The Ford F150 has been the top-selling pickup truck in the United States for over 30 years. During that time, several million F150s have been sold, and over a million starters have failed. If your 1998 F150 falls into the latter category, you can have a new starter installed in no time flat. Be careful when purchasing a replacement starter and either buy a remanufactured one or a new one. Many auto parts stores will carry rebuilt starters, which are prone to failing within the first few months. For best results, buy your starter from a Ford dealer or other professional-grade parts retailer.
Slide under the truck with the socket set and use it to unbolt the wiring harness leading to the starter. Once the harness is unbolted, move it off to the side.
Loosen the three bolts that hold the starter to the side of the engine but do not remove them yet. Loosen them to the point where you can remove them by hand.
Support the body of the starter with one hand and remove the three bolts with the other. Be careful not to let the weight of the starter hang on just one bolt as you can break the flange off the starter this way. If you break the flange, you will not be able to get your core charge refunded by the parts retailer.
Set the old starter carefully off to the side and raise the replacement starter into position.
Slide the bolts back in while holding the starter with your other hand. Thread the bolts down until all three are supporting the new starter then tighten them down with the socket set.
Bolt the wiring harness onto the replacement starter in reverse removal.
Box the old starter up and return it to the retailer for a refund on your core charge.
