77-302
Full Member
Ok so the weight loss is by me..not my truck.
over 10lbs so far working in this God awful heat!
I like telling my Bronco stories to my Bronco family because no one else can relate to the Pride and anguish that is Bronco ownership.
Like many I ordered my FiTech a LONG time ago.
It finally arrived July 8th... I ordered March 6th from Jegs.
In prep for my order in March, (when it was still cold out), I finished up my 3G alternator, 1993 explorer radiator and Dorman (Taurus fan) installation. I used the Flex-a-lite variable controller and later switched out the fin probe sensor for the actual sensor into the new Thermostat housing. I started to install my late model Ford coolant overflow/washer fluid tank and finally I also put on my $100 craigslist Edelbrock dual plane performer intake.
But since March... the truck has sat.... and sat... and sat....
I didn't start this project intending to go to Fuel injection, but after finding out the hard way that my new intake+2bbl adaptor+PCV/blocked EGR spacer= no hood clearance to my low profile Ford Racing/2.25" K&N air cleaner...
I then looked at 4bbl carbs... and quickly came to the conclusion that the Fitech was the better option (with the rebate).
Fitech install was pretty straight forward.
My biggest issue was the damn push lock AN fittings....
I'm 6'3" and 265 and putting all my weight into these things barely got them seated, even with WD-40/grease/oil... lots of cussing and pushing finally got them together. My only other complaint was the O2 sensor came with this slick set up to attach the bung with a gasket and two bands (i will weld it later) to tighten on the collector... only problem is the bands bottom out at 3" diameter... my collector is only 2.5"... so off to the autoparts store.
I ran the vent line back to the vent on my Aux tank. I also took some time to clean up all the included wiring with loom and routed new heater hose (since the Edelbrock doesn't have a rear water crossover). I took the time to replace all my vacuum hoses and read the instructions multiple times.
After running the ignition (white wire), Coil/tach Blue wire, Red to battery, and orange to fuel commander and a ground wire....
I plugged in the touch screen tool and turned the key on...
The screen powers on, I enter all my engine info.
Then after double checking all my connections I started to crank it over... watched as fuel filled my clear in-line filter from the mechanical pump into the fuel commander third crank and voila!
She fired right up.
Though I immediately shut it off because I could see a fine stream of fuel leaking from one of my connections... another 1/4 turn and it was gone.
Cranked and it again fired right up.
Idle was high at first but as it learned it tried to bring it down....
It was still around 1100-1000 RPM.
From other write ups I knew to look for the secondaries adjustment screw... couple of turns and the idle drops to 850... holding steady...
WOW so far I'm impressed.
I was able to use my stock throttle linkage though I am in the process of installing a Lokar Kickdown cable as there is no provision for the stock Kickdown...
So engine is warming up, then I notice a coolant leak from my tstat housing... Dammit! so I shut it down... let it cool and fixed that the next day.
Tstat fixed now it's time for a test drive...
I put it in reverse and nothing.
SIDE NOTE: The end of last season I had been having cold trans issues.
The C4 didn't want to engage in Drive unless it was A) warm B) some throttle to build line pressure. But it was 90 degrees out and the truck had been running for 15min...
I had inspected it when I previously tore into my parking pawl linkage issue last season but now I'm pissed.
New Fuel injection, cooling fan, radiator, alternator, overflow bottle and wiper wash motor, new LED headlights and drop pitman arm.... and I can't go anywhere.
Much less that it is mid-July...and more than half of my Bronco driving season is over.....since I was waiting for parts.
So I start the painful process of coming to the reality of tearing into the trans... but first I start doing some research... I found a few people on the forums who had similar issues including disappearing trans fluid. I had put in a B&M pan when I did the parking Pawl and added the additional 2 quarts but was still having issues.
Not to mention I had small leaks/drips.
So now out of curiosity I pulled the fill plug from the D20, The same D20 I had just done a complete rebuild of last spring... Out comes probably a gallon+ of trans fluid. (of which I was not ready for..) after cleaning the mess and cursing the Bronco Gods I now had a reason for my trans issues.
But why?
Did I nick the new o-ring on the input shaft?
Did the new lip seal on the input shaft fail?
Exhaust comes out, followed by the drive shafts, followed by the cross member... then finally the T-case comes out, which everyone knows is a huge P-I-T-A...
First thing I noticed was that the input shaft (with tcase in neutral) would spin like a roller skate wheel... not good...
I pull the adapter off, pull the input shaft out, hoping the large needle bearings stay put!!!!
They do....
Oring looks fine... no issues and I had done the belt and suspenders with a thin bead of RTV around the lip of the housing all of which was in tact.
Put the assembly in the vice and tap out the shaft with the bearing...
Turn it over and the lip seal falls out into my hand.
Bingo...
But why???
I grab the calipers and compare it to the new seal I had just picked up from my local Bronco vendor.
Old seal ID was too big
Old seal OD was too small
This seal was sold to me as the correct seal almost 2 years ago....
I'm 99% sure that this is the reason why the tcase filled with trans fluid. Which those small leaks/drips were actually from the vent caps on the adapter and the tcase... not actual leaks...
I'm also fairly certain that the transmission behavior was due to low fluid since the t-case was consuming it... a lot of it....
I drove the new seal into the housing (much tighter this time).
Reassembled everything with new gaskets, torqued fasteners...
Turned the shaft and it had much more drag on it now.
While I was finishing everything, I even took the time to change the oil and then re-fill trans with some fresh type F....
I didn't have time for a test drive last night.
But I will for sure today... after work...
Morel of the story, when replacing a part deep inside any assembly... check the dimensions... I don't blame the bronco store.. stuff happens... I'm just glad (knock on wood) that this is likely the reason for the trans issue.
Stay tuned for my Fitech updates... going from a 2bbl with the original cast iron intake and mechanical fan, to a 4bbl dual plane intake, fuel injection and electric fan should have freed up some ponies... I bet that she is going to feel like a completely new vehicle....
over 10lbs so far working in this God awful heat!
I like telling my Bronco stories to my Bronco family because no one else can relate to the Pride and anguish that is Bronco ownership.
Like many I ordered my FiTech a LONG time ago.
It finally arrived July 8th... I ordered March 6th from Jegs.
In prep for my order in March, (when it was still cold out), I finished up my 3G alternator, 1993 explorer radiator and Dorman (Taurus fan) installation. I used the Flex-a-lite variable controller and later switched out the fin probe sensor for the actual sensor into the new Thermostat housing. I started to install my late model Ford coolant overflow/washer fluid tank and finally I also put on my $100 craigslist Edelbrock dual plane performer intake.
But since March... the truck has sat.... and sat... and sat....
I didn't start this project intending to go to Fuel injection, but after finding out the hard way that my new intake+2bbl adaptor+PCV/blocked EGR spacer= no hood clearance to my low profile Ford Racing/2.25" K&N air cleaner...
I then looked at 4bbl carbs... and quickly came to the conclusion that the Fitech was the better option (with the rebate).
Fitech install was pretty straight forward.
My biggest issue was the damn push lock AN fittings....
I'm 6'3" and 265 and putting all my weight into these things barely got them seated, even with WD-40/grease/oil... lots of cussing and pushing finally got them together. My only other complaint was the O2 sensor came with this slick set up to attach the bung with a gasket and two bands (i will weld it later) to tighten on the collector... only problem is the bands bottom out at 3" diameter... my collector is only 2.5"... so off to the autoparts store.
I ran the vent line back to the vent on my Aux tank. I also took some time to clean up all the included wiring with loom and routed new heater hose (since the Edelbrock doesn't have a rear water crossover). I took the time to replace all my vacuum hoses and read the instructions multiple times.
After running the ignition (white wire), Coil/tach Blue wire, Red to battery, and orange to fuel commander and a ground wire....
I plugged in the touch screen tool and turned the key on...
The screen powers on, I enter all my engine info.
Then after double checking all my connections I started to crank it over... watched as fuel filled my clear in-line filter from the mechanical pump into the fuel commander third crank and voila!
She fired right up.
Though I immediately shut it off because I could see a fine stream of fuel leaking from one of my connections... another 1/4 turn and it was gone.
Cranked and it again fired right up.
Idle was high at first but as it learned it tried to bring it down....
It was still around 1100-1000 RPM.
From other write ups I knew to look for the secondaries adjustment screw... couple of turns and the idle drops to 850... holding steady...
WOW so far I'm impressed.
I was able to use my stock throttle linkage though I am in the process of installing a Lokar Kickdown cable as there is no provision for the stock Kickdown...
So engine is warming up, then I notice a coolant leak from my tstat housing... Dammit! so I shut it down... let it cool and fixed that the next day.
Tstat fixed now it's time for a test drive...
I put it in reverse and nothing.
SIDE NOTE: The end of last season I had been having cold trans issues.
The C4 didn't want to engage in Drive unless it was A) warm B) some throttle to build line pressure. But it was 90 degrees out and the truck had been running for 15min...
I had inspected it when I previously tore into my parking pawl linkage issue last season but now I'm pissed.
New Fuel injection, cooling fan, radiator, alternator, overflow bottle and wiper wash motor, new LED headlights and drop pitman arm.... and I can't go anywhere.
Much less that it is mid-July...and more than half of my Bronco driving season is over.....since I was waiting for parts.
So I start the painful process of coming to the reality of tearing into the trans... but first I start doing some research... I found a few people on the forums who had similar issues including disappearing trans fluid. I had put in a B&M pan when I did the parking Pawl and added the additional 2 quarts but was still having issues.
Not to mention I had small leaks/drips.
So now out of curiosity I pulled the fill plug from the D20, The same D20 I had just done a complete rebuild of last spring... Out comes probably a gallon+ of trans fluid. (of which I was not ready for..) after cleaning the mess and cursing the Bronco Gods I now had a reason for my trans issues.
But why?
Did I nick the new o-ring on the input shaft?
Did the new lip seal on the input shaft fail?
Exhaust comes out, followed by the drive shafts, followed by the cross member... then finally the T-case comes out, which everyone knows is a huge P-I-T-A...
First thing I noticed was that the input shaft (with tcase in neutral) would spin like a roller skate wheel... not good...
I pull the adapter off, pull the input shaft out, hoping the large needle bearings stay put!!!!
They do....
Oring looks fine... no issues and I had done the belt and suspenders with a thin bead of RTV around the lip of the housing all of which was in tact.
Put the assembly in the vice and tap out the shaft with the bearing...
Turn it over and the lip seal falls out into my hand.
Bingo...
But why???
I grab the calipers and compare it to the new seal I had just picked up from my local Bronco vendor.
Old seal ID was too big
Old seal OD was too small
This seal was sold to me as the correct seal almost 2 years ago....
I'm 99% sure that this is the reason why the tcase filled with trans fluid. Which those small leaks/drips were actually from the vent caps on the adapter and the tcase... not actual leaks...
I'm also fairly certain that the transmission behavior was due to low fluid since the t-case was consuming it... a lot of it....
I drove the new seal into the housing (much tighter this time).
Reassembled everything with new gaskets, torqued fasteners...
Turned the shaft and it had much more drag on it now.
While I was finishing everything, I even took the time to change the oil and then re-fill trans with some fresh type F....
I didn't have time for a test drive last night.
But I will for sure today... after work...
Morel of the story, when replacing a part deep inside any assembly... check the dimensions... I don't blame the bronco store.. stuff happens... I'm just glad (knock on wood) that this is likely the reason for the trans issue.
Stay tuned for my Fitech updates... going from a 2bbl with the original cast iron intake and mechanical fan, to a 4bbl dual plane intake, fuel injection and electric fan should have freed up some ponies... I bet that she is going to feel like a completely new vehicle....
;D
