BALCH-Autoworx: 1973 Build Thread

[BALCH-Autoworx]

Hope you get it together to drive next weekend. Looking forward to pics of the completed engine install.

Thanks Buckin, I just stumbled on to your build this weekend. Nine years in SoCal, and a few trips south with Class 3 guys, make me dream about a cage and suspension like yours . . . someday.

 

[BALCH-Autoworx]

After 3 months of waiting for parts and squeezing in time between work, family, and travel, I am so close I can taste it. My wife had plans morning through lunch so my daughter and I had a daddy daughter parts store shopping spree, we hit 4 parts stores and a gas station, and she fell asleep 1/4 mile from the house and transitioned easily to a nap with mommy leaving me free to spend some time the garage!

This afternoon:

-I used just about every cutting implement I own to clearance the hood for the air cleaner, heavy duty motor mounts + 351W deck height + Edelbrock RPM Air Gap = a lot of measuring and cutting.

-Worked up a suitable throttle linkage and return springs.

-Ran some vacuum lines

-Mounted and clearanced the air cleaner

-Installed the O2 sensor

I know it doesn't sound like a lot but I am trying to be methodical and not rush things . . . but now I've got 5 gallons of 92 octane itching to be Terminated sitting in the garage. Let's hope for crappy weather tomorrow so I don't have to go to the beach.

With all required fluids on hand we're ready to tie up the last few details.

-must find better hose clamps for lower radiator hose
-need a few vacuum lines
-need spark plugs

-reinstall driveshafts
-mount clutch linkage
-complete wiring (I routed most of the wiring tonight, it was remarkably simple)
-top off PS fluid, brake fluid, coolant, oil, and gas

Bronco neighbor is almost as stoked as I am, the pressure is on though his wife wants to film the start!!!

 

[BALCH-Autoworx]

Thanks Oahu, this might happen today!!!

 

[BALCH-Autoworx]

No vroom vroom today . . . getting there.

 

[BALCH-Autoworx]

On March 9th 2014, at approximately 1600 hours . . . my Bronco became self-aware . . .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1J9u3POChw&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Too bad I had to order a different clutch bracket, this is going to be the longest week ever!

I'll take more photos this week while I wait for the bracket, and clean out what Bronco neighbor's wife referred to as my storage unit (parked for more than two years it filled up with stuff and parts), she and her husband did show up for the main event, and after it started on the first crank I heard the pop of a bottle of champagne . . . then the ladies disappeared. But not before my daughter informed me that "your Bronco is loud in my ears!"

 

[BALCH-Autoworx]

I used a high pressure fuel pump and surge tank that is probably unusual to the EB community, it's from 034 Motorsports and utilizes a Bosch 044 pump.

http://store.034motorsport.com/fully-enclosed-fp34-044-fuel-surge-tank.html

It wasn't cheap, but having dealt with fuel issues off road I'm hoping this setup mounted nearly vertically will keep this thing running at all angles.

 

[BALCH-Autoworx]

On another note in addition to tires, a cage, a rear end rebuild, gears, and transfer case shifters, I really need to rewire my rig when I get it back in three years.

 

[BALCH-Autoworx]

 

[broncobsession]

Zombie bronco --- it's alive!

 

[BALCH-Autoworx]

So I ordered an early Mustang style clutch linkage bracket, it took awhile to get here, then I worked late every night this week. Thankfully the boss told me not to bother coming back after lunch to make up for it.

This afternoon I discovered that I hadn't purchased the miracle bracket . . . so I didn't explain that I originally ordered the roller block conversion bracket from Tom's but failed to read the part of the instructions about grinding the block until everything else was installed.

So I cut the stock bracket and welded it to the Mustang style bracket, then debated not painting the bracket just so I could drive it sooner. I put a few quick coats of spray bomb on it, then put gloves on to install it. The flux core welds aren't pretty but they'll hold for now.

I had left myself a couple of reminders, taped the clutch return spring to the z bracket so I wouldn't forget it, etc.

Got it all together changed in to cleaner clothes only to find out my daughter had just fallen asleep, normally I'd have waited to fire up the truck . . . not today!

 

[BALCH-Autoworx]

So I took off for a low speed trip around the neighborhood, trusty hound dog in tow (truthfully it's her Bronco she just let's me maintain and drive it, she sleeps in it when I deploy) happy that the brakes worked well enough. But I did have a few small issues, first I forgot to install the cotter pin that holds the clutch linkage to the pedal. Remember those reminders . . . I left my box of cotter pins on the drivers side floor board so i would remember . . . not so much. The first two times it popped off I was shifting so I ended up in neutral when the pedal went to the floor, more on the third later.

I noticed that the engine seamed to fall on its face everytime I pushed the clutch in, hopefully it learns is way out of that. I'm going to try and lower the idle a bit tomorrow too.

As I came back past the house my wife was out front ready to get a picture, the Bronco stalled and would not restart when I put the clutch in to slow down. I coasted down the hill to Bronco neighbor's garage thinking I needed to charge the battery. After talking to a different neighbor for too long I got the charger and went down to my friends house, I decided to try and start it and it fired right up.

So I decided to get it back to my garage quickly, it had gotten dark but I didn't bother with the lights, until I saw extremely rare oncoming traffic, I was already swinging wide to make my driveway, so zoomed up the driveway and as I crested into the garage the clutch hit the floor luckily I was able to lock up the brakes and kill the engine with plenty of room to spare. My wife thought I was showing off . . .

The Bronco is now self propelled for the first time in 27 months, woo hoo!

Never mind the catty-wampus top, the PO built a cage that doesn't clear the top but I have been storing the top on the Bronco since I moved, I have buddies coming by tomorrow to help pull it off.