1976 engine/transmission questions for a newbie

[BroncoFW]

I'll apologize in advance for my lack of mechanical knowledge. I jumped the gun on a 76 that is lacking motor/tranny/tcase, but it's a solid rig otherwise with minimal rust, decent lift/stance, hard top in great condition, blah blah blah. Yes I know I sold myself on it and I couldn't pass it up for a $1K.

Anyway, since the previous owner cut the fenders I don't care about keeping it stock. Was looking to add the missing components soon and found a listing for the following:
302 5.0 fuel injected out of 87 Bronco comes with tranny & t case & ECM. $800 for everything. Does anyone see an issue work this working or with the price? Be gentle, I'm new to mechanics and hope to slowly learn this stuff!

 

[Doyle]

5.0 will bolt right in place if your Bronco originally had the 302. If it left the factory with the inline 6 the towers on the frame will need to be changed. If you want to stay EFI you will be better off with the Mustang or Explorer intake, truck intake is tall. Tranny may work with new cross member and some tunnel mods, depends on which one it is. Transfer case is a no go because of width, unless you modify the driver frame rail.

 

[DirtDonk]

And welcome to CB too FW!!

Sounds like a nice find, even without the engine and trans. For that price, it would have been a decent buy just as a rough parts truck these days.

As said, 302/5.0 out of a truck is the same engine from the heads down, but the EFI intake stuff from the trucks is a super pain on our low-hood trucks. That's why a lot of us end up with Franken-EFI on our rigs! Especially those looking for 351w/5.8 engines that are only found in the trucks.

That makes the harness and ECM of negligible use as well, I believe. But wait for others more knowledgeable about that stuff to chime in. Agree about the transfer case unfortunately. A decent enough case for a very light duty truck, but just too darn big. Trans may be an AODe, but I don't think it's late enough in '87 to be the more desirable 4R70w (basically a nicely updated AOD/AODe) and there's another trans in that vintage that I forget it's designation. Any will work, but you'll need an adapter to a more suitable transfer case.

Your truck would have come with a Dana 20 t-case of the "J-shift" variety originally.

And speaking of vintage, if you still have the decal with the VIN number on the door post, let us know what month yours was built in. There were a few changes during the '76 model year that Ford transitioned to for the '77 year ahead. Things like parking brake design (pedal and front cable) and the evaporative canister system and maybe a few other things as well.

Is there a smog check you need to consider in your region? Maybe not, but it's something to consider when sourcing your stuff.

Good luck. And have fun with it. You're starting at a great budget point. But don't worry, there's plenty still to spend money on!
Says the guy that sells Bronco stuff...

Paul

 

[BroncoFW]

Man you guys are awesome. I'll get the VIN info update here later as well as some pics. And I'm in Fort Worth, TX so no smog issues here.

I'll be back with more!

 

[BroncoFW]

Okay found another option from CL and he's asking $1k for everything (has video of the engine running right before he pulled it).

302 out of a 68 Bronco. Includes C4 and Dana 20 t case. Needs carburetor and power steering pump. Engine does come with accessory brackets, police starter, and alternator. And I can choose the intakes: either two barrel stock Ford or Edelbrock RPM 4 barrel.

Is this something I can drop in without mods?

 

[bronconut73]

Yup.
But you don't want the Edelbrock RPM intake. It is too tall and produces power in the upper RPM range. Mustang guys like it.
You want an Edelbrock Performer or the like.

 

[suthernboy]

Yep, should drop right in as long as yours was a V8 truck to start with. You'll need motor mounts and trans crossmember. Go ahead and get both intakes. It's nice to have choices in life. Good luck.

 

[BroncoFW]

Thanks, guys!

 

[BroncoFW]

Another rookie question
How can I tell if it was originally set up with a v8?

 

[Viperwolf1]

Another rookie question
How can I tell if it was originally set up with a v8?

'74 was the last year to get a 6 cyl. So unless someone swapped in some different engine mounts you should be good to go.

 

[turbotim2]

The stock 2 bbl intake with an autolite carb is tough to beat for reliability and you won't have to mess with throttle and transmission kickdown linkage fitment issues.

 

[JoeB458]

Ditto the 2 bbl set up. I like to putt around town but my 600 com Holley at 8 mpg sucks. (In more ways than one)

 

[markw]

Great find and welcome!