I am not a novice exactly, just rusty. Last year I struggled a bit but
I was successful with replacing the water pump on my 2000 F-150.

Most of the difficulty was parts store gave me the wrong water pump but it
still took two whole days.

PeP boys quotes 1.5 hours labor to replace the power steering pump.

question 1. Can I do the job on the V6 yr 2000 without having to
remove the radiator and fanblade and shroud as I read someone else
having to do on the 5.4 V8.

Are there any special "gotchas" to be on the lookout for ?

I did a search on power steering and went back a year or two and could not find a summary of anyone doing this job.

 

yes underneath and removeing skid plate.

 

recently done this on my 2002,In my parking spot at home.Its seems harder than it is,.First tackle from underneath.Remove your skid plate it will save lots of time and knuckles.Youll need to have your pulley either pulled from old pump or add a new one on the new pump.(1) remove belt (2) skid plate (3)remove hoses from pump (leave attached to PS fluid tank unless replacing).(4) remove 3 bolts on psp.(5) remove pully on pump with puller Advance Auto has a good selection from cheap to high doller wich explain on how to use the tool.and if your replacing or keeping the old one you'll need it.
Then work backwards to put new part on. Fill and turn your wheels while engine running to get fluid going through system