new to me bronco

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bgreen

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I am looking at getting a 93 eddie bauer bronco, i fell in love with it as soon as a drove it. but after my shop took a look at it it is leaking all over the place, and they said it would be 500-700 just to fix the top end, and that they would have to pull the engine or tranny to fix the bottom end leaks. if i were to get this bronco would it be more economical to fix the 351 that is in it, or find a 300 and rebuild it (im thinking the 300 for a little better mpg). also would the 300 bolt up to the transmission, i think its an e4od? also once i got it on the interstate and i hit 40 if i tried to accelerate the rear would shake and vibrate, the shop said it "might" be a bad u joint, but when i told them i didnt think i was going to get it b/c of the leaks they didnt look into it any further. any ideas what that could be.

iv read around the forums a little bit, and have some prior ford experience, i have a 65 galaxie that is being garaged till i get older and hit the jackpot to restore. but my shop will be doing the majority of the work for me.

i know this is a long and drawn out first post but, thanks in advance.

 

Seabronc

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Welcome to the Zone > . Post some pictures. I'd get the U-joint replaced or do it your self, easy job. It would be a shame to have to get it towed because the U-joint broke. Especially after spending a ton on taking care of the leaks, most of which you could also probably do yourself. The top end is probably just the valve cover gaskets, a little more work on an EFI engine than a carburated one, but doable by the average back yard mechanic.

Good luck,

:)>-

 
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bgreen

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i dont have any pictures, b/c i havnt bought it yet. they said the leaks were around the intake manifold, and a couple other places (cant remember though, its been a few days since i talked to them). if it is valve covers that would be great, thats one of the few things iv replaced before. they didnt know for sure if it was the ujoint, i was hoping to get some other diagnoses from describing it.

also the engine was supposed to have been rebuilt about 20000 miles ago, but my shop couldnt tell that it had ever even left the compartment, which is another reason i was considering a swap or rebuild. it has 130000 on it now.

 

Cucamongan

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Welcome to the Zone

I would be cautious about that bronco. IF the engine was REALLY rebuild about 20K ago, it should not have sprung so many leaks. IF IT WAS REBUILT and IS springing leaks, then it usually leads to the vehicle being Abused.

If you want fuel economy, a Bronco never makes the top 10 list....

The U-joints are pretty easy, the engine gaskets are more difficult, but doable.

Hope this helps

 
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bgreen

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if i can get the bronco for a good price (the body is very clean, just a spot or two of rust), and i were to get a 300ci out of a local yard, would it bolt right up to the transmission? also what kind of bay modifications would it require for me to put the 6 cylinder in? and any other modifications

after looking at bronco graveyard i dont even see motor mounts for the 300 in a '93 so would i have to go with a 302? and what modifications would be required for that?

the 300/302 would only be a last resort if the 351 in there now isnt repairable or would cost more to fix than buy a running engine out of a yard.

also any other diagnoses from the description of the shaking? it was at 40+ and only under load

 
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Big Country

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for that late of a model i would go with a 302, as i think a 300 would be more trouble than it's worth. what kind of fluid is it leaking from the manifold? I concur with the rest of the u-joint diagnosis for the shaking problem.

 

whitey

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just my 2 cents but, if you really love it- which is totally understandable since we all love our broncos here- keep in mind the money to get it running decent is just a DROP in the bucket. because you're probably going to find that when all is said and done; IF you want it like new or at LEAST a dependable daily driver it's going to cost you a good chunk of change.

as far as the engine- and other members may disagree with me- if you go to a yard and buy one to swap in you may have issues too if not BIGGER issues. if it were me i would grab it and repair the shaking problems first, give the engine a tune up and try to fix some of those leaks myself. then start hoarding cash away to either rebuild the original engine or get a 351 crate engine. then the tranny. then take it from there.

of course this is assuming you can get the bronco at a decent price- which you didnt mention. if they're asking too much then you should probably look elsewhere.

the moral of the story i guess is i think going in - assuming you dont want a bronco that is in the shop every other week- there's a few ways to save a few $$$ but in the end regardless when you get to the big stuff- engine, tranny, drivetrain, etc., be prepared to spend some money. you're better off doing it the right way.

 

bidibronco

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Just for my 2 cents, I had close to the same problem with my truck about the rear end shaking. Looked a bit further and had a bad ring and pinion. It was about $120 to get a full one out of the junk yard and it took a total of about 4 hours getting the one from the junk yard into my truck. I did have a friend help me put it in due to it being on the heavy side. As for the motor, mine leaks everywhere too, well it did but it's not in the truck right now. I'm in the process of a full rebuild but undecided if I wand to stroke it or even bore it. Well, it's deffinatly something to look into if you can get the truck for a good price, even if the motor and rear have to be fixed. It's a fun learning experiance and a fun truck to drive. Well, good luck! B)

 

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