You Can Do It ...
$450 is totally out of line
Off the top of my head:
1. Remove top IC tube --- Harbor Freight is your friend -- set of spanner wrenches ~ 15.00 do not buy the special tool from Ford!, use a spanner wrench and a rubber dead blow hammer to loosen the collar, 13mm wrench or socket to remove the flange at the IC (5 to 10 minutes)
2. remove intake tube - disconnect the MAF wire, loosen the hose clamps at the TB, unclamp the filter housing top, wiggle the tube assembly and pull outward using the filter top for leverage (5 to 10 minutes)
3. disconect throttle cable linkage from the TB using a flat blade screwdriver to pry the cable loose, it will be tight fit, apply pressure slowly and then "pop" off it comes (1 minute)
4. Remove throttle cable bracket from intake plenum 2 10 mm capscrews, bottom one is a little tight (may not be on stock plenum) take your time and work it out ... this is were you might get a scrapped knuckle depending on how big you hands are (5 minutes)
5. Loosen the clamp (8 mm socket is best --- also for intake tube clamps) holding the rubber bypass tube to the inlete plenum, tighten the clamp on the outlet plenum, this tube can be a little tight if the SC has not been removed in some time, take a small flat blade screwdriver and work it under the tube ... be careful ... you don't want to cut the rubber coupling (2 minutes)
6. Remove the belt from the SC, find a breaker bar type socket wrench (I've also used on of those L'Cheepo torque wrenches with the needle indicator ... if yo do this, never use this for a torque wrench again) and a 18mm socket. You need this to rotate the tensioner pulley so you can remove the belt. The socket goes on the pulley, not the spring housing (2 minutes)
7. Use a 15 mm socket to remove the largest of the 3 bolts securing the SC to the intake manifold, use a 10 mm (may be 12) socket to remove the other two bolts. (3 minutes)
8. Do you have an EGR valve? If not, you are almost home ... if yes, you poor basrd
you need to remove the EGR valve from the inlet plenum before you can remove the SC ... the first capscrew is easy 10 mm I think there is a second one .... yea I know you can't see it
but trust me it is there and it is probably on everyones top ten list of things I hate about the SC ... get a short / stubby ratchet, a short extension, and a universal joint, if you can find a ratchet with an adjustable head (angles vs. just straight) this will help ... have faith and may the FORCE be with you ( 10 to 20 minutes) you will get frustrated but hang in there .... OTHERS may have some suggestions for you on this ... you may be able to get a little more room by moving the SC forward. Grab the SC pulley and use it for leverage ...rotate upwards and wiggle/jiggle/pull the SC towards the front of the car ... it is not going to move much with the EGR still attached but any amount will be appreciated ... trust me
9. You need to remove the vacuum tubes on the inlet plenum ... study them, mark them, draw a sketch, make them your friends, learn the middle names of their grandchildren ... the point being you need to put these back in the proper spot (5 to 10 minutes)
10. Now grab the snout/pulley in one hand and the back of the inlet plenum in the other, rotate the snout end up, wiggle/jiggle the SC out and away from the rubber coupling ... it is a little tight and it can catch on the fuel rails, take your time ...it is not heavy ... just watch the fuel rails and the ignition cables ... oh yea you need to remove the ignition cables going to the passenger side from the coil ... mark them and use dielectric grease when putting them back
11. When it comes time to put it back together, clean all bolt threads with a wire brush, use anti sieze on all threaded connections -- including the SC top collar & threads on the IC tube ... also, clean the bypass coupling connection on the inlet plenum with fine grit sand paper if needed (make sure to blow out any sand) ... then apply vasoline to the rubber coupler itself as this will make install much easier
12. Once the SC is off the car, remove the inlet plenum and SC top ... use orange rtv or loctite 518 to create these gaskets at install
YOU CAN DO THIS .... aside from that stupid EGR bolt this is not bad at all!!!
Your "mechanic"
should be ashamed for asking 450