Is the sky falling on my Bronco?

Bronco Gurus,

I'm hoping for some guidance. I recently brought my 1969 bronco to our local mechanic (who we trust) and asked him to check the fuel gauge that wasn't working anymore. I also asked him to check the fluids etc and let me know how everything looked. He came back with a list of issues he suggested we get fixed, but he said it would be best if I found someone with experience doing this type of work as his team doesn't work on many old Broncos.

My situation is that I have a job that keeps me traveling and 2 small kids that keep me busy at home. Combine that with a basic level of mechanical knowledge, I'm not able to do the work myself.

Any recommendations on where to take this in the North Atlanta area? (I live in Marietta.)

This is what the mechanic suggested we get fixed:

Rear differential pinion seal is leaking.
Right rear axle seal is leaking.
Transfer case is leaking. (The drain plug cannot be removed due to the exhaust routed right over the drain plug. Will need to fix exhaust routing.)
The transmission and/or the front transfer case seal is leaking
Coolant noticed at the plate behind the water pump and around the timing cover.
Wiring and brake line are very close to the exhaust on the driver side where the pipe goes over the axle. The wiring to the fuel tank was stuck to the pipe. It does not appear to be melted, but should be moved. The wiring is close to the exhaust on the driver’s side frame rail.
The clutch fork has been rubbing the header on the driver’s side
Fuel gauge not working since last repair

We had originally been saving to get a family roll cage and soft top put on to replace our hard top. So a place that can do that would be great.

Thank you so much for any advice you can offer!

I'm no help with the ATL area but you may want to try posting a wanted add in the classifieds here where you can flag GA as the state and hopefully a couple of guys local to you will know someone. That or spell it out in the title of this thread.

Your list is pretty typical of a Bronco or any vehicle with this much age. Nothing too hard but will take a little time. Hope you get it sorted out.

Look for a classic mustang shop, all the parts are the same except the transfer case and the big square box.

and I thought all that was normal.

Sounds normal for a 50 year old truck.

My very nice clean low mileage '77 F250 had a rough idle that turned into a carb rebuild. That lead to discovering the coolant leak at the thermostat housing. While leaning against the bumper the truck rolled and that lead to discovering the shift collar had broken as I pulled it into the garage.

The joys of owning a vintage project car.

Hey SC. Coupl'a comments along the lines of what the others are saying.

SCRide said:

Any recommendations on where to take this in the North Atlanta area? (I live in Marietta.)

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As said, a Mustang specialist (likely expensive) or a standard 4wd shop that's been in business more than 5 years since the recession that would have worked on older vehicles.
OR, any shop (including the one you took it to originally even) that can do standard maintenance work.

SCRide said:

Coolant noticed at the plate behind the water pump and around the timing cover.

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This is a job that anyone from a local mom-n-pop shop to a Pep Boys, to a general service center can handle.
Your water pump is the same as on any Ford Windsor-based engine in any Ford vehicle from the early '60's to the late '90's, with just a few variations.
It's just a water pump, like any other.

While they're in there, any shop that also works on late model cars will automatically think about a timing chain and re-seal of the front cover. This is perhaps overkill, but only a tiny bit. If the engine has more than 100k miles on it, even though the chain could last another 100k on it's own, it's still worn loose and would not complain about being replaced.
Yes, it takes the cost of the job to a new level, but if you're not doing the work yourself to save money, it might be worth in the long run.

SCRide said:

Right rear axle seal is leaking.

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Same for this. It's a brake job and four bolts per side from being done.
Any shop can do it. Even a Midas Muffler.
You can get away with one side, but should do both while you are at it.
And unfortunately, rear wheel bearings need replacing all the time. This can best be done at the same time. Again, higher cost, but the life you save may be yours, and someone else s on the road when the rear wheel does NOT come off from a busted wheel bearing.

SCRide said:

Rear differential pinion seal is leaking.
Right rear axle seal is leaking.
The transmission and/or the front transfer case seal is leaking
Transfer case is leaking. (The drain plug cannot be removed due to the exhaust routed right over the drain plug.

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Other than getting the exhaust done first (which would be my advice) any rear-end specialty shop can do all of this. The oil change in the transfer case is easy even with the exhaust typically.
A big problem with dual exhausts on a Bronco is they are just flat out in the way of all the things you need to do under the truck. As you're finding. They're so annoying in fact, that for me they aren't even that cool anymore for their other faults.
If your exhaust has even a slight amount of movement, you can get the drain plug out. And any mess on the exhaust can be wiped off easily with a shop rag.

So a transmission or rear end shop would be my recommendation.

SCRide said:

Will need to fix exhaust routing.)
Wiring and brake line are very close to the exhaust on the driver side where the pipe goes over the axle.
The wiring to the fuel tank was stuck to the pipe. It does not appear to be melted, but should be moved. The wiring is close to the exhaust on the driver’s side frame rail.
Fuel gauge not working since last repair
The clutch fork has been rubbing the header on the driver’s side

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I would do the exhaust first frankly. To save money you can have a local muffler shop tweak the installation to clear things better (which should have been notice during the first install of course), but the better result would be had by redoing the whole exhaust into a free-flowing performance (or quiet is better I think) 2-into-1 system run down the passenger side.
Doesn't have to be wimpy to be quiet. And it doesn't have to have dual exhaust tips to be cool.
And with a single, pointed outward to the side behind the rear tire, you can leave your windows rolled down more often, remove the top in the summer without choking everyone out, and even leave the rear lift gate open for that airy feel, without killing anyone from the fumes.
Most of us have been there, done that with the exhaust and won't do it again.

SCRide said:

We had originally been saving to get a family roll cage and soft top put on to replace our hard top. So a place that can do that would be great.

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Yeah, maybe harder to find, but any specialty truck shop might tackle it. Most of the upholstery shops will too. But not if they've done them before! Some shops just can't charge enough to make it worth their while I think.
Be prepared to pay through the nose though. In this case not so much because they really don't want to do it, but because it may take one of their guys all day to get it done!
It's not rocket science, but it's not a quick job either, when you're trying to get all the little details right so the end-user doesn't have leaks, rattles, wind noise and exhaust fumes.
See the common denominator of exhaust fumes? Hence the recommendation to get the exhaust fixed for more than just the interference reasons.

Good luck

Paul

SCRide ...
I can't help you finds a shop in your area, but I can sure give some moral support.
It may feel daunting to look at all these issues. Especially with careers and kids. But if your car has good bones, it won't be all that tough. In fact it can be a lot of fun to have something to go out and tinker with.
One of the toughest things is when your car has numerous issues, and then see a perfect specimen somewhere. That happened to me recently. I've always been pretty proud that ours has always been reliable, and looks nice. But there have been a couple recent occasions where I've seen very nice, freshly finished projects. It's easy to become dissatisfied with yours. But the fact is, every time I see A Bronco in traffic, (regardless of its condition) I have to take a second look.

I'd start by getting the car safe and reliable. Even those leaks can wait if not too bad.
You need to be able to drive it a bit and get a few thumbs up. That will help encourage you.

Is the sky falling on my Bronco?

Yes, you should give it to me. ... don't worry about all those issues.

Time and budget is why my rig is still a project after 20 plus years of owning it. I wouldn't change how I did and or am doing it.

Trust me, I understand about time and family. I was a single dad for 2 years and broke most of that time.

Not being able to afford repairs, I bought a Haynes manual the second day I had my bronco and still have the manual today. It's dirty and had oil stains on it but still serves me well. My rig was SO bad, "how bad was it?" It sat in the garage for a full year while I made it safe to drive.

Most of the repairs you have listed can be done yourself with a few basic tools.

Post up some pics of the issues and let everyone advise on how to get you on the road with a safe rig so you can enjoy it with your family.

Heck, get the family involved. My oldest daughter still talks about being under the bronco working with dad.

Tim

suckerpunched said:

and I thought all that was normal.

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LOL..that was my first reaction too. I was running through his list and shaking my head up and down, going "yup, yup, check...yup..check..."

;D

You might send the list to James duff 200 miles away or to BC Broncos 1100 miles away and see what they can do for you. other than the soft top and roll cage your not talking a whole lot of money in parts its just allot of labor and labor cost big time.

I think you should change the title in this post to draw in better response as their are people on this site doing repair work like this on the side.

SC, nothing that time and a little money can't fix. I'm 100 miles south and would love to help you out, but I'm backed up right now. I have two Bronco's and a 64 G10 van in line right now, so it would be 5-6 months before I could get to it. I will check with another mechanic and see what his backlog is looking like and get back with you. you can call me at 478/954-7426

Ya man, you've got the laundry list of normal going on right there. ��

Both my front axle seals are leaking right now, tcase, pan seal, brake lines need to be redone, other odds and ends.

But here's the thing. Sky falling? Listen, I know less about cars than anyone on the planet. Two months ago if you asked me to find a master cylinder in a car I would have had to use a life line, and about 99% of my friends would have no clue either. Big brains zero skills.

How about a garage to work? Don't have one. Tools? Not really. I do have a mud driveway about 20ft long in a busy street, so that's great.

Absolutely nothing you described sounds scary to me in the least right now. I replaced a set of bearings and a rear seal a couple weeks back only because it was spewing and spinning like a damn firecracker, cept instead of pretty lights it was stinky fluid burning on an exhaust line. My front ones still light leaks, as in I'm not in the mood to do them yet. I still drive my truck to work every single day.

The experience taught me one thing....to stop paying out the nose for what amounts to simple repairs with the added benefit of learning a new skill you can pass on to kids and others. I didn't know what a hub was before doing this. I didn't even know there was fluid in that thing at all back there. Seriously.

Jump in. I'm earning my man card with every new fix.

EDIT: the problem is your good mechanic isn't used to seeing what's normal (even said you needed an experienced bronco guy). My go to guy looks at everything I point out and laughs at me and tells me it's fine. 75 year old master mechanic.

Some good Bronco only type shops up in Tennessee. Might be worth dropping it off there for a few weeks?

Call Medlock Gulf shop in Decatur. (404) 377-2285 They did the power disc upgrade and fixed rear end seals for me. Ask for Paul and tell him Rob sent you.

WOW! Guys, I really appreciate your feedback. Mostly, I appreciate the words of encouragement. The Bronco was bought 6+ years ago with the hopes that it would stay in our family for years, if not generations. The mechanic's feedback spooked me, but I feel better now that I know I have some time to address the issues.

I want to learn to do these things myself, but I had a fear that "putting them off" would result in much worse repairs in the future!

My current mindframe is that you will probably see some posts asking for guidance as I tackle the smaller jobs. I'll save my money for the big stuff (roll cage, etc). Do you guys agree that a roll cage needs to be welded to the frame or is there a better way to do it?

Thanks again!

Since we're seemingly in the same boat skillwise, I'll offer my plan regarding dealing with the roll cage. Other brighter minds will offer simpler info, I'm sure.

I'm going with the San Felipe roll bar from wildhorses, for a couple reasons.

First, it comes in three stages, the first being simple bolt in that I can do myself to get things going.

The next two stages involve actually welding it to the frame. I have a guy that can weld, but it will be infinitely cheaper to have him do it since the original posts are already in place and aligned (by me). I like doing as much as I can on my own without help, but I'm not going to put my families safety at risk so I can half-learn a new hobby (the actual welding).

Doing it this way will allow me to space out my purchase as well so I'm not dropping a ton of cash all at once. If I was, I might look at bronco bobs full family cages and let a shop do all the aligning and welding at once, but I think you'd be looking at almost 2k when it's all said and done for purchase and the shop work.

Another reason to go with WildHorses is that I've never had a question on this site that Paul hasn't helped with. It's part of their customer service platform and certainly needs recognition.

But simple answer: weld the bar to the frame, yes.

Frame tie-ins for the cage are good, directly welding it to the frame not so much. You need something to isolate the cage from the frame or you get a lot of vibration aka noise.

Dual exhaust sucks !!!
I'm currently working on one with dual exhaust with similar symptoms.
lots of zip ties..

no modern mechanic wants to work on old junk, its a money looser...gotta find someone stupid like me to work on it for cheap.

pipeline010 said:

The next two stages involve actually welding it to the frame. I have a guy that can weld, but it will be infinitely cheaper to have him do it since the original posts are already in place and aligned (by me). I like doing as much as I can on my own without help, but I'm not going to put my families safety at risk so I can half-learn a new hobby (the actual welding).

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Hey, thanks for the support (and encouragement!) pipeline.
Just a little clarification though. The weld-in cage bits for the front and the rear do not weld to the frame as part of the expected installation. They simply weld to the main bars after, as you pointed out, the main bar is settled into position in the particular Bronco.
Some of the cage tubes even come a little longer to give the installer a little more leeway, and more choices in positioning. Partly for personal aesthetics, and partially to allow for any variations with the individual Bronco.

As syk said, usually you want isolation. A friend had the sweetest '69 you ever saw and it had all of it's cage bits welded to the frame directly. It was actually pretty clean, strong, and everyone was impressed. But I'm sure it was not the quietest on the street either. And though it probably is still in good working order to this day, if it had been raced or heavily used off-road, the welds might not all have remained intact over the years.
The typical setup is extension tubes with eyes and poly bushings, bolted to plates and mounting ears (usually in double-shear) bolted to the feet of the cage on the body side, and bolted to plates with tabs/mounting ears bolted or welded to the frame.
It's more work, but well worth it for a family rig. Heck, even racers have been using isolation from the frame for decades to help them last longer under the stresses. After time, the flex and vibrations can crack simple welds.

All that aside, any frame tie-ins are handled by the end-user/installer. We don't include specific tie-in parts with the kits. But they're still a nice strong setup when welded properly, and spreading the stresses with reinforcement plates (or even bigger washers) is a decent option as well.
Each and every Bronco seems to be slightly different though, so even those designs and sizes are up to the installation crew.

Good luck! The multi-stage idea sounds like a good plan to me.

Paul