69 Dudes-- Just the beginning
- Jesus_man
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Re: 69 Dudes-- Just the beginning
They can be tough to bleed! I think the thing that worked best for me was to bleed it with a pry-bar thru the inspection door. Perhaps you tried that??
1973 Bronco, 351 SEFI, Locked, discs, 35's ZF-5spd and Atlas 4spd. 235:1 Crawl Ratio. It may be ugly, but it's slow.
http://www.ucora.org
http://www.ucora.org
- Eck
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Re: 69 Dudes-- Just the beginning
Jesus_man wrote:They can be tough to bleed! I think the thing that worked best for me was to bleed it with a pry-bar thru the inspection door. Perhaps you tried that??
Yep- tried that- couldn't get it to budge.
69 Wagon, 351W, Explorer EFI & Serpentine, ZF5, 35" tires, 3.5 SL, 2 BL, WARN 8274
- Rox Crusher
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Re: 69 Dudes-- Just the beginning
I tripped across the perfect solution
http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showth ... p?t=272359
Sorry, couldn't resist

http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showth ... p?t=272359
Sorry, couldn't resist
1977 Sport, 351w OBDII EFI motor, 4R70W auto, 4:88 gears, ARB lockers, 3.5" suspension, 33" tires.
- EFI Guy
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Re: 69 Dudes-- Just the beginning
Eck wrote:Well after 2.5 days of work, Phil and I fired it off. It sounds great and I think we were able to find the root of why I was having so many issues with the cam synchronizer gear (will post up about that later).
And then???
- Viperwolf1
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Re: 69 Dudes-- Just the beginning
EFI Guy wrote:Eck wrote:Well after 2.5 days of work, Phil and I fired it off. It sounds great and I think we were able to find the root of why I was having so many issues with the cam synchronizer gear (will post up about that later).
And then???
Then we couldn't get the clutch bled. Today we did.
- Rox Crusher
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Re: 69 Dudes-- Just the beginning
Viperwolf1 wrote:Then we couldn't get the clutch bled. Today we did.
Ancient Chinese secret ?
1977 Sport, 351w OBDII EFI motor, 4R70W auto, 4:88 gears, ARB lockers, 3.5" suspension, 33" tires.
- Viperwolf1
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Re: 69 Dudes-- Just the beginning
I'll let Eck fill you in on this. I will say there was lots of wheel spin happening this afternoon in Wheatridge though.
- Eck
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Re: 69 Dudes-- Just the beginning
Well... the Ancient Chinese Secret happened to be Chinese after all -- as in, the Chinese made Slave Cylinder that had roughly 1000 miles on it since the ZF install turned out to be bad. Went to NAPA and bought a new one (this one was assembled in Mexico!), and it probably took about 15 minutes to get this one bled. Big THANK YOU to Phil for helping me see this one through!
Took a quick victory lap around the neighborhood but with the snowy road conditions, I couldn't truly put it to the test. I could definitely tell that there was an increase in HP in the one short stretch of dry road I found. Pretty sure I am not going to regret the upgrade to the GT40 heads and roller cam conversion.
Quick recap on the issue that I was having prior to this upgrade: The flat tappet cam had iron gears and the Cam Synchronizer gear that came stock when doing the Explorer EFI is steel. Therefore I would buy the iron distributor gear and swap it onto the Cam Synchronizer shaft. This is a slight press fit and then held in place by ONE roll pin. I probably went through 3-4 Cam synchro gears because the pin would shear off and I would lose all oil pressure.
What we found when tearing the engine down a bit:
1. The Cam retainer plate had a worn groove in it and that probably meant the cam could travel ever so slightly. We first thought that this might have been the culprit of the issue.
2. I inspected the oil pump pickup screen and it was clean. The oil was clean. After getting a majority of the engine assembled on the engine stand, we decided to prime the system with oil. The shaft was stuck and broke my priming tool. We also had a real difficult time installing and then finally removing the Cam Synchronizer assembly. Upon trying to remove the assembly, we broke part of the gear (fortunately we were able to get all of the pieces out with a magnet without having to remove the timing cover). After deciding to get a new oil pump, Phil cracked open the old one to find a small metal shaving inside the pump gears that had somehow worn out on the bottom plate (another Chinese Secret I am sure!). Once we put the new oil pump on and got everything back together, the Cam Synchro assembly slid into place with ease and the oil primed with ease. Long story short-- the oil pump would occasionally work that piece of metal into place enough to seize the pump and that would sheer the roll pin on the synchro gear.
So-- my major issues with the engine were a POS oil pump that had less than 2k miles on it and my major issue with the Hydraulic Clutch was a POS Slave Cylinder that had less than 1k miles on it. Crossing my fingers that the replacement parts hold up a little longer and I can drive my Bronco with some confidence moving forward!
Took a quick victory lap around the neighborhood but with the snowy road conditions, I couldn't truly put it to the test. I could definitely tell that there was an increase in HP in the one short stretch of dry road I found. Pretty sure I am not going to regret the upgrade to the GT40 heads and roller cam conversion.
Quick recap on the issue that I was having prior to this upgrade: The flat tappet cam had iron gears and the Cam Synchronizer gear that came stock when doing the Explorer EFI is steel. Therefore I would buy the iron distributor gear and swap it onto the Cam Synchronizer shaft. This is a slight press fit and then held in place by ONE roll pin. I probably went through 3-4 Cam synchro gears because the pin would shear off and I would lose all oil pressure.
What we found when tearing the engine down a bit:
1. The Cam retainer plate had a worn groove in it and that probably meant the cam could travel ever so slightly. We first thought that this might have been the culprit of the issue.
2. I inspected the oil pump pickup screen and it was clean. The oil was clean. After getting a majority of the engine assembled on the engine stand, we decided to prime the system with oil. The shaft was stuck and broke my priming tool. We also had a real difficult time installing and then finally removing the Cam Synchronizer assembly. Upon trying to remove the assembly, we broke part of the gear (fortunately we were able to get all of the pieces out with a magnet without having to remove the timing cover). After deciding to get a new oil pump, Phil cracked open the old one to find a small metal shaving inside the pump gears that had somehow worn out on the bottom plate (another Chinese Secret I am sure!). Once we put the new oil pump on and got everything back together, the Cam Synchro assembly slid into place with ease and the oil primed with ease. Long story short-- the oil pump would occasionally work that piece of metal into place enough to seize the pump and that would sheer the roll pin on the synchro gear.
So-- my major issues with the engine were a POS oil pump that had less than 2k miles on it and my major issue with the Hydraulic Clutch was a POS Slave Cylinder that had less than 1k miles on it. Crossing my fingers that the replacement parts hold up a little longer and I can drive my Bronco with some confidence moving forward!
69 Wagon, 351W, Explorer EFI & Serpentine, ZF5, 35" tires, 3.5 SL, 2 BL, WARN 8274
- Jesus_man
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Re: 69 Dudes-- Just the beginning
I learned the lesson and a cheap chinese slave as well...never again!
Good news that you found the foundational issue with your motor! Here's to thousands of happy miles!
Good news that you found the foundational issue with your motor! Here's to thousands of happy miles!

1973 Bronco, 351 SEFI, Locked, discs, 35's ZF-5spd and Atlas 4spd. 235:1 Crawl Ratio. It may be ugly, but it's slow.
http://www.ucora.org
http://www.ucora.org
- Justin
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Re: 69 Dudes-- Just the beginning
Nice! Hopefully you've got it worked out and can go back to enjoying it.
- phyler
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Re: 69 Dudes-- Just the beginning
Good stuff! You really had me questioning my future plans. Glad I can learn from others here.
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1975 Ranger Edition that I've had longer than I've been without it.
OG
OG
- Digger
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Re: 69 Dudes-- Just the beginning
It's getting harder and harder to find good parts these days. Quality parts just aren't available from the corner stores anymore as they search for the bottom dollar (aka lowest cost supplier). Previously good names are being run into the ground. We deal with this at my day job all the time. It is a constant fight to up-sell a well made part over a bottom dollar part.
I find myself going out of the way to order mission-critical parts online from reputable sources so I don't get stranded or wind up redoing a labor intensive job.
I find myself going out of the way to order mission-critical parts online from reputable sources so I don't get stranded or wind up redoing a labor intensive job.
Cummins R2.8 diesel, ZF5, AtlasII, HP44/BB9, ARBs, coiled / linked suspension, 37" KO2s, full cage, bumpers, etc.
Build Thread: http://www.coloradoclassicbroncos.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=5420
Average 23.5 mpg, Best tank: 26.3 mpg
Build Thread: http://www.coloradoclassicbroncos.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=5420
Average 23.5 mpg, Best tank: 26.3 mpg
- crawlercreations
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Re: 69 Dudes-- Just the beginning
Digger wrote:It's getting harder and harder to find good parts these days. Quality parts just aren't available from the corner stores anymore as they search for the bottom dollar (aka lowest cost supplier). Previously good names are being run into the ground. We deal with this at my day job all the time. It is a constant fight to up-sell a well made part over a bottom dollar part.
I find myself going out of the way to order mission-critical parts online from reputable sources so I don't get stranded or wind up redoing a labor intensive job.
I'm with you. Having just started my own shop I endeavor to order as many NEW parts online as I can. Since I personally schedule each job I usually get to order them and know I've got good parts on hand when the job comes in. I just received a bunch of high quality parts for a Subaru head gasket job I have lined up for the end of January. Doing something this critical it's nice to have good stuff so I won't have to do it again.
There is a fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"
- Eck
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Re: 69 Dudes-- Just the beginning
So I decided that I needed something in the Bronco that would let me lock stuff up if needed to. It's amazing how I have to plan errands or doing things based on whether I'm comfortable leaving thing in the Bronco for anyone to easily take.
I ordered the Tuffy lock box and decided I also wanted to put it on slides so that when the tailgate is down, it's easy to pull forward and get things out. Everything fit very well with my back seat and this gives me something to be able to even throw some tools, fluids, emergency things in if I needed to.




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I ordered the Tuffy lock box and decided I also wanted to put it on slides so that when the tailgate is down, it's easy to pull forward and get things out. Everything fit very well with my back seat and this gives me something to be able to even throw some tools, fluids, emergency things in if I needed to.




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69 Wagon, 351W, Explorer EFI & Serpentine, ZF5, 35" tires, 3.5 SL, 2 BL, WARN 8274
- Jesus_man
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Re: 69 Dudes-- Just the beginning
Awesome! Are you worried about the sliders being over-loaded? I know there are some beefy ones out there.
1973 Bronco, 351 SEFI, Locked, discs, 35's ZF-5spd and Atlas 4spd. 235:1 Crawl Ratio. It may be ugly, but it's slow.
http://www.ucora.org
http://www.ucora.org
- Eck
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Re: 69 Dudes-- Just the beginning
Jesus_man wrote:Awesome! Are you worried about the sliders being over-loaded? I know there are some beefy ones out there.
They are rated for up to 500 lbs. I probably won't pull it out if it's super heavy.
https://www.ovisonline.com/12-Locking-D ... P1617.aspx
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69 Wagon, 351W, Explorer EFI & Serpentine, ZF5, 35" tires, 3.5 SL, 2 BL, WARN 8274
- Strike2
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Re: 69 Dudes-- Just the beginning
Nice work on making it a slider, Looks Great!
- landshark
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Re: 69 Dudes-- Just the beginning
Great job! want to do something similar before May as well -
1976 Bronco "Green, Yellow, whatever", 1969 Bronco "Red", 1972 Bronco Stocker "Kind of Blue/Grayish"
- Jesus_man
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Re: 69 Dudes-- Just the beginning
I'm interested to see how well it works in an offroad situation. It would be super handy!!
1973 Bronco, 351 SEFI, Locked, discs, 35's ZF-5spd and Atlas 4spd. 235:1 Crawl Ratio. It may be ugly, but it's slow.
http://www.ucora.org
http://www.ucora.org
- Friday
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Re: 69 Dudes-- Just the beginning
nice job on the box! What's the dimension of that Tuffy box?
- Eck
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Re: 69 Dudes-- Just the beginning
Friday wrote:nice job on the box! What's the dimension of that Tuffy box?
Exterior Dimensions: 9 5/8" L x 33 7/8" W x 11 3/8" H
http://www.tuffyproducts.com/p-96-super ... trunk.aspx
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69 Wagon, 351W, Explorer EFI & Serpentine, ZF5, 35" tires, 3.5 SL, 2 BL, WARN 8274
- Moab Mike
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Re: 69 Dudes-- Just the beginning
Looks awesome! You can never have enough lockable storage in a bronco.
- Eck
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Re: 69 Dudes-- Just the beginning
Been keeping CrawlerCreations busy the last few weeks. Project 1 was this custom bumper that I think turned out great. Had it galvanized before painting it.




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69 Wagon, 351W, Explorer EFI & Serpentine, ZF5, 35" tires, 3.5 SL, 2 BL, WARN 8274
- Kinder
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- Rox Crusher
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Re: 69 Dudes-- Just the beginning
That bumper looks great !
1977 Sport, 351w OBDII EFI motor, 4R70W auto, 4:88 gears, ARB lockers, 3.5" suspension, 33" tires.
- Jesus_man
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Re: 69 Dudes-- Just the beginning
That is a very nice bumper!
1973 Bronco, 351 SEFI, Locked, discs, 35's ZF-5spd and Atlas 4spd. 235:1 Crawl Ratio. It may be ugly, but it's slow.
http://www.ucora.org
http://www.ucora.org
- Strike2
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Re: 69 Dudes-- Just the beginning
That is a very sweet looking bumper, I really like how the warn winch looks and the lights. Very clean looking

- ZOSO
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Re: 69 Dudes-- Just the beginning
Much better looking bumper than what was on it.
Rob
74 Ranger EFI351w, 4r70w, ARB 5.13 9in, ARB 5.13D44, and a bunch of other goodies. Best of all the family memories.
04 Mustang Cobra, KenneBell 2.2 feeding a lot of boost on E85. Tire shredding machine
New project: 77 Bronco Ranger, body work and more body work.
Very little left of a 72 durango tan explorer sport
74 Ranger EFI351w, 4r70w, ARB 5.13 9in, ARB 5.13D44, and a bunch of other goodies. Best of all the family memories.
04 Mustang Cobra, KenneBell 2.2 feeding a lot of boost on E85. Tire shredding machine
New project: 77 Bronco Ranger, body work and more body work.
Very little left of a 72 durango tan explorer sport
- Eck
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Re: 69 Dudes-- Just the beginning
ZOSO wrote:Much better looking bumper than what was on it.
Agree. This was the old one (for sale now)!

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69 Wagon, 351W, Explorer EFI & Serpentine, ZF5, 35" tires, 3.5 SL, 2 BL, WARN 8274
- landshark
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Re: 69 Dudes-- Just the beginning
Turned out great! CanΓÇÖt wait to see it in person.
1976 Bronco "Green, Yellow, whatever", 1969 Bronco "Red", 1972 Bronco Stocker "Kind of Blue/Grayish"