87 Full Size - A Solo Man's Solo Build Story

entity-unknown · Post by **entity-unknown** » Tue Feb 25, 2020 2:49 am

Mmmmm travel! And there's some wheels! But damn that camber is F'd! I still trailed it

entity-unknown · Post by **entity-unknown** » Tue Feb 25, 2020 2:52 am

How do you celebrate a newly install suspension kit? With a coolant and oil leak from the timing cover! Replaced the chain and well... I've been painting everything so let's paint everything!

entity-unknown · Post by **entity-unknown** » Tue Feb 25, 2020 2:55 am

MF'ER!!!!! Yeah I say that a lot.... The engine block is cancerous and I had to fix a few of the water pump bolt holes....

entity-unknown · Post by **entity-unknown** » Tue Feb 25, 2020 2:58 am

Well, I "fixed" it. Honestly a new block is in my future and this is not rebuildable BUT it's a 302 so I'll run it till it dies (or when I'm funded enough to replace it )

Either way I finished that nightmare and got to take her out for the first time and overcome her first obstacle

entity-unknown · Post by **entity-unknown** » Tue Feb 25, 2020 3:05 am

Remember I had to cut the exhaust? Well a downpipe was recommended and not a bad idea. Well I had to TIG weld this in while I was in the most uncomfortable position possible. I did NOT do a good job but it was exhaust so I started with the idea it won't look good BUT if it's sealed/welded with no leaks then I guess it's good enough. And it is! It's pretty quiet but a bit more throaty then the factory. I like quiet and deep

The alignment has been F'd but I finally fixed it. Solo sent me the wrong springs for the coilovers. It was 550 over 450 where I needed and they usually do 450 over 350. Once I got the right springs, I was able to get the camber in correct with about .75 positive camber using the MOOG adjustables.

entity-unknown · Post by **entity-unknown** » Tue Feb 25, 2020 3:10 am

I'm still touchin up the alignment so we'll see how good it gets but since all this I've done a few trails and overall I'm satisfied

Took a good trail run at Sycamore Creek doing 25-45MPH average but being safe enough for the blind turns and oncoming traffic. VERY Happy with my final results despite some more tuning but that was expected since it's a highly tunable setup and I only just finished the "basics of the install".....

Either way here's where I left off just before I had a transmission leak that turned into now a 3 week project................................. Should have the pan on tomorrow I hope

:/

P.S. F' those thumb screw hose clamps. I have a coolant leak from those I get to fix every few hours of run time too..... Those are goin to the recycling bin for sure!

entity-unknown · Post by **entity-unknown** » Sun Mar 01, 2020 1:17 pm

So the AOD pan turned into a nightmare. I had the B&W deep AL pan and the threads stripped on my first real oil change. It's just a POS casting and when you're on a trail, cast AL is NOT what you want. As some intelligent person once said(paraphrased):
Steel may dent but you probably get to go home.
Aluminum will crack and you're screwed.

So the hunt for the steel AOD pan led to the a good friend, Brian, at Brian's Bronco Restoration. I got my pan and welded in a drain bolt/bung then added a transmission cooler gauge from VDO to match my other gauges. I still have to install the gauge BUT things are in. I TIG brazed with SiBr for the bronze threaded NPT adapter for my VDO temp gauge. I didn't screw that up and it's tight

While filling things up, I remember and got to re-remember the AOD doesn't register fluid well but when it does, it fills fast. So I was about 1/4 to 1/2 quart over full. I needed to drain some fluid but didn't want to break the paint/seal on my drain bolt so I opt'd to suck the fluid out from the dipstick tube. So many good puns......

I bought a Mighty-Vac years ago to do my brakes but that thing sucked because it couldn't suck/hold vacuum. The tubes it came with didn't even fit the parts it included so I had to buy separate tubes. Well, the POS never worked regardless especially the catch can.

So now I'm here and I'm tired of buying new shit just to fix a dumb lil thing. So let's use the tools I have

I hot glued the top of the Mighty-Vac catch can so it can hold vacuum, got some tube, shoved the tube down the dipstick tube, hooked it up to the shitty catch can and tried the Mighty-Vac..... Useless!!!! I could suck this thing off myself better than it can and I'm an amateur

Either way, I had an epiphany.... Use my vacuum pump for my HVAC and just push the tube to the intake port and it might suck.... It sure did! Fluid levels are good so now it's all about a test drive after another inspection to make sure it's not leaking at least while at idle.

What hurts the most is spending nearly 1 year and too much money to say and all those parts are installed and working but some other POS thing has to come up i.e. my AOD leaking just cuz life......

https://youtu.be/Dh663cR7Irw

entity-unknown · Post by **entity-unknown** » Sun Mar 01, 2020 1:20 pm

The video posted above is me using the vacuum pump and shows I fixed my issue 10x faster than it took to complain about it

hobbyturnedobsession · Sun Mar 01, 2020 5:52 pm

I've heard of guys doing that to ac systems instead of a vacuum pump. I hear it'll work in a pinch so why wouldn't it for fluid. Hell power vac the front brakes.

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Becks_Bronco · Post by **Becks_Bronco** » Mon Mar 02, 2020 10:50 am

Nice man! Time for 35's!

entity-unknown · Post by **entity-unknown** » Thu Mar 05, 2020 9:58 am

Hobby: Doin the brakes actually sounds like a good use for this too! It's always nice to use a tool for more than 1 thing

Beck: Thanks man! Everyone keeps sayin 35s

These are new 33s with the nipples still on the tread so I'll be usin em up first then I'll go that extra inch of clearance

Becks_Bronco · Post by **Becks_Bronco** » Thu Mar 05, 2020 11:10 am

entity-unknown wrote:Hobby: Doin the brakes actually sounds like a good use for this too! It's always nice to use a tool for more than 1 thing
Beck: Thanks man! Everyone keeps sayin 35s These are new 33s with the nipples still on the tread so I'll be usin em up first then I'll go that extra inch of clearance

Good call! Mine is on a 2" lift with 33's, and when the 33's are done, that's when i'll do coilovers, C&T etc. for 35's.

entity-unknown · Post by **entity-unknown** » Mon Mar 09, 2020 2:47 am

You def have a clean lookin Bronco

Those C&Ts will lift you up front but just relocating the rear leaf spring shackle down so the top holes of the shackle bolt into the former bottom holes of the frame and drill 2 new holes and you'll be sittin at 4"+ all around. If you keep your lift blocks (assuming that's what you have) you'll be 2" higher so prob a 6" lift total in the rear.
With my 33s, I still rub the radius arms after C&T so 35s will probably be worse but like stock, it's only at full lock now so 35s prob won't be too bad. There's suggestion of wheel spacers or new rims with the proper offset. In (limited) experience, I only need full lock rarely for a moment and usually it actually hurts me vs. helps.... So there's that

Nothin is certain, every situation is different, blah blah

Becks_Bronco · Post by **Becks_Bronco** » Mon Mar 09, 2020 8:39 am

All stock rear on my Bronco. The 2" coil up front is more or less just a leveling kit.

entity-unknown · Post by **entity-unknown** » Tue Mar 10, 2020 6:27 am

Even better so the sky's the limit then

entity-unknown · Post by **entity-unknown** » Sun Mar 15, 2020 9:38 pm

Ok maybe not Bronco related but this was fun. I have this fire suit so I can stand in basically a lake of fire (professional reasons) BUT what a perfect time to bust it out when hittin up Walmart, Walgreens, and Safeway right now

It was awesome but I'm thankful people found it hilarious vs. freaking out so society has not collapsed yet.

hobbyturnedobsession · Mon Mar 16, 2020 4:21 am

Lol I bet no one says a thing when you walk out with a cart full of tp.

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djyaz · Post by **djyaz** » Wed Jul 22, 2020 9:34 am

Great build, thank you for posting! I'm about to start this same project and appreciate all the detail!