Hi All,

I have a 2000 F150 with the 5.4 V8, 4x4, 102K mi.

When turning the key, the truck will sometimes grind, sometimes screech, and sometimes just "whine" for lack of a better word.

I have a freshly rebuild starter being dropped off to me today. I was planning to change it this Sunday, but the snowstorm coming (Massachusetts) may hold me off a couple days.

At any rate, are there any tricks or tips to doing these? Will the location be fairly obvious? I'm assuming it's accessible from underneath the truck (truck is not with me atm)?

I'm comfortable with jacking the truck up, disconnecting the battery, turning the wrenches, etc. I've been wrenching on stuff for years when it needs it, but I'm not a real mechanic by any means. If there is a step by step here somewhere, I failed to find it.

I've had some issues with cheap casting breaking (i.e. around the plastic cover to the 4WD vacuum actuated shift boot that engages the differential) in the past working on this truck, so I thought it was worth a post to see if anyone has any specific tips or things to pay attention to while trying to do this fairly simple procedure.

Also, I should have all tools/jacks/stands required to do this job. Anyone have a ballpark how long it will take? I find I average about 2x what the dealer quotes timewise for these things, which is probably not too far off average for your typical backyard hack.

TIA,

Dan

 

Double post- sorry

 

Not hard to do, but here's some tips that made mine easy. First, the only reason I've taken the starter out was when installing headers. I know the sound you have, when it's cold and doesn't disengage basically? If that's what it is then mine's done it for 10 yrs now, never an issue- just sounds unsettling. I had a bunch of u joint's for my various extensions to reach the starter bolts. A magnet helped too. It was almost impossible to get one bolt once my headers were on, having manifolds though you'd be a lot better off. Another tip I've done since new was pack the red connections cap full of dielectric grease. These are prone to corrosion, often overlooked. You might find it easy if the inner fender was removed, bit of a pain in the *** to re-install however.

Put it to you this way, I did the headers over a warmish weekend last Feb, this was about an hour to do the starter once everything was out of the way. I also quit smoking the same weekend and didn't lose my mind so it's not hard.

 

The starter has 2 bolts and 1 stud holding it in place. The Stud doubles as the Ground connector point. The top bolt is the hardest to get off. Do it first. If you don't you will have the weight of the starter on that bolt and it makes it difficult to unscrew by hand. Using a shallow socket on a 6 inch extension ( 3/8s drive) Get under the starter and with your left hand feel for the bolt. When your fingers touch it slide the socket with the extension on the bolt and hold it in place with your fingers. Place the ratchet on the extension and undo the bolt. As it gets loose your fingers will hold it in place when wratcheting. When it is loose enough hold the extension and take off the wratchet and undo it by hand. That is why you do this bolt first. Then remove the other bolt and stud.

 

Thanks for the replies! I went out to do the starter Sunday morning, and had no brakes.
Turned out I lost a rear brake line, but by the time I was done fixing that it was entirely too late to do anything else about it. Couldn't get away yesterday, but just came home from work 4.5 hours early today (construction in the winter, it's slow) and I'm about to go out and give this a shot right now. The advice I've recieved so far is very much appreciated. I'll post back up later, hopefully with news of success and not more questions.

Again, appreciate the help. Seems to be a good forum you guys have here, think I'll have to stick around.

 

Hey all,

So I was about 90% successful. The brakes are fixed and I got the starter replaced... mostly. Never did manage to get that top bolt back in, figured I'd pay someone to do it in the next couple weeks once I get some $. Work has been slow and I just cant get my gorilla hands over the starter to get the bolt started.

Anyway, I've had to use it a few times with just the 2 bolts and I'm getting a big smoke-out upon startup. Relates or a new thread? My s/o noticed it and said it smelled like burning rubber, I let it cool and started it again and thought it smelled like unburnt fuel. Thoughts?

 

Put your extension on your socket, stick the bolt into the socket, then stick a wad of grease in the socket around the bolt. This should hold the bolt in the socket so you can get it started by holding and turning the extension.

 

I use a piece of paper in the socket. The smoke might be the coating on the headers burning off. Did you get brake fluid on the headers?

 

i agree to fluid on the exhaust. if it was the starter, you would hear and feel it.