79 Bronco progress/upgrades/plans

[jebadiah04]

T cases, drive lines, hell even axles. Spare parts are goooood to have

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

 

[LEB Ben]

^^^Yeah should give me an opportunity to try my hand at tranny building. Since I'd have 2 spares...maybe try one with all C6 parts and one with E4OD upgrade parts...who knows.

 

[LEB Ben]

Picked up a couple new toys...

Gonna use the one on the right. Both have been sitting a couple years. The one on the right had 5k on the rebuild...the one on the left was an original 100k trans.

 

[DNFXDLI]

Any particular reason for the sideways pic?

 

[LEB Ben]

Seriously??? Looks straight on my phone...I can't post them to save my life from this blasted apple product. When in looks right on my phone it's off for everyone else...when it's sideways on my phone others see it right.

 

[DNFXDLI]

Would I BS you?

And that is just a cherry on the cake knowing that is the fault of an iProduct

 

[taxreliever]

Any particular reason for the sideways pic?

At first, I thought you rolled your Bronco and those parts were bolted to the floor.

 

[fatherdoug]

I can't turn my neck that far anymore.

 

[bucks77ford]

I'm kinda eyeing those door panel inserts back there. Good score on the trannies.

 

[LEB Ben]

Buncha wiseacres in here. Yeah buck...the panels are good cosmetically, but the tabs are mostly broken. I'm looking to go black/red to match the rest of Reds interior...so I'm considering dying them.

 

[LEB Ben]

Well boys and girls...the 350 upgrade is complete. Just replaced the booster and mc...tbird calipers are still boxed and in waiting. For the time and money, it's tough to beat. Anything would have been an upgrade over what I had though. The most time consuming part was flaring the tube...I kept splitting it, but Sean let me know I was trying to flare too much. Once I was set straight, it only took about 5 minutes to get a good flares end. Then it was tough getting enough straight tube so the fitting would fit up snug to the flare...so there was another 30 or so minutes straightening tube. The only other hiccup I wasn't planning on was when I went to bleed the brakes, 3 of the 4 bleeders were seized...so I spent about 15 minutes each persuading those out with liquid wrench, a vice grip and a 2lb sledge (overkill I know). So here are a few pics I snapped with my phone...if the rotation is off, I apologize...

What I started with...

MC off...

This nut on the backside of the booster is a bugger to get off...but the rest were easy with the hood popped reaching down between the back of the hood and the cowl...made much easier with a ratcheting 9/16" wrench.

There is a bolt, bushing and nut that holds the booster arm to the brake pedal:

Everything is out...

All the tools you need to remove the booster, MC and the bolt on the brake pedal. You'll need a double flaring tool for the rear brake line since it's a different sized fitting. I had a tube working kit to get good straight tube...results might vary. You'll also need a 3/8 brake line wrench for the bleeders...again...results might vary. But the tools you see are all you need for booster/mc removal and install.

The finished product...

And here is what was left of the bleeders when I took them out...

 

[m78]

So how much better do the brakes work now. ? Mine are starting to get hard but I already have the 350 master. Would the different booster help mine any ?

 

[LEB Ben]

So how much better do the brakes work now. ? Mine are starting to get hard but I already have the 350 master. Would the different booster help mine any ?

Kinda tough for me to gauge because my old booster was beyond shot. But I definitely think it stops better Red...and that's without swapping to dual piston calipers and larger wheel cylinders...which the 250's had. That said, If you're not looking to go hydroboost...and need a booster anyway, I think it would be a wise upgrade...but it's not something I'd trade an already good an functioning brake set up for.

 

[fatherdoug]

Looks nice. I'm curious why you had to reflare the tubing. Is that just because you installed new tubing?

 

[LEB Ben]

Looks nice. I'm curious why you had to reflare the tubing. Is that just because you installed new tubing?

I used the existing tube...maybe you can tell from the pics...but it took a couple tries to get the rear line right (straightening and split the flare a couple times). I went from 2-3 spare coils to maybe one. And actually, the front tube I just uncoiled some spare tube and and turned 180* (female swapped sides on the MC's)...and it was 7/16 for 7/16, so that didn't require a new fitting and fit just fine. The rear tube however, had a significantly larger fitting, 1/2"...maybe 9/16" on the old MC...on the new MC it was only 3/8". So I had to cut off the old fitting to put the new one on.

 

[Mil1ion]

Curious, what is the FT number on that booster rod?

If you are putting speed control on this the pedal needs replacing and possibly the support as well.

No bolt ,,just a nub to hold the switch and pedal in place.

 

[LEB Ben]

Curious, what is the FT number on that booster rod?

If you are putting speed control on this the pedal needs replacing and possibly the support as well.

No bolt ,,just a nub to hold the switch and pedal in place.

Yeah...the speed control is coming...might just throw it in Red. I really don't feel like starting over with the Bronco...but the cruise will wait. It's coming, being pulled of a 79 Bronco as we speak.

And this was no nub...definitely a bolt and a nut:

 

[bucks77ford]

Looks good.

 

[Mil1ion]

The pedal requires the nub to allow the S/C shut off switch to work.some work by pressure on, others work by pressure off the switch..no bolt for speed control.
Plus, you need a speed control application booster to make the whole thing work.

Booster FT number?

 

[LEB Ben]

Just throwing this post in to see what my progress looks like...

-First and foremost...needed tires. I'm actually a little disappointed in myself on how bad the tires were and I just kept rolling on them. The rears were darn near slicks and the tread was dry rotted and cracking. So I ditched the BFG MT's and got a set of TSL radials...and finally got to throw my turbines on. DONE

-I rebuilt the top end of the 400 3 years ago. So the actual top end is good, but after the amount of time it sat, there are some weep marks and leaks. Over the last few weeks, everything has been taken care of, except the front seal on the intake (spit it out a while ago, who needs vacuum)...but I've been waiting to take care of that until I swap boosters to get a good vacuum reading. DONE

-Brakes...non-existent. Drums were hanging and seized a few weeks back after sitting for a few months (after the blowout on the highway). Adjust the drums, good to go. The Booster has been shot for quite a while, so nothing but manual brakes for me...it just wasn't driven enough to justify replacement...as important as it is. Well, I have the parts for the threefiddy upgrade. DONE

-Steering has about 75* of play in the steering wheel. I haven't really tracked that down yet, but I think it's somewhere in the shaft/joints/column. Should be easy enough to trace it. The column itself looks to be the issue, and the ujoints are toast and the rag joint is seriously sloppy. I have 2 tilt columns coming my way.

-Transmission...it's on it's way out...but has been for the better part of 4 years...the C6 just won't die. Has a pretty nasty slip from 2 to 3 and starting to develop one from 1 to 2. Overheated that bad boy playing out in the sand of the OBX...and haven't let up on it. Actually pretty impressive. I want to rebuild using the E4OD internals, but with the plethora of good C6's out there and the fact there are other priorities...I'll just pick one up and swap in. Then build he current C6 as time permits. Have a couple transmissions sitting in wait. This needs to happen soon though, shifting through all gears up and down is getting sloppier and sloppier once the trans has been running for a while. Tried a band adjustment again...no dice.

-Completely rebuilt (short of gear replacement) the D44 about 2-2.5 years ago. I noticed a slight leak on the drivers side knuckle when I started driving it again. Maybe an axle seal...or coulda just been dried out from not driving it...will investigate further later. Appears this was seepage from lack of use, haven't seen another drop since I've been driving it daily. As far as I'm concerned...DONE

-Noticed some weep on the rear 9"...probably time for new seals all the way around on that thing. Still weeping, but no issues, so this is down the priority list

-NP205...pretty sure the thing keeping it together is 30+ years of sludge. Still works and shifts just fine...but never done anything more than change the gear oil. Not a priority but would like to show it some love eventurally. Crawled underneath to replace wheel cylinders, got distracted checking out what would have to move for the trans swap...that 205 sure has a lot of grime and leak marks. This'll get some new seals and a power washing when the trans comes down.

-Interior...where oh where do I start. To save face, I won't post the atrocity that is the Bronco's interior. Some of you may remember, I tried using the duplicolor dye to get rid of the gold crushed velvet. It works...and has held up decently well...but it's time for something else. I have a perfect (what I believe to be) rear lariat seat...so I'd like to take cues from that. I'm thinking seat covers, but sturdy seat covers that won't just look like I'm trying to cover something up. Door panels and rear panels were the same gold crushed velvet and they were dyed as well. I really want to do something with these...not sure what though. Diamond plate looks tacky...and I don't want to throw plywood up there. Maybe just some sheet metal sprayed with bed liner...who knows. Decided I'm gonna go with 60/40 bench, leaves room for another person...and they're a darn comfy seat.

-Interior part 2...the interior literally smells...from wet nasty things being left in there, to spilled axle grease, etc etc. The PO put down some 'carpet'...it resembles pool table felt over bare floor, that's going bye bye. So my intent was to lay some Peel n Seal sound deadener/insulation. Then roll/spray on bed liner. I know lots of folks said this idea wouldn't work. However, I did find an old JP Magazine article that did, and I have found a couple Jeep guys that have done it. I have yet to hear any long term effects...just alot of theories. I did call Dynamat, and they said if I scuffed the foil, it should stick no issues. I also had another buddy tell me just to leave a 1-2" gap between insulation strips to make sure there is good spot of adhesion and it'll encapsulate the area. Figured I'd do this from the windows down. Pulled the majority of the carpet out yesterday...significantly helped with the smell. Still plan on trying do bedliner over Peel n Seel.

-Interior Part 3...Radio...it was a mess when I got it, and I can barely splice two wires together...so if anything it's gotten worse. I've got 2 6x9's flung in cargo area, 2 5x7's in the rear panels, 2 6.5's in the doors and a 5x7 in the dash. I've got about eleventeen hundred feet of wires...and that's all I have to say about that.This fell completely off the radar

-Last part of the equation...exterior body. The paint has never been perfect, there have been dings and dents and scratches. That's fine by me...that's what this vehicle is about. It's my 'go anywhere, do anything, point it any direction you want to go and it'll get there' rig. What does bug me is over the last 2 years rust has formed in the typical spots...above the rear wheel wells and the bottom corners of the tailgate. I can live with the tailgate...but the wheel wells are becoming a problem. I haven't decided if I'm just going to cut it out, cut it out and add patch panels or cut it out and flare it.Really don't care about this right now, unless I find a deal on some cut out flares