Up Coming Projects – 1982 Ford Bronco Full Size 2DR

I may be pulling a 351W engine out of an 82 Bronco soon. It was parked back in the late 90s or early 2000s with low oil pressure. This will make the 4th or 5th time that engine was out. First time it jumped time at just over the 26K warranty. Dealer pulled it and “repaired” it at full price, and did a piss poor job. Ran like garbage coming home, and my dad immediately pulled it back out to find all kinds of stupid bad work… like head bolts that broke loose at 20 lbs and stuff like that. A lot of stuff like that.

My dad put it back together right, but he had a lot of issues with the Ford computer. He ripped it out, put in an older LTD distributor and a Mallory ignition system which was a LOT better.

Then he did the unthinkable. He dropped a “quarter race” cam in it with glass packs and headers. It would buck and jump like a wild animal, and had a lope like a race car. Then he caught some sense and swapped it for an RV CAM.

I pulled the engine for him once, but I don’t recall why. He actually did a major overhaul the last time, and after the overhaul it had low oil pressure. Either he got a bad crank (or bearings) or more likely there wasn’t a big enough oil sump for the high volume oil pump he had put in it. I didn’t figure that last one might have been the reason until a couple years ago. I was going to help him sell it and I was doing some research when I ran across a discussion on that in one of the Ford truck or Bronco forums. There used to be bigger oil pan for that engine that in theory can be installed by just lifting the engine, but I figure its easier to pull it and put it on my engine stand for piece of mind. I can swap back to a stock oil pump and check the crank at the same time.

Then I’ll probably sell it and give the cash to my mom (after parts cost). Or I might just give my mom some cash and keep it. I do have the Jeep, and I’d have to add lockers to the Bronco so it would be “as good” as the Jeep. I guess I could fix up the Bronco and sell the Jeep instead. At the moment its worth a lot more.

It was a heck of a tow vehicle.  The RV CAM with a Holley 650 gives it plenty of low and mid range. I’ve pulled a 24′ twin engine sport fisher with it, and ran as fast as I was comfortable up and down mountains.

Among my various duties after my dad passed is getting rid of all his old vehicles or making them good again.  Got a couple 3/4 ton Dodge Cummins truck. a diesel panel truck, 42 Willys, Lincoln Town Car, Chrysler New Yorker, 3/4 ton Ford van, Arrow motor home, boats and other things.  All in need something or another to be not sold for junk, but to good to junk.  On top of that in good to great condition I now have the Nissan Altima he was driving up until he died, and the Hyundai Kona I bought for my mom to make sure they had reliable transportations almost 3 years ago when my dad had the brain tumor removed.  Oh, and I think I recall being told they just quit using the Arrow in favor of a newer Mountaineer (which I also need to get rid of) fifth wheel.  It’s been parked a while though.

I don’t know if I’ll bother to video much of the work on the Bronco.  I’m pretty busy these days and video slows me down.  I’ll tell you about it though.  Maybe post some pictures.