Transaxle - 2.3L: Removal

All vehicles 

1. With the vehicle in NEUTRAL, position it on a hoist. For additional information, refer to JACKING AND LIFTING article.
2. Remove the battery and the battery tray. For additional information, refer to BATTERY, MOUNTING AND CABLES article.
3. Remove the air cleaner as an assembly.
   1. Remove the bolt.
   2. Disconnect the mass air flow (MAF) sensor electrical connector.
   3. Disconnect the brake booster vacuum hose.
   4. Disconnect the wiring harness retainer.
   5. Disconnect the breather tube.
   6. Loosen the clamp and remove the air cleaner assembly.
Fig 1: Identifying Air Cleaner Assembly
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.

All wheel drive (AWD) vehicles 

4. Disconnect the power transfer unit (PTU) vent hose from the clip located on the transmission fluid filler tube.
Fig 2: Locating Power Transfer Unit (PTU) Vent Hose
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.

All vehicles 

5. Remove the nut holding the wiring harness bracket and unplug the bulkhead electrical connector.
Fig 3: Locating Wire Harness Bracket Nut & Plug
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
6. Remove the main control cover vent tube.
Fig 4: Locating Main Control Cover Vent Tube
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
7. Disconnect the selector lever cable from the manual control lever.
Fig 5: Identifying Gearshift Cable
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
8. Disconnect the wire harness retainer from the selector lever cable bracket, remove the 2 retaining bolts and position the selector lever cable and bracket aside.
Fig 6: Identifying Harness Retainer And Bolts
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
9. Remove the selector lever cable retainer from the transmission fluid filler tube.
Fig 7: Identifying Selector Lever Cable Retainer
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
10. Disconnect the transmission range (TR) sensor electrical connector.
Fig 8: Locating Transmission Range (TR) Sensor Electrical Connector
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
11. Remove the 3 upper transaxle retaining bolts.
Fig 9: Locating Upper Transaxle Bolts
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
12. Install the special tools.
Fig 10: Special Tool
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
13. Install the special tools.
Fig 11: Special Tool
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
14. Remove the LH support insulator through bolt.
Fig 12: Locating LH Transaxle Mount Through Bolt
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
15. Remove the 2 nuts, the bolt and the through bolt and remove the rear transaxle mount.
Fig 13: Locating Rear Transaxle Mount Bolts
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.

AWD vehicles 

16. Index the driveshaft to the yoke and remove the 6 bolts holding the driveshaft to the PTU.
Fig 14: Locating Driveshaft & Bolts
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
17. Remove the 2 center bearing nuts and position the driveshaft aside with mechanic's wire.
Fig 15: Locating Center Bearing Nuts
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.

All vehicles 

18. Remove the 4 bolts and remove the cross brace.
Fig 16: Locating Cross Brace & Bolts
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
19. Remove the front wheels and tires. For additional information, refer to WHEELS AND TIRES article.
20. Remove the 7 retainers and the LH splash shield.
Fig 17: View Of LH Splash Shield And Retainers
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
21. Remove the 6 retainers and the RH splash shield.
Fig 18: Right Splash Shield Bolts
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
22. Remove the lower front support insulator through bolt for the mount and the 2 bolts from the cross brace.
Fig 19: Identifying Front Roll Restrictor Bolt & Bolts For Engine Support Crossmember
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
23. Remove and discard the nut and remove the rear cross brace.
Fig 20: Identifying Cross Brace And Rear Nut
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
NOTE: If transmission disassembly or installation of a new transmission is necessary, the transmission fluid will need to be drained.
24. Remove the drain plug and drain the transmission fluid.
Fig 21: Transaxle Drain Plug
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
25. Disconnect the LH suspension.
    1. Disconnect the sway bar link.
    2. Remove the tie-rod end retaining nut.
    3. Remove the lower control arm knuckle bolt.
Fig 22: Identifying Sway Bar Link, Nut And Bolt
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
26. Disconnect the RH suspension.
    1. Disconnect the sway bar link.
    2. Remove the tie-rod end retaining nut.
    3. Remove the lower control arm knuckle bolt.
Fig 23: Identifying Sway Bar Link, Nut And Bolt
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
27. Using the special tool, disconnect the LH and RH tie-rod end from the steering knuckle.
Fig 24: Disconnecting LH And RH Tie Rod End From Steering Knuckle
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
28. Carefully pry down on the LH and RH lower control arms, disconnect the steering knuckle from the lower ball joint and position the steering knuckle aside.
29. Remove the brake hose retainer and the ABS sensor retaining bolt from the RH strut.
Fig 25: Identifying Retainer And Bolt
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
30. Using the special tools, remove the RH halfshaft from the intermediate shaft and secure the halfshaft aside.
Fig 26: Identifying Special Tools
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
31. Remove the brake hose retainer and the ABS sensor retaining bolt from the LH strut.
Fig 27: Identifying Bolt
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
32. Using a pry bar between the transaxle case and the LH halfshaft, carefully disconnect the halfshaft from the transaxle case and secure the halfshaft aside.
33. Remove the 2 intermediate shaft retaining nuts.
Fig 28: Locating Intermediate Shaft Retaining Nuts
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
34. Remove the intermediate shaft.
Fig 29: Locating Intermediate Shaft
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
35. Remove the 3 nuts and separate the flexpipe from the exhaust manifold.
Fig 30: Locating Flexpipe On Exhaust Manifold & Nuts
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.

AWD vehicles 

36. Remove the 2 exhaust bracket-to-intermediate shaft bracket bolts.
Fig 31: Locating Bolts On Rear Of Exhaust-To-Intermediate Shaft Bracket
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
37. Remove the 2 exhaust-to-intermediate shaft bracket nuts and remove the bracket.
Fig 32: Locating Exhaust-To-Intermediate Shaft Bracket Nuts
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
38. Remove the 6 PTU bracket bolts and remove the bracket.
Fig 33: Locating Engine Mounting Bracket Bolts
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
39. Remove the bolts from the PTU.
Fig 34: Locating PTU Bolts
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
40. Remove the bolt and remove the PTU.
Fig 35: Locating Transfer Case Bolt & Transfer Case Unit
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.

Front wheel drive (FWD) vehicles 

41. Remove the 3 bolts and the dampener.
Fig 36: Locating Bolts & Dampener
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.

All vehicles 

42. Remove the 3 bolts holding the transaxle front mount bracket.
Fig 37: Locating Transaxle Front Mount Plate Bolts
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
43. Remove the transmission fluid cooler tubes.
Fig 38: Locating Transmission Fluid Cooler Tube
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
44. Remove the transmission fluid cooler tube.
    1. Disconnect the output shaft speed (OSS) sensor electrical connector (black).
    2. Disconnect the turbine shaft speed (TSS) sensor electrical connector (white).
       • Disconnect the wiring harness retainer from the transaxle case and position the harness aside.
    3. Remove the transmission fluid cooler tube retaining bracket bolt.
    4. Remove the transmission fluid cooler tube and position it aside.
Fig 39: Locating Turbine Shaft Speed Sensor Electrical Connector
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
45. Remove the OSS sensor.
Fig 40: Locating OSS Sensor Bolt
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
46. Disconnect the starter terminals.
    1. Remove the battery cable nut.
    2. Remove the starter solenoid terminal nut.
Fig 41: Identifying Battery Cable & Starter Solenoid Terminal Nut
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
47. Remove the wire harness clip retainer and the ground wire from the starter bolts.
Fig 42: Locating Wire Harness Clip Retainer & Starter Bolts
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
48. Remove the 2 bolts and remove the starter.
Fig 43: Identifying Bolts
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
49. Remove the starter motor isolator.
Fig 44: Identifying Starter Motor Isolator
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
50. Remove and discard the 4 torque converter nuts.
Fig 45: Locating Torque Converter Nut
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
51. Using the special tool, lower the transmission.
Fig 46: Special Tool
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
52. Push the converter back from the flexplate. Use a suitable transmission jack to support the transaxle and remove the 3 rear bellhousing bolts.
Fig 47: Locating Rear Bellhousing Bolts
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
53. Remove the 4 remaining transaxle-to-engine bolts.
Fig 48: Locating Transaxle-To-Engine Bolts
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
CAUTION: The torque converter is heavy. Install the special tool before lowering the transaxle.
54. Move the transaxle back far enough to install the special tool.
Fig 49: Identifying Special Tool
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.
55. Lower the transaxle from the engine compartment.
Fig 50: Lowering Transaxle From Engine Compartment
Courtesy of FORD MOTOR CO.