v8 swap in a 1984 bronco II

[88ranger2.3]

Ok. I have gotten the bronco and driven it around for a little bit and now it is time to start working the kinks out of the upcoming v8 swap. Hopefully I will be able to turn this thread into a build thread of the swap.

Here's the first picture I took of it once I owned it...

But first, I have the questions to deal with. My bronco is a 2.8 C5 4x4. I am curious about some of the parts I got. I got a package deal on a set of mounts, headers and a be cool aluminum radiator. I priced the radiator and mounts and they are worth what I paid. I am not sure about using the headers. They are Hedman Headers part number 89500's. If I understand what I have been reading they work on 2wd's, but are a problem on 4x4 vehicles. Is this correct?

The other question is do Tri-Y headers from the shelby's fit 4x4's? I have searched it and haven't found much in the way of a definite answer yet about it. It looks like the exhaust would run into the transfer case, but not sure as to how far the headers go back.


Also I have heard that econoline vans of the early 70's had a mechanical fuel pump that would work and clear the frame/steering on the bronco, so I went down to napa and picked up a pump for a 72 econoline van with a 302 and power steering. I am sure it is not going to work.

Here are the pictures of the pump. I am taking it back probably monday. I am thinking of just ordering the one from advanced adapters, but it is pretty expensive.

Does anyone know the right pump that will fit for the swap?

I am also trying to find a 157 tooth C4 bell if anyone has one around...

 

[88ranger2.3]

Ok. Went back to the local napa and spent 30 minutes trying to figure out what pump I had gotten and what one I needed. It appears the number of the right pump has been superseded with a different number and the napa guy couldn't hook me up with the pump I needed. I decided to give autozone a chance and they asked the right questions right off about whether I needed one for power or manual steering and then said "It is the upside down pump right?"...

I ordered it and should be in on the 27th. I will plan on posting part numbers for it and running past napa before I use it and see if they can cross reference to get good numbers for anyone else that may have to do this too.

I also picked up the rebuild kit for the edelbrock carb for the 302 motor.

 

[ChrisR1S]

What Trans do you plan on using? I currently have a set of Headmans and they fit everything fine the way my motor is set up, other than dumping into my slave. So yeah theyll prob be resold. Im thinking about going with the swap headers by James Duff..
Oh and Tri-ys; i've thought about them several times, but havent convinced myself to buy a set yet. So far in my search NO ONE has had proof of them fitting a 4x4. But i havent really seen much proof that they wouldnt work either

And any particular reason you want to use a mech. pump instead of an electric?

 

[88ranger2.3]

Planning on running the c5 but swapping to a 157 tooth bellhousing and C4 torque convertor and valvebody.

The only parts I am lacking are hedders (if the 89500's wont work) transmission pieces, and oil filter kit from jegs.

I got the 302 running great in the mustang ready to go in. Just need to put the Carb kit in the edelbrock yet to square it away. The motor has set for probably 7 years but is ready to go...

 

[Boggin]

you can use the stock exhaust manifolds from a 70s f150. sloue on here done it heres his pics

 

[coryg]

i have 5.0 explorer manifolds on mine. might want to check and see if you cant use a set like those.

 

[Mac]

i have 5.0 explorer manifolds on mine. might want to check and see if you cant use a set like those.

The Explorer manifolds work in just about any swap. The tube type are junk but the cast iron ones have to be better than the old log style manifolds. You can pick them up on E-Bay for $120, brand new. If you're staying with a mild motor, they ought to work as a cheap way out. Have to check on what C-4 parts I still have laying around.
Dave

 

[88ranger2.3]

I don't think the motor is to hot a set up, but it is awefully peppy. Just a 302 with a better can, intake and Carb. It ran real nice in the mustang. Just had short tube headers in the stang

 

[PetesPonies]

That fuel pump is a 60s 289 piece. It has the replaceable filter in the cannister. I believe they stopped them in SBs around '65, but some FEs got them for a few more years.

 

[88ranger2.3]

Finally doing the swap...

I figured I would dig the old post up and just post the rest of it now that I am getting it done... (NOTE... I will edit and add the rest of the pictures a little later today when I get some more time...)

The plan was to not spend a dime on the crappy 2.8... I had it making a milk shake on a pretty regular basis in the radiator (so I assume it either had a bad head gasket or cracked head). I continued to drive it and collected the needed parts. Finally about 2 weeks ago I had had enough when it blew a radiator hose so it was time for the swap.



I had actually bought motor mounts and headers, which in the end didn't work anyways. Probably be posting them up for sale before too long.

No real use for them now unless I score a decent 2wd ranger...



So here is what I have done so far.

Pulled the motor out of the donor car...

The car is a pretty nice body really, but just didn't want to mess with all the wiring that had been removed. Probably going to sell the shell or part it out. Haven't really decided.

I have, since I got the mustang, swapped on a HEI style distributor with a 1 wire 12 volt hook up to simplify wiring. I also used the mustang body as a test platform for testing and tuning the motor and carb. I rebuilt the carb before I pulled the motor too.

Here is a general view of the engine hanging from the cherry picker.

The intake is an edelbrock RPM performer.

I then had to figure out how to remove the damn pilot bushing... I have had problems with these before, but no more...

I remember reading somewhere about a guy using grease to pump them out and also about wet paper and a hammer... I didn't much care for the idea of the mess the grease would make so I took some wet paper towels and stuffed them into the back of the crank through the pilot busing hole.

I don't have any pictures of that but I do have a few of the progress.

Really a clean and simple way to get that bushing out. I just used probably 3 paper towels and an old Taiwan 3/8" extension and wrapped electric tape around the big end to get a good seal and then took my 3 pound sledge and gave it a few good whacks. Then pack more wet paper towels in and repeat and it just works right out like a hydraulic cylinder.

The next problem was to track down a set of old ford manifolds. I found some on a former derby car. about a 73 torino.

They had the 90 degree bends pointed up out of the hood, while not a useful thing for me... the bends should work perfect for a start to my exhaust system.

I also ran into a snag when I realized the engine in the mustang while being a mid 70's vintage had a 3 bolt harmonic balancer. I decided to swap it for the one off the old derby car to get a 4 bolt one so I would be able to swap in the serpentine drive system off of the F150 sitting around collecting dust.

I made up plates for the original motor mounts that located the engine such that the transmission is in it's original place.

INSERT PICTURE HERE

Once I got to this stage I started to get in a hurry and ended up not taking enough pictures, but I removed the original engine, swapped in C4 parts into the C5 transmission, and gutted the wiring out for the original computer.

Then I started to drop the motor in after installing a few new components.

So far I am doing everything as a 1 man operation, which is a slow process... work, work, work, go groan and moan about a bashed this or that... have a beer... go work some more... go spend some time with the wife so I can sleep in the bed... get up moan about some back pain... get back to work...

BUT, as of last night the engine is on the mounts, transmission is bolted up with all the torque convertor nuts torqued up, driveshafts are in, and the transmission linkage has been modified and installed.

Hopefully I will get my fuel pump I need today at auto parts and my water pump is supposed to be in tomorrow so then the FEAD can get buttoned up and I can bend up the fuel supply line to the carb. I am going to probably swap on the F150 valve covers yet. I guess this is enough for today's post.

Let me know what you think or if you have questions.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

That's looking good.
I can relate to the working alone, moan, bitch, talk to the wife so i can sleep in our bed scenario. I just pulled the 4.0, tranny, and t.c. out of my '91 Ranger [worked all day Sunday until 2:30 this morning] and it's not as easy as it used to be 35 years ago.
Keep updating as I have subscribed, I want to do a similar swap in my other '85 b-II.

 

[88ranger2.3]

Got the F150 alternator's pulley off and put on the bronco's original alternator today. Just a simple job of Impact gun VS. pulleys...

Impact Gun won...

So I am sticking with the stock alternator and voltage regulator for now... Later on I may put on an upgraded alternator when I install lights from the other bronco...

 

[PetesPonies]

When I did my '84, I completely did away with the shifter bellcrank and linkage. I fabbed one of the original rods to work directly from the shifter to the trans lever. Its the way it should have been . . lousy bellcrank. What did you do?? Did you find a way to mount the bellcrank with the new bellhousing?

 

[88ranger2.3]

When I did my '84, I completely did away with the shifter bellcrank and linkage. I fabbed one of the original rods to work directly from the shifter to the trans lever. Its the way it should have been . . lousy bellcrank. What did you do?? Did you find a way to mount the bellcrank with the new bellhousing?

I probably did the same as you... I took the original shift to bellcrank linkage and used a vice and torch to heat and straighten the linkage then shortened it like 8 inches. Then it is a simple adjustable linkage.

It is a bit tight fit into the shifter arm on the transmission, but no slop in linkages now...

 

[88ranger2.3]

This evening's work...

I had to run to NAPA twice this evening. I picked up the fuel pump for a 1973 torino which I suspected wouldn't fit, but was going to pick it up and bring it home to look at it. As suspected it didn't fit, so a trip to town and a discussion with the parts guy later I had what he had found by opening boxes... I will check the part number and post it up later on, but I have a normal (not inverted) fuel pump that with a little tweaking of the intake side of the pump clears the steering box and doesn't interfere with the oil filter remote mount.

I am not 100% it is going to work once the engine torques up a little, but I plan to add a torque arm to minimize the issue.

I also took some time to bend up a 'temporary' fuel line out of copper to see what I would need to do clear all the brackets, a/c parts, carb, and distributor. I am not dead set on the layout, but it appears to clear all of the above.

I also did some modifications to the stock 1991 F150 serpentine power steering bracket. It took SEVERAL fittings, trim, check, repeat cycles to get it to clear the fuel pump and the fuel line, but now it appears to all fit up pretty clean.

This isn't the exact final stage of the grinding, but you get an idea of where it needs to have material removed.