Well I got it out and back in OK. You can pull a V6 and leave the ATX in from the top; you just need to completely remove the top motor mount so the engine can swing to the left away from the converter housing. The real PITA was the rad and fan shroud, I had to enlist my 14 year old for help (not a one man job. Come to think of it, this whole job is a two man deal).
The good news is I got it all buttoned up today and went for a ride. No leaks, no codes, no TC slip, no bank shift. The updated VB and new TC did the trick. I spent about $400 in parts and $250 for a good engine hoist (I didnā??t want to be hassled renting one and I never miss an opportunity for new tools). This compared to my original estimate of $1600 from the tranny shop.
The only thing I would do differently would be to completely remove the exhaust system. It was always in the way and I canā??t count how many times I banged my head on it. Also, the back side of the engine has no place to attach a hoist to. I had to jury rig a small come-along between the exhaust manifold and the arm of the hoist to keep the motor from rolling.
Big thanks to Unysis12 for pointing me to the sources of all the info about the CD4E. Without that info I would have shelled out the $1600.
Thanks Man!
Itā??s nice to have the LS back (I was driving a 1986 Capri (mustang) that goes 0-60 in a day and a half)
jeff
