What Did you Do With Your Bronco Today???

[L\Bronco]

It would be nice, and a Lot quicker if I didn't have to stop and re-engineer stuff along the way. These Tall valve covers have struck again!
Now it's the fuel rail.
The Oem lines from down behind the trans & up to the rail junction along with the regulator hookup area were designed to just barely clear the standard valve covers, so ka-blooey! Here we go again.
I do have the fuel rail off the '97 setup that came with the F4 motor. As you can see, the dumbell at the salvage yard was the hurried type and cut everything when possible. (right-side of pic)
LS is the '91 stuff.
What ya think about it, teach?
Which way to go and best possible way to proceed on this?
I do like the 97 rail, as it makes changing the regulator far easier.
However, bending steel tubing like that is Not my forté.

Have already installed the '97 fuel injectors, as I understand those are a more efficient design, and this is what the project is all about- aiming for 18 mpg.

I’d go with the 97 rail and be careful bending the bits with the fittings for clearance. I have done it a few times successfully. They are steel, so they are a little less likely to kink. However, harder to bend. I doubt you have to go too far though. Without seeing it, I don’t believe it should be a huge hurdle.

Good luck
Cheers

 

[Jimbo26]

I’d go with the 97 rail and be careful bending the bits with the fittings for clearance. I have done it a few times successfully. They are steel, so they are a little less likely to kink. However, harder to bend. I doubt you have to go too far though. Without seeing it, I don’t believe it should be a huge hurdle.

Good luck
Cheers

I tend to agree.
With any luck, a replacement intermediate flex-line can be sourced/made somewhere.

 

[L\Bronco]

I tend to agree.
With any luck, a replacement intermediate flex-line can be sourced/made somewhere.

I’d look around a bit, you might find an un-molested one at a wrecker on a core motor. I dont imagine they sell many.

 

[Jimbo26]

I’d look around a bit, you might find an un-molested one at a wrecker on a core motor. I dont imagine they sell many.

That is a idea, but last time I went to the U-pull it, what few old models were there had been sifted thru pretty good.
On the bright side, the steel tubing was remarkably workable.
Some very carefully considered 'Adjustment' in places and making sure the lines don't contact anything else unnecessary.....Voila.
The Experiment is now in place.
Didn't make the deadline, but not getting in any rush. Hurried work is worried work.
If there's a failure, it won't be because of carelessness.
That '97 fuel rail was the ticket.
Slowly sneakin up on it.

 

[L\Bronco]

That is a idea, but last time I went to the U-pull it, what few old models were there had been sifted thru pretty good.
On the bright side, the steel tubing was remarkably workable.
Some very carefully considered 'Adjustment' in places and making sure the lines don't contact anything else unnecessary.....Voila.
The Experiment is now in place.
Didn't make the deadline, but not getting in any rush. Hurried work is worried work.
If there's a failure, it won't be because of carelessness.
That '97 fuel rail was the ticket.
Slowly sneakin up on it.

Looks great!
Very nice work!

 

[Jimbo26]

Looks great!
Very nice work!

Up against the drive gear swap on the distributor now. It just has to be the hard way.
The newer roller gear seems to be drilled a bit offset compared to the older model one. Getting the stuff pressed back together and anywhere near on center looks dicey.

 

[L\Bronco]

Up against the drive gear swap on the distributor now. It just has to be the hard way.
The newer roller gear seems to be drilled a bit offset compared to the older model one. Getting the stuff pressed back together and anywhere near on center looks dicey.

They are all offset slightly for orientation. look close, its not very much, but they don't fit backwards.
Good luck
Cheers

 

[johnnyreb]

Checked the float on the carb and think I,ll have to adjust it some more. Its still not starting the way it should.

 

[Jimbo26]

Checked the float on the carb and think I,ll have to adjust it some more. Its still not starting the way it should.

Carbs can be funky like that.

 

[Jimbo26]

They are all offset slightly for orientation. look close, its not very much, but they don't fit backwards.
Good luck
Cheers

Copy that. I've been studying it from all angles. Gonna make it work 1 way or another. Southern enginuity will amount to something.

 

[johnnyreb]

Yes the can and putting screwing the plug back in . You have to be careful and not get it cross threaded. Ever since the fire I,m allery of it and don,t like messing with it--WITHOUT A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. Thursday they are suppose to have it filled .

 

[Jimbo26]

You don't need a extinguisher, just a old clothes hanger & a pack of hot dogs to roast-

Speaking of fire, just lit this 351 off and after stumbling a bit & playing with the timing some I believe it is gonna be a live wire.
for a water leak in back somewhere. Gonna have to sort that somehow.
May take the old ECU a while to figure out some proper operating strategy with the fresh motor, as the old one was so clapped that it had to stay very rich to keep running.
Rpms seem to come up a little quicker and runs good. Night & day difference with the old sludge motor.
1 other hurdle is the mismatch on the DS header at the collector. It does growl at ya with a leak that big. Reminds me of the days at the dirt track way back when.

 

[L\Bronco]

You don't need a extinguisher, just a old clothes hanger & a pack of hot dogs to roast-

Speaking of fire, just lit this 351 off and after stumbling a bit & playing with the timing some I believe it is gonna be a live wire.
for a water leak in back somewhere. Gonna have to sort that somehow.
May take the old ECU a while to figure out some proper operating strategy with the fresh motor, as the old one was so clapped that it had to stay very rich to keep running.
Rpms seem to come up a little quicker and runs good. Night & day difference with the old sludge motor.
1 other hurdle is the mismatch on the DS header at the collector. It does growl at ya with a leak that big. Reminds me of the days at the dirt track way back when.

Nicely done!
Congrats on the win! Next is the maiden voyage!
Good luck!
Cheers

 

[Jimbo26]

Nicely done!
Congrats on the win! Next is the maiden voyage!
Good luck!
Cheers

Thanks for being in my corner on this one. Can't say it's gone 100% with the blasted water leak mystery, but have had to contend with worse. Just hoping that whatever is leaking is a easy fix.
The odds will decide if that or the exhaust gets lined out 1st.

 

[johnnyreb]

Thanks for being in my corner on this one. Can't say it's gone 100% with the blasted water leak mystery, but have had to contend with worse. Just hoping that whatever is leaking is a easy fix.
The odds will decide if that or the exhaust gets lined out 1st.

Where is it leaking from? Might be a feeze plug that rusted a hole in it. Hope its not the block.

 

[L\Bronco]

Thanks for being in my corner on this one. Can't say it's gone 100% with the blasted water leak mystery, but have had to contend with worse. Just hoping that whatever is leaking is a easy fix.
The odds will decide if that or the exhaust gets lined out 1st.

Good luck with it.
Shouldn’t be a big thing.
Looks like you hit most of the bases with your rebuild.
Watch the intake gaskets. 351 and 302’s are different around the water passages at the ends of the cyl heads

 

[Jimbo26]

Where is it leaking from? Might be a feeze plug that rusted a hole in it. Hope its not the block.

Specifics unknown yet.
From the R-rear area, as it drains down on the starter side.
Freeze plugs were all replaced when I had the block inspected, etc. at the machine shop- they did a full prep on it.

 

[Jimbo26]

Good luck with it.
Shouldn’t be a big thing.
Looks like you hit most of the bases with your rebuild.
Watch the intake gaskets. 351 and 302’s are different around the water passages at the ends of the cyl heads

I can't seem to get enuf of that at the moment.
Used all Fel-pro performance series gaskets on heads & intake.
Did notice that the water port areas on the intake set were a bit of a funky design I'm not use to seeing, like it was made to be compatible with both types of heads.
If any of that 302 stuff was supposed to be amputated before install, that may be a possibility of the mess-up.
Already had 1 re-check with the thermostat- slid out of place the 1st time around & didn't catch it. That was leak #1 & easy enuf to spot, then fix.
Won't know about this last aggravation for a while as there are other things brewing I have to get caught up on.
If I can't spot it easy enuf, then will have to do it the hard way & pull the air box & all back off, then put the pressure tester on it.

 

[johnnyreb]

Specifics unknown yet.
From the R-rear area, as it drains down on the starter side.
Freeze plugs were all replaced when I had the block inspected, etc. at the machine shop- they did a full prep on it.

I remember along time ago. I rebuilt a 390 buy the book. Torqued all the bolts---EVERYTHING. It idled about 10 minutes and started smoking out the passenger side. It was a head gasket. Just so happened my uncle stopped buy and asked me if I went buy the book ? I told him yes and it was the first time I had trouble. He said he done the samething to the 427 in his Cyclone and a head gasket leaked. I was reading a book on how to rebuild a Toyota motor for a guy and when I was done. I tossed the book to the guy and told him the book was garbage. You can,nt expect a motor to run long buy it. He said its written buy a expert. I looked at this one friend and asked him how long will a motor run WITHOUT A OIL PUMP? He said it won,t. I told the owner--the EXPERT--LEFT OUT THE OIL PUMP. Check your OIL and HEAD BOLTS.

 

[Jimbo26]

Yes, written by 'experts' like 2.5 million unelected bureaucrats in government circles pushing (f)laws and regulations every day.
>I'd best drop it there or the flag-knitting will get serious<
I've seen a few mess-ups in books as such. Helps to read tech manuals with both eyes open because typos and incorrect stuff can get past the editors.
Don't happen very often, but it does. The old adage Nobody's Perfect applies.
Printed tech literature seems to be getting more scarce- like pushrod motors in a salvage yard. Everything is Online now. In some ways handy, some not.
Online, the errors can be sorted in due time.
Hard copies are DIY to add corrections, but when the power goes out- that's where a Book is hard to beat.
🕯The printed word is 'always on'.