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Barn Find to Daily Driver - a "Drive it Ugly" '69 Bronco Project!

bulletpruf

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The truck in question is a Springtime Yellow '69 that came out of a barn in Mississippi several years ago. Old hunting truck that was complete and very solid, but beat up from years of running around in the woods. Pretty much all original except for paint. 302, 3 sp, 9", Dana 30, vacuum wipers, etc.

Best guess is that it hasn't run in about 20 years.

First up - getting the 302 running again. I attacked it as if it was stuck -- soaked cylinders in Marvel Mystery Oil and Kroil. Pulled the distributor and pre-oiled the engine. Then turned over with a breaker bar and socket on the balancer bolt.

Cleaned the points and I had spark, hotwiring the coil from the battery and using a remote starter switch on the starter relay to turn it over.

Someone broke the timing cover right at the fuel pump so you can't mount a mechanical pump to it now. I'll need to replace that, but I do have a spare front cover. Had to use a boat gas tank with the bulb on the line to pump some fuel into the carb. Started up and seems to run fairly well.

After running it, I did a compression test. Good news -- no bad cylinders, and all were within 13 psi or so of each other, or about 10%. Range was 119 psi - 132 psi, IIRC.

FYI - I suspect the broken timing cover is why it was laid up many years ago -- there were two electric fuel pumps mounted on the inner fender but neither was wired or plumbed. I guess replacing the timing cover and reinstalling the mechanical fuel pump was too much trouble?

Fuel system is coming together. I cleaned out the plastic auxiliary tank and replaced the sending unit and filler hose. Blasted and painted the skid plate. Just needs to be plumbed.

Fuel tank selector valve broke when removing it, but I have a new one on the way from Wild Horses.

Rear tank had a hole, so it got replaced with a new one from WH. It'll go in today or tomorrow, along with blasted/painted skid plate and associated tank hardware.

Have a Quadrajet ordered for it, just a good core from eBay. The later model carbs are supposed to be better, so I picked up a 1977 or 1978 Chevrolet model with the side inlet for fuel. I'll rebuild it once it arrives. Plan to put it on a Performer intake, mounted with an adapter.

Big question at this point is whether I rebuild the engine or just swap the timing cover and run it as-is. The problem is that by the time I pull the timing cover off the engine with it in place, I get into the "might as wells" -- I might as well replace the timing chain and gears, and if I'm doing that, I might as well swap the cam, and if I'm swapping the cam and intake/carb, timing chain/gears, all with the engine installed, I might as well pull the damn engine and rebuild it. Figure new pistons & rings, rod and main bearings, oil pump, balancer, cam and lifters ought to do it. I have a ball hone and I plan to do it all in the garage. Heads will get disassembled and cleaned, and maybe some minor bowl work.

Scott
 

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68Broncoz

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Looks like a great project!

I would swap to in the timing cover with a new timing chain and drive it awhile and see what other issues come up before spending more $ on items that are working.

Of course if you have an unlimited budget you can go whatever route you want,

Chris
 
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bulletpruf

bulletpruf

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Looks like a great project!

I would swap to in the timing cover with a new timing chain and drive it awhile and see what other issues come up before spending more $ on items that are working.

Of course if you have an unlimited budget you can go whatever route you want,

Chris

I definitely don't have an unlimited budget!

I ordered a Cloyes double roller timing chain and a FelPro timing chain gasket set from Summit. I should have the fuel system finished up tomorrow, so if I swap the timing cover this weekend I should be able to move it under its own power, which would be nice.
 

TTownEP

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What do you suspect was the purpose of that line of holes in the rear?
 
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bulletpruf

bulletpruf

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What do you suspect was the purpose of that line of holes in the rear?

Air intake for the flux capacitor....


Actually, the guy who owned the truck many years ago used it for hunting. He had a kennel in the back for the hunting dogs, and on top of that, he had a pedestal of some sort with seats mounted on it. The holes were to provide better ventilation for the dogs.
 

73azbronco

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Thank you. I thought the title meant you were rebuilding motor first. My one big mistake, building a great motor that then sat for 9 years. Working on leaky head gasket next week.
 
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bulletpruf

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Thank you. I thought the title meant you were rebuilding motor first. My one big mistake, building a great motor that then sat for 9 years. Working on leaky head gasket next week.

Been there. I have a stout 401 that I built for my 71 Javelin a while back - aluminum heads, custom grind cam, forged pistons, balanced bottom end, etc. It's been sitting for 11 years or so...

The plan is to have this one back on the road soon, so it's either no rebuild or a quickie rebuild.
 
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bulletpruf

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bulletpruf

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Good news today! Hooked up a mechanical oil pressure gauge and started her up - oil pressure was right at 55 psi cold while idling. I didn't wait until it warmed up; 55 psi was good enough for me. Had it been terrible, I would have yanked the engine for a rebuild.

After oil pressure test, I started disassembly so I could change the busted timing cover. Was fairly easy, but will have to fix some of the hack work done by a PO. Also will have to deal with a long bolt (goes thru water pump and timing cover and threads into the block) that has a broken off head. Will use Kroil and heat; that usually works for me.

I'll pull the balancer tomorrow, get the timing cover off, and then reassemble with the cover I got from another 1969 Bronco 302. Also swapping in a Cloyes double roller timing chain (Ford used nylon cam gears; that's a breakdown waiting to happen) and a FlowKooler aluminum water pump.

I'll take this opportunity to install some new parts - battery tray, radiator hoses, thermostat, and a few used items, most from my Bronco parts stash - original fan (has a fiberglass one on it now), fan shroud (currently MIA), radiator (one in it now looks pretty rough), fan belt, alternator bracket (one on there is hacked), and correct crank pulley (currently has a 4 row crank pulley; should only have one row).
 

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bulletpruf

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As usual, removing an old rusty bolt took a lot longer than expected...

As you can see in the picture, after the water pump was removed, I had a long bolt that didn't come out. This was one of the bolts that goes through the water pump, through the timing cover, and into the block. The PO must have broken the head off decades ago and never fixed it.

I hit it with some Kroil and some heat in hopes that I could turn it with some vise grips, but I didn't have any luck.

I also couldn't get the timing cover off because the bolt and timing cover were so corroded they were fused together.

I tried small taps with a small hammer and gradually worked my way up to a larger one in an attempt to shock them free. No luck.

I eventually went full Neanderthal on it and just beat the timing cover to pieces with a BFH. That felt good.

In doing so, I managed to break the bolt off where it was almost flush with the block. Shite.

I managed to get vise grips on the end, but it wasn't budging.

Then I tried a chisel -- catching the top of the bolt and trying to turn it, not cut it off. Nope.

Then I took a file and filed notch into the end of bolt shank for a regular screwdriver to grab. Then I tried an impact screwdriver, but I couldn't get much of a swing in. No joy.

At this point, I was about to call it good enough and just slop some extra RTV in that slot when I put it back together but I still had one more option.

I cleaned up the bolt head with a wire brush and a sander, hit it with some acetone and then found a large washer that fit the broken end of the bolt. I took my trusty MIG and welded the washer to the head of the bolt. From there, I welded a nut to the washer, and used a wrench to try to loosen it. It turned!!! HOORAY!!! And then it snapped off. fook.

There was still just barely enough bolt left to try welding again, and this time I zapped it good! And it worked this time!

Just another frolic and detour in getting this heap back on the road...
 

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DirtDonk

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I took my trusty MIG...

Many success stories start with this phrase.;D
Nice going and thanks for the blow-by-blow with pics. It's often talked about, but not as often accompanied by pictures.

Paul
 
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bulletpruf

bulletpruf

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Many success stories start with this phrase.;D
Nice going and thanks for the blow-by-blow with pics. It's often talked about, but not as often accompanied by pictures.

Paul

Thanks for not commenting on the quality of the welds, or lack thereof!
 
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Rustytruck

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I would replace the head gaskets while your at it and check the freeze plugs while your at it. poke them with a screwdriver.
 

Rustytruck

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I just bought a toms bronco stock tank very nicely made and quick service.
 
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bulletpruf

bulletpruf

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I would replace the head gaskets while your at it and check the freeze plugs while your at it. poke them with a screwdriver.

Good point on the freeze plugs. I had one let go on my 66 Fairlane right after I got it running.

But I’m going to disagree with you on the head gaskets. That’s an involved job on something of this vintage, as evidenced from the fuel pump/timing cover fiasco. I have resurrected a few cars that have sat idle for 10 years or more, haven’t replaced head gaskets on any, and haven’t had head gaskets blow on my yet.

Frankly, I’m trying like he11 to resist the urge to pull out the engine for a backyard rebuild (ridge ream, ball hone, rings, bearings, cam and lifters) and that’s exactly where I would end up if I decided to change head gaskets.

Thanks
 

Rustytruck

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Your choice on the head gaskets. stock ford gaskets back when broncos were built were clad in steel after time the steel corrodes and the gaskets fail. the more it sits with bad coolant the worse it is.
 
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bulletpruf

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The truck has vacuum wipers, and I plan to keep these. Unfortunately, it also had a replacement fuel pump; one without provisions for vacuum.

A while back I had sourced a few pumps that were used on vacuum wiper Broncos. In looking a bit closer, both were made by AC, so they were aftermarket replacements (originals were made by Carter). One of them came with a rebuild kit from Then and Now -- https://www.then-now-auto.com/fuel-pumps/ -- so I cleaned it up and rebuilt it.
 

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