- Joined
- Feb 23, 2011
- Messages
- 121
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 0
- Vehicle Year
- 1985
- Make / Model
- Ford
- Engine Size
- 2.8L
- Transmission
- Manual
Project: BluRhino
Well about 2 months ago I picked up this 85 bronco II for $1000. She ran decent and I drove it around for about a week before I decided to start "fixing it until it breaks". So I joined up on the forums and looked around did some research and found how much im going to like this now winter/toy vehicle! So much so that im putting the 03 v6 twin turbo stang project on hold (the stang has been my baby since I bought it in o4). and so it begins:
My plans are extensive: 8.8 exploder rear, d35 front with the d44 knuckle swap Truetrak diffs front and rear. Removable hardtop, full internal rollcage, built 351w, custom dash bumpers roof rack, winch setup front and rear, boxed rear frame, bushwacker fender flares front and rear, 35" tsl boggers. and all the odds and ends that will be required.
This is pretty much how she looked when I bought her though the rear wheels wernt with it.
She was puffin a lil smoke when I started her up and shifted so I started into the engine: some pics suck cause they r from phone
The engine didnt look too terrible, dirty and high mileage, when I removed the heads and started into em I found a surprise...a split valve. So I took em to a machine shop and had the heads cleaned up , magnafluxed and a valve job done, all the valve guides were replaced along with new seals.
shiny new heads:
While I had the engine apart I decided to put a 254s grind comp cams in it, little more power and better sound
Installed a new clutch and flywheel as the old ones were shot..the flywheel was cracked all the way around, surprised it didnt disintegrate with my week of driving! Duraspark swap went smooth, got all the wires wired up and the old harness out. After I screwed around with TDC and figuring out the timing I put her back together, btw I have no timing marks on the crank or pully....fun times..ill figure that out later.
Well I started her up: Heres a link to the video:
No timing or tuning set.
Well sounds awesome to me, runs great, i drive it to the end of the road and bring it back....and yeah......the shit hits the fan...she dies
Yeah well to make the next few weeks short and sweet im now rewiring everything cept the lights! Someone had hacked tha harness and royally screwed it up!
For about a week there were wires all over the garage...it was a nightmare....well now ive made this simple schematic of what it should be....simple enough for me to understand haha:
I got pissed/bored of all the wires one weekend and decided to do something seeming simple the rear lift! I had bought a skyjacker class II 6" lift with replacement rear springs. I jacked her up and started on my ill fated project:
Things were going well I got everything off without breakin anything, and got the springs in position put the front bolt in and then attempted to install the rear bolt when WHT it was too big!
So as you can see by the last pic the top bolt is for the front and the other two were from the rear....I ground one down a lil to see if it was the lip that was catching....yeah nope they were just too big. I went and got 4 new ones and they worked fine. Got the left spring on and ubolt lined up with the bracket on and WTH again...the hole where the alignment pin nut sits in was too small....pretty much I was over it for the night....put everything back on dropped it off the jack stands and said screw it on the suspension...for now! Ill do it when it gets back home.
While it was up I dropped the gas tank to change out the sending unit:
Got some parts in today: Msd 6AL-2 ignition box and the blaster coil, the new 100 amp internal regulated alternator, and a adapter for the speedo for eletrical pulse output. Will instal this weekend and hopefully get it running again. The new guages should be here by monday...cant wait heres what they look like:
Autometer American muscle series guages
Well about 2 months ago I picked up this 85 bronco II for $1000. She ran decent and I drove it around for about a week before I decided to start "fixing it until it breaks". So I joined up on the forums and looked around did some research and found how much im going to like this now winter/toy vehicle! So much so that im putting the 03 v6 twin turbo stang project on hold (the stang has been my baby since I bought it in o4). and so it begins:
My plans are extensive: 8.8 exploder rear, d35 front with the d44 knuckle swap Truetrak diffs front and rear. Removable hardtop, full internal rollcage, built 351w, custom dash bumpers roof rack, winch setup front and rear, boxed rear frame, bushwacker fender flares front and rear, 35" tsl boggers. and all the odds and ends that will be required.
This is pretty much how she looked when I bought her though the rear wheels wernt with it.
She was puffin a lil smoke when I started her up and shifted so I started into the engine: some pics suck cause they r from phone
The engine didnt look too terrible, dirty and high mileage, when I removed the heads and started into em I found a surprise...a split valve. So I took em to a machine shop and had the heads cleaned up , magnafluxed and a valve job done, all the valve guides were replaced along with new seals.
shiny new heads:
While I had the engine apart I decided to put a 254s grind comp cams in it, little more power and better sound
Installed a new clutch and flywheel as the old ones were shot..the flywheel was cracked all the way around, surprised it didnt disintegrate with my week of driving! Duraspark swap went smooth, got all the wires wired up and the old harness out. After I screwed around with TDC and figuring out the timing I put her back together, btw I have no timing marks on the crank or pully....fun times..ill figure that out later.
Well I started her up: Heres a link to the video:
No timing or tuning set.
Well sounds awesome to me, runs great, i drive it to the end of the road and bring it back....and yeah......the shit hits the fan...she dies
Yeah well to make the next few weeks short and sweet im now rewiring everything cept the lights! Someone had hacked tha harness and royally screwed it up!
For about a week there were wires all over the garage...it was a nightmare....well now ive made this simple schematic of what it should be....simple enough for me to understand haha:
I got pissed/bored of all the wires one weekend and decided to do something seeming simple the rear lift! I had bought a skyjacker class II 6" lift with replacement rear springs. I jacked her up and started on my ill fated project:
Things were going well I got everything off without breakin anything, and got the springs in position put the front bolt in and then attempted to install the rear bolt when WHT it was too big!
So as you can see by the last pic the top bolt is for the front and the other two were from the rear....I ground one down a lil to see if it was the lip that was catching....yeah nope they were just too big. I went and got 4 new ones and they worked fine. Got the left spring on and ubolt lined up with the bracket on and WTH again...the hole where the alignment pin nut sits in was too small....pretty much I was over it for the night....put everything back on dropped it off the jack stands and said screw it on the suspension...for now! Ill do it when it gets back home.
While it was up I dropped the gas tank to change out the sending unit:
Got some parts in today: Msd 6AL-2 ignition box and the blaster coil, the new 100 amp internal regulated alternator, and a adapter for the speedo for eletrical pulse output. Will instal this weekend and hopefully get it running again. The new guages should be here by monday...cant wait heres what they look like:
Autometer American muscle series guages
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