Long time no update...well, there isn't really anything to update. I've been really busy and haven't much time to work on the Bronco. I also haven't had much money to spend on parts either. The wife and I really want to get the hell out of her parent's house, so I've been banking all the extra money I can to buy a house.
Some minor updates though: I noticed my rear defroster doesn't work. Turns out that adhesive kit I used to glue the tab back on the window is crap, and doesn't conduct electricity, even though it's specifically designed for that one and only purpose. I followed the instructions to a T, and it doesn't work.
So, I'll fix that eventually.
I noticed the defroster button didn't light up with the rest of the dash lights. I had to do some research and find out which special weird bulb it uses and ordered an LED replacement off eBay. It works great now.
Since I had to take the dash bezel off to do that, I thought about the rest of the dash lights. The AC/heater controls look pretty dim. I'm going to take it apart and see if any bulbs are burnt. I ordered 10 LED bulbs and will test them out in the AC controls and the instrument cluster. If I like them, I'll keep them in there. If not, I'll go back to incandescents.
Also, while I have the bezel out, I decided to do something about the now-useless 4wd buttons on the dash. Finding a dash bezel without the hole for the buttons is basically impossible, so I fabricated a panel to cover up the hole where the buttons were. I then bought a little rocker switch and mounted it to that panel. This switch will be used for an amplifier that I will eventually install.
The dash is still taken apart. I just finally received the LED bulbs yesterday (all the way from China) so now I can finally start getting it back together.
I have a small oil leak that I think is coming from either the oil pan gasket or the rear main seal. The oil pan is also really rusty and I'm worried about it eventually rusting all the way through and leaking all my oil out and destroying my engine ahhh!!!
So I bought a new oil pan, oil pan gasket, and rear main seal. Replacing these parts requires removing the engine, or at the very least, jacking the engine up a few inches. I don't really have the equipment, patience, or even time to do all that, so I'll probably have a shop do it. I think I will take the truck to the local transmission shop, have them diagnose that weird rattling sound coming from the trans, and also replace the oil pan/rear main while they have it. I'm not sure when I'll do that though, as I'm sure it will cost several hundred dollars that I can't really afford to spend right now.
That's all for updates. I'll try to get some pics of the dash work soon.