What have you done to your Bronco today? (v.2)

[75DBE]

HAH! I will be out in Delta in a couple of weeks -- those would be awesome! I will send you a PM with my contact info and I will call when we are out that way!

[ClayJ]

got my Tuffy glove box installed and filled it up with gas.

Are you sure you read the instructions for that glove box right?

[rdanford]

got my Tuffy glove box installed and filled it up with gas.

Are you sure you read the instructions for that glove box right?

Yeah, went from a BCB 23-Gal to a Tuffy 1/2-Gal...its reliable now

[Gunnibronco]

I finally have something to post here. After taking a few months off, for work & remodel, I broke into the Bronco again. Unfortunately, this is to make a repair, not to add a cool new upgrade.

I pulled the driveshafts, twin sticks, exhaust, & speedo cable. Getting ready to pull the t-case & trans to get at my throwout bearing. At least that is what I'm hoping I'm after. I'm going to look at my clutch and flywheel while I'm in there. I don't think the clutch will need replaced. I bought my truck with a failing clutch, and it was my first repair. The clutch is a Centerforce Gold and has less than 25,000 miles. But those same 25,000 miles have ruined a t/o bearing, apparently. I actually have a clutch & thowout bearing in inventory so replacing it wouldn't be too painful.

Had to abandon the Bronco and go help set up hunting camp. 2 large canvas wall tents that will serve as home to various hoodlums and rednecks over the next few months.

Going back out to the garage to get back at it.

[Gunnibronco]

So much for the "just a throwout bearing" theory.

[Jesus_man]

Ouch, what do you think happened Chad? Some of the fingers missing?

[Gunnibronco]

All of the fingers have worn most the way through. Some of them are gone all together. Looks like the throwout bearing was machining through the fingers. The t/o bearing must have been bad (it does have side to side slop), and not spinning. Not sure if it was doing this while engaged or released. I never felt anything wierd, until a few weeks ago I felt a weird click in my clutch pedal. Ever since, when I depress the clutch pedal, it would vibrate or pulse.

I hope it was just a bad throwout bearing slowly working through the pressure plate fingers. I can't use the factory clutch settings and get a decent pedal. So I just adjust it so I like how it feels. The last few years I felt that I had to keep adjusting the clutch more often than I should. It wasn't the clutch material, but the fingers that were wearing away.

[Justin]

Fabbed up a custom mount for my CB antenna. Please note the high precision "hit it with a hammer" fabrication and signature "extra chunky" welding style.

[Jesus_man]

Justin,

That looks pretty darn good. My mirror mount is the same way, bent in a vice with a hammer. Adds character to an already cool rig!

[Justin]

Thanks! It wont be visible, so I wasnt too worried about it looking perfect.

[Kinder]

JB'd what was left of my driver side flare back on after ripping it off on a rock, good thing my rig isn't pretty.

[Gunnibronco]

Picked up a resurfaced flywheel with brand new ring gear. My ring gear was in terrible shape. I'm surprised I wasn't having problems.

Need to figure how to get the pilot bushing out. Or just go borrow the right tool.

[Gunnibronco]

Going to try the "bread" method, sounds interesting.

[Justin]

Finished up installing my nifty new CB antenna mount. Now to figure out where I put the mounting bracket for my Cobra 29 LTD....

[Colorado75bronc]

Looks cool man I like it Justin

[DLB]

That cb antenna mount is great idea!

[Gunnibronco]

Some good luck! Carquest had both sizes of pressure plate bolts in stock. Mr Gasket #911 (5/16")is what I bought. Now I can put it back together. I've been cleaning up & looming the EFI wiring, and OBA tube while the driveline was out. I also re-adjusted the fuel lines I gorilla adjusted when I did my EFI. So much nicer working without the tcase, trans, & cross member in the way. It was a real mess under there, its not much better now, but its tollerable. Also wrapped some heat/abrasion resistant stuff (stolen from my Explorer & F250 motors)around the fuel & brake lines in vulnerable spots. Not real pretty, I admit.

Also here is a cool product I bought years ago, but only recently installed. Its an aluminium "cooler" that clamps around the oil filter. It never fit with a mechanical fuel pump. I bought it from Pelican Parts (Porsche parts), it made a signifcant difference in my 911 oil temps (but it is pumping all 14qts/min through the filter), so I figured it couldn't hurt to put one on the Bronco. I went looking for them on Pelican's web site & it looks like they don't sell them anymore.

[crawlercreations]

Lost some weight and made the mini interior feel a little bigger...



Still have to finish install, install the passenger side and paint them.

[75dlydrvr]

Looks great!

[akaFrankCastle]

Towed my neighbor's Windstar up the hill so he could roll it down the street, up the driveway, and in to the clearing on the side of his house. And I don't even live in the ghetto.

Parts run to Valentino's to drop off a windshield. Ask him how he broke his.

Short little cruise down to Manitou Springs and downtown. Hippies might have poor taste in music, clothes, and bathing habits but based on the numbers of I got from dread locked, tie dyed, "occupiers", I'd say they have decent taste in vehicles.

[Gunnibronco]

The last few days have been pretty productive.

Friday, I met 76DBE's MIL and handed off a bunch of my parts, to take to the Springs. I kinda cringed when I loaded 2 rear leafsprings, 2 front coil springs, and a set of stock exhaust manifolds into the trunk of a Toyota. I watched the rear end drop a couple inches. I bet her gas mileage was better going back to Delta!

Saturday I finally got back to work on my truck. I took a little time to polish up the clutch fork and throw out bearing pivot points. Installed the new pressure plate bolts, and bellhousing.

Since I couldn't get my trans in by myself, I tore into my rear suspension. When I installed my f/w axles, I did not get the shock mounts in the right spots, and they were twisting and cracking the frame, I also blew one shock on Chinaman's last fall. I've been running 1 rear shock ever since, I think I've gotten used to it. I mounted the rear shocks forward of the axles (stock mounts), and I put the lower mount too close to the spring pack. Last night I cut off all four of my rear shock mounts, I also pulled my spring retainer plates & drilled out the center holes to fit my WH leafspring pin. I'm moving the axle forward 1" (back to stock), the new WH leafs are taller/flexier than my old ones ever were, and the driveshaft was too short with the new springs & the axle 1" back.

Today, I drilled out the rear axle spring perch, center holes, to fit the WH springs, and reinstalled my axle in the "stock" location. I need to make a new breather hose, it is too short for the new springs too. My friend came over and helped install the trans & tcase. So the heavy lifting is done. Still need to install the exhaust, driveshafts, shifter boots, secure some EFI loom to the firewall, and probably a few things I'm forgetting. I'm going to go to my friend's house some evening this week and weld the cracks in the frame, and the shock mounts back in. The shock mounts are probably very temporary, I think I'm going to upgrade to some long travel shocks and updated taller mounts. But it will be good to have 4 working shocks for hunting season. Also my wiring, brake, fuel, and OBA lines are all organized a little cleaner.

This is the first real project I've taken on in my garage since I left the body shop. I've got my 60gal/5hp air compressor rocking, and with the tools I accumulated working at the shop, man things really move a long quickly.

Also, today, 76MIL came back through and dropped me off a nice gas tank, and Explorer upper manifold, thanks to Zach and John.

[Gunnibronco]

I drove it for the first time in a few weeks.

Last night I got the driveshafts all greased and installed. Filled the tcase & trans, checked most the other fluids. Topped a few off.

This morning I did a quick once over, primed the fuel system, and fired it up.

The new clutch is MUCH lighter than the old Centerforce Gold that came out. I liked the heavy feel of the Centerforce. You could really feel it engage. I'm sure I'll get used to this one. I need to make a little adjustment and I think it will be set right.

Still a few odds and ends to get done. Reinstall rear shock mounts, longer rear breather hose, lube/check the front end, and tie up a little of the EFI loom in the engine compartment. I'm happy I spent some time cleaning up the wires & plumbing when I could.

After I fired it up, I used my Bronco's winch to help unload my 2nd delivery of Plymouth parts. Sweet!

[75DBE]

After a crazy day yesterday, I am going to work on the 75DBE in between NFL games and NASCAR and install the exhaust manifolds that I received from Gunnibronco -- thanks Gunni. Also going to get a bolt into the bottom of the power steering, u-bolts on driveshafts, rear brakes completed, oil dipstick figured out and I think that is it for now. Next week I will try and do the front end c-bushings, etc.

[Colorado75bronc]

Can't really say I did much, but on Saturday I picked up a roof rack for it, it's not "mounted" yet, just a ratchet strap holding it on

[Jesus_man]

That looks really nice Corey! Going to try to keep it low profile like that or raise if off the top a little?

[Colorado75bronc]

Thanks JD! Low profile, I just have to figure out how I wanna mount it

[Kinder]

Thanks JD! Low profile, I just have to figure out how I wanna mount it

Custom or prefab? Looks like it fits really well.

[ZOSO]

Haven't done much but a bunch of welding. I did receive my hardware kit so I can start bolting it all back together with new hardware.

I did start my 79 Sunday. It was the first time it was started in a few months. I haven't drove it since February.

[Colorado75bronc]

It's actually a factory roof rack off of a 96-02 range rover aka. P38 range rover, ya I like how it fits

[Justin]

Huh, nice find! That thing looks like it was made for it.