the passenger side.

Mine was not mounted to the engine block so from under the vehicle I was able to pull it down far enough to disconnect it. Otherwise, it may be necessary to remove the heat shield next to it for access.

121. Remove the passenger side downpipe to exhaust manifold upper retaining nut.

I thought I would have to remove the O2 sensor to get a socket on it but was able to using the socket combination shown below.

The shorter extension is a wobble joint extension.

122. Remove the passenger side downpipe to exhaust manifold lower retaining nut.

I used the same socket combination as used for the driver side inboard retaining nut.

 

[2000StreetRod]

The 2002 shop manual states "Remove the nut and washer from the RH motor mount."

"Remove the bolt from the LH motor mount."

The 2003 shop manual directs to remove the LH engine support insulator bottom nut and the RH engine support insulator top two nuts.

Mine our not very accessible & considerably corroded.

From my experience removing and installing my 2000 Sport 4.0L SOHC V6 engine I dislike all of the above methods. In 3 cases the engine must be raised high enough to clear the vertical studs and in the 4th case the engine must be raised high enough for the block motor mount to clear the side of the frame motor mount. This can result in binding on the transmission input shaft and difficulty "docking" the engine to the transmission during engine installation. I planned to remove the 4 bolts on each side that secure the engine mount to the block which worked well on my Sport.

That requires removing the dipstick housing since it is below the block motor mount.

Unfortunately, it interferes with the bulge that provides additional strength to the mount & cannot be maneuvered around it because it passes between the exhaust manifold & the head.

Access to the motor mount lower nut/washer on each side is restricted by the cross tube.

123. Install jack stands under the cross tube.

124. Using a 15 mm socket remove the cross tube mounting bolt at the driver & passenger sides.

125. Using a 18 mm medium depth socket remove the motor mount lower nut/washer on each side.

 

[2000StreetRod]

126. Disconnect the transmission wiring harness connector C175b (red arrow below) and C110 (yellow arrow below) in the engine compartment and separate the transmission wiring harness from the firewall and set it out of the way.

The metal fuel tube and the metal fuel vapor tube block access to the driver side top transmission bolt.

A 10 mm nut secures a plate that holds the two metal tubes to their support bracket.

127. Working from above the engine loosen the nut with a combination wrench between the nut and the firewall. Then push the tubes toward the passenger side providing improved access to the top transmission bolt.

The top transmission to engine bolt on the driver side is accessible to touch from above but I was unable to install a socket & drive due to the reduced clearance between the bolt head and the firewall. I was able to install a 13 mm flare wrench on the bolt head but the wrench position angle provided insufficient leverage. I could have installed a 12 point combination wrench but was afraid of rounding the bolt head corners.

128. Remove the transmission shift cable support bracket bolts.

129. Disconnect the transmission shift cable from the manual control lever.

The driver side top transmission to engine bolt (red arrow below) should now be visible when viewed from below the vehicle on the driver side just aft of the rear transmission mount.

The bolt could be accessed with a 13 mm shallow socket with one or two 1 inch long wobble extensions and then a long length of extensions. However, there's something (yellow arrow above) that protrudes downward thru the transmission tunnel and blocks the extensions. I tried using the shallow socket with a universal joint and shorter length of extensions working just forward of the transmission rear support cross member but the socket "walked off" the bolt head before the bolt loosened.

130. Using a shallow 13 mm socket, two 1 inch wobble extensions, and two 6 or 8 inch wobble extensions plus straight extensions loosen the driver side top transmission to engine bolt. There is not enough room to actually remove the bolt. I used the combination shown below.

The length from the rear of the socket to the socket drive is 33 inches. I taped the longer wobble extensions with electrical tape to keep them from separating while positioning the extensions. I used 3/8 inch extensions because of the restricted access. I tied a cord loosely around the first 1 inch wobble joint and attached the other end to the A/C manifold at the firewall to hold the socket in position.

 

[2000StreetRod]

Removing the fender well plastic provides accessibility to the above center bolt. The fender well plastic is secured with small Phillips head screws.

It is not necessary to remove the front panel in order to remove the rear panel.

Plastic push pins also secure the fender well plastic.

One of the small Phillips head screws is difficult to access.

However, by carefully prying between the outer color trim & the inner sheet metal it is possible to insert a small Phillips screw driver into the head of the screw.

Access to the O2 sensor & above center transmission to engine bolt is improved when the panel is removed.

The above center transmission to engine bolt is visible.

After detaching the transmission shift cable support bracket the bolt can be removed.

 

[2000StreetRod]

I slid under the passenger side hoping access to the top transmission bolt would be easier than the driver side. I wasn't even able to see the bolt. Continuing in my goal to remove the engine without disconnecting any A/C lines I decided to remove the EGR pipe hoping that would give me access to the passenger side top transmission bolt by reaching down between the firewall and the rear of the engine.

My attempt to remove the EGR pipe to EGR valve fitting (red arrow below) failed even though it had soaked with PB Blaster for 24 hours. Because of the diameter of the diaphragm enclosure I could only get a thin 27 mm open end wrench on the fitting and I was afraid it would round the corners.

So I disconnected the EGR valve vacuum hose and removed the two bolts (yellow arrows) that attach the EGR valve to the intake manifold.

Next I removed the two bolts that attach the differential pressure feedback EGR (DPFE) sensor bracket to the intake manifold and disconnected the DPFE sensor electrical connector.

There wasn't enough room to install a large 27 mm wrench on the EGR pipe to exhaust manifold fitting.

I removed the passenger side rear fender well plastic panel in the same manner as the driver side.

Then I disconnected the auxiliary heater upper hose to gain access to the EGR pipe fitting.

Then I tightened my 15 inch adjustable open end wrench to be tight on the fitting and then tapped the wrench handle with my 4 lb hand sledge until the EGR pipe fitting loosened. I used my 27 mm short open end wrench to disconnect the EGR pipe fitting and then was able to maneuver the entire assembly upward between the firewall and the engine until out.

I can now see the top transmission bolt but don't yet know how to access it.

 

[2000StreetRod]

I continued removing parts from the top of the engine in hopes of accessing the top transmission to engine bolt from above.

After removing throttle body and adapter assembly:

After removing fuel rails with injectors:

After removing alternator:

After removing COPs and intake manifold:

After removing heater return hose and disconnecting knock sensor connector:

After removing ground strap, separating pre-cat O2 sensor connectors from their mounts, removing wiring harness and PCV valve heater hose.

I tried installing a 13 mm flare wrench and tapping the wrench handle with my 4 lb hand sledge but the bolt didn't budge and I was afraid if I tapped harder I'd break the wrench. Next I'll try a 6 point socket with some kind of 3/8 inch drive.

 

[2000StreetRod]

I tried using a 13 mm 6 point socket and various drives to loosen the top passenger side transmission to engine bolt but couldn't keep the socket from "walking" off the bolt head so I used a 1/2 inch box wrench and my 4 lb hand sledge to break the bolt loose.

I found that the 1/2 inch was a tighter fit than the 13 mm and stayed on tight. I don't like using 12 point tools but it was stronger than my 6 point flare wrench.

The lower two bolts on the driver side were accessible from under the vehicle with my 1/2 inch drive torque wrench using only a 3/8 inch to 1/2 inch drive adapter.

I removed the 3rd bolt (red arrow) and slightly loosened the bottom bolt (yellow arrow). The bottom bolts on each side will keep the transmission attached to the engine until the vehicle height is adjusted and the crane and transmission jack are installed.

Access to the two lower bolts on the passenger side is limited.

Removing the ATF cooler tubes and the O2 sensor improved the access to the bolts.

I used the 1/2 inch breaker bar to break loose the above center bolt and the 1/4 inch ratchet to loosen the bolt.

I used the flex head ratchet to loosen the lower bolt.

 

[2000StreetRod]

The chains and brackets that came with the hoist leveler worked out well. Initially I used some on-hand bolts to mount the lift brackets.

The 60 mm long bolt (forward) bottomed out in the block and was too long to clear the exhaust manifold casting for the EGR pipe. The 25 mm long bolt (aft) was short reducing the number of threads engaged with block.

At Lowe's in the Hillman specialty hardware drawers I found M12-1.75 x 35 mm cap head screws for $1.78 each.

A packet of five 12 mm washers cost $.86. I cut a section of 3/4 inch copper pipe insulation and pulled it over the chain to protect the valve covers.

The 35 mm screws and washers worked fine on both sides.

The leveler is narrower than the block and the chains were too short to reach so I installed some links. The crank just gets in the way so I'll probably cut it off before installing the DOHC V8. I'll use a socket drive on the nut at the other end of the leveling threaded rod. As I anticipated the boom is too short so the lift chain is angled aft. That will help in separating the engine from the transmission but make docking the DOHC V8 with the transmission difficult. I'll probably removing the front bumper for the installation.

Because of the block mounting locations the leveler has more effect on leveling from side to side instead of front to rear. I'll have to devise some method to retain the front to back angle of the block as it separates from the transmission. Otherwise there will be a lot of force on the transmission input shaft.

 

[2000StreetRod]

I cut off the leveler handle with a hack saw.

Then I ground down the locking pin on the opposite end of the threaded shaft so a socket would fit it.

I added chains attached between the boom hook and the alternator mounts to keep the front of the engine higher than the rear.
Unfortunately, I could not lift the engine high enough (1.5 inches) for the motor mount studs to clear the frame seats. The rear of the passenger side valve cover interfered with the A/C manifold at the firewall. It might have cleared if I removed the valve cover but I wanted the valve cover to protect the internal components from the lifting chains. Next I tried to remove the driver side exhaust manifold which would allow me to remove the oil dipstick housing. But the nuts were rusted to the studs and I couldn't loosen the middle studs because of limited access. So I wedged the claw of a hammer between the dipstick housing and the motor mount bracket and carefully bent the housing enough to allow me to extract it. Then I performed the aggravating task of removing the motor mount bracket to block bolts on the driver side.

The anti-sway bar kept getting in the way so I removed it since the links had failed and I plan to replace the rubber bushings with silicone for a stiffer anti-sway. The bolts above had more than an inch of thread lock requiring a huge force to break each one loose but I finally completed the task. Then I adjusted the leveler so the engine rotated clockwise enough for the passenger side engine mount stud to clear the frame seat. The engine finally came out.

This has been the most exasperating engine pull I've ever done and I'm glad it will be my last!

 

[239]

Wow, those detailed instructions with all those photos takes some dedication. I posted a how-to once with around 15 photos and I thought that amount of typing took forever.

 

[Dr_Z]

Wow - great info!