Ferdinand - '85 Bronco 351W XLT "Phoenix" rebuild project...

[Ferdinand]

Afternoon gentlemen!

Looks like folks are staying busy and more and more folks keep finding Gary!!
(Which is a very good thing )

My saga continues with getting a proper title for Ferdinand...
One day when I have a few extra hours, I'll fill you in on that soap opera.

Been doing jus little tweaks here and there and noticed some major rubbing on the radius arms with the 35x12.5x15's on stock 8" wheels. So, against my better judgement and for a short term fix until I can build the back enough to spring for proper wheels I opted for spacers. Found them on Amazon for a great price. Here is a video of the install on the right (passenger) side. Sorry about the video angle. Space is pretty tight in the garage but I'm not complaining. I know some of you don't get to work inside!

Let me know what you think.



Have a great weekend everyone‼️

[Gary Lewis]

Again, I missed this yesterday!  

As for comments, I went to get ear phones so as to not bother Janey since I thought you'd have comments.  So I'll comment that there were no comments.  

In fact, as you were installing the front one the music came on and when it quit there was a little noise, like something wrong with the audio.  Then I realized it was the noise you were making installing the nuts.  Did you pick the music and when it came in?

Anyway, on to my questions: Do the tires rub now?  Did it fix the problem?  How do you like them?  Or, maybe how do you like how the truck looks and handles?

I think they make the truck look ..... tougher.  More capable.  But I suspect they'll also change the alignment, so need a road report.

[Ferdinand]

Morning Gary,

Still haven't been able to road test any yet. Still waiting on my court date for title & plates 🙄.

I have noticed they still rub a little but will give a full report when I can get some miles in. I have actually enjoyed playing around with the videos a bit. That was my first attempt at sound clips and I have a shorter (around 3 minute) version of the same video on my youtube channel now. (Until this site I would have never dreamed of using the words "my Youtube channel" to EVER describe anything I would be doing) but it has actually been a little fun playing around with it.

I absolutely love the look of the Bronco now. I used to get this effect from deeper rims but they simply aren't in the budget right now. My guess at this point is when I need to get new tires I'll go for the proper rims.

Have a great day brother!

[Gary Lewis]

Waiting on a court date to be able to drive it has to be frustrating!  After all that work, to be held up by a technicality is surely awful.

As for the Youtube channel, I understand. I have one also. And a website. And a forum. And facebook pages!  What is this world coming to?

But, we sure seem to be able to help each other far, far better than back in the 50’s. Even the 60’s the best we had was a magazine once a month. But how did you find out what others were doing?  Get advice?  All we could do was ask the other person in our little town.

So this is a huge, huge help. And, lots of fun!  👍

[Ferdinand]

Amen brother!

I have been off grid for quite some time now but have thoroughly enjoyed seeing so many others find the site. Your plate must be getting awfully full!!!

As far as the Bronco goes, I have been romping around in a field beside my house with my kids and anyone brave enough to run sideways at about 40MPH. (no kids on those rides 😉) Still no title/no plates.

I am due to file my last petition and request the judge's final sign off sometime next week. 🤞🏻

So, Lord willing, I could have it plated in the next two weeks. Then, I can finally start some on-road testing.

I will likely pull the 4-speed manual, pedal set, & column out of the boneyard Bronco this summer sometime. I would love to swap out that C6 for a while but it us running rather well.

Keep up the great work my friend.

[Gary Lewis]

Thanks!  And luck to you on getting the title!!

[Ferdinand]

Sooo, I am a little closer on the title maybe another week...

However, I am getting a little "heat" from the mrs to move the Junk Yard Bronco that has now been sitting in my yard for over a year now.

My goal is to pull the 4sp Manual transmission and related components to do a swap (have original C6 in there currently) this winter. My expectation is that with another gear I will get a little better gas mileage. Is that something anyone can validate?

Does anyone have any suggestions/guidance/information (or warnings 😉) they would like to share?

I still need to figure out the proper way to identify which transmission the JY bronco actually has. Any help there would be great as well.

It has been really great seeing so many folks working through their projects!! Good luck everyone!!

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

[Steve83]

Ferdinand wrote

My goal is to pull the 4sp Manual transmission and related components to do a swap (have original C6 in there currently) this winter. My expectation is that with another gear I will get a little better gas mileage. Is that something anyone can validate?

Not really.  You're using the same engine to push the same weight, rolling resistance, & aerodynamic drag around - the MPG isn't directly related to the number of gears you use.  It's more related to the amount of acceleration you aim for when you mash the pedal.  If you can deal with less, the MPG will go up, regardless of transmission or gears.

But an automatic has nearly infinite "gears" anyway because of how the torque converter works.

Ferdinand wrote

Does anyone have any suggestions/guidance/information (or warnings 😉) they would like to share?

About what?  Swapping transmissions?  Or about keeping the Mrs. happy?

Ferdinand wrote

I still need to figure out the proper way to identify which transmission the JY bronco actually has.

Read this caption and follow the link in it to adrianspeeder's list:

[Gary Lewis]

While I agree with Steve's assessment on the lack of MPG change by adding gears, I'll add a bit.  The current trend to add gears to the transmissions is a quest for more MPG, and it does work to some extent.  But, a lot of the gears they are adding are just above and just below 1:1, and are useful to keep the engine in its power band regardless of the speed the vehicle is traveling.

But today's vehicles have been tuned and honed to a fine degree such that the extra gears make a little bit of difference, and the manufacturers are searching for every little bit they can find.  Our trucks, on the other hand, are dinosaurs in comparison.  Their shape is worse than the proverbial barn door for air drag, the brakes don't completely release, and the typical 3.50 rear gears cause the engine to spin way too fast at highway speed for decent economy.

But, economy can be improved by adding a gear - an overdrive gear - thereby getting the RPM down when cruising.  So an M5OD or a ZF5 can be a big help in a manual.  Or an AOD if you need an auto.

But the C6 is, in my opinion, one of the worst transmissions with regard to MPG.  There is no OD and the torque converter is always slipping.  And the internal friction is said to be quite high

[Steve83]

Gary Lewis wrote

...a lot of the gears they are adding are just above and just below 1:1, and are useful to keep the engine in its power band regardless of the speed the vehicle is traveling.

But today's vehicles have been tuned and honed to a fine degree such that the extra gears make a little bit of difference, and the manufacturers are searching for every little bit they can find.  Our trucks, on the other hand, are dinosaurs in comparison.

My friend just got a '17 F150 with EcoBoost 3.5L & 10-sp slushbox.  But it doesn't use all 10 all the time; it normally shifts through 4~5 gears getting up to cruising speed.  This is very similar to e-fans...  Many people think that switching from a mechanical fan to an e-fan will improve MPG, but it won't.  It takes a LOT of precise programming in a modern PCM to get a TINY net increase in economy using something that's inherently less-efficient.  A more-complicated, heavier transmission is also less-efficient.  But when carefully managed by the PCM, the whole vehicle becomes more-efficient.

[Ferdinand]

Thanks for the input guys!

Here are a few pics from the JY bronco. Any idea which one this is?







I really like the idea of a manual transmission, but I may pass this option by for now if it really isn't going to give me any real mpg gain. (Although the mechanical advantage of a manual may still force the swap 😉)

[Steve83]

TOD



Same crossmember & mount as the NP435, so that has some value (especially if you're considering the NP435).

[Ferdinand]

Steve, thanks for the very timely insight! My apologies for such late responses. After the info you have provided and the input from Gary I am really having second thoughts about doing the tranny swap. I certainly would love to have a stick in the Bronco, but that is a lot of work for a "novelty" item if I don't really end up saving much MPG's with the extra gear!

[Ferdinand]

Can someone guide me to a thread on someone rebuilding their AC? (Hopefully with factory parts) I am considering reconstructing mine since I have all the original factory parts (It was a factory AC and not dealer-installed). I may make up new hoses, but I would love a run through if anyone has tackled the job yet. If not, well, I will do my best to chronicle the journey 🙃.

As always, any input is greatly appreciated!!

Ferdinand finally has a fully clear, clean title and fancy new plates so he is OFFICIALLY on the road 😎
(now let the real tuning begin!)

[Gary Lewis]

Congrat's on the title!!!  That's a big milestone.  

I don't know of a how-to on A/C.  So maybe you are the author?  Having said that, if we can get Brandon/Bruno2 to join the conversation he'll have something to say about it as he's hopefully just finally gotten his fixed.

I'll see if he'll join.....  

[Bruno2]

What kind of questions do you have?

[Gary Lewis]

There he is!  So, how much oil is the system supposed to have?  What happens if you have too much?  Is your system working properly now?

[FuzzFace2]

On the AC what is it you need to know?
Do you know why the system stopped working as that will help getting it running again.

You have normal parts you replace when a system is opened up.
The drier is a must. Orifice tube or valve.
If running 134A change all the O-rings to match and the PSI switch as they are different between the r12 & 134A.
Some say you can reuse the old hoses and others say replace them. Me I think I would replace them because of age.

Now this leaves the condenser & evap.
The only cond. you can get is for the later trucks that run 134A it is a little bigger and you need to space the bottom out. This pushes the center grille support out so you need to make changes to make this all fit.
You can try to flush the evap. & cond. to make sure there is no crap in them. Because the cond. is the lowest part some just replace it.

Just some of what I have ot from reading posts on AC fixes
Dave ----

[Bruno2]

Gary, mine is working fine now.

I dont know what the bullnose capacity is on refrigerant or oil.  I will research it and report back.

I know the bullnose era was R12.  I would plan on using 134 A. I would replace the lines because of age. Also, I dont know how true this is, but the molecules in the two different refrigerants are supposed to be different sizes. In theory the134A is supposed to be able to seep out of the pores of the R12 hoses.  I think it's baloney.

You can have hoses made, but I think you can buy them cheaper. I would plan on pulling the evap coil so you can flush it inside and out as well as clean the box out it goes in. This will ensure the coil will let optimum air pass to give you good pressure out of the vents as well as give optimum heat exchange efficiency.

The compressor needs to be replaced if you have no knowledge of its History. The compressor is the only component that has moving parts.  It is the only thing that can pollute the system and cause a blockage.so just replace it. If it's questionable and you dont change it that could wreck system and hours of hard work.

As far as the condensor goes I think you are safe just flushing it. Unless it has a leak in it.

[Bruno2]

https://www.techchoiceparts.com/refrigerant-and-oil-capacities/ford-light-truck