What did you do with your Bronco II today?

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Lance Skene
Posts: 144
Joined: Fri Dec 27, 2013 8:06 am
Location: Calgary Alberta

What did you do with your Bronco II today?

Post by Lance Skene »

I like these 'what did you do' threads on other forum so I figured I try it out here and see if it catches on, whether your working on it or playing in the mud...anything goes.

Since I just finished the duraspark conversion I still have some unused emmision control bits to remove, I cleaned up the air box and repainted it, ordered new filters for air, oil, and gas and pcv valve, should get all that tomorrow. Just put in new front brake pads and regreased the hubs. Checked and topped up all the fluids, so now I just need to do an oil change and I can call it my DD again...happy happy;)
'80 Bronco 351M
'85 BII 2.8/Duraspark
'89 F150 302 Supercab
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Phillippi
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Re: What did you do with your Bronco II today?

Post by Phillippi »

I'll play. I walked through my garage and noticed my bronco is still in pieces. I'm bummed it hasn't put itself together. I wish I had more time and motivation.
Lance Skene
Posts: 144
Joined: Fri Dec 27, 2013 8:06 am
Location: Calgary Alberta

Re: What did you do with your Bronco II today?

Post by Lance Skene »

Finished up today with an oil and filter change, fuel and air filters aswell, pcv valve, spark plugs, and windshield wipers. Vacumned out the interior and moved all the dogs stuff over from the F150, and still have two days left before holidays are over.
'80 Bronco 351M
'85 BII 2.8/Duraspark
'89 F150 302 Supercab
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tekatlarge
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Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2006 8:54 am
Location: Coastal, Worshington

Re: What did you do with your Bronco II today?

Post by tekatlarge »

Well yesterday I started the process of replacing the furnace in my shop! The old furnace had been salvaged from Noah's Arc and it finally burnt the firebox out. I have a almost new furnace (Was salvaged from Columbus's ships) to go back in. Right now I am waiting for the temp outside to move above freezing just a couple more degrees. It should be in the mid 40's today so I shouldn't have to wait long. I have this thing against working in below freezing temperatures. I hate to grab a wrench and get frozen to it! :hmmm: :hmmm:

I had been putting this swap off as long as I could. I really should have done this back last summer when it was warm. So now I have to drag that dinosaur out to the scrap pile. The replacement furnace still needs to be positioned in the old ones spot and the ducting and flue pipe need connected. Hopefully by tomorrow I will be able to start melting the ice sickles hanging from the rafters. Next comes some major re arranging of my shop so I can get some things done before next summer.
The Tek @ Large
Coastal,Worshington
Livin life on the dole on the Coast
Lance Skene
Posts: 144
Joined: Fri Dec 27, 2013 8:06 am
Location: Calgary Alberta

Re: What did you do with your Bronco II today?

Post by Lance Skene »

Not sure what it actually did but there was some kind of smog pump on the intake manifold so I threw it away and made a nice 1/4" aluminum plate and gasket to cover the holes and then went for a 120km test drive past a few nearby towns, longest trip the truck has made in a couple years probably, other than lacking the elec choke wire that some dumby cut off... drove real nice but since it was quite cold the choke would partially close and bring the idle speed up to about 1800 after a few km on the highway. I turned it back a bit and will leave it for now just because its too damned cold to pull the wire out of the harness on the parts trucks. I'll fix it soon but I park inside both at home and work so I actually rarely need to cold start my DD.
'80 Bronco 351M
'85 BII 2.8/Duraspark
'89 F150 302 Supercab
Lance Skene
Posts: 144
Joined: Fri Dec 27, 2013 8:06 am
Location: Calgary Alberta

Re: What did you do with your Bronco II today?

Post by Lance Skene »

Been driving the B2 everyday since getting the duraspark swap done, was a little trail and error to get the choke and timing set how I like, its running nice. This weekend I have a differant center consol from a 94 ranger I want to start on, a new trailer connector to install, figure out what size alt belt I'll need after I pull off the old air pump.

I had to plow some snow with the front bumper couple days ago, come home from work at 2am and find a couple big drifts over the aproach into the yard, I didn't want to get on an open tractor at the time so I run the B2 in and out a few times so the wife at least had some tracks to follow when she leaves at 6am.

One of these days Im just gonna build a dozer blade for it... I dont even have a good excuse for not having one... metal fab is what I do for work..lol
'80 Bronco 351M
'85 BII 2.8/Duraspark
'89 F150 302 Supercab
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tekatlarge
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Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2006 8:54 am
Location: Coastal, Worshington

Re: What did you do with your Bronco II today?

Post by tekatlarge »

I am still wrestling with this furnace replacement! All of the little things I had forgotten are now coming back to be a pain in the ?SS. I Forgot the 18 inch requirement that the furnace has to be above the floor. Of course my other furnace was on a different stand to get the 16 in clearance and of course this newer furnace won't fit on the old stand. So, I need to build a new stand. I measured it out cut the steel and tacked it together the other day. Today I think I will weld it all up and get ready to move the furnace over to its new location.

This little project seemed like a perfectly easy swap out of the furnaces job. Ah, but what we often forget is all of the tiny little differences between the two. This tiny little list of differences can be daunting at times. The biggest pain so far has been what I call the 18 inch rule.

This 18 inch rule I am speaking of is a recent change to my local fire and building code. The code used to say for furnace installations in a garage or workshop, the fresh air and combustion air inlets must be a minimum of 16 in above the floor of the shop. Now it says the Furnace itself must be a minimum of 18 inches above the floor. That rule change screwed all my best laid plans.

The new furnace is huge as in tall and long and rated at 150,000 BTU. Now the bottom of the furnace has to set 18 inches above the floor. That puts the top of the furnace only like 31 inches below the ceiling. The height problem is compounded by The warm air outlet plenum. It needs to be a certain size to flow the proper amount of air. The outlets are the same size but the old plenum chamber is way too tall and If I shorten the old plenum I need to add to it's volume but where to add the volume?. This is not that difficult but it is just one more obstacle to overcome as I have the metal, the shear, and brake to build one. Oh well I better get outside and get on it. I will fire up the TV in the shop and watch Seattle Seahawks Kick some serious butt!
The Tek @ Large
Coastal,Worshington
Livin life on the dole on the Coast
Lance Skene
Posts: 144
Joined: Fri Dec 27, 2013 8:06 am
Location: Calgary Alberta

Re: What did you do with your Bronco II today?

Post by Lance Skene »

I took off the air/smog pump and found that I can now use two identical belts, the PS belt fits the alt aswell now that the pump is gone, pump was getting noisy so its nice to be rid of it. Cleaned up the Ranger consol and took some measurements, looks like it should fit just fine, but thats about as far as that project got for now. Tail pipe was getting loose so after inspection I decided to pull it off before it fell off, I'll have to inspect the parts trucks to see if either has a salvagable section, otherwise that will be the next part on order.

Ive been watching for a good price on a new shop compressor for awhile, this weekend I found a 20 gal upright at Home Depot for $229, comes with a 3/8 ratchet and 1/2 impact that I dont need so maybe I can sell them for $10-$15 each. I dont use alot of air around the shop but my old 10gal system has a slow leak at the regulator pressure switch so its been cutting in 4-5 times a day even if its not being used.

Snowin and blowin here again this morning, good day to own a B2. I dont think I have seen snow like this since the 60s-70s when as a kid I thought it was fun, of course I didnt have to move the crap then, today after morning coffee I'll have to get on the tractor before I head to work so the wife doesnt get her Focus stuck in the yard when she comes home. Im sure all this snow is the reason my tail pipe was falling off:|(
'80 Bronco 351M
'85 BII 2.8/Duraspark
'89 F150 302 Supercab
drofman
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Re: What did you do with your Bronco II today?

Post by drofman »

My tail pipe fell off here in Cali. It's just a B2 thing. I got mine at Napa for a good deal. I got the one without a resonator and it fit.
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Ruffinit
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Location: Muscatine, Iowa

Re: What did you do with your Bronco II today?

Post by Ruffinit »

I looked at my 'lil 84 sitting out there this morning past my lil Ranger as I got into my big Ranger to come to work. Lots of ice, snow and now extremely windy. My commute is 72 miles one way and it has become the wearing out part of my vehicles over the years. The 84 was my last worn out when it threw a rod in the 2.8. Up until that point it was very reliable. No I rely upon my summer and winter Rangers to get me through.. Can't stand the thought of my 84 going to the scrapper..
Lance Skene
Posts: 144
Joined: Fri Dec 27, 2013 8:06 am
Location: Calgary Alberta

Re: What did you do with your Bronco II today?

Post by Lance Skene »

Just curious... when you say "big" Ranger... is that a lifted 1/4 ton or do have a full size Ranger? I'ld like to find another full size they were sharp looking trucks, another one I wish I still had was the '66 Custom Cab F100.

Thats quite the daily commute, little stressful some days I bet.
'80 Bronco 351M
'85 BII 2.8/Duraspark
'89 F150 302 Supercab
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tekatlarge
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Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2006 8:54 am
Location: Coastal, Worshington

Re: What did you do with your Bronco II today?

Post by tekatlarge »

Lance,

I can't believe it! A 66 F100 Custom Cab? When I turned 16 My father said I could use his truck when he wasn't using it. Needless to say The summer of 69 was an awesome time. I drove the wheels of my dads 1965 F100 with the long bed and a small cap on the back. It had a 352 with 3 in the tree and one more under the dash. (Overdrive) Custom cab and my dad had added 2 extra inches of foam to the front seal and it was so soft, just like setting on a couch! The lower portion of the door panel was upholstered and there was a zipper in that area that opened to a nice storage compartment. My Dad always had a Seagrams 7 fifth in the door for "Emergency's" just in case he got stranded..
That truck was an awesome truck and I put it through everything and when school started in that Sept My dad passed and the "Wicked Stepmother" took the truck and left and moved to Bellingham and told me "From here on you are on your own"! She Then went on and said "maybe you can move in with your brother". Yeah she didn't earn any points there. She left and took the truck along with her Volkswagen never to be heard from alive again.

I tell ya that truck only had one weakness! The weak spot was the brakes. Old Style Manual brakes with drums on all four. If you had a load on don't expect to stop anytime soon!! :eek: :eek: :eek:

I am going to get me one sometime and I think a disk conversion would be an acceptable change! :cool:
The Tek @ Large
Coastal,Worshington
Livin life on the dole on the Coast
Lance Skene
Posts: 144
Joined: Fri Dec 27, 2013 8:06 am
Location: Calgary Alberta

Re: What did you do with your Bronco II today?

Post by Lance Skene »

Ya that was probably my fav truck of all time, and I have had probably at least a dozen Ford trucks, pretty much the only thing Ive ever driven, but I was young and dumb and put it in the ditch one winter, went right through a chain link fence, two posts went under the truck and the mesh went over, ripped off the chrome signal light trim, the wipers, the clearance lights, the mirrors and one door handle, tore the mounts off one front fender and busted a few leaf springs.... PlSSMEOFF

I luv to find one the short uni body models now, buddy of mine back then had one and it was sure nice lookin, and now Ive got a full size Bronco with alot of rust I bet would fit under one of those trucks real nicely.

Put a new heater motor resistor in my B2 yesterday, for a couple weeks I only two options, off or full blast, and it was +6c here today so it was nice to be able to turn it down. Gonna test out my new shop compressor before work today, I have a new 7pin trailer plug to put on and I need to make the hole bigger with a die grinder, everything else has already been converted to 7pin so that will finish up another project.

Were s'posed to get some nice weather this week and I have several 6-8' drifts around the shop that need to be moved to avoid flooding so it looks like a bit of seat time on the tractors will be my next major chore, tricky part is that the biggest tractor is behind about 150 yds of 6' snow drifts, Im gonna check it out on friday but it may actually be easier to bring it across the field, weve had so much wind that most of the snow is piled up in yards and around bushes, but there's stubble showing in the field.

Tek, I read your story about Phil and Mustang the other day, sad news but a nice tribute to your bro, well done!
'80 Bronco 351M
'85 BII 2.8/Duraspark
'89 F150 302 Supercab
dgl6y6
Posts: 84
Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2009 8:56 am
Location: St. Louis

Re: What did you do with your Bronco II today?

Post by dgl6y6 »

I had an emergency repair last night. Im on the highway when I notice a giant plume of steam behind me. I have a tank type block heater and the plastic t fitting on the heater hose gave out. I patched the heater hose with a deep well socket (1/2 in I think) and jammed the fat end of a 3/8 extension in the block heater hose. Added all the water that was in my cooler and headed for the nearest auto parts store. I checked the farm store next to the napa to see if I could find a brass or copper T but no luck. So I got a new plastic one at napa and some coolant and was good to go.
I did find a barbed T at the farm store that i was told was for spraying equiptment. It was black, maybe nylon. It was thicker than the one from napa. I almost bought it but i didnt want to take a chance that it was abs and would melt immediatly. If anybody knows about "spraying equiptment" I'd love to swap in the thicker T for piece of mind.
Lance Skene
Posts: 144
Joined: Fri Dec 27, 2013 8:06 am
Location: Calgary Alberta

Re: What did you do with your Bronco II today?

Post by Lance Skene »

If the sprayer fitting is cheap enough you could pick one up and put it in boiling water fro a while to see if softens up or not, but if tis a thicker plastic that would make it smaller id and maybe reduce the water flow. Maybe a metal fitting would be better?
'80 Bronco 351M
'85 BII 2.8/Duraspark
'89 F150 302 Supercab
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