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Doing some updates to my '75


blksn8k2

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In FedEx' defense there is a pretty steep grade at the end of my lane where it intersects the highway. If your vehicle isn't at least AWD there are days when you ain't climbing that hill. 

 

Anyway, they did deliver the package to the Dollar General yesterday as I had requested but no one ever called to tell me it was there which I had also asked them to do. I called the store around 1 PM and they confirmed that it was already there. When I picked it up the cashier had no clue how to deal with it so I gave her the tracking number and said it was probably the large box right behind her. After verifying the tracking number she pushed it back where she found it. I had to then tell her that I needed to take it with me. I asked her if she needed to see any ID and she said that wasn't necessary. Whatever. Funny thing is I was wearing a mask anyway.

 

When I checked FedEx tracking today it said the package was out for delivery and would be at the Dollar General today. I would assume the driver should have scanned the bar code when he dropped it off at the store yesterday and you would think FedEx would require that the store scan it again when the customer (me) picked it up. ?

 

If I was like some people I could probably claim I never received it and ask for a refund.

 

I haven't permanently installed the radiator yet but I did do a trial fit yesterday and was surprised to find that there was an interference between the electric fan's shaft and the water pump pulley. I fixed that by modifying the mounting brackets so that the radiator is closer to the core support. I suppose some of that could be attributed to the 2" body lift but you would hope that the radiator manufacturer would know their product well enough to account for vehicle mods that are fairly common. Then again I don't suppose there are too many old Broncos running around on the streets of China let alone any with a 2" body lift.

 

 

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It occurred to me yesterday that there was no wiring diagram or instructions for how to wire the electric cooling fan. I thought I had it figured out based on normal use of colors but I thought I had also seen some wiring instructions in the description of one of the dozen or so listings for this radiator on eBay. I also did an internet search and came up with a wiring diagram that was similar to the instructions I found on the other eBay listing.

 

Amazingly after following all that it actually works. I did have to add an extension to the ground wire on the fan motor and I removed an extra metal eyelet on the wire between the relay and the thermostat switch on the intake manifold.

 

My starter solenoid is going to go on strike if I add any more wire connections to it. Between the LED light bar, the electric choke on the carb and the cooling fan it's getting awfully busy around there.

 

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Finally got around to firing up the Bronco again after the latest round of changes. Temp gauge held steady at just below 180° after about ten minutes of idling and driving around the lot. The steering also works like it's supposed to now after repositioning the idler arm. 

 

 

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On 2/6/2021 at 12:08 PM, blksn8k2 said:

While waiting on the new radiator I started cleaning up the engine compartment which basically amounted to some fresh black paint on the top of the cowl/firewall and underside of the hood.

 

The other thing I did this week was to replace the manual choke on the Holley carb with an electric choke.

 

Today's project is to finish some minor crack and paint chip repairs on the fiberglass hood scoop and repaint it with some classic Wimbledon white.

 

A little disappointed with the whole radiator buying experience. The seller claimed it was shipped on Jan 31st but according to FedEx tracking they never had it in their possession until Feb 4th. The seller of course blames the delay on current events. It's now scheduled to be here on Monday, Feb 8th and it was coming from a neighboring state. What's frustrating is that the original estimated arrival date was Feb 3rd.

 

If anyone is curious about the angle of the brake booster and master cylinder, that's the way they came from Ford on the original Broncos.

 

The small, finned thingy on the driver side is a power steering fluid cooler that I added years ago. The oversize tires are tough on the steering system and can cause excessive heat buildup. I also replaced the original Ford pump at the same time with a Saginaw unit that handles the heat a little better. And I also replaced the worn-out original steering box with a new, slightly quicker ratio unit and I assume that's about the same time the pitman arm got installed out of whack. LOL

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You have made some nice mechanical upgrades that will definitely improve performance.  Regarding the shipping issue, I feel like I have been seeing that more lately.  They update the shipping to look like something has shipped, when in fact it hasn’t physically shipped for whatever reason.  It’s a very annoying trend.  

 

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On 2/14/2021 at 8:56 PM, tbone said:

Regarding the shipping issue, I feel like I have been seeing that more lately.  They update the shipping to look like something has shipped, when in fact it hasn’t physically shipped for whatever reason.  It’s a very annoying trend.  

 

 

Agreed. 

 

BTW, FedEx still doesn't show the radiator as having been delivered and I've had it for nine days. 

 

Next item to wait for should be the new design fuel tank sending unit. The seller said he received the first batch from the manufacturer a few days ago so I assume he has started shipping them. 

 

Now I'm debating whether I want to try a different set of spark plugs. When I built the engine the recommended plug was an Accel 276 which is basically equivalent to a Motorcraft AF42 or AF42C. Most of the older (pre 5.0L HO) small blocks used either a BF42 or BF32. Those BF series plugs have a larger 18mm diameter than the AF series and won't fit in my heads. I used a set of iron World Products Roush 200 cylinder heads on my engine and they use the same smaller 14mm diameter AF series plugs as the newer 5.0L HO, I assume because by doing so they (World Products) had more room for the larger 2.02" intake and 1.60" exhaust valves. Those WP heads have 64cc combustion chambers and when combined with the flat top pistons in my 393 result in an approximate 10.5:1 CR.  

 

Back before the 5.0L HO the larger dia BF42's were the higher heat range plug used in lower compression ratio small block and big block engines while the BF32's were the colder plug used in the higher CR engines like the 289 HiPo. What I have read is that when Motorcraft (and others) switched to copper core plugs (Note: copper core plugs are designated by the suffix letter C) they were able to cover a wider range of CR's with one heat range which eliminated the need for the colder heat range 32's .

 

Not sure how true that is but they did stop production of the BF32's which sucks because those are also the original plugs for both the 390 (10.5:1 CR) in my '68 Cougar and the 428CJ (10.6:1 CR) in my '70 Mach 1 which are both FE series big blocks.

 

Anyway, since the engine in the Bronco uses the smaller dia AF series plugs and has a higher CR, I may need to go to a lower heat range plug and the currently available Motorcraft plug would be the AF32C. However, current thinking is to stick with the higher heat range AF42C's unless the engine shows signs of detonation or starts melting the spark plug electrodes but neither of those are likely to happen unless you are running some type of forced induction or nitrous or a higher than 12:1 CR. The theory is that a hotter plug has better self cleaning properties than a colder plug and is therefore less likely to build up deposits and foul out.

 

So, once I start putting some miles on the Bronco I should have a better idea what type of spark plug it likes. I have noticed that it is extremely sensitive to ignition timing changes which might be due to the fact that cast iron cylinder heads do not dissipate heat as well as aluminum. Not sure what difference, if any, a different heat range plug would make on that issue.

 

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The new fuel tank sending unit arrived today. So far I'm not impressed.

 

It bolted in easily enough but is even less accurate than the one that came with the tank and it was advertised as being better.

 

At the current fuel level of about 10.5 gallons the old unit was reading 33.7 OHMs which translated to 1/8 full on the gauge.

 

The new sending unit at the same fuel level reads 53.1 OHMs which translates to "E" on the gauge.

 

At this fuel level either sending unit should be reading about 28 Ohms which would equal between 3/8 -1/2 full on the gauge. 

 

BTW, in my previous posts about the fuel level sending unit and gauge I had the OHM ratings bass ackwards. The high number relates to empty and the low to full, not vice versa. Sorry for the confusion. 

 

The new sending unit measures 73.4 OHMs at empty and 10.7 OHMs at full.

 

My next step will be to talk to Autometer about their Fuel Signal Adapter and whether or not it is capable of correcting my situation.

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I have an Autometer Fuel Signal Adapter on order and I should have it by the end of this week, if the shipping gods allow.

 

I did talk to Autometer about it but their technical "expert" kept assuming I had everything wired wrong or there was something wrong with the Autometer gauge. His suggestion was to send them the gauge so they could inspect it. After I got off the phone with him I tried wiring it the way he insisted and the gauge didn't work at all, which I fully expected would be the case because his method did not agree with the Autometer instructions I followed in the first place. 

 

When I asked him if their adapter would potentially solve my issue with the gauge reading "E" with 10.5 gallons in the tank he said no, that the adapter was only intended to be used when the sending unit and gauge were not within a compatible range of each other. In other words it could adjust for something like trying to use a GM sending unit with a Ford gauge or vice versa but it could not compensate for gauge inaccuracies when they were rated for the same range of resistance (Ohms). In my case both the sending unit and the gauge are rated to work within the 73-10 Ohms range.

 

This was even though the description of the Autometer adapter includes the following statement:

 "Configurable option with linear adjustments at 5 points (F, ¾, ½, ¼, & E) anywhere between 0-1000 or 1000-0 ohms".

 

So, when I talked to A Plus Rod & Kustom's real tech expert yesterday about a totally different design sending unit that they sell I also mentioned the issues I was having with what I have tried so far. He mentioned that they also sell a Tanks, Inc. brand signal adapter and that it is definitely capable of adjusting the signal coming from the sending unit the way I need it to and when I read the above statement from Autometer to him he said it should be able to do the same. If it doesn't at least now I have another option.

 

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Shipping gods denied. This one is coming via USPS so no speed there. It did make it to the Pittsburgh suburbs by last evening. Should only take about three more days to make the last 100 miles...?

 

At least this one should be in my mailbox along the side of the highway. I requested they drop the last delivery from UPS at my neighbors at the end of my lane. That was better than the previous UPS delivery which I eventually found on top of a snowbank a couple hundred yards from the highway.

 

It's been warmer the past few days and my driveway is clear enough now that my nephew drove his '07 Roush Mustang back to my house today. A few days ago it was a sheet of ice. I made three low speed attempts on my 4x4 Kubota diesel tractor trying to climb a gradual grade that all resulted in the front end spinning around 180° with the tractor headed in the opposite direction in a matter of about three seconds. That's quite a thrill ride with a 6 foot snowplow bolted to a loader bucket all hanging on the front, a six foot grader blade hanging on the rear and two foot high snowbanks on either side. I thought I was going to get to test my home-built roll cage. ?

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The building is 40ft x 50ft x 14ft at the sidewall eaves. It came from Olympia Steel Buildings in McKees Rocks, PA. I got a helluva deal on it when I bought it back in 2016. I paid $12,900 for the kit but that didn't include windows or doors but it did include the metal framing for all of those. That price also included shipping and PA sales tax but did not include erection. For that I hired a local Amish crew who also helped with pouring the concrete floor. I installed the doors and windows myself and designed and built the office and overhead storage loft myself with a lot of help from AutoCad and the loader bucket on the Kubota. I also modified the design by adding a block foundation which I laid myself. These typically sit on a concrete slab. The Kubota also did all of the landscaping which included tree stump removal and digging footers, floor drain ditches, etc.

The inside photo is not long after I finished the loft and before I wired the building for electricity. The loft is on the end closest to the house and is pretty much full of junk now. ?

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The Autometer fuel signal adapter module was actually in the mailbox yesterday and I installed it today.


By using the "Learning" mode on the module I have been able to get the gauge to read a little more accurately. With about 10.5 gal in the tank it is now reading slightly above 1/4 tank. That's still not exactly right (should be closer to about 7/16 tank) but it's way better than "E" which is what the gauge was reading with the same amount of fuel with the new sending unit but without the module.

 

With the sending unit out of the tank I was able to move the float up and down and adjust the gauge at F, 3/4, 1/2, 1/4 & E. 

 

As I drive it and see how it reacts to different fuel levels in the tank I should be able to tweak it a little more but this is good enough for a starting point. 

 

That's the module lying on the tunnel below the gauges. Eventually it will get mounted under dash.

 

The module also has the option of adding a low fuel level light.

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I finally got around to putting a timing light on it. Before that I decided to make a piston stop so I could verify that the timing marks on the crank balancer were correct. They were off by about 4°. The stop is made from an old Autolite spark plug. I removed the guts and then tapped it for 3/8-24 threads and installed a long bolt. The way it works is that you pull the plug for No. 1 cylinder, install the stop and turn the engine over by hand until the piston bumps against the bolt, then mark where the pointer is on the balancer. You then turn the crank in the opposite direction until it hits the stop again, then mark that spot as well. You then measure the distance between the marks, divide in half and mark the balancer at the midway point. That is TDC (Top Dead Center). 

 

Once I had that established I could see that the timing was about 4° retarded which explains why it was running a little warm. I reset the timing to about 6° BTDC with the vacuum unplugged from the vacuum advance canister on the distributor. What you see in the photo is about what you would see with the timing light at idle after the vacuum is reconnected to the distributor.

 

After all that it now starts immediately, idles at 180° and no longer tries to diesel when I turn off the ignition. That had more to do with the idle adjustment on the carb being set too high but it wouldn't idle at a lower setting until I got the timing set correctly.

 

What causes an engine to "diesel", or try to run backwards when you shut off the ignition is usually some carbon deposits in the combustion chambers along with a slightly open throttle. An IC engine can't run without air, fuel and spark. However, if there are hot spots in the combustion chambers they will act as the spark even after the ignition is off and the engine will try to run in reverse if it has enough air and fuel which makes it critical that the throttle adjustment is set as low as possible at idle. 

 

Back in the early days of emissions tuning the manufacturers set the timing and carb adjustments for lower emissions and would install a throttle solenoid switch which would hold the throttle slightly open so that the engine could idle but when the ignition was turned off it would retract and allow the throttle blades to close completely and thus prevent "dieseling".

 

I've been running it around on the property quite a bit just trying to get all the bugs worked out. Next up will be to get it registered and inspected so I can put some real miles on it.

 

After I hosed off some of the mud I couldn't resist making another short video.

 

 

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Added a MasterCraft brand 4-point harness from Summit Racing on the driver seat today. I also ordered a set of shoulder strap pads but they haven't shipped those yet. Will do the same on the passenger seat. They're actually pretty darn comfortable even without the shoulder pads. I also like the single buckle design. Easy on and off.

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I ordered some parts for the Bronco a few days ago from CJ Pony Parts, which is located near Harrisburg, PA. They shipped what they had in stock from Harrisburg on 3/29 using "UPS Mail Innovations". It first went to Bridgeport, NJ on the 29th and was in Columbus, OH yesterday where they supposedly gave it to the USPS so they can bring it back to PA. WTF? Doesn't sound very "innovative" to me...

 

If they had driven all that distance, which I assume some of it was by air, they would have traveled approximately 750 miles farther than if they had just brought it directly from Harrisburg to my house.

 
The parts that were not in stock a few days ago were supposedly ready to ship today. Probably via Alaska. ?
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Took a few pics of the Bronco in the wild today. This was near the ponds on my property. The larger of the two ponds is in the background of the third photo and the smaller pond is in front of the Bronco in the fourth photo. The last photo is of the larger pond.

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

Today I added a cover for the windshield wiper linkage. When you go with a soft top you have to flip the wiper motor and use a lowering bracket because the soft top is not as tall as the original hard top which also means the original linkage cover will no longer fit. The only real disadvantage is that the original sun visors will not work with the new cover. I might fool around with those and see if it's possible to make some new metal brackets for the visors. 

 

Before:

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After:

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  • 2 weeks later...

The two-door Bronco that Ford had on display at Carlisle this past weekend had a set of running boards. That might be something that could be modified to fit the original Broncos and would look better than some of the pipe options IMO.

 

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Here's a super nice early model that was also at the show. This one had the James Duff rock sliders which I also like.

 

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  • 5 weeks later...
  • 1 month later...

I started disassembling the valve train and replacing the valve seals on the 393 Windsor in the Bronco today. 

I had to use the bigger air compressor in the shop to pressurize the cylinders so the valves would stay closed while I removed the rocker arms, valve keepers (locks), retainers, springs and finally the old valve seals. 

Even though I had 150 PSI of air I still had to tap almost every retainer with a hammer and brass punch before the keepers would let go. I used a pry bar style spring compressor that attaches to the rocker arm studs. 

So far I have done the passenger side head and every one of the old seals came out in at least two pieces which should explain why there were times when it looked like I was fogging for mosquitoes. They were in one piece when I originally assembled the heads but that was at least fifteen years ago and the engine had not been run much since so I'm hoping the seals failed because they were just dry rotted. 

The new seals look to be about the same design as the old ones other than the color. Hopefully that means they are now using a better material.

Last step was to adjust the rocker arms to set the proper pre-load on the hydraulic lifters per Comp Cams specs and then reinstall the valve cover. Fired it up. No funky noises. One side done.

The heads were made by World Products and are cast iron with 200 cc intake ports, 64 cc combustion chambers and the valve sizes are 2.02" intake and 1.60" exhaust. The adjustable roller rocker arms are Crane 1.7:1 ratio.

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Started on the driver side today and thought I would add some photos of the process of replacing one of the valve seals without removing the cylinder head from the engine block.

 

Here's the air hose adapter that screws into the spark plug hole. If you look closely you can see that it has threads for both 14 and 18mm plugs. These heads use plugs with 14mm threads.

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This is cylinder #5 with the rocker arm and pushrod removed from the intake valve. Here you can also see the air line connected in place of the spark plug. Again, compressed air is used to hold the valves closed once the valve springs are removed.

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Valve spring compressor installed on the rocker arm stud.  With this type of compressor you pull it toward yourself to push down on the spring retainer and then remove the two little keepers or locks. The easiest way to do that is with a magnet.

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This is what one of the keepers looks like. They have a 7° taper and fit into the groove at the top of the valve stem. There are two keepers per valve.

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Valve springs removed and old, damaged seal visible (this was actually one of the better ones):

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Old seal removed:

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New seal installed:

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If you look closely you can see that these heads use dual valve springs meaning there is an outer spring with an inner damper. The problem that creates when trying to compress and then remove the springs is that a screw type compressor that grabs the coils of the spring can only grab and compress the outer spring, which is why I'm using the pry bar type compressor. There is also less junk in the way when trying to remove or install the keepers.

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13 minutes ago, blksn8k2 said:

Started on the driver side today and thought I would add some photos of the process of replacing one of the valve seals without removing the cylinder head from the engine block.

 

Valve springs removed and old, damaged seal visible (this was actually one of the better ones):

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You know, that "puff" of blue smoke first thing in the morning helps keep the mosquito population in check,,,,,

 

Nicely done, HRG

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10 minutes ago, HotRunrGuy said:

 

You know, that "puff" of blue smoke first thing in the morning helps keep the mosquito population in check,,,,,

 

Nicely done, HRG

 

Thanks. You must have missed my previous post where I mentioned fogging for skeeters. :cough:

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