Ricks Bronco: 1and 1/2

[rookieshooter]

Looking from tailgate into left side of bed. After removing plastic trim from sides, there were metal supports that they were attached to. They have been taken out and grinded smooth. Then I just bought a can of spray bed liner and went to town. I took a piece of diamond plate, broke it so it would go over the bed rail. this is where the side windows were.

That boxed in area near the back is where the gas filler tube is.

 

[rookieshooter]

Made this sheet metal heater box so the Edelbrock valve covers clear These valve covers are higher up so if one wants to put after market stuff, like roller rockers, hmmm. I did completly away with the ac, thats one reason the heater box is small. I want as much horsepower :fire: as possable going to the rear wheels, as far as that goes, to the front wheels also. If I need plush leather seats and Air I'll take the Ex.

 

[rookieshooter]

Can't wait to junk all these wires. When I moved from Md. to Wv I noticed they have a yearly inspection but no emissions test Yea!!! No more 10 miles of vacum lines , no more cannisters, no little gadgets that have 3 letter abbreviations that I don't know what they mean. And best of all NO DAMN COMPUTERS !!!! When you pop (or should I say, it pops its own hood) its like "back to the future" nothing but pure unadulterated engine. Did I mention being able to get to the spark plugs. Hell I won't even use a timing light... advance till it pings turn it back a few clicks.

I think I just had too much coffee

 

[rookieshooter]

This is how I attached the Gas-0-Matic to the over hormonial hood. I actually had to cut the slot below the bracket a little larger. then put a small dab of glue on finger with lock washer and nut then reach in there and place it on cap bolts. For some reason the left side was wider and did not have to cut. One of fords better ideas I quess. You know for some reason when I look out the window this morning, I bet that hood is standing straight up

The hood would be able to stay down...but there is no latch mechanism....taken out for radiator mods. The only way is to put about 10 pounds of weight or stap it down

 

[410Fortune]

Nice pop rivet bracket on that lower support for the gas o matics.
Hey when you remove your wiring send it to me I collect the Ford connectors and I have a new coffee can to fill up hahahaha

Want me to start telling you where all those wires go?

Hey it looks excellent, I say get a bed extender for it, that way you can put a bunch of weight (spare tire, tool box) way way back when you are wheeling.

Also if you are sick of those sagging visors popping you in the head when you turn you can bolt up pretty much any year Explorer visors, including the ones with both side lighted mirrors and double visors

 

[rookieshooter]

OOps, forgot to add pic of lower Gas-O-Matic bracket made out of 4130 Chromemoly... Ya right. I be gone for a while, should have the Dana 35 installed later today. I have some of my beer drinking buddies over giving me a hand or should I say sidewalk superintendants. At any rate they work cheap...its amazing the'll do for two six packs of Pabst Blue Ribbon. Great info on the visors, they were right up there with that damn computer and wireing.

I was refering to those old ones that hang down like a wet noodle. I'll be checking out the salvage yards for those Ex. visors with lights and mirrors. My new girlfriend will like that LOL. pics coming of Dana 35.

 

[rookieshooter]

Got the Dana 35 in. Needs a lot of work done to it. Rotors, calipers, bearings etc.
The tag shows it has 3.73 that will work for now. I'll get better pics tommorrow. I also put in new polyurathane bushings in the radius rods

 

[rookieshooter]

Running out of light. Here is one of the radius rods with new bushing.

 

[rookieshooter]

This is the 302 block bored 30 over. It has a nice cross hatch pattern.

 

[rookieshooter]

New pistons and reconditioned rods and up-graded to ARP rod bolts.

 

[BigDakota]

Darn....Rookie...I had no idea you had all this going on at the same time..!!!!Sounds like something I would do!...
If I ever get to the V8 conversion stage..I will go with the non-computor version also....ignition wire,battery,coil wires and fuel line...The basics

Good luck on your overhaul....What type of pistons are you using with the .30 over bore? High compression or stock pistons with ring compensation?

 

[rookieshooter]

They are standard 30 over pistons,(I'll explain later on how I raised comp) the ring lands are in the stock location. They are not moved up for higher compression like I used to do in my early drag racing days if thats what you mean by ring compensation. My cylinder head/piston/induction system/camshaft combination is for low-end torque. I got rid of the early 1980 heads, casting #D9AE They had the large combustion cham. which lowered comp. ratios and the ex. ports had those thermactor humps in them that impeded ex. flow for emission reasons. My heads are before 1974 which had the 54 cc chambers (higher comp.) compared to 70cc for the 80's heads. As i said this engine is for low-end torqe so there is no need to do a full port and polish job. This will be a carburated engine so i want to keep the intake runners rough to keep the fuel droplets in suspension for better Low end torque. The carb. is going to an Edelbrock Thunder series. With adj. secondaries. The cam will be of the RV type for quick throttlel responce. The most I might do to the heads is to install larger valves like chevy 2.02 intakes...I know, I can hear the boo's now. I thought about titinium valve parts to keep the recipicating weight down but will probably nich that idea cause I dont think I will reach any rpm's that high to even notice any effect. I'll save that money for that neat looking round aluminum gas door you see on the formula indy type cars. Take off the sq. gas door weld in a piece of metal as if your going to shave it then cut in the round on. This mod on a scale of 0 to 10 for off-road performance. about a .5 ha ha I don't want this thing looking like just another Chopped top B11. As far as the ex. pipe dia. probalbly around 2 and1/2. Again to large and you loose that low-end performance. The pressure pulses get all screwed up in to large dia. You want each pressure pulse to fit nicely (lack of better word) so it creates a low pressue area behind it (neg) so it will inturn help pull the next Pressure wave behind it. Picture each wave as a tear drop... with the large end going towards the tail-pipe. The manifold...Edelbrock #2121 non EGR produces a good torque curve from idel to 5500 rpm's

Any way on another subject my son grad. from H.S in a few days. And the big ticket stuff like wheels, tires, diff and tranny mods. are going to be put on hold for a while due to me paying for some higher ed. Remember I am a single dad raising two children, well i guess he's not a child anymore... but I'm HA HA. But a lot of the smaller stuff can get done. This is going to go on at least to next year now. But like 410 said his will never be 100% done and I would like to think the same way.

 

[rookieshooter]

I am using Advanced Adapters motor mounts, and this is the oval hole that they recommend cutting in the frame. They give you a layout on how to do this. I measured and remeasured before doing this. The reason for the slot is when you install motor/tran. you leave the motor mount loose and this give u some leway for fine tuning and then tighten. Those are the stock motor mount holes in bottom left.

 

[rookieshooter]

And here is the Adbvanced Adapters motor mount. They told me that their mounts sets the engine up a little higher then some other Co's. Helps clearance problems oil pan, headers. I have had good luck with their products.... even going back to that 1973 Toyota Land Cruiser I had posted in the Whoops forum. I will use there transfer case adapter also. As far as the oil pan ,I will be using a dual sump to clear the dampning frame that has the motor mounts on it that crosses under engine.

Today I am going some auto stores to try to locat an old Ford van fuel pump that mounts the pump pointing up. This addresses clearance problems with the stock 302 fuel pump. Or price one from L&L for one of their custom ones. I would think Auto Zone would be cheaper. Could always go electrc.

The motor mount shown is on the right side. (pass) You may see that it is stamped L for left. Their instruction sheet for drilling and mounting is as if you are facing the front of the vehical. Just thought I'd add that in there if someone uses their mounts for the first time.

 

[rookieshooter]

My engine builder called this morning and said he turned the crank .0010 under and was ready to be picked-up. After picking the crank and the .0010 over bearings. I installed them. The block besides being bored, was also align-bored to true the crank up to the block. As you can expect it really spins free after torqued down.
I may have the pistons and cam installed this weekend.
I know its a two bolt main, but it will work within the parameters I built it for.

 

[BigDakota]

I think you will have more than enough low end torque..plus all that fresh overhaul horsepower ..The parts your putting together sounds like a good match for what you are looking for in your little old BII.The last engine I actually rebuilt for power was in a 70 Camero SS....LT1 350....and boy oh boy did he go...an easy 300 horses.... ...

I like the carb idea...the only prob with a plain ole' carb is when one is wheeling at severe angles...they tend to run out of fuel...adjust..adjust..adjust.....
..An electric fuel pump would be a good idea.."if you like electrics". Get rid of the mechanical pump..one less thing to steal power from your motor!!
Looks good so far....It definately is never finshed!

 

[rookieshooter]

Yea, I like the electric more and more. Why add any more friction to the engine. I will mount it back near the new gas tank, I think they like to push then pull. With somekind of safty cut-off. I have seen car fires where the electric pump keeps running :fire: Yes I know about the angle problem of the fuel float , even didtribution of fuel and some carbs with fuel coming out. I have had this problem on several of my 4x4's. But I really have to ask myself am I going to really climb like i used 20 or 30 years ago. HELL YA !!!! it would be sacrilege not to... bad back or not. I am going to have a roll bar system and a good restraint system. I am looking into the Edelbrocks EFI port system. I may hit the search forum and see what kind of feedback i can find. If no info, then post a question about it, may be some one knows some one who has one. But any rate the carb will have to do for now. I appreciate your thoughts and every body else's. I like to incoporate them into the project. I get tired of using the I word. Love those Camaros, had one myself.

 

[Kirby N.]

nice!

 

[rookieshooter]

The next few pics were taken early in the project. This is typical of what one would expect to in an early 80's 4x4 after stripped down to bare metal. This was driven in the NE. At this time in the project the welding helmet was on my head more then in the garage. Anyone one who has never done a project, especially an older 4x4 with a lot of rust and holes but wants to...get youself at least a little mig welder. Practice Practice Practice. Drill holes in scrap sheet metal....try filling in the holes, at first the holes may become even bigger....adjust the settings. You will finally get it. I would also highly recommend one of the helmets that are clear and then changes to dark when the arc is struck. Very IMPORTANT make friends with your local HVAC/sheet metal shop. They will become your new best friend. They have the shears and brakes that make it a whole lot easier. Don't get me wrong you can still do it a lot with hand shears and just bending the metal over an edge of some kind.

Prepping hole for patch. note the old spongy motor mount. This is the time to replace them.

patched

behind front seats

time to weld

end of bed

this is the area over tailgate that I had to fab-up for a finished look, and for the tail gate installation. I used the existing latch post for tail gate support

 

[99stocksport]

wow...looks great so far