Jeep becomes Bronco!

[Mike_F]

Greetings all! (first post)

So about a year ago I bought a CJ5, forgotten, left outside to die. It was dirty, hungry, and undrivable (so much death wobble). Well I took it home, performed open heart surgery, added some new parts, we had long talks about adventures we could have. You know those talks, when your alone in the garage with your car. But, I digest.

By that time for some reason I bought a full size bronco (full gofast baja rig)....didn't need the Jeep anymore. Put it up for sale. Long story short, I was able to trade the now very nice CJ5 for a Early Bronco. A great deal for both parties, they get a full serviced Jeep (nice family) for a loose pile of Bronco parts.

So thanks for having me here. ;D

My loose plan is tear it down the frame, blast and paint everything. It looks like it might have a lot of bondo covering lots of rust . Not the sellers work, but that's how he got it.

After that I do not know how I want to build it. It has not be cut anywhere, but cut and flared fenders on broncos are awesome. My grand plan is too keep it.

302 stock with holly two barrel
three speed
manual steering

Any thoughts?

 

[Skiddy]

looks pretty good. get it running and stopping good and drive it before you tear it down

 

[Mike_F]

Agreed! We got the 302 running today. Brakes are 2% , the clutch is 25%. Should be easy fixes. I was thinking it might be better to build it out first before paint.

 

[sprdv1]

Good move. Welcome aboard. It looks like a nice start

Look forward to more pics

 

[MarsChariot]

"... they get a full serviced Jeep (nice family) for a loose pile of Bronco parts. ". There's the value conversion right there.%)

 

[Crawdad]

Don't tell no one but a friend of mine gave me his wife's 91 Jeep Wrangler Islander 4.0. A few winters ago the block cracked and sat outside since. I picked it up last summer and have been slowly working on it.

I haven't forgotten about my bronco though. It gets attention too.

 

[Howard2x4x4]

What Skiddy said...

 

[elan]

Put down the Sawzall and take a breath. More pix would help (floors, rear quarters, engine compartment and cowl)

 

[Mike_F]

More Photos: It currently stuck the garage so rather lame images. It had 5 psi of oil pressure, and 10-11 quarts of oil! So I pulled the fuel pump, it is fine. Seems they were running it super rich with the choke closed....sigh.
Drained the oil gas 50/50 mixture, swapped the filter topped off with clean high zinc oil and boom 40psi at idle warm. Tuned the carb, took out about 30 degree of timing, tightened the loose spark plugs, made sure the firing order was correct...it wasn't. two plugs off. Now it purrs like a kitten, save valve clatter.

Elan, I turned off the plasma. ;D

Please, know that I'm here because you guys know WAY more than me about EB's. So all advise is taken seriously.

So next problem: 302 Valves and look at that rust!

The valves are clattering, I assumed that it was flat Hyd. but when I looked up these rockers, they are from 1966?? The Bronco is supposed to be a 73 U15 but no body ever found VIN.
1. How do you adjust the valves?
2. Whats going on with the engine, is it a swap?:?

 

[elan]

M,
first off, the heads, block, intake, as an example, all have casting date codes. That will give you a bigger picture of what is what. Then, go to utube and look up how to adjust Ford hydraulic lifters. And yes, it could be a flat lifter...or not . As for the dirty engine, after getting the lifter/s squared away, button up everything and run engine cleaner thru it. I've heard good things about Sea Foam Motor treatment.
I use Kano Labs internal engine (Kreen) cleaner but they won't ship it to California (perhaps to a business?)


For the rest of you, if I have written anything that is incorrect then please correct me. I'm always up to learn more.

 

[Mike_F]

Elan,

Thanks!

After some learning, this 302 has non-adjustable rail rockers.
Engine block has way too much grime to find the casting numbers (steam cleaning), Heads: 302, and B-A are the only marks. So that jives with 73, as do the rail rockers.
After some cleaning and taking apart the upper valve train, it becomes evident that rain got in thru the oil filler vent while they left the hood up. The lifters of cyl. 5 are doomed, neither are moving oil to the rockers. (bore scope time) Seems the best idea is compression test to make sure the pistos are still good. Then cam, rocker, hyd-lifter swap.
Sea foam is amazing, might shoot some directly on the lifters.
I hate my state gov. %)

 

[DirtDonk]

Hey Mike, welcome to classic! Saw your shot of the rocker area in the other thread and was bummed. But hopeful!
Sounds like you got a plan, so can't wait to see more progress.

Good luck. Nice rig.
Gonna be even nicer!

Paul

 

[Mike_F]

Thanks Dirt!

So I bore scoped it, the lifters are getting oil but it is not traveling up the push rods. I pull them all and clean the holes: all good but no oil to #5. Its a old 302 but it does not smoke even a little bit. My plan now is to just pull the intake and replace all the lifters do I can drive it around town a little bit. Got the brakes working a better, they were out of fluid. They need a complete rebuild.

I polished the pushrods, they are high performance (lighter)...barn finds %)

 

[Mike_F]

Update: All lifters are now pumping oil, but one. The problem seems to be that several of the valve rockers are too tight and bottoming out the lifters preventing them from pumping oil. So I think, new cam, push rods, lifters, and rockers are needed.