I've never tried to take off a head while the engine was in the car. I can say that it's just easier to do the extra work to move things out of your way to gain access. Having easy access to what you're working on just makes it go smoother and more likely to turn out better.

I wonder if you can disconnect the push rod and remove the mounting nuts and bolts and pull the booster forward without disconnecting the power steering fluid lines. You'll still need to remove the brake lines, so this doesn't save you much.

If it was me, I'd remove the booster completely.

Why are you doing this?

 

Take a 4-6" piece of stiff hose a little bigger than the diameter of the shank of the head bolt, but a little smaller than the head of the bolt. Split the hose on one side length ways. After you have loosened the head bolt to where it's not thread in the head at all, pull the bolt up as far as possible before hitting the brake boost/master cylinder

Slip the hose under the head of the bolt, this will hold the bolt out of the head enough to clear the block, but not enough to hit the brake booster. After you do that to all the bolts that won't come all the way out because of the clearance issues with brake boost/master cylinder. Then you should be able to lift the head enough to clear the guide pins. Once you do that, you should be able to move the head towards the center and front of the engine to get it out.

Ford use to sell (Maybe they still do?) a head change kit that actually came the hose to help with the change. It also came TTY Head bolts and the head gaskets. When I first installed my forged short block I used this kit because I was running low on money and still running stock heads. When I installed my new heads I invested in new ARP head studs.

At the time I only paid $90 for the head change. Considering it came with new Gaskets and bolts I thought it was a pretty good deal.

Why are you doing this?

Since he as 96-98 GT he probably wants to go to a PI head from a 99-04 GT? Unless he already has the upgrade.

Besides the heads flowing better the 96-98 NPI head. The 96-98 has less of a dish in the piston, so he will also get a slight bump in compression. When compared to 99-04. A 96-98 with PI heads will make more power than the 99-04 with similar mods because of this.

 

So, if it's possible, but really tight, I wonder if just disconnecting the push rod and loosening the mounting hardware, but not disconnect any lines will give plenty of room and make it easier. Maybe get someone to pull the booster out of the way.

 

Just do what jivepepper said. You don't even really need the hoses he described, just get creative and hold the bolts that won't come all the way out up somehow. Try duct tape or something. The don't need to be all the way out of the head, just out of the block.

 

I just took rubber bands and held the bolts that way. didn't remove the brake booster, heck i didn't even remove the stock exhaust manifolds.