Project "BOB - Big Orange Bronco" Wheeling pics addded

[SC74]

Since SC, I have been busy doing a bunch of little nic nacs to it.

What has been done....

1. Re-fixed rear diff leak. After replacing the diff cover gasket with silicone it started leaking out of the pinion nut through the splines. Dropped the gear oil, removed the pinion nut and added some rtv. 3 days later re-filled with oil.

2. Installed the Redneck Ram. This went fairly well. The ram had an 8" stroke which was a little too much but we added a spacer on the shaft so it's a little less stroke now. Hooked the lines up backwards the first time, so made a mess reversing them and then re-bleeding, re-bleeding, and oh yea more re-bleeding. Also replaced the leaky gasket for RTV on the front diff cover when we took the cover off to weld the tabs to.

3. Added a hood prop. Got the ghetto 1x4 that was bevel cut on each end to support it just right out of the way. Welded a pivot point on and then a tab for it to spring against when the hood is closed and keep it from bouncing around.

4. Welded tabs to the roll cage and added some turn buckles to keep the windshield from rattling.

5. Wired the winch up. Used some fat 2 gauge cable. Also fixed the ratchet on the 8274.

6. Removed the twin sticks, heated, and bent them so they don't swing so far back and hit the console tray we made. Still need to install them back.

There's more I just can't think of now....

 

[SC74]

Here are a few pics of the steering ram. I did add a spacer on the ram so it didn't push so far and risk snapping the knuckles.

 

[SC74]

Keith and I got some nic nacs done today.

We finished the front driver's bump stop, fabbed a bottom cover for the air filter to keep water and debris coming off of the tire and landing on the air filter, welded the fire extinguisher brackets together, welded a tab for the fuel tank vent, and some other odds and ends.



Here are a few pics. I still can't use the download manager to post pics so back to photobucket again.

 

[SC74]

I've taken the crawler on 2 wheeling trips now... MEB Fawl Crawl in Harlan KY and the Duff Fall Ford event in Windrock, TN.

So far so good. I've had to tweak a few things and tighten a few bolts, but nothing unexpected.

I did use a transmission that I had no history on and that his biting me in the butt. I am thinking it has pump pressure problems, but I'll know more after Thanksgiving weekend when I get it out. While it's out it's going to get a complete rebuild, new pump, and new TC.

Here's a pic of my first body damage to the rig :-[ It's not bad at all - very small dent and some bondo rubbed out.

 

[fordfan]

Here's a pic of my first body damage to the rig :-[ It's not bad at all - very small dent and some bondo rubbed out.

Uhhh Ohhh!! How did that happen SC74? It was right there so you could watch it happen too!!! At least I put mine on the right back quarter..... a place I couldn't see!! I think those rocks at Winrock have something against Broncos!!!....No pun intended!!

 

[NGABronco]

Hey Robert, you should have put one of those Windrock Day Pass stickies over that, kinda of a "bang-aid"!!!;D;D;D

 

[SC74]

This is the rock that got me (thanks Ben for the pic!) Last trail and last rock of the day too :-[

You had to ride up the monster rock on the pass. side and put your driver side in a hole to avoid it. My first attempt and the rock came in my door opening. I hit the second attempt with a little "bump" and this is what came of it.

 

[SC74]

Oh yea... Ben I have thought about taking a sharpie marker and dating it! eeehhh.. I'll get a few more dents in it and then repair / re-paint ;D

 

[joe]

Man that's a good lookin rig

 

[SC74]

Man that's a good lookin rig

Thanks Joe! Now that I'm back on the trail I hope to see you and Natalie more often.

I got the transmission out tonight. Something's not right in 1st gear - not sure if it's the pump losing pressure or the TC. It's going in for a freshen up and putting both new pump and TC back in it.

 

[SC74]

After feeling like the bronco would lay down on me when I needed power, I thought I had a transmission problem. It was like I had stock gears with 40s. I didn't think the pump was building pressure or the TC was bad. Either way, my decision was to pull the c4, have it rebuilt by a local trans wizzard who specializes in racing and offroad, and replace the leaky d20 seal that kept filling the d20 with trans fluid.

I debated on whether or no to run a stall in the TC. Some people said no way, and others said I would love it. I left the decision up to the trans builder who knows what I am doing with it and I trusted him to lead me in the right direction. 1800 stall it is!

Replaced a few bearings in the d20 and replaced that leaky seal. Thanks Nik at WH for sending me the correct dual lip seal after another vendor sent me a single lip.

I got it all back together and a short test drive in on Saturday. So far so good! The stall is not even noticeable and the bronco has so much more power now with firm shifts.

I still need to install a trans temp gauge - put the sending unit in but need to hole saw the dash for the gauge.

Now I'm ready for an event to give me an excuse to wheel it!

 

[SC74]

I stole this idea off of Suzy Duff's crawler and installed an hour meter on the crawler. Since a weekend of wheeling may only be less than 20 miles, who knows how much idle time and crawl time you have. Since I work with heavy equipment, a Caterpillar hour meter was easy to get my hands on. I put it above the check engine light since there was space and I could pull all the feeds I needed off of the tach which is just below. Here are a couple pics. Still need to hole saw the dash for the trans temp gauge, but where I'm putting it I know there is bondo and I'm afraid of the bondo shattering. One night this week we will know what it does regardless.

 

[BucknEB]

The rig is looking great! I like the hour meter . It's about time you're getting to wheel this Bronco. Congratulations! Ya even got a scar already. ;D

 

[SC74]

Thanks Doug! It's been a blast so far

Got the trans temp gauge in tonight. It was the only bare spot left on the dash and now I need to put something above it to balance it out - thinking about a battery disconnect switch there. That would be easy since the battery is behind the glove box.

 

[sgtdcoulter]

Looks real good, maybe I can get up that way one day when I am not working

 

[broncoitis]

Nice job on the buildup Robert! Don't know how I missed this one but definitely gonna take some time out and go through what you have done. ;D

 

[SC74]

sgtdcoulter and broncoitis -

Thanks for the compliments! I've got lots of little nic-nacs I want to do on it, but nothing that will put me down for longer than a weekend. I took it to Townsend last year and plan on making it again this year, but trying to sneak a wheeling trip in on the same weekend so who knows if it will be clean or not at the show

 

[Mill KNOB]

Doing a good job on anything that you do on your rig.

Like the added gauges.

 

[broncoitis]

Doing a good job on anything that you do on your rig.

Like the added gauges.

Robert,

Just went through the build thread and NICE JOB! Obviously it turned out awesome and is a ton of fun. You definitely have a good friend that helped you with this project! You guys really did good! Your makin me wanna find a rusted out bronco and have some fun with it. ;D

Rob

 

[joe]

hawk pride march 20-24 %)