May have stumbled into an engine take part/ restore - HELP NEEDED

[RyanOwens]

Well I started yesterday with needing to change my water pump and after I got into the engine I had so much fun I just kept going. I really want to get the compartment cleaned up and put some shine back on the engine. I'm not completely restoring it, but I want it to look nice when I pop the hood.

I'm thinking that I will pull, clean and paint the valve covers. Polish up the AC pump. Paint the aftermarket brackets that hold the power steering and AC parts and degrease the engine and pulleys.

*****side note, having trouble getting the blue valve covers off, all bolts are off, just can't get them loose..... any suggestions?


Any suggestions or warnings?

I will change whatever hoses and electrical harnesses I can while I am at it.

Here are a few pics of the garage :

 

[RyanOwens]

the white tape you see on some of the parts are labels so I know where everything goes when it gets put back together.

 

[73azbronco]

Be careful, I'm two years into my oil pan gasket change...

 

[Tomdee]

gently tap the valve covers with a rubber mallet alternating from side to side,
tap so as not to dimple the covers. keep doing it until they are loose.

 

[RyanOwens]

Got the valve covers off (took a little pullin)

i would love to change the hoses and electrical cables in the engine compartment.

Where would I find the wiring to use to replace the existing electrical wires?

There are a few harnesses that connect at the back of the engine compartment and travel to the front of the engine and were laying on top of the valve cover.

Would this be a standard buy at the auto part store or a special order type of thing?

 

[66ALRIDE]

Where would I find the wiring to use to replace the existing electrical wires?

There are a few harnesses that connect at the back of the engine compartment and travel to the front of the engine and were laying on top of the valve cover.

Would this be a standard buy at the auto part store or a special order type of thing?

If you're talking about just repairing the harness, then yes you can get the wire at a local store. You're going to get different opinions on soldering the repairs. I like to use solder and then heat shrink the splices. If you have a good set of crimpers then you'll be ok.

 

[RyanOwens]

OK. so I can just buy the harnesses and wires and make the cables myself.
I'll give that a try and go from there.

If I did just want to buy them pre made, is that easy to find? My bronco has aftermarket air and power steering and I'm wondering if the wiring in mine was custom made or if it comes from a kit.

I'll get some pictures up tomorrow of the wiring.

Thanks,

Ryan

 

[turbotim2]

You can also buy all new harnesses from the Bronco houses if you don't feel comfortable making your own.

 

[needabronco]

JBG sells the engine harness seperate for a very reasonable price. As far as cleaning things up, your going to need valve cover gaskets for sure, that appears to be where most of your oil leaks are going. but you can scrape as much of the crud off, then clean everything up with a good degreaser and a scrub brush from the kitchen (just don't put it back), hose it all off before it dries, then wash with good old dawn dish soap...

 

[mp]

There is one wire that runs across the driver valve cover that is kind of soft and mushy. It is supposed to be that way--fusible link. I think it is pink? I would leave that one alone.

 

[RyanOwens]

mp, I didn't see a wire like that.... where does it start and end?

I did get a new water pump and thermostat today as well as the gaskets for the wp and the thermostat housing. The thermostat housing is pretty gunked up, I may just replace it.

I was considering cleaning up the valve covers and repainting them but I see now that they are a bit dinged up and have been painted (poorly) before. I think I will replace those too with exact repros.

Here are the 2 wiring harnesses I want to replace.

i think I found one here:

http://broncograveyard.com/bronco/i-18010-motor-harness-1966-72-bronco.html

but can't figure out the other one. It connects in the same place as the ather harness in the firewall but runs to the throttle. My understanding is that the celenoid is pushed out when the AC is turned on and pushes against the throttle to rev the engine up a bit. make sense? how would I replace that? I was never working since I got the truck, but I would like to get it working if possible.

 

[needabronco]

Those wires look like they are still serviceable. Put some brake clean or acetone on a rag and wipe the grime off of them, they should look almost new when your done.

 

[RyanOwens]

The wires are actually verry brittle and I can hear them crack if I flex the cables at all. The blue wire (for the AC - Throttle) seems to be ok but it just wasn't actually doing anything. Might be the solenoid??? not even sure if that is what it is called.... has anyone seen this attachment before?

 

[DirtDonk]

Yeah, it's a common thing on a lot of Broncos. Very inconsistent on which years had them however. But that could be from the PO's removing them when doing carb work.
For most EB's though, it's not an A/C solenoid (yep, that's a solenoid), but an "anti-diesleing" solenoid, or even a "high-idle" solenoid.
Might have different designations, but for the most part it's for anti-dieseling purposes on an early like yours.

The proper adjustment is to set the "curb-idle" with the idle screw to about 500 rpm. Then, adjust the solenoid up against the flat plat on the throttle linkage until it's up to your normal idle speed of about 700 to 800 rpm. This is with it's wires hooked up of course.
That way, when you turn the key off, the carb linkage closes down so that your idle goes down and the chance that you will have engine run-on after the key is off is minimal. If at all.

Works good. More Bronco owners should leave them on.

Paul

 

[RyanOwens]

Thanks Paul!

Any idea where I could find a replacement?

 

[DirtDonk]

Never tried, but you might just try a NAPA store for starters, if you have one in your area. Check their online site first maybe?
Is yours shot for sure? Maybe a buggered wire under that tape? Maybe a bad grounding scheme previously? Easy enough to check. just ground the case to the batter and apply 12 volts to the one wire. It should click out each time you touch the wire to positive.

Hope it works, if just to save you the trouble of finding a new one.

Paul