MY build thread...'88 Bronco II Desert Rat Patrol Edition: MAJOR update 2/23/2025

[Uncle Gump]

I think that radiator is closer to the explorer radiator then the early First Gen.

I bought mine with a Skyjacker lift in place. I know the Rough Country lifts will punch a hole in your front diff in some cases. I think if you take the truck out and play rough with it... all these lifts will fail at some point. It's just how it works.

 

[Peter Griffin]

I think that radiator is closer to the explorer radiator then the early First Gen.

I bought mine with a Skyjacker lift in place. I know the Rough Country lifts will punch a hole in your front diff in some cases. I think if you take the truck out and play rough with it... all these lifts will fail at some point. It's just how it works.

This is fun/project truck for me, I have a Gladiator Mojave (which, not so coincidentally is their first "Desert Rated" Jeep ever) for hammering on in the desert...and a Challenger Hellcat for the street...

 

[Peter Griffin]

Quasi moment of truth here today, first time firing it up since tearing into the cooling system and front end of the motor. I wasn't terrified at the prospect...just slightly nervous.

My hard starting issues allowed me to get the power steering fluid topped off since the motor was turning the pump while cranking obviously. Once the motor fired up and stayed running it was the smoothest idle it's ever had...which made NO sense considering the work I've done to it shouldn't really have made a difference as far as that's concerned, but I'll take it! Initially I thought there wasn't much improvement and although cognizant of the infamous Ford power steering whine I was nonetheless a lil disappointed.

I turned the wheel back and forth a bit and noticed the high pressure hose fitting in the steering box was leaking, which initially concerned me because I was certain that I used German torque spec (Gud-N-Titen-Zee!) on the bolt and had also put a new/lubed O-ring on the hose fitting. Wiped it down with a shop towel and tightened it and it still leaked, but slower. Decided one more have at it and the 1/4 turn I got out of it stopped the leaking. I topped off the fluid and once the aeration subsided and bubbles went away the pump was DEAD quiet...no more fake supercharger whine out of the Bronco!

I saw a gentleman posting about radiator hose issues HERE and noted I was having the exact same experience. I won't regurgitate my response here but the lower Gates universal hose on the lower and the Motorcraft hose on the upper (whose part number corresponds to a LOWER radiator hose...) along with the new thermostat housing, gasket and thermostat were leak free in the brief testing I did, without a fan I couldn't run it too long and plan to install the new Alloy Works radiator with electric fan tomorrow while I continue to (re) flush the system before finally topping it off.

 

[gaz]

RE: ride quality and poly bushings.
I used poly bushings on both of my sway bars, front and rear. No change in ride quality other than greatly increased stability over the trashed rubber bushings.

I'm somewhat sad to say this, but my BII rides noticeably better than my 2022 Badlands Sasquatch 2dr. Quieter too.

@JerryC ,
Ssshhhh, don't let the world know the truth

 

[Peter Griffin]

@JerryC ,
Ssshhhh, don't let the world know the truth

There's a balance when it comes to rubber/polyurethane in suspension components, body mounts, engine/transmission mounts, etc.

My own personal horror story with polyurethane was with a (auto) transmission mount on my F-body Trans-Am. The factory rubber bushing could last for years...or literally fail in a matter of weeks and when it did MAN did you know it; every shift was accompanied by a near sledge hammer like bang that would knock the fillings out your teeth.

I decided to replace it with a polyurethane piece which rectified the banging issue (...are we still doing phrasing?) but resulted in a noticeable increase in NVH...so much so that my wife, who wasn't specifically aware of the issue I had "fixed", commented on it within minutes of going for a ride.

Polyurethane for sway bar bushings, sure...for motor and transmission mounts, probably not. Body mounts...? For those I'm going poly and I'll see whether or not I regret that decision. Noise is an also a typical complaint/issue with polyurethane which can be overcome by proper lubrication (AGAIN, are we still doing phrasing?!) during installation and routine maintenance.

That leaves the rear suspension/leaf spring shackles/mounts, radius arms and axle pivot bushings to contend with (pretty sure I'm probably missing something, that's off the top of my pea-like brain...) which I'll likely do a combination of both to compliment what I think will be a solid/proper suspension (springs/shocks) components so I'll have both a comfortable street ride and capable off-road ride. This vehicle (and my Jeep for that matter) are hardly mall crawlers as I quite literally live desert front and spend a whole lot of time wheeling in some of the most inhospitable environments our fine country has to offer...

 

[Dhaile]

Not getting 30$ ebay specials when it comes to poly helps. I've made that mistake once. Unfortunately they're expensive. Rubber is getting harder to find. I personally prefer poly and have always had good results with it. But again, personal preference. It's not the end all solution that all these companies seem to think it is. I have to replace all the bushings on my B2 as well. They're 35 years old. Amazingly only one looks bad. Although I've had them crumble in my hand when removing them. I think rubber lasts plenty long(depending on your environment I guess). But, I'll end up with all poly except motor mounts. I've never done those in poly. I did it on my truck last summer and it's like a whole new truck. It's so weird.

 

[Peter Griffin]

Another 4 hours or so of wrenching today and got a major issue figured out...while simultaneously creating more work for myself...

Goal was to wrap up the flush/cooling system project and get the fan wired. I installed the new radiator fan assembly and was able to remove the janky hose fittings that were previously used for the transmission cooler lines as this radiator had the proper fittings for the lines to thread into. I snugged them up and immediately upon the engine FINALLY starting (oh, more on that later...) transmission fluid started squired out of where the line adapters were threaded to the radiator, because for some reason completely unbeknownst to me, I decided NOT to check them and sure as you know what...they were loose. Ugh...

It took me literally 20 minutes of cranking before the engine turned over and kept running. It was making NO sense to me, at all. I know the fuel rail pressure is about half of what it should be, but it's run before; just multiple turns of the key to get it actually start.

I already had the lower section of the steering column removed to get rid of this disaster of an alarm system uninstalled:

Apparently it was grounding out and killing the battery, and had been zip tied at the base of the steering column and actually prevented the lower molding from fully seating.

Borderline exasperated at the failure to start (which has been an ongoing issue, just inconsistent) I was sitting side-saddle on the floor (since the interior is gutted) and when I got up to check for leaks, my hand hit the steering column and the car stalled out...

Looking underneath the steering column there was clearly a number of previously spliced/butted wire connections, no doubt from the alarm install. For laughs, I squeezed the wires and tried to start it again...it started right up on the first crank.

It reminded me of a previous test drive when I took it through the desert for a quick rip and noticed the dash warning lights flashing before it stalled out. It took a number of attempts before it finally started. I discovered the battery ground was loose and ASSumed it was the culprit.

Upon further inspection it wasn't individual wire(s) that were loose/shorting; it was the actually harness that was rocking out of the terminal end. Clamping the the harness together with the terminal end bolted to the steering wheel (with the two Torx security screws in the picture) I started and stopped the engine a half dozen on so times before assuming that was the solution, and it clearly was. I didn't have rugged zip ties available, but once I zipped tied it together the intermittent failure to start...stopped. Checkmate!

I thought the wiring harness that came with the electric fan was pretty straightforward, although it came with no instructions. I decided not to use the fan temperature send they included and instead tap the stock as the trigger for the fan. As it slowly heated up I anxiously awaited the thermostat to open and the fan to activate. Nope. Hmmm...

Decided to search YouTube and literally the first search result was for the AlloyWorks electric cooling fan, well how about that! According to the gentleman narrating the video, AlloyWorks asked him to post a tutorial because they had some many complaints/customer service issues about the fan not working. After watching the video I completely understood why and following his instructions I got my wiring mock up to function properly with the fan quietly humming away. I'm actually amazed at how much more quiet the motor is now with the new power steering pump and stock fan deleted with an electric one in its place.

WHEW!

Next I'm gonna wrap up the cooling system with a final flush/fill and make the fan wiring permanent before tackling the fuel and exhaust system...

 

[JerryC]

I don't remember if you mentioned it or not, but you're probably going to need a new alternator. The stock alt is really weak and the e-fan will draw a lot of amps. Autozone used to sell a bolt on 90-ish amp alternator. It puts almost enough amps at idle to run the lights with LED headlights (less draw than halogen), blower motor on full, and the e-fan on with it in gear and the brakes on. That's basically worst case, summer time AC on full blast and stuck in traffic. As soon as you are rolling it has a surplus of amperage.

If you go to stronger alternator you should upsize the alt<->battery wire.

 

[Peter Griffin]

Copy that @JerryC, I was literally JUST looking at the 100-amp one that LMT sells HERE. I'm going with LED headlights too...well, all LEDs actually so that'll help, but like you said that e-fan is pulling 30A so having some extra juice to go around would be nice. A/C and engine cooling are critical when it's +/- 115 here during peak summer temperatures and I don't wanna get caught short...

*EDIT. The one I linked @ LMT is a spicy meatball @ $180 compared to the ones I'm seeing on Rock Auto for half that or less. I'm curious what the stock unit is rated for, Rock Auto is showing 40/60/65/80 amps. Mine has the factory A/C if that makes a difference...

 

[RobbieD]

Good catch on the ignition switch coming apart. It's actually a common problem on older Rangers.

 

[Peter Griffin]

@RobbieD well even the sun shines on a dog's backside some days! I was just lucky that I still had the steering column trim pieces removed and I mistakenly hit it when getting out of the vehicle, otherwise I'd still be chasing my tail!

 

[RobbieD]

My '84 did that, too. Temporary fixed it with a tie-strap. Later, when I went to "replace" or "fix" it, I pushed the plastic terminal block back fully into the pot metal housing, and re-bent the retaining "fingers" on the end of the housing back in place. I added a new tie-strap as a backup, and it's worked fine going on 13 years now.

New replacement parts just aren't as good as the original parts. In general, I'd much rather repair or recondition an original part before I replace something.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Copy that @JerryC, I was literally JUST looking at the 100-amp one that LMT sells HERE. I'm going with LED headlights too...well, all LEDs actually so that'll help, but like you said that e-fan is pulling 30A so having some extra juice to go around would be nice. A/C and engine cooling are critical when it's +/- 115 here during peak summer temperatures and I don't wanna get caught short...

*EDIT. The one I linked @ LMT is a spicy meatball @ $180 compared to the ones I'm seeing on Rock Auto for half that or less. I'm curious what the stock unit is rated for, Rock Auto is showing 40/60/65/80 amps. Mine has the factory A/C if that makes a difference...

I think LEDs wherever you can is always a great idea on an older electrical system. Just make sure to get the blinker module for them so you don’t have hyperflash and that will usually also eliminate the need for resistors on the circuit.

Personally, I’d rather have way more amps than I need out of an alternator. My F-150 is power nothing but the biggest stock alt was 130 amps (short of a custom build, I wanted to be able to walk into any auto parts store and buy a new one) and I ran 4 gauge welding cable for alt and battery connections. I have jump started vehicles with no battery before. Since it was my workhorse, I needed simple.

That said, in your case I would have no objections to getting either an aftermarket alternator, adapting a more powerful alt, or getting a local shop (if there is one around you) that rebuilds electrical stuff to build a hotter one (sometimes they can). Usually what alt came factory depended on options. A basic XL that had power nothing would have the smallest alt. The fully loaded Eddie Bauer would have the largest.

BTW, pretty sure I did the zip tie trick to at least one of these before, glad you found the problem, electrical issues can drive you batty.

 

[4x4junkie]

Copy that @JerryC, I was literally JUST looking at the 100-amp one that LMT sells HERE. I'm going with LED headlights too...well, all LEDs actually so that'll help, but like you said that e-fan is pulling 30A so having some extra juice to go around would be nice. A/C and engine cooling are critical when it's +/- 115 here during peak summer temperatures and I don't wanna get caught short...

*EDIT. The one I linked @ LMT is a spicy meatball @ $180 compared to the ones I'm seeing on Rock Auto for half that or less. I'm curious what the stock unit is rated for, Rock Auto is showing 40/60/65/80 amps. Mine has the factory A/C if that makes a difference...

What I did was swap to a 95A 3G alt from a '90s F-150 (4.9 I6 engine). This brought a massive improvement in power availability (I think mine had the 60A unit originally). The 95A alternator bolts onto the 2.9L V6, but requires very slight modification to the electrical wiring (cutting the white wire to the VR plug and putting a spade terminal on it, along with adding a ring terminal to the battery wire(s)). Also you'll need to swap the pulley with the one from your original alt.

Several here have also swapped in 130A 3G alternators. The 130A unit needs a different upper bracket be used, but otherwise also can be a bolt-in swap (electrical mods are the same as for the 95A alt swap).

Details on fitting the 130A alt here:

130 Amp Alternator Upgrade - The Ranger Station

By: 94xlt4.0 This is how I installed a 130 amp alternator into my ’90 Bronco 2. therangerstation.com and I are NOT responsible for any damage you do to your vehicle by attempting to recreate this swap. Things you’ll need: … Continued

www.therangerstation.com

 

[Peter Griffin]

Woo hoo, thanks @4x4junkie!

It's on the list...which is just fine with me. The more I get into the more I find I can fix/replace/improve/etc. and that's no problem. I don't want to go through all of this work just to short cut something or otherwise ham and egg something. It's a lot easier to work on it now where it's in various states of disassembly and stuff is more readily accessible then when it's all buttoned back up.

Final cooling system flush was clear and nearly drinkable so the new coolant went it. The e-fan is humming along quietly and after idling for 15/20 minutes the thermostat is open and temperature on the gauge is dead horizontal level just below the "M" in "NORMAL". the heat blasts and is hot AF when you turn it on too so the heater core flush was obviously effectively. Nice to to have a reservoir tank that isn't completely trashed and can't even see whether or not anything is even in it too.

Complete new exhaust system and converter are going in along with the fuel system. Unfortunately the intermediate pipe end of the converter has about a 1/4-inch of pipe sticking past the flange, which of course does NOT fit inside of the intermediate pipe and needs to be cut off. Obvious QC defect, which is hilarious because it's stamped that it was welded by so and so in the USA. Would have taken them seconds to clean up their mess; now I gotta dig out the Sawz-All and grinder to clean up their mess...I expected as much and it's all part of the process of course, what fun would it be if everything was plug and play like it says it's supposed to be!