front bumper removal

[joemunroe]

front bumper removal

[yotatechie04]

Front bumper removal?...a little more detail?

[joemunroe]

Originally Posted by joemunroe

front bumper removal

Sorry, i'm new at this.what i actually want to do is remove the headlight lens assy but the bolts on the bottom are covered by the bumper so i can't get to them, and there appear to be a couple of bolts holding the bumper on that i can't get to.

[yotatechie04]

What year Escort are you wanting to do the work on?

[joemunroe]

Originally Posted by yotatechie04

What year Escort are you wanting to do the work on?

it is a 1998 escort wagon

[Davescort97]

Originally Posted by joemunroe

it is a 1998 escort wagon

I just did my headlamp assemblys in my 97 Escort sedan and according to Haynes they are the same process. First you should jack up the front of your car and put it on stands. Next, there are 4-14mm nuts just behind the license tag area behind the bumper cover. Take these out. Then, the rest of the hardware is on either side of the fenders. You will need to take the front inner fender wells loose about half way back. You don't need to take them completely off. Pull them back and down and separate with a wooden block. Where the bumper meets the fender is a vertical bolt. Take it out. Next, there are 2 horizontal bolts just below the corner lights where the vertical line about 3 inches high is. You have to get inside the front fender well to get to them. You will need about a 10 inch extension and a 14 mm socket to get them out from the front of the fender well. The hardest part is getting the fender well loose. Other than this you should have no problem. The well trim is held by 10mm bolts that have phillips fittings on them. The last things you have to take off are the 3 bolts just on top of where the hood meets the center grill. They are 10mm, too. Why in the world Ford didn't make those 2 bottom headlight screws more accessible is beyond me. Good luck.

[joemunroe]

thanks for the help, that did it!