Looking for advice before I start on engine. Have 89 with rebuilt 2.9 engine with about 40-50K on it. Had new thicker casting heads put on engine when I installed rebuild.
As this story goes, yesterday was driving onto freeway and accelerating when I heard a new clattering noise coming from the engine. At first thought a patched exhaust leak had come unpatched but the sound was more metallic. A few seconds later noticed that I had diminshed power in the engine and smoke coming out the back. Managed to make a couple miles and then decided to get off freeway due to power loss. Engine went dead as I turned into a gas station. Opened hood and smoke poured out from what appeared and smelled like oil burning on the exhaust. Some oil was dripping on the ground. Had truck hauled home and was able to crank it after it cooled but it is obvious that the power is not there. Runs weak and doesn't sound strong like usual.
Any ideas of what to look for before I start teardown would be greatly appreciated. Plan to do a compression check tomorrow look to see if any oil is in the water or vice verse.
Alright, finally I have gotten outside and worked on the bronco. Here are the things I have found. First I found that my bottom radiator hose had a hole in it and very little water was left in the radiator. Very little oil was found under engine, no more than normal, so I have to assume the smoke from the freeway was from the steam caused when the radiator hose blew out. Also what I thought was oil leaking was power steering fluid that was forced out when the engine died and I still had to steer the truck. Did a compression check and got the following pressure for each cyclinder: 1. 80 psi 2. 165 psi 3. 190 psi 4. 190 psi 5. 182 psi 6. 188 psi. Minimum has to be 110 so I figure problem has to be in #1 cyclinder. Of course after doing all this it helped to make the diagnosis when the #1 piston stopped in the TDC postion and I was able to see water mixed with oil floating on top. So I am now hoping that it is a blown head gasket and not a cracked head due to fact I payed $250 for the new head with thicker casting just a couple of years ago. The temperture gauge never read hot so I think I will replace it and the themostat and if that doesn't work get me a new aftermarket gauge set as a back up. Figure to only take passenger side of engine down since drivers side has such good compression numbers. Does this sound like I am on the right track to solving my engine problems. Any comments would be welcomed.
A temperature gauge unless watched like a hawk, isn't really worth much. The reason I say this is that if the water level drops lower than the temp sensor the temp sensor won't respond worth a crap unless there is wated surronding it. It then stays fat and happy in the green while your motor cooks like brownies in the oven..
There should be a Low Coolent sensor on every vehicle along with a temp guage. maybe that could help ya keep from frying the machine.
There is a trick you can use in the fall and winter to warn you you are about to have a problem. If your heater suddenly stops heating pull over immediately and check the water. The heater is usually the first thing to run empty...
The Tek @ Large
Coastal,Worshington
Livin life on the dole on the Coast
Thanks for the info. About 3/4 of the way with the tear down now. Forgot how many odds and ins you have to take care to insure the rebuild goes back without problems.
One question. There are two electrical connection going to the top of the thermostat housing. the smaller on with a single wire is the water temp gauge wire if I am not mistaken. What is the other connection located on top of the housing with a white plug connector. I want to replace anything that might help me not to overheat again.
having been through several bronco 2's ive learned a thing or two about them acting all screwy. they get mean when they get hot. the earlier problem described sounded like something that happened to me. i was just cruising and engine starts missing and jerking, all crazy like. smoke was pouring out. then it just dies, but its still making noise. so i get out and look under the hood. it looks at though a ghost of some sort is yanking on my lower radiator hose like a navy rowboater ( i think thats what they are called, anyways). i let her cool off (took about 2 damn hours she was so hot) turned out in the end that it was the thermostat that was locked up
I currently own 4 bronco 2's. Three of them are 89' of which two are 4x4 and love em. The other is an 85' 4x4 5-spd
Well it turned out to be worse than I thought of course . After pulling the passenger side head, I not only found water in the cyclinder but a piston that was coming apart. Pieces along the edge were gone and a crack to the center of the piston. I tore down the rest of the engine and found a good deal of metal in the oil pan. I use the BII as my main transport so I decieded to do a complete rebuild. Got rebuilt block and had heads rebuilt and other odds and ends and now have it on the road again. $800 or so and no car payments. Now if the heads seals would seal up and stop slowly leaking oil, life would be great.
