New Member intro - 408/coyote questions

[CaptainAwesome]

Figured I'd say hello.

Have a 1968 Bronco with 33s, been a daily driver for about 25 years, time to freshen it up.
Was originally an automatic with an inline 6, originally red too. Currently has a 302 with a 3 speed toploader.
Engine is getting tired, and I'm tired of a 3 speed. Thinking of doing a efi 408w swap, or a coyote (though I struggle with the cost of that). Need it to be reliable.

Is it possible to get about 15mpg or so out of a 408 with a light foot?
What transmission should I be looking at? (Manual)
Extra power going to create any weak links that I need to be aware of?

The Coyote swap would get better mpg still, but I'm not sure about an aluminum block out here in the winter, ones I've had in the past only warmed up when you started to drive it. Also struggle at the cost.

Also, it looked like 33s are about the most a D30 can handle off road. Anything I should upgrade on it? Be light to medium trails out here. I'm not rock climbing.

Well, long ways to go with it till it's done, but I should be able to drive it as I work on it, and that's not a bad deal. Powersteering, maybe disc brakes, paint job and a new interior, but always being driven. Been doing old cars for about 25 years now, this one has been in the family all that while, time for it to be upgraded.

Lastly, best place to get parts?

Thanks

 

[Beau Nugget]

Lots of good places to get parts. Just click on the buttons on this page and it will take you to them.

 

[Broncobowsher]

15 MPG possible, but not probable. Doesn't matter either engine. You are fighting mass, rolling resistance, and massive wind drag. All that takes HP to overcome and that burns fuel.

A 408 will just fit where the 302 is at now. No big deal. Do an Explorer front dress for the cooling/charging/power steering/Air conditioning setup. How crazy do you want the 408?

Engine/transmission/gearing/tires size are a juggling game of optimization. They ALL have to work together. Change one, it affects the others and needs another change (or two, or three) to balance everything out. You say it was born with a straight 6, that should make it 4.11 gears if they are standard or the 4.57 if it had the option. That is if nobody every changed them and it sounds like the Bronco has had a lot of changes over the years. The automatic was never an option in 68 and never an option on the six in any year. Then that was changed to a V8 and 3-speed. So you are on at least the 3rd powertrain already and looking for at least the 4th. With that much change, no telling what the axles hold.

And the axles are not likely to be happy with any of your powertrain choices. The 30 was known for going boom on stock rigs and that is why Ford changed the front axle to a standard 44. Not an option, not a severe service package, standard. For completely stock Broncos. Even if the U-joints don't go boom, the teeth like to fall off the ring gear. The 9" in the back is getting questionable with the 28 spline axles on 33s. The 31 spline upgrade is so common that people sometimes think it was factory. It never was. Any of the engine options you mention will need attention given to the axles. Strength, even if just run on the street. And gearing to match the rest of the choices.

Several manual trans options. The M5R2 might be the choice from what I am reading your plans.

 

[1969]

1. More money than brains: Coyote 5.0
2. More time than money: 1996 Ford 351W.
3. I break shit, and like to go fast, and when someone is stuck, they call me: Blueprint 408W.
4. I ain't rich, and I need a Bronco that runs now: Mustang 5.0.
5. I need cheap reliable horsepower, I have no friends, and I don't want any: LS swap.

 

[CaptainAwesome]

I misspoke, was a column shift not an automatic. It was converted with a Hurst shifter.

Edit:
So this got me wanting to actually verify things, so I climbed under there. The engine casting code reads "C8 6015-B"
There is nothing but a decent space after C8.
I'm missing the data plate in the glove box, but I have a Bureau of Automotive Repair engine identification tag, and it has the serial code and has it listed as a 69, not a 68.

I have a '56 Ford pickup and a '67 Mustang. One of the things that is very common in those realms is that Ford was a bit willy-nilly sometimes back then (even talked with people who used to work there back then, though that was a long time ago). Left over parts were often used for the next year. I've seen '56 F600s that actually have a '55 cab on them, and it was because they were left over and no one really cared with the larger trucks. And things were often sold as the latest year when all it was was the previous year with the part a client would care about changed.

At this point I think I'm just going to have that 302 rebuilt. Might explain why it's tired.

Time to get a Marti Report.

 

[Jetfixr320]

jamesroney said:
1. More money than brains: Coyote 5.0
2. More time than money: 1996 Ford 351W.
3. I break shit, and like to go fast, and when someone is stuck, they call me: Blueprint 408W.
4. I ain't rich, and I need a Bronco that runs now: Mustang 5.0.
5. I need cheap reliable horsepower, I have no friends, and I don't want any: LS swap.

You forgot diesel options.

 

[Broncobowsher]

You forgot diesel options.

I got a chance to drive a Cummins 2.8 once (not in a Bronco) an was really impressed with it. I know at least one has been swapped into a Bronco, well documented on this site. It did involve a lot of custom fabrication.

 

[ntsqd]

Was it me: find a 5.0 Explorer donor and buy it. Even wiuth 100k on the clock it has many more miles and years left in it. Take out what you need/want, and sell the rest to a junk yard. A "formula" of sorts has been found, I'd suggest following it.

OP mentioned the BAR, that makes me think he's in CA.

 

[CaptainAwesome]

Not in CA. Far from it, lol
Truck was just there once 30+ years ago before we bought it.

Thinking I'm sticking with this 302, chasing numbers right now as the block casting is different than I'm used to seeing and the assembly date code has an extra letter at the end.

 

[ntsqd]

Good, then finding a Explorer donor is likely much more possible. Before you commit to the existing engine have a good look at what the Explorer version of the engine brings with it. It's literally the overall best small block that Ford ever built.