Pulling a transmission out of a truck sounds like a big job, and it is. In most cases, this sort of procedure is best left to trained professionals, however, if you and a helper have muscle power and elbow grease to spare, you can tackle this task at home in less than a day. Before beginning, it is best to get a repair manual, such as a Haynes Manual, specific to your Ford truck's model and year. If you get in a jam, having the manual on hand can save a lot of time and frustration.
Push the parking brake in, put your safety glasses on and set the wheel chocks around the left, rear wheel.
Jack up the front of the truck and set the jack stands under the frame in the front on both sides. You will want the truck high enough to slide the transmission underneath, so keep that in mind when setting the jack stand height.
Move to the rear and jack the back end up. Place the jack stands under the rear axle, out near the wheels.
Slide under the truck and remove the transmission cooler lines. Place a rag around the end of the lines so no dirt or other foreign material can get into the lines before you reconnect them later on.
Disconnect the wiring harness to the transmission, if your model is electronically controlled. You will also need to disconnect the shift cable at this point.
Unbolt the drive shaft with the socket set and move it off to the side.
Move the jack under the transmission pan. Place some rags between the jack head and the pan so you do not damage the pan.
Use the socket set to remove the transmission mount. Set the mount off to the side. Make sure the jack is supporting the weight of the transmission.
Unbolt the transmission bell housing from the engine. You will need the socket extension to reach the bolts at the top of the bell housing. In some cases, you may also need to put a universal joint socket adapter between the socket and the extension to allow the socket to contact the bolts properly.
Carefully pull the transmission away from the engine. You may need a pry bar for this. It is best to do this with the aid of a helper. Once the transmission is away from the engine, lower it slowly with the jack.
