The explorer serp system was the same from 1996-2001. The balancer is even correct for an '81 and newer 302. EFI parts are better closer to '96. Explorer ECU, harness and MAF are not usable.

Truck serp systems are typically too long to fit well.

Well I finally got the dash, column & front wiring harness removed last night. I'm hopefully gonna get the heater, pedals & such out today. It's coming along slow, but I was meticulous on the harness so I knew where everything went back.

Well been tied up with livestock, work & kids but wanted to ask a quick question. my grandma came to town today and I got to have breakfast with her & her husband. They LIVE for the casino in Ignacio! LOL Anywho she got a minivan and retired her 2001 explorer, it's an Eddie Bauer AWD with the V8. I researched & it looks like it has the 5.0L. Ball joints are shot w/ 233k miles, BUT said she'd let me have it real cheap, which basically means come visit & haul it home. SO is the '01 Exploder a good year to rob EFI & all the other goodies from? I doubt the AWD system is worth much, but it should have the serp, heavier alternator & such I need to cross over on my 302 HO if I'm correct. How much of this thing is usable, if any? I know most guys are saying the '96 is best, so some input would be greatly appreciated before I commit.

Thanks Rox,
Since I'm missing my tranny will the 4R70W work better than the AOD I was planning on? If so, how much of a bear is it to get the linkage from the old C4 to work & how much modification will I need for the transfer to hook up. I have the T-20 J shift. I was planning on an AOD anyway, so I already know I'll have to go with the advance adapter kit but can't find anay adapters for the 4R70W. It shows a lower ratio for 1st & 2nd which might let me get away with 4.11's instead of 4.56's.

BTW- in regards to the sensor I was planning a 2" body lift & thinking 3.5" suspension. I want to run 35's. I've heard that with an AOD you need 4.56's to get it to not shift in & out of OD. I have no personal experience so definitely open to input.

**EDIT**
I found the AOD TO AODE SHAFT KIT Product# 716057 that goes with #50-2704 Ford AOD (1988-91) 4 speed automatic overdrive transmission to the 1966-77 Bronco Dana 20 with a provision to retain the original early Bronco mount on Advance adapters site. Of course the adapter is $575, it's on special, then the little kit is $26, also on special. Here's the links hopefully I'm on the right track.

http://www.advanceadapters.com/products/pn-50-2704/
http://www.advanceadapters.com/products/pn-716057/

If you are going to put a 2" body lift on then the difference between the 96 throttle body height and later is of no concern.

The 4R70W would be a better choice than the AOD in my opinion and it uses the AOD adapter (it just isn't advertised as such).

There is a Lokar shift linkage for AOD / 4R70W that I used on mine successfully and it was pretty straight forward and works well.

http://www.lokar.com/product-pgs/column ... tlink.html

The down side to the 4R70W versus the AOD is you will need a computer which is money ($600+/-) but it allows you to adjust shift points and turn the OD off if you want to.

In my opinion, 4.10 aren't a good choice even with 35" tires but you could check that with one of the gear ratio calculators.

I currently have 33" tires and 3.50 gears which is a horrible combination for the OD. I will stay with 33" treads but am waffling between 4.88 and 5.13 to get desired RPM (2200 - 2400 RPM?) in OD at hiway speeds.

Do they make a controller that does both the EFI & 4R70W? Would be nice if there was. To be honest I'm not even sure where to find the controller for the EFI at this point. I located one for tranny, after my initial shock I started breathing again, of course it was at summit. You weren't kidding on the 600+, emphasis on the +.

here is the cat's meow for tranny controller

http://www.becontrols.com/

EFI computer (A9L or equivelant) can be found at pull-n-pay or ordered from Orielly's Auto

I think the application is 87 - 93 mustang with 5.0 HO ?

Update an status, Bronco Porn to come soon!

The boys helped me get the top & hood out of the shop and stacked behind on pallets. Who would have thought 2 teenagers would whine about how heavy the top was! ROFL! I showed them the "Old Man" could still hold his own by carrying the back by myself. YES my back was sore, NO I never let them see it!

I pulled the roll bar and am prepping to wire wheel the rust. Got the tire carrier loose & tailgate goes next. SO.... I've priced my sheet metal, it's gonna be @ $1700.00 except the rear fenders and the firewall I think most will be new on the floor, plus rockers, door posts & inner fenders. I am more than willing to haul to a GOOD media blaster, but is it worth it? From what I've heard most the guys around here are a bit heavy handed & tend to warp panels. I want to get the whole thing blasted so I can seal the whole bottom. I am a bit worried that if I pop everything loose it'll buckle in the middle if I don't redo the known issues first. So which is it? The chicken or the egg? I want to do this right the first time! I've priced at BG & TBP, they're within $100, but I've heard, no actual knowledge, the BG does the old "stomp & stuff" trick to pack them & I really don't want to get flat floor pans when I need them pre-bent right.

Does anyone have any experience with either, or is there somewhere else I should look?

Sheet metal so far is:
5 piece floor pan kit, Both rockers Inside & Out, Both door posts & both kick panels, Both inner fender skirts, rear floor board repair pan, all 4 rear extension panels, tailgate & upper cowl extension panel.

The next question is on repairing. Front to back or back to front. I know from fabrication the key is measure twice cut once, I really want to do a great job on this old girl!

Call Mellisa at Bronco hut.303-663-1455.Save on shipping.They all sell pretty much the same sheet metal.

I am more than willing to haul to a GOOD media blaster, but is it worth it?

If you are willing to bring it to the Denver area - Blast-tec in Englewood is excelent. And you could go to the Bronco Hut and pick up your sheet metal, they are in Castle Rock just south of Denver.

My vote would be to consider wild horses for the sheet metal

That is where I got mine and it was cheaper than bronco hut even after factoring in the freight

Plus I understand from others that the quality of their sheet metal is much better than the other shiot

I have no idea about the quality from either as I have never purchased any. We have just welded in flat panels from sheets I purchase locally for all the sheet metal we have replaced. Structural members such as door jambs we actually welded in heavy duty 1/4" thick angle to replace the rotted factory stuff. But remember - we are not attempting to build any kind of factory restoration. No restoration at all. Trying to build a bronco M1 tank so maybe Drew will stop breaking it...

Ok, I stopped and talked shop with an auto body guy here local & he showed me some video's of what he's looking at purchasing. It's a crushed glass & water media blaster that has a rust inhibitor. Have any of yall heard of that??? My brain is a bit confused as I think of water and metal as major No! No's! here's the links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ7CFGIP4uk

http://dustlessblasting.com/automotive/

If you go through the specs they do show removal & such of rust, corrosion & scale on marine vessels as well. Still wondering though???

Do I blast first or after I've done major floor repairs?

I think I'd blast after, that way you get the protection of no rust from the inhibitor on all panels. I have heard of the soda blasting (I think that's it) that will inhibit rust. It does go against your regular thinking though (water + steel = rust)

Quick Motor Question

I looked at my block casting number above the starter last night to verify what motor the '77 has. When I bought it the guy told me it was a 302HO from an '86 mustang. here's what I found:

E7TE - 1987, Truck Division, Engine division I think is what this means
7E11 - stamped where it looks like 2 screws are 05/11/87 I think
1,3,7,2,6,5,4,8 - firing order Does this denote HO?

I am NOT a motor guru, I've installed plenty of long blocks, but never bothered to go any deeper, I installed heads once when I was 16 or 17. So where do I find all the info for this block & where can I find a casting # to identify the heads. It has Moroso valve covers, edelbrock intake & carb, don't know which one so if yall could tell me where to look on that too I'd sure appreciate it.

I talked to Melissa at Bronco Hut yesterday & she's getting my sheet metal order put together. So now I'm looking at the motor, tranny & transfer stuff. I do have a line on an '89 AOD for $200 w/ 34k from a mustang GT, he said $75 if it's no good. I'd rather just rebuild it regardless tho. So as much "Viper Built" stuff as I'm seeing, is he "Da Man" for the job? Does he do J'cases too?

Next Q.... On the Ford 9", did the '77 have a 31 or 28 spline? There is a tag on the housing that's all rusted so I'm going to try and get it cleaned, BUT was looking at doing a 35 spline upgrade & disc brake conversion w/E-brake. I'll be rolling 35's so thinking somewhere in the neighborhood of 4.56 ratio for @ 1760 rpm @ 60 mph. Will that create shift flutter in OD? Having a heckuva time finding ring & pinion sets that pair up for the 9" & D44. They're close but not quite. Would rather have 5.25 ratio.

Here's a pic of engine casting

Lets see - the answer to all your questions is the same:

Viperwolf is "Da Man". As far as your trans is concerned - he is not only "Da Man", but he is "Da Only Man" most of us would trust with our transmissions.

I am sure he will chime in here soon with the answers to the rest of your questions.

Yes, viper is "da man" when it comes to anything classic bronco, especially transmissions.

He has done several for me including my 4R70W (electronic version of AOD).

Well after what seems like forever getting the Bronco into forward motion I'm finally back on it. Does anyone have measurement specs for making sure the doors line up correctly. I have to replace floor pans, inner and outer rockers & door pillars on both sides. I am looking for a good top to install & help keep everything true'd up as well as planning on replacing the body mounts with metal shims to eliminate flex or sag. Any help would be appreciated.

I wouldn't change the body mounts to metal, the rubber or poly gives a little cushion you need between the frame and the body. I think the ride would get harsh & possibly noisy. The new poly mounts won't crush the way the old rubber ones did. Check your body braces, especially under the driver & passenger's feet, to make sure they are straight. They can bend and screw up the door alignment.

Phyler Thanks! Nice specs! I see provided by none other than Gunni!

Gunni it's not a permanent swap, just strictly to keep the body squared with the frame. My theory is that if the mounts don't have the ability to flex, with proper bracing on the body as well as rigid attachment to the frame, I will have a higher probability that I can keep all measurements true and the doors will line up correctly. I planned on using jack stands under the frame as well so that the suspension won't give through this process as well. What are your thoughts?

BTW can you email me those specs for the bronco? I'll PM you my email. I assume I use the specs for the "77 Explorer since mine is a "77 Sport?

To answer your question that was buried in a previous post:

Every stock Bronco 9" rear was 28 spline.


Also if you are going to an Automatic OverDrive transmission and 35" tires you would probably be better with 5.13 gears.

302 / 5.0L engines like more RPM's to produce power.

This recently came up:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2337&hilit=welder&start=330

Starts most of the way down on the page... might be a good start to see some opinions.

Stick with a 220v machine (110v will work on sheetmetal- but will not be a long term plan for Mr. Overkill), and 75/25 mix gas.

I'm the opposite, I do sheet metal for work, but don't have the touch with the thicker stuff yet. We just got a Miller Synchrowave TIG at work, so now I gotta learn. Got a quick lesson & played with it a little last week. Very cool.