How to remove rear driveline??? 2001 Explorer 4x4 SOHC

[ETHACK]

So I am in the process of replacing the transmission, but I can not seem to break free the rear driveline from the pinion or the transfer case, there is no park, drive, etc, I have hit the bolts with impact and a short 12mm 12 point socket and nothing, I have rear end on the ground, do I need to raise 1 rear tire and maybe brace ratchet on the bolt and turn the wheel, or is there some trick to get those 4 -12 point bolts out. I've sprayed with PB and let sit overnight, I'm really gunshy here because I don't want to strip those heads or worse twist them off. I'm not a mechanic so any help or advice from more experienced is really appreciated. TIA!!!!

 

[C420sailor]

If your trans won’t go into park, I’d probably attack the driveshaft to TC connection first.

As for the rear, there is no special trick. Those bolts have probably never been removed. Standard ‘please don’t break’ steps here. Penetrating oil, heat, alternately tighten and loosen a tiny bit at a time until they break free. Kinda weird that an impact didn’t blast them out. You running a good air gun? With the wheels chocked and both tires on the ground it shouldn’t spin.

For future use, I put antiseize on mine about 150,000mi and 10 years ago. They came right out a couple weeks ago when I went to do my pinion seal.

 

[ETHACK]

If your trans won’t go into park, I’d probably attack the driveshaft to TC connection first.

As for the rear, there is no special trick. Those bolts have probably never been removed. Standard ‘please don’t break’ steps here. Penetrating oil, heat, alternately tighten and loosen a tiny bit at a time until they break free. Kinda weird that an impact didn’t blast them out. You running a good air gun? With the wheels chocked and both tires on the ground it shouldn’t spin.

For future use, I put antiseize on mine about 150,000mi and 10 years ago. They came right out a couple weeks ago when I went to do my pinion seal.

Alright that sounds good, it's a tight fit at the TC and I turned up my air to 120 for tomorrow, soaking in pb tonight and a hammer here and there. Using aircat 1150 impact so yea should or zipped them off but.... and definitely the anti-seize when I do get them out. thanks!!!

 

[C420sailor]

Yeah that’s weird. That’s a good gun.

Absolute worst case...you can always (carefully) grind the heads off, pull the yoke, have the bolts removed (or DIY on the bench) and replace them.

 

[vroomzoomboom]

it may sound dumb, but have the gun set to tighten them first. a couple of ugha dugha forward, then reverse. try that a few times. or what i do sometimes (gonna be hard to do up at the t case) double wrench it and use your foot.

 

[ETHACK]

Good ideas, I like the forward and back method, the grinding heads of is really a last-ditch, but still a good idea for a horrible picture. I'm hopeful air up and the blaster is the answer, I was blown away the impact did not zip them off, but torque on those is originally is 70-85 20 years ago so am hopeful, they definitely looked cleaner already, little worried about heating up with map gas due to gas tank location, any thoughts on that scenario, or is that a no go situation, again not a mechanic rather ask and sound dumb than blown up. Thanks!!!

 

[C420sailor]

Fine, just mind the direction of the flame and the backdrop. You don’t need a mega flame either.

I always keep some scrap sheet metal around for this purpose. Stick it behind whatever you’re heating so you don’t melt/burn things you shouldn’t.

 

[ETHACK]

Fine, just mind the direction of the flame and the backdrop. You don’t need a mega flame either.

I always keep some scrap sheet metal around for this purpose. Stick it behind whatever you’re heating so you don’t melt/burn things you shouldn’t.

Yeah, that sounds a lot better and safer, just heat bolts to just shy of red?

 

[imp]

So I am in the process of replacing the transmission, but I can not seem to break free the rear driveline from the pinion or the transfer case, there is no park, drive, etc, I have hit the bolts with impact and a short 12mm 12 point socket and nothing, I have rear end on the ground, do I need to raise 1 rear tire and maybe brace ratchet on the bolt and turn the wheel, or is there some trick to get those 4 -12 point bolts out. I've sprayed with PB and let sit overnight, I'm really gunshy here because I don't want to strip those heads or worse twist them off. I'm not a mechanic so any help or advice from more experienced is really appreciated. TIA!!!!

The rear bolts on mine were Loc-tited at the factory. Front not sure. Some heat applied then quick application of impact should move softened glue. A fairly heavy 12 point socket is needed, but 1/2 inch drive will not fit on the typical U-joint yoke, only the round flange type.

 

[ETHACK]

The rear bolts on mine were Loc-tited at the factory. Front not sure. Some heat applied then quick application of impact should move softened glue. A fairly heavy 12 point socket is needed, but 1/2 inch drive will not fit on the typical U-joint yoke, only the round flange type.

ok thanks, yea the front ones were glued in as well so that makes sense, especially with the heat.

 

[RickOTR]

Those bolts have a ton of red loctite on them from the factory. I tried to use an impact on it but no luck. Had to use a 1/2in breaker bar with a long pipe for leverage after heating the differential pinion yoke with a propane torch. Did the job...

 

[ETHACK]

Yea so they are out on the TC side, I'm leaving the rear connected, just slide out of way wrapped u-joint in a towel to avoid damage. This morning was a lot easier, I soaked it 2x last night and 1x this morning, tapped with the hammer each time, then used a 12mm box end wrench and 18"-ish cheater pipe wasn't next to impossible but pretty stiff, and I re chocked the wheels. The box end wrench was the key I think as I was able to transfer all the applied torque to the bolt, another issue was the wheels, while chocked down I still had slight rocking forward and back motion, hammer, and 2x8 blocks eliminated that completely. The impact, as I had a bad angle plus the swivel and most likely low air pressure was the issue there, in this case, not the guns fault, operator error as the Aircat 1150 is pretty good for everything thus far, plus I was a little gunshy because those would be horrible bolts to shear off and I have a history of that type of stuff, and yea these bolts are 3/4 of the way slathered in loc-tite from Ford. Big thanks to everybody for the advice and esp C420, great advice and insight! Now it's on to the dreaded cross member!!!

 

[C420sailor]

If you sheared those bolts off, it wouldn’t be a big deal. One big pinion nut is all that holds that thing in the diff. A half decent welder or machinist could get those out once it was on his bench.

If you mark the nut and pinion, and count the exposed threads, you can reinstall it without having to tear down the diff. Done it many times to replace pinion seals.

 

[ETHACK]

Thankfully I have enough room with the driveline laying on the side. I'm almost finished with removal, got 4 cross-member bolts, the lower 4 bell housing bolts, separate and lower. should I support the motor on a jack or are the motor mounts enough? She is up on ramps so semi extreme backward angle there.

 

[C420sailor]

I’d put a jack under the aft part of the pan. Can’t hurt, and you don’t want to stress those old motor mounts.

 

[ETHACK]

Ok thanks!

 

[ETHACK]

So trans is in, still got little stuff to finish but the big stuff is done, 2 things I wanted to pass on that really helped me was I put vaseline on the center torque converter and I also put some in the center of the flywheel/bolts, she slid right in, lined up TC and bam 10 minutes tops and lined up perfectly, another thing that really helped me was I took 2 M10x1.5x100mm bolts and cut the heads off, then I screwed in the newly made dowels into the 2 lower bell housing bolt holes just finger tight though, so when I lined up the transmission I slid her right up and on the dowels perfectly then doublechecked my TC nuts, then tightened up the 8 Bell housing bolts, etc. The dowels worked great.