• Welcome to ClassicBroncos! - You are currently viewing the forums as a GUEST. To take advantage of all the site features, please take a moment to register. It's fast, simple and absolutely free. So please join our community today!
    If you have problems registering or can't log into your account, please contact Admin.

"The Nightmare" - '73 Explorer Father & Son Build Thread!

OP
OP
JGbronc

JGbronc

Bronco Maniac
Joined
Mar 30, 2007
Messages
6,211
Lol!!!...Maybe that's my problem....Instead of working on the ones already here, I'm out looking for/at more!! By the way, I noticed one off in the distance in the field of one of your last pic posts.... Is it for sale???? ;D;D

Negative! That's the future beater '75. It was given to Dad by a friend years ago. It's a disgrace right now, but it has a future of cheap repairs and mods. I think it will be up after Miracle. I need a name for it. ;D
 

Attachments

  • 100_0451.jpg
    100_0451.jpg
    171 KB · Views: 157
OP
OP
JGbronc

JGbronc

Bronco Maniac
Joined
Mar 30, 2007
Messages
6,211
Got some serpentine brackets, a tensioner pulley, and water pump pulley today from a friend of mine who is into Mustangs.

Me and Dad did a little bit of parts cleaning tonight, but nothing really picture worthy. Hopefully next week I'll get the block painted and start building it. We still need to come up with valve covers and a crank pulley.
 

Attachments

  • 100_0805.jpg
    100_0805.jpg
    149.7 KB · Views: 71
OP
OP
JGbronc

JGbronc

Bronco Maniac
Joined
Mar 30, 2007
Messages
6,211
We found an engine harness, injector harness, crank pulley, harmonic balancer, and a 65mm throttle body spacer today.

We will likely be sending the harnesses off to be modified for the Bronco (possibly to Kolibar Kustoms). We already had a balancer, but could have used a better looking one so we snatched this one up.

I am going to modify the Mountaineer 65mm throttle body to work like a Mustang one, so we needed a spacer to match. I will be ordering the EGR block off plate for the spacer.
 

Attachments

  • 32307862365.jpg
    32307862365.jpg
    103.8 KB · Views: 59
OP
OP
JGbronc

JGbronc

Bronco Maniac
Joined
Mar 30, 2007
Messages
6,211
Picked up the crank from the machine shop this morning, so now all the long block parts are home.

Dad pressure washed a few parts and I worked on prepping the block today. I hope to have the block ready for paint tomorrow night. I'm going to try to have the engine built by Friday night.
 

Attachments

  • 452362757547.jpg
    452362757547.jpg
    64.4 KB · Views: 45
OP
OP
JGbronc

JGbronc

Bronco Maniac
Joined
Mar 30, 2007
Messages
6,211
Repainted the engine block today. Much happier with the results this time.

I also painted the heads. We decided to use the aluminum color on them. I'm happy with the choice as of now. I think they look good, and will help break up the blue some.

Like I said, I plan to have the long block built Friday night, so I still have a few things to do before building, like cleaning the lifters, etc.
 

Attachments

  • 6457457457457.jpg
    6457457457457.jpg
    125.6 KB · Views: 104
  • 558768696969.jpg
    558768696969.jpg
    116.7 KB · Views: 106
  • 534573656858.jpg
    534573656858.jpg
    119.8 KB · Views: 105
Last edited:
OP
OP
JGbronc

JGbronc

Bronco Maniac
Joined
Mar 30, 2007
Messages
6,211
We got most of the long block built. I gotta admit, I'm nervous about it. It's my first one, so I guess most others would be. I do love the color scheme on it. Looks good IMO.

Dad step drilled and tapped the intake for the ACT sensor. The Mountaineer/Explorer intakes had the boss for them, but did not have the sensor like the Mustang, LSC, and others. We were told that it was required to be plugged in to keep it from running rich. Some people just plug them in and leave them, or put them in the intake pipe, but Dad wanted to make it look like it came on it, so there it is.
 

Attachments

  • 100_0789.jpg
    100_0789.jpg
    118.6 KB · Views: 102
  • 100_0790 (2).jpg
    100_0790 (2).jpg
    111.8 KB · Views: 93
  • 100_0788.jpg
    100_0788.jpg
    142 KB · Views: 100
  • 100_0788 (3).jpg
    100_0788 (3).jpg
    119.9 KB · Views: 93
  • 100_0787.jpg
    100_0787.jpg
    94.8 KB · Views: 109
  • 100_0786.jpg
    100_0786.jpg
    83.5 KB · Views: 115

Scoop

Contributor
Have Bronco, Will Travel
Joined
Feb 1, 2006
Messages
10,581
Loc.
Cuchara, CO
Jimmy, motor is looking good! Awesome that you and your dad are doing this. I've done a few builds with my 2 sons - and my daughter too actually - and always a good experience. Well maybe 99% good! LOL ;D
 

JDJ

Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 29, 2009
Messages
2,077
Loc.
Dothan
Jimmy, the engine is looking good. Don't be worried about the engine too much. I rebuilt an engine a couple of years ago for my dad. It was the first one that I had done. I had a little help from a friend that had experience building engines. I took my time and it turned out fine. Engine runs like a champ.
 
OP
OP
JGbronc

JGbronc

Bronco Maniac
Joined
Mar 30, 2007
Messages
6,211
Thanks guys! I hope it turns out to be good. I just worry too much. %)

By the way, remember back in post # 6 where I said it won't be a frame-off? Well now Dad decided to build a rotisserie and do a frame-off! So we will be working on that in the next few weeks as well.
 
Last edited:

stout22

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Dec 13, 2006
Messages
2,692
Loc.
Athens, AL
This project sounds like it's right on track for the ole snow ball effect;)
Keep up the good work!
 

fordfan

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Sep 13, 2009
Messages
3,503
Why don't people do it right the first time!

If something don't fit, there is usually a reason why....right! Well....if the floor pans don't fit, look at the body cross members. I have worked all day just removing the "new" floor pans and straightening cross members and welding up holes and cut places in the X members.....also removing cut off body bolts! XK%$L!!! Why would you cut off the head and weld in a new floor pan over it where you could never get it out!?!

Enough ranting!! Cross members are amazingly solid...as is the rest of the truck. I will post more pics and more text after while....got to get this layer of metal dust off and out!!:(:mad::mad:?:?

WHAT.......? BODY OFF!!! IS THAT RIGHT....What about the driving it and working on it at the same time..notion????
 

Attachments

  • Golden's '73 018.jpg
    Golden's '73 018.jpg
    128.5 KB · Views: 158
  • Golden's '73 020.jpg
    Golden's '73 020.jpg
    145.7 KB · Views: 162
  • Golden's '73 019.jpg
    Golden's '73 019.jpg
    102.3 KB · Views: 159
  • Golden's '73 016.jpg
    Golden's '73 016.jpg
    152.9 KB · Views: 171
  • Golden's '73 007.jpg
    Golden's '73 007.jpg
    137.3 KB · Views: 176
  • Golden's '73 003.jpg
    Golden's '73 003.jpg
    142.2 KB · Views: 157
  • Golden's '73 002.jpg
    Golden's '73 002.jpg
    110.6 KB · Views: 167
  • Golden's '73 001.jpg
    Golden's '73 001.jpg
    116.7 KB · Views: 177
OP
OP
JGbronc

JGbronc

Bronco Maniac
Joined
Mar 30, 2007
Messages
6,211
If something don't fit, there is usually a reason why....right! Well....if the floor pans don't fit, look at the body cross members. I have worked all day just removing the "new" floor pans and straightening cross members and welding up holes and cut places in the X members.....also removing cut off body bolts! XK%$L!!! Why would you cut off the head and weld in a new floor pan over it where you could never get it out!?!

Enough ranting!! Cross members are amazingly solid...as is the rest of the truck. I will post more pics and more text after while....got to get this layer of metal dust off and out!!:(:mad::mad:?:?

WHAT.......? BODY OFF!!! IS THAT RIGHT....What about the driving it and working on it at the same time..notion????

Sorry it turned out to be more trouble. Previous owner surprise, I guess. %)

I guess that notion went out the window. ;D Glad to see more progress.
 

fordfan

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Sep 13, 2009
Messages
3,503
Today, I got the body pretty much ready to reinstall the "new" floor pans. I need to straighten a few places and weld up the thousand screw holes. I think it will take much less time to reinstall them than it took to remove them and repair the X members.

Pics include the stubborn body bolt that is behind the front seats that the PO just simply cut off.....No way to remove them unless you remove the body!! What I did was drill a hole in a piece of angle iron and weld on the cut part of the bolt through the hole in the angle. (The bolt was about a 1/4" below the tube in the cross member, so I had to build it up with weld, then weld it to the steel to screw out.

Pics also include a really clean vin stamping in the frame......believe it or not, I scraped the old undercoating off with a putty knife and wiped with a shop towel; Wow , that frame is clean.

Hopefully, I will get the pans reinstalled this week. I was thinking that that engine was going to need a home, but it sounds like some more disassembly will be taking place!!!!:cool::cool:
 

Attachments

  • Golden's '73 038.jpg
    Golden's '73 038.jpg
    112.6 KB · Views: 112
  • Golden's '73 035.jpg
    Golden's '73 035.jpg
    152.8 KB · Views: 113
  • Golden's '73 029.jpg
    Golden's '73 029.jpg
    153.3 KB · Views: 113
  • Golden's '73 027.jpg
    Golden's '73 027.jpg
    166.1 KB · Views: 120
  • Golden's '73 026.jpg
    Golden's '73 026.jpg
    155.4 KB · Views: 118
  • Golden's '73 024.jpg
    Golden's '73 024.jpg
    138.9 KB · Views: 122
  • Golden's '73 023.jpg
    Golden's '73 023.jpg
    133.1 KB · Views: 123
  • Golden's '73 013.jpg
    Golden's '73 013.jpg
    125.6 KB · Views: 129

fordfan

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Sep 13, 2009
Messages
3,503
a few more pics: Body bolts removed, etc.
 

Attachments

  • Golden's '73 043.jpg
    Golden's '73 043.jpg
    135.7 KB · Views: 100
  • Golden's '73 042.jpg
    Golden's '73 042.jpg
    137.2 KB · Views: 104
  • Golden's '73 041.jpg
    Golden's '73 041.jpg
    173.7 KB · Views: 107
  • Golden's '73 040.jpg
    Golden's '73 040.jpg
    171.4 KB · Views: 107
  • Golden's '73 039.jpg
    Golden's '73 039.jpg
    136.6 KB · Views: 97
  • Golden's '73 038.jpg
    Golden's '73 038.jpg
    112.6 KB · Views: 98
  • Golden's '73 037.jpg
    Golden's '73 037.jpg
    94.4 KB · Views: 95
  • Golden's '73 036.jpg
    Golden's '73 036.jpg
    100.8 KB · Views: 98
OP
OP
JGbronc

JGbronc

Bronco Maniac
Joined
Mar 30, 2007
Messages
6,211
Awesome pics! Thanks fordfan!

I hate to say it, and I'm ashamed to say it, but I think the engine will be coming back apart anyway, at least partially. I'm entirely too concerned with a few things, and I'd feel better if I tore it back down, checked those few things out, and redid it.

To all future newbie engine builders, be VERY careful when installing components, and if you are concerned with something, STOP! Don't keep putting it together if you aren't confident.
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
JGbronc

JGbronc

Bronco Maniac
Joined
Mar 30, 2007
Messages
6,211
We brought some metal Dad had up to the front of the garage to start working on the rotisserie. Yes, we have a lot of cutting and welding to do. :cool:

I also tore the block back down. Turns out I was right in my concerns. The machine shop had ground off the original direction arrows on the rod caps when balancing them, so they just drew them on with a marker. Well, either they marked some of them wrong, or half the pistons were put on backward (notch on top surface is supposed to face the front of the block). So therefore, when all the arrows were pointed forward like they were to be from the factory, and the notch was toward the front of the block, the chamfer on some if not all the rod caps and rods was not against the edge of the journal on the crank as they were supposed to be. This causes it to not have enough clearance and shaves the edge of the rod bearing.

Stupid me didn't know about the chamfer and kept building. Luckily I tore it back down and found some shavings before running the engine. I am bringing some stuff back to them and having it straightened out. Hopefully THIS Friday it will be back together. :-[
 

Attachments

  • 100_0791 (2).jpg
    100_0791 (2).jpg
    137.6 KB · Views: 77
  • 100_0792 (2).jpg
    100_0792 (2).jpg
    96.5 KB · Views: 65
  • 100_0793 (2).jpg
    100_0793 (2).jpg
    124.4 KB · Views: 64
OP
OP
JGbronc

JGbronc

Bronco Maniac
Joined
Mar 30, 2007
Messages
6,211
Dad has done some cutting to get ready to start building the frame for the rotisserie. There was pieces of angle welded to the channel pieces we will be using. We don't have all the materials needed, but we will save some money with what we do have. :)

I wish now I would've bought the rotisserie my Uncle had a while back. %)


The crank, rods, and pistons are all back at the machine shop to have all the mishaps straightened out. I plan to pick it all up Friday morning, and start building when I get back home.
 

Attachments

  • 100_0794 (2).jpg
    100_0794 (2).jpg
    74.5 KB · Views: 44
Top