Jasper 5.8L with less than 4Kmi when it was abandoned.
After burning a little more than a tank, it's getting 9.38 MPG.
Drivetrain:
E4OD, not rebuilt yet; BW1356 ESOF, still working; stock Dana44IFS open 3.54 w/stock auto hub locks; stock Ford 8.8" TracLok 3.55, stock F&R sway bars, stock quad front & regular rear shocks (Carquest Bruiser Gas XL), BFG AT/TA-KO 32x11.50R15
Notes:
Abandoned by my brother-in-law in '03, and left in a wooded area for 6 years. In addition to the leaves, spider webs, mildew, vines, trees, & wasps all over it, the battery was dead, the ignition lock cylinder had to be drilled out after the keys were lost, the MLPS is bad, the starter relay is intermittent, the smog pump & A/C compressor were seized, the fuel pump was clogged, the gas was bad, the t/g window switches didn't work, the wiper motor makes a LOT of noise, the wipers were torn, the brakes were rusted, the tires were almost 6 years old, the carpet was filthy, and all the fluids had to be changed.
It was originally purchased by a medical student. When he became a doctor in '02, he drove it to the Land Rover dealership that my brother-in-law & I were remodelling & traded it in. I bet he wishes he had kept it. My b-i-l bought it before it was wholesaled, but got bored with it after a couple of years. He went to a KingRanch F250, then a Jag XK8, & now an H2.
My g/f's nephew decided he wanted a Bronco for his first vehicle, and after searching for a month, we realized it would be cheaper to bring this one back than to buy someone else's problems. So I spent a few months fixing it, and then gave it to him. He wrecked it a month later. It has taken about 4 months of evenings & weekends to get it driveable again.
Trans2.JPG 950 hits | 106.74 KB | Posted: 9/5/10 Rather than drop this heavy beast all the way to the ground, I just left it on the jack and rolled it back enough to get the torque converter out. The transfer case is still attached, and the ratchet straps are keeping the assembly on the jack. The...
Trans1.JPG 705 hits | 105.09 KB | Posted: 9/5/10 This E4OD has never been rebuilt, and is still working OK for some reason. But it has leaked intermittently, and it dumped about a gallon a few days ago, so I'm changing the front pump seal between the torque converter & the front plate.
I've cho...
Trans3.JPG 754 hits | 98.89 KB | Posted: 9/5/10 With the new $8 seal installed, it's going back in. After a few test-drives including some off-roading, it hasn't leaked a drop.
62BumperRs.JPG 494 hits | 29.64 KB | Posted: 5/19/10 I don't know how apparent these pics will make it, but the L frame rail (R side of the pic) is about 2" offset rearward. After a week of work, the frame shop got it close, but not perfect. But it's aligned, tracking straight, and back on the r...
56BumperF.JPG 657 hits | 92.21 KB | Posted: 5/19/10 I finally got the bumper on, which is when I realized the frame is diamonded by ~2".
54Painted.JPG 609 hits | 62.05 KB | Posted: 4/11/10 Not perfect, but better than what I started with.
51Taped.JPG 655 hits | 88.89 KB | Posted: 4/11/10 The weather was so good that I decided to spray the trim color.
50Rolling.JPG 536 hits | 66.28 KB | Posted: 4/11/10 After painting the door & fender, I discovered that the body was so far out-of-place on the frame that the hood couldn't be aligned. So I had to loosen all the body mounts & use a come-along, a 3' prybar, & a hydraulic jack to reposition it. The gril...
49Bracket.JPG 1218 hits | 96.69 KB | Posted: 4/3/10 The original L bracket is factory-bolted on, so changing it will probably be easier than straightening the frame flange. This cost less than $50 from the dealership.
Most Viewed Files
10StudXtrct.JPG 2553 hits | 80.72 KB | Posted: 11/30/09 To extract the broken bolt, I used a Snap-On A80A stud remover/installer. Afterward, I chased all the threads with a rethreading kit & thread files. Then all were rinsed with brake cleaner (including inside the heads & the EGR fittings) and coated ...
Resistor.JPG 2327 hits | 73.03 KB | Posted: 11/13/09 After replacing the muffler, I could hear that the blower would only run at HI speed, so I bought a new resistor. When I pulled the old one, I saw why it had overheated - a squirrel nest in the squirrel cage. Part of the blower was chewed away, cau...
02GroundFrame.JPG 1337 hits | 74.58 KB | Posted: 11/30/09 With the wheelwell gone, it's easy to inspect the frame ground, just inboard of the spring tower on top of the frame rail. The battery ground cable is stripped ~3/4" and a tab is soldered on so it can be bolted to the frame.
9Finished.JPG 1327 hits | 70.1 KB | Posted: 11/14/09 These factory Ford recovery eyes mount to 3 parts, one of which has no welding or bending. They attach using only their factory fasteners, & those on the truck. The bumper doesn't have to be removed to install them (although it's easier), and they ...
12GreaseMan.JPG 1231 hits | 91.96 KB | Posted: 11/30/09 I used the same sealant as the factory - chassis grease in a thin film around each port. When the manifold gets hot, the grease will bake into a varnish, much like cast iron cookware. The varnish creates an effective seal. And like seasoned cast-i...
49Bracket.JPG 1218 hits | 96.69 KB | Posted: 4/3/10 The original L bracket is factory-bolted on, so changing it will probably be easier than straightening the frame flange. This cost less than $50 from the dealership.
40BezelReinf.JPG 1075 hits | 82.08 KB | Posted: 11/8/09 It's common for these screw holes to shatter, but this is a quick, easy, cheap, & effective repair, even BEFORE they break through. Repairing the ESOF switch was a little more difficult, and the Rear Window was a nightmare.
[url=http://www.superm...
53SquirrelCage.JPG 1070 hits | 68.6 KB | Posted: 11/14/09 A squirrel chewed thru the squirrel cage, and no one has a direct-replacement plastic one, so I had to use this $16 metal one from NAPA or O'Reilly (I forget now).
The motor was very hard-to-turn, so I sprayed penetrating oil into the vent hose ho...
01WheelWell.JPG 1067 hits | 85.95 KB | Posted: 11/30/09 After driving it around for a week or so, an exhaust leak became apparent on the R side. I quickly eliminated the Y-pipe, 2ndry air crossover pipe, & EGR tube as possible sources, leaving only the exhaust manifold. An inspection mirror & flashlight...
