Ford Ranger V6 4x4 Starter Replacement 

Thank you! Glad you found it helpful

Hey Joseph , thanks for interacting! I appreciate every viewer and I do look forward to interacting and engaging with subscribers and comments alike. I’m Glad if you found it helpful or entertaining 🙂

😂💯👍🏽

Good work thanks for the tips ✅

On the manual 4.0 original starter will not come out unless you modify

@@Jasonarmand I got mine out but can’t get the new one in

You just saved me 2 days! Thanks so much

@p71vic awesome thanks

For the top bolt did you reach straight up from the bottom or did you reach in from the side/front? In the middle of doing my 05 4x4 4.0 today. Called aquits for the night. Got both bolts cracked loose but top is coming out hard the whole way. Can only get 1 or 2 clicks per swing and its HARD to turn, let alone just pressing with 2 fingers on rachet. I'm thinking I need to come at it from another way, not reaching straight up. Just saw you posted 2 hrs ago any response would be appreciated.

@@ctdieselnut try leaving the bottom bolt tight so it won’t sag and give any added resistance. Once I got mine loose I used a short 1/4” ratchet to give me a little more access

@@ctdieselnut I had to show the little husky ratchet he shouldn’t be ashamed of his size though, damn near broke him

Keep up the good work guys. It’s tight but it’s not impossible 😎👍🏽

Thanks 🙏🏽 desperate times call for desperate measures 🤷🏽‍♂️

@@613Builds 👍👍👍👍

Yes you can jack up the engine or transmission or front diff, or remove the drive shaft , I just didn’t want to go through any of that personally. The 4.0L 4x4 5 speed here is the hardest one ☝🏽

@@jeremyfrey6573 lol that's what I said

Right on I ended up putting a 4000 pound winch on the front of the Ranger so it would be able to lift a plough up and down but I ended up selling the truck. The one I have now is a 2005 GMC jimmy with a 4500 pound winch on the front and a UTV sxs plow 72” wide

I took mine apart. There are several ways to get it out & back in. It’s not easy but it’s possible ✅

It sure is a tight spot eh?! @4:15 I had to dismantle the starter because it so tight . I think you’re supposed to jack up the engine or lower the diff but I was able to take the starter apart after I got it loose . I recommend taking the old starter apart by removing the motor from the nose cone housing , and notch the new starter like I did 🤷🏽‍♂️ easier than jacking up the engine or dropping the diff 🤷🏽‍♂️

Actually it's very easy. Once the starter is unbolted spin it around and it fill drop out front first through the passenger side

Wow, you made this hard. The top 3 bolts can be removed by connecting a few wobbly extensions, 3/8". You want them to extend over the cross member and end between the cross member and bumper, it's almost a straight shot. No need to modify the starter. It will slip in from the passenger side but must go in backwards and then you spin it around once it's in there.

@@rdiddymat4117 I’m pretty sure the manufacturer recommends dropping the front differential or jacking up the engine. The older models had i-beams which would move with the suspension but this is the newer independent suspension so the front differential does not move only the axles move with the independent front suspension. So it’s probably easier on the older models with the twin i-beams , much easier on the four-cylinder and two wheel drives and automatics are much easier as well but the 4 L 4 x 4, five speed, newer style with the independent suspension is very tight and I think the manufacturer recommends relocating or dropping the front differential. I’m not sure how they do it at the dealer but you must keep in mind that this is a four-wheel-drive 4 L with independent front suspension.,

I had to literally take mine apart to get it out

@@613Builds I ended up removing some of the transmission bolts and jacking up the tranny in order to squeeze it by

Hey bro I’m good thanks for checking in

Good tip thanks

This one is a 2008 with a 4.0 L engine , but the wires go to the same spots. The main power lead goes straight to the battery , that’s why I disconnected the battery first. The ground wire might be grounded to the battery negative, or grounded to the engine , Ive never traced my ground wire . There is a small 3rd wire also which is the solenoid key signal wire

Same here. I had to take the old one apart to get it out. There’s long bolts in the back of the starter motor . Take them out and take it apart. That’s how I got mine out. Assuming you have it unbolted and disconnected

@@613Builds oh wow thanks for the tip man I legit just got the truck today been sitting for a couple years but I got plans to get it back on the road

@@brysonellis227 or cut the flat spot on the flange 😎 . That may affect the eligibility of cores if you’re handing in your old one for a rebuild core. They are nice little trucks . Mine was 07or08 5spd 4x4 also. Personally I disassembled the old starter and made a flat spot in the new one. That’s how I got mine in and out. It’s tight but not impossible 😎👍🏽

@@613Builds I might try and take this one apart and clean it up or get a rebuild kit but thanks for the reply man I didn’t figure you’d reply since the vid is a few years old :)

@@brysonellis227 new and remanufactured starters are not very expensive but sometimes they ask for your old one or charge a core charge if you don’t provide an old core. Good luck. 😎👍🏽

They are a open ended hole on both I believe , so you may be able to use a longer bolt and put a nut on the other end. This may be easier on the lower bolt but should be do-able on either. Is it manual transmission? Even if you use a longer bolt you still need to thread it in , so maybe try to use some pressure to get it started if you can use a thread tap or thread repair chaser tool. The female threads will be aluminum so they are soft and unforgiving

@@613Builds The bolt stops a quarter way in. Is it ok to use force to tighten it? The other side is fine.

Yeah most rangers are far easier! Only the 4wd 4.0 manual shift is this hard. The automatic is easier the two wheel drives are easier the 3 L are easier the four cylinders are easier. The 2 Wheel Dr. is similar but much easier. No front diff no front driveshaft in the way.

nope, i got a automatic and its the same

@@kevinmer97 I know the 4wd models are especially difficult. Makes sense because the automatic transmissions are not any smaller than the manual gearbox

@@613Builds man it was a job! top bolt was really stuck and no space to work

@@kevinmer97 yeah brother that top bolt is a chore. I find it’s do-able with the right length extension and socket, but not easy

Well I think it was only 2 or 3 hours but it took longer than most usual starter jobs because how difficult it was to access and I had to disassemble the old one to get it out. Putting the new one in was easier and quicker with my simple modification. A typical starter replacement should only take maybe two hours that the most depending on accessibility some models have easy accessibility and some models have difficult accessibility. Even though it only took a few hours of work I think I actually spread the work out between two days because I removed the old one then I had to go out get a replacement starter which I believe I installed the next day. When you do it yourself you have the luxury of choosing when it gets done or how long you wanna work on it. Most people probably don’t do their own work and they probably rely on a shop to do the work In which case you don’t really have the flexibility of choosing because Time is money when it comes to a garage or shop business. A garage business will probably charge you hourly shop rate which includes either jacking up the engine or removing the front driveshaft or something in order to actually get the starter out without modifying it. I believe the proper method is to jack up the engine or the transmission or remove the drive shaft or the front differential something has to be moved if you don’t wanna modify the starter and that’s gonna be more time or more work if you take it to the shop I assume. There are many variables if one bolt breaks it can be more time and more work the top bolt is hard to get out and the starter is not easy to extract

@@613Builds thanks man

Big wire goes on the big diameter stud and the small wire goes on the small stud. May need to crimp the spade connector depending on year . I hooked everything up as usual

Yep I’ve been there. It was freezing temperatures in this video and several of my videos . No hoist no heat no problem 💪🏽😉

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If you watch the video, @ 4:50 it’s not the driveshaft that interferes, it’s the gap between the engine and the front differential on these 4wd 4.0 models. Removing the driveshaft does not help with starter removal nor replacement. Typically you would unbolt a mount and lift the engine or move the front differential, or pay $100 per hr to have your engine hoisted or front differential unbolted. Yes this is the lazy way but this is a 13 yr old plow truck and it’s cold out and I just want to get it done without hoisting the engine. I did remove the driveshaft in a separate video and replaced the universal joint, but removing the front shaft won’t help with the starter clearance in a 4.0 4wd model unfortunately.

Don't remove the drive shaft! Just remove the one bolt that holds it up. Pry down, which lowers the diff low enough to remove starter. Anyways works for me. Took 5 min

@@davidtherriault1203 good advice thanks

You certainly can disconnect the engine mounts and lift the engine , which seems like an excessively sketchy job especially with all the hoses and wires attached, and be careful not to drop it while you’re working. Seems sketchy. Or you can drop the front axle differential housing , which is also an excessive amount of work to pay the dealer 120 per hour while they have to remove parts which aren’t even remotely related to the starter. Yeah you could remove engine and differential housings, and pay the hourly rate to do all that. Or you can make a little flat spot like i did and do it in 20 minutes 😎🤷🏽‍♂️ choose wisely