Bella the Bronco

[mustacheride]

So picking up from the 'Introductions" thread, I bought this 95 Bronco from Clark Roberts (@robertsoffroad) who bought it a couple years back. Its got some minor issues but the big ticket items are done and paid for.

IMG_0589.JPG (203.7 KiB) Viewed 2820 times

First issue: Rear suspension was super squeaky. PO used 1/4" washers to make up the difference from Q80 spring swap. I replaced with some spacers I machined.

IMG_0626.JPG (191.78 KiB) Viewed 2820 times

I then moved to the shackle side. Driver side came out no problem. Bushing sleeve looked a little rusty but it cleaned up ok. Passenger side not so much. The bolt had seized to the bushing. Cut off wheel and sawsall took care of that and got it apart.

IMG_0633.JPG (123.33 KiB) Viewed 2820 times

I made some new bushing sleeves and new delrin bushings. Assembled with heavy amounts of antiseize that is all over my shop now.

IMG_0644.JPG (124.54 KiB) Viewed 2820 times

The rear is tits now. No squeak and cycles smoother than before.

The ignition was real weird. It has a push button start but to kill it you have to turn the key to the "start" position. So I tore apart the column and its fubar'd. The plastic bit that engages the "ignition switch" was broken. The bearings are shot in the column too.

IMG_0647.JPG (213.75 KiB) Viewed 2820 times

IMG_0649.JPG (191.89 KiB) Viewed 2820 times

[mustacheride]

I got the parts in before the weekend to fix the column. Got it all together, put a new header panel and grill on it and hit the beach.

It works really well. The rear is pretty soft through the slow rollers but if I can get on top of stuff it does well. It runs a little warmer than I'd like, it runs at about 220*, I think it has a 190 thermostat and the fans come on about 210. When I'm hammering on it it gets to 240. Any recomendations?

dunes1.jpg (62.59 KiB) Viewed 2807 times

[funinthesun95]

electric or manual fan?

[mustacheride]

electric or manual fan?

Electric. Dual spals with a dual pass aluminum radiator. I’m thinking lower tstat (160?) and lower thermal switch for the fans (180?)

[LvSteve]

If your cooling system is in good condition ? (No rust) The secert is the placement of your thermal sensor. It must be as close to the t-stat on the engine side as you can get it.
A 160 degree t-stat is very low unless you can turn your cold loop setting down in your tune

[SteveG]

Assuming the rest of the cooling system is good, I would remove the electric fans and install a factory fan and Motorcraft fan clutch.

[Blueblood]

mustscheride check your PM

[mustacheride]

If your cooling system is in good condition ? (No rust) The secert is the placement of your thermal sensor. It must be as close to the t-stat on the engine side as you can get it.
A 160 degree t-stat is very low unless you can turn your cold loop setting down in your tune

The coolant looks clean. The filler neck shows minor signs of rust, nothing out of the ordinary really though. The thermal sensor is in the Tstat housing. The port in the radiator for the throttle body heater return seems a little restricted but I'm not sure that has any effect.

Is a 180 to low?

Assuming the rest of the cooling system is good, I would remove the electric fans and install a factory fan and Motorcraft fan clutch.

Ya.... unfortunately that's not an option. I mean I could, but not without a major remodel of the front end.

[LvSteve]

A 180 degree t-stat is normal with aluminum heads. 190 degree is nor with cast steel heads
May want to check temp drop across the input and output on that radiator and the flow of the system

[mustacheride]

Thanks Steve, I'll check temp drop across the radiator and report back.

I pulled codes on it last night and got a 452, VSS fault. There's no factor gauge cluster in this thing, all Autometer gauges. Pretty sure this is why I'm getting the code. It shifts mostly normal. It hangs on to 1st gear for a little sometimes. OD switch works as it should but its blinking. Shouldn't it go into limp mode with no PSOM though? That's where I am a little confused.

*Disclaimer: My buddy, Clark Roberts, who I bought it from, bought it with all the issues I am having and I knew the issues when I bought it. In no way is any of this a jab at him, he does quality work. He just moved onto more important projects than this thing.

[funinthesun95]

CFM of the electric fans?

[mustacheride]

1328cfm each.

~195* from the tstat housing, ~175* at the inlet of the radiator and ~155* leaving the radiator.

I ran it in the driveway and only one fan was coming on. I then turned it into a science project tracing wires and drawing diagrams trying to figure out why. No luck on paper. It’s wired right but then, after poking and moving stuff around it started working right again. Either the relays were getting to hot (they were zip tied together) or there was a bad connection somewhere under the dash (some of the spade connectors came off real easy). I tighten up all the spade connectors by squeezing them with some pliers and separated the relays.

[LvSteve]

Second fan may be actived by the ac or heat turned on. Flex a lite is wired that way

[mustacheride]

Well I finally settled out the cooling issue. I ended up pulling the radiator cause I found a couple small tube leaks. I flushed the radiator as tcinu2 suggested and found all sorts of rust chunks in there. Fixed the leaks and back in business, running nice and cool now.

I also added a older Baja Designs HID light bar to the front.
Before

IMG_0710.JPEG (105.61 KiB) Viewed 2492 times

After

IMG_0716.JPEG (92.53 KiB) Viewed 2492 times

More recently I preped it for a trip to Johnson Valley for New Years. Had a blast out there. I've been doing this same trip with the same group of friends for a good 8 years now.

IMG_6018.JPG (109.86 KiB) Viewed 2492 times

IMG_6022.JPG (122.72 KiB) Viewed 2492 times

Friend of mine Ryan owns Accutune and we got the rear dialed in. It was a bit soft and would G out pretty hard on mild rollers but after Ryan tweaked it we had it flying. I was pulling away from a Canam X3 through the big stuff. Super stoked on it.....until the rear upper shock mounts didn't want to hang on anymore. I pulled the shocks and crossmember and limped on the highway back to camp. Shocks are fine but Accutune made me a great deal on some newer kings that will work better. Old shocks will be up for sale shortly.

I've got a bunch of parts coming in already to get this thing ready for a Baja trip in 2ish weeks. And the mad dash begins.....

IMG_6032.JPG (108.96 KiB) Viewed 2492 times

56813717284__E8EC1BD2-4063-4C97-9D1B-A253B61C961F.JPEG (116.07 KiB) Viewed 2492 times

[Pickuptrucker]

Those are really pretty

[mustacheride]

I had all last week off so I got a lot done and got it put back together.

List of upgrades:
New Solo rear shock mount
New King bypasses
New Solo shackle hanger (I really bashed up the filler neck with the leaf springs in JV)
Plated the outside of the frame
Relocated bumps because of the shackle hanger drop
Corrected pinion angle
and a bunch of other minor upgrades not worth listing

Photo dump:

1-7-19-1.jpg (72.25 KiB) Viewed 2351 times

1-7-19-5.jpg (85.25 KiB) Viewed 2351 times

1-7-19-4.jpg (70.52 KiB) Viewed 2351 times

1-7-19-3.jpg (49.25 KiB) Viewed 2351 times

1-7-19-2.jpg (75.37 KiB) Viewed 2351 times

[yikes]

Don't take this as a criticism, but just a heads up. I used to dump the exhaust in the same spot that you've got it. Ended up with vapor lock problems on hot days. Most notably when the fuel level was below half and/or when running hard for extended periods of time.

[mustacheride]

No criticism taken, that's why I post up here. Someone is going to have previous issues that I have overseen.

Ya I had the same issue with my F150 a while back at WOT for too long. Nearly blew my gas cap off from so much pressure in the tank. So far, with the elbow rolled out to the passenger side, I haven't had any issues. It's also winter so we will see what the summer does.

I'm not real sure there's much other options. I'd have to tuck it right up against the floor to go over the axle and out the back beside the gas tank on the passenger side, but I'm not sure there is enough room at bump (second thought it looks like there is just looking at the pics) If it becomes an issue I'll have to investigate more into better routing.

[yikes]

I went through the frame. Worked out well. Used a flange and gasket on either side. No major increase in resonant harmonics. Never vapor locked after that.

[1Hondalover]

If you're not running the Cats you can stop reading now. If you are, consider scrapping the muffler and turning out before the rear tire. I did this on our Street Bronco following the advice of some here and it works out very well. Never too loud, but makes a fun little roar if I mash it.

This Bronco has to stay with bolt-on parts for eventual resale, so I didn't go through the frame like Brian and others have done.

IMG_1103 (Large).JPG (282.04 KiB) Viewed 2167 times

IMG_1098 (Large).JPG (280.29 KiB) Viewed 2167 times

IMG_1097 (Large).JPG (239.4 KiB) Viewed 2167 times