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Project: Amazing Grace


adsm08

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Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Tire Size
31X10.50X15
Well, I took it for a little run tonight, so that I didn't try to leave for work Monday and get a nasty surprise. Had a few problems.

The exhaust leaks like a sieve, which I knew was going to happen because I stripped one of the Y-pipe to cat bolts and didn't have anything around that would make a suitable replacement. That will be fixed tomorrow.

I had a nasty nasty scraping shshhshshkkk kinda noise that didn't seem to be related to ground or engine speed, then I figured out the radio was on and set to a frequency that nobody broadcasts on around here. It was radio static

Then after I turned the radio off I noticed a really odd tick tick tick noise, it was def rotational. I was afraid that it might have been something wrong with the one CV joint in the drive shaft since I put enough stress on it to tear the boot before I broke down and took the trans out.

Got home and peeked under just to look for new drips and saw this:





One of the old main bearings from my 4.0 rebuild was flattened out and wedged in the tire treads. I haven't driven it again since I took the bearing out, but I'll bet that was my ticking noise.
 


adsm08

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Make / Model
Ford
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4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Tire Size
31X10.50X15
New seats, center console "installed". It's sitting in there, not bolted down, wires for the info center are run under the carpet, but not plugged into the dash yet. I want to fix the fuel gauge before I plug it in anyway.

These are, bar none, the most comfortable seats I have ever had in a car. These might need to go in the Ranger instead.


 

jhammel85

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They look like newer seats? Maybe even GM? They look like the seats out of our Saturn Vue. They aren't comfy though so I doubt it, lol.
 

adsm08

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Engine Size
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Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Tire Size
31X10.50X15
Did a few little maintenance items this week. Got new hatch struts on her Thursday night, now I can take things in and out of the back without propping the hatch on the spare tire.

Today I took her down to work and got into some more involved stuff, flushed out the brake fluid (it looked like lager coming out, eww), put two new parking brake cables in and rotated the tires. Now she has a working parking brake for the first time since I have owned it and the brakes feel so much better.
 

adsm08

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4WD
Tire Size
31X10.50X15
Wow, I haven't done anything to this for over a year. At the last post on 2/22/14 I was getting ready to run her out on a 500 mile trip. She did wonderfully.

Those brown seats went away. They were really comfy but looked stupid (I was going to get them reupholstered) and they didn't leave any room in the back. I was down at Ford Carlisle back in April and ran across a full set of the two-tone blue BII seats, with front buckets, $50. Those went in as soon as I got home.

Here is the boy driving the BII. This is actually kind of old, probably from the end of last summer.

Anyway, I am starting to loose the 1st and 2nd gear syncros. She just doesn't want to shift cold. Sooo.... Tranny time. She is getting an M5OD and 1354M. The trans is actually the original one off the 2.9 I put in two years ago, I am in the process of converting it to 4x4. I tore it down today (sorry no pics) and the post office left one of those pink slips saying they need me to go down and sign for the parts today. Should have a trans by dinner time on Friday.

I am also modding the T-case because I want that stupid CV drive shaft GONE.

T-case and a second front yoke from Cobra Trans:


Output flange gone:


Double cardan yoke on the back:


Then I robbed a companion flange off an Explorer shaft I had laying around and put it on the axle end of a front drive shaft. I think it's the right length (I know it's close). If not I can throw the old yoke on and put the CV shaft back in to drive while I get it fixed.
 

97RangerXLT

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Engine Size
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Transmission
Automatic
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
2"
Tire Size
31"
I like the seats, and that is an awesome pic of your boy driving.

keep postin' the pics :)

AJ
 

adsm08

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Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Tire Size
31X10.50X15
I present Franken-tranny.

2.9L M5OD 4x4 with BW1354 equipped for double-cardan rear output. Should go in Saturday.




Anybody want a 2wd output shaft and tail housing?
 

adsm08

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Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Tire Size
31X10.50X15
Got Franken-trans installed today. I till have to get the shifter boot bezel screwed down tight, but I need to make a new plate first. Big hole in the floor and all. But it did fix the cruise control.

I had to switch back to the regular output flange and use the CV driveshaft because the double cardan one was too long. I'll have to grab another one (needed another one anyway) and get it shortened about 2".
 

adsm08

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Ford
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Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Tire Size
31X10.50X15
Well, here it goes again. Circumstances have left me in a pinch with vehicles and the easiest fix was putting an engine in the BII.

The truck runs great, but the tail lights keep popping fuses. I narrowed it down to the rear lights, but that's still a ton of wire to run.

So Friday I blew out of work at noon, drove two hours, and according to my son "broke red truck".



He is pretty mad at me for that.


Anyway, the engine in the Bronco was fine, I'm pretty sure the problem was in the wiring because it is so intermittent. But I'm not likely to find a 2.9 harness in any sort of usable shape, and I'm not building one from scratch. I could, but I won't.

So....




4.0 BII. No, not that guy Ben that used to hang around here, but kinda like that.

I have the truck patched together and working for now, but this fix doesn't survive rail-road crossings, so that's not good. I have the y-pipe and starter to install yet, and I need to fab up my harnesses yet. I'm hoping to have it driving by dinner time this coming Friday.


Also, for anyone who is interested, if you have to open your AC system long-term the threads that attach the drier to the evap core and the threads that hook the suction line that runs from the drier to the compressor are the same, so you can just loop that line around in an figure eight and screw it to the drier and seal that sucker off from atmosphere so it isn't absorbing a ton of moisture.
 
Last edited:

adsm08

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Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Tire Size
31X10.50X15
Alright, so 9 weeks after I had hoped to have it running I got it started tonight.

I had the usual issues you run into with an engine job, minor leaks and adjustments to make, the wiring is a butt-ugly MESS.

My original harnesses didn't work the way I wanted, and I have so far been unable to source another set. Well when you don't have what you need you just gotta work with what you have. I cut up the 2.9 harness, wired the stuff I took off into the already patch-worked harness that came out of the donor, and crammed it all into the engine bay. If fit poorly in the red truck with the evap box not there, it fits even worse on my BII with the evap box installed. I had to tuck the PCM in next to the blower because I can't get the plug to reach the hole in the firewall. Since the bundle of crap that's in the wrong spot on the 93 harness i'm using right now was taking the space the evap core is in now I have it all tucked into corners and wrapped around the air box and battery, but she runs.

All that's left is to put the hood on and go drive.
 

adsm08

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4WD
Tire Size
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Ok, fun times. I haven't posted in this build, or really done any work on it, for two years.

I drove it for about a year after I got the 4.0 up and running, and then parked it and drove the Explorer for about a year. Sold the Explorer and got the Bronco back out.

I haven't been entirely ignoring this project though. I have been collecting parts. I had a good pair of fenders that I've had for a while, along with a header panel off another B2 that was the same color scheme. I picked up a nice grille somewhere along the line. Then I salvaged the inner fender braces from my old Ranger cab, which are almost entirely rust free. I just ordered a new core support from Jeff's, because I haven't been able to find a good used one. I also just ordered a new fuel tank because I'm not sure where the leak is coming from.

It has had a fuel smell for a while now, any time the tank is at more than 3/4. Well in the time it sat it went from a faint smell at the rear to I can smell it in the driver's seat. I know the lock ring is warped a bit, I am sure the gasket it messed up, I don't know the tank is not rotten. What I do know is that I was able to get a tank, ring, and new gasket shipped for $65.

So now as the parts start rolling in I will start getting the front end straightened out, get the new fuel tank in, and then get some paint rolling.
 

JerryC

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It could be the lock ring is leaking, been there but also get a new grommet for the evap connector fitting on the tank. They get hard as a rock and crack/shrink. For as cheap as it is get the evap fitting too in case it breakable when you try to take it out.
 

adsm08

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Location
Dillsburg PA
Vehicle Year
1987
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Tire Size
31X10.50X15
I have a spare evap fitting from a truck I took apart about two years ago.

I am pretty sure my main issue the the pump gasket not staying in place with the warped lock ring.

However I also had concerns about the tank even before I warped the ring. I have noticed random damp spots on it for years, so it probably has a pin hole or two. Besides, for as cheap as I got the whole tank, hard to say no to just replacing the whole thing.
 

adsm08

Senior Master Grease Monkey
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Location
Dillsburg PA
Vehicle Year
1987
Make / Model
Ford
Engine Type
4.0 V6
Engine Size
4.0
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Tire Size
31X10.50X15
So apparently I do something noteworthy on this about once a year.

My beautiful wife trying to stay out of my picture:






Got the fenders and grill off, found the structure had taken much less damage than I thought. The core support was bent, but all outside the inner fenders, and I was able to straighten out the bent spots with some big channel locks.







Mismatched panels and grill courtesy of my original Ranger.

All in all took about 2.5 hours, but the weather was still kinda miserable, so I wasn't working real fast.
 

ecgreen

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Dunbarton NH
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1989
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Ford Bronco II
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2.9 V6
Transmission
Manual
2WD / 4WD
4WD
Total Lift
3"
Tire Size
33
Well, I took it for a little run tonight, so that I didn't try to leave for work Monday and get a nasty surprise. Had a few problems.

The exhaust leaks like a sieve, which I knew was going to happen because I stripped one of the Y-pipe to cat bolts and didn't have anything around that would make a suitable replacement. That will be fixed tomorrow.

I had a nasty nasty scraping shshhshshkkk kinda noise that didn't seem to be related to ground or engine speed, then I figured out the radio was on and set to a frequency that nobody broadcasts on around here. It was radio static

Then after I turned the radio off I noticed a really odd tick tick tick noise, it was def rotational. I was afraid that it might have been something wrong with the one CV joint in the drive shaft since I put enough stress on it to tear the boot before I broke down and took the trans out.

Got home and peeked under just to look for new drips and saw this:





One of the old main bearings from my 4.0 rebuild was flattened out and wedged in the tire treads. I haven't driven it again since I took the bearing out, but I'll bet that was my ticking noise.
Nice lol
 

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