I can get My hands on an '87 Bronco 2. It has a 2.9 that leaks a little and a cracked 5 speed tranny. It is the Eddie Bower edition and is in great shape save for the tranny. 140K miles with lots of new parts.

Is this thing worth my trouble to put in a new tranny?

What rear axle does it have? Whould it make a good crawler?

As much as I can find out about it woulb be great.

I did a search and found nothing except it MIGHT have a 7.5 rear axle.

Thanks.

Tim
:bounce: :bounce2: :bounce: :bounce2:

try these guys...RRORC (http://www.rrorc.com/)

you have the D28 front and the Ford 7.5 rear.
yes they can be built to be good crawlers
I'm building mine for that specific reason.
`86 B2
6" of lift
33/10.50x15 TSL Swampers
4.10 front and rear with lockrite in front (by the end of the week)
later
bazz

I think Bronco II's are great 4x4's. They do well in stock form, but when you want to get serious you'll be looking at engine and axle swaps, just like every other rig.

Thanks for the info and the link.

Since I last posted, I learned:

It has basically everything new except the engine and tranny. The owner, which I ended up knowing, has done a lot to make it a nice vehicle.

It has a FM145 tranny. What in the hell is that? I have heard nothing about it.

The tires and wheels only have two weeks of road use before the tranny blew. They still have the molding nubbs on them. :)

The engine will cost about $1000 in parts to do a total rebuil top to bottom. and a new tranny is also a $1000. Does this sound resonable for the vehicle?

Tim

Yep those quotes are about right, if not a little on the low side. You'd be way ahead of the game if you did a 302 swap from the get go. NP435's are bullet proof and can easily be found for $100. I got a killer low milage 302 for $450(whole car) I bought an Early bronco parts truck for $500(dana44,9", dana20)

If you're not up to a v-8 conversion, definately go for a 4.0L. Buy used, it's not worth spending the money for new trust me. You should be able to get in a used motor and tranny for a grand. I still think 302's are the way to go, I love mine varoooooom!

Compared to other stock rigs, they do pretty well.

The short wheelbase, overhangs and narrow track allow them to get by with less ground clearance than bigger trucks need.

If you put big tires on it without upgrading axles, then you will probably be breaking things.

As pointed out above, you can probably put in a 302 for the price of rebuilding the 2.9.

If it were a DD, the 2.9 might be worth keeping. I get over 20 MPG mixed city highway. Do a web search for "Kunz's Korner" for anything you want to know about the 2.9. Also, you may be less likey to break things with the 2.9.

The FM145 is usually refered to as the POS Mitsubishi transmission. Life expectancy of somewhere around 125Kmiles.
Expensive to re-build.

There is another 5 speed, the Toyo-Kogyo, that is a little stronger.

For a lot of money, Advanced adapters has stuff to mate a T-5 on to the 2.9.

a 4.0 and driveline would be mostly a bolt-in....might have to change driveshaft lengths. Lotsa rolled exploders and rangers out there as doners.

Nobody,

Well, right now I am putting a 4.3/700r4 into an MJ for my trail rig and this rig would be for the better half.

A 302 swap is well within my fab abilities, I just don't have enough back ground on the Bronco II to get into something like that. Now if Advance Adapters has some stuff and I can find whatever I need easy, then the 302 is going in for the simple fack that you can get parts from anything.

Do you mean the GM 4.0 or the Ford? :) Sorry, I am a Ford man when it comes to cars but when it comes to trucks. I love my Escort rally car but that is about then extent of my ford knowledge.

Because of rallying I tend to believe the lighter is better philosophy. My Escort weights 1800 lbs and can handle a 6' jump easy with the stock suspension. That and it goes to 60 in about 6.5 with just some small mods on the engine. If I can get those type of results from the 2.9 Bronco II, than I will go light. Light equals power even if the engine doesn't make much.

Kevbo, what is the DD 2.9?

Thanks again for the info. More and more I am thinking I will have to add the Bronco II to my driveway.

Tim

The 4.0 is the Ford truck motor, which started production in 1991 I think. Great motor, and they are easy to come by. Stay away from the 4.0 SOHC motor that the later explorers and Ranger EDGE are using unless you are doing a complete drive train swap.

Bronco II's are great little vehicles. I love mine, and with the full width running gear, I love it even more. :D

Kevbo, what is the DD 2.9?

DD=Daily Driver. 2.9 is easy on the gas, warms up quick. Run one in a Bronco-II and it is what I mostly commute in. Absolute joy in a parking lot.

140 fairly honest HP from 177CID pushrod engine was doing pretty well for a factory piece.

4.0 is the largest of the cologne-V6s. as used in Explorers and later rangers.

Originally posted by Tim Smith
Nobody,

Well, right now I am putting a 4.3/700r4 into an MJ for my trail rig and this rig would be for the better half.

A 302 swap is well within my fab abilities, I just don't have enough back ground on the Bronco II to get into something like that. Now if Advance Adapters has some stuff and I can find whatever I need easy, then the 302 is going in for the simple fack that you can get parts from anything.

Do you mean the GM 4.0 or the Ford? :) Sorry, I am a Ford man when it comes to cars but when it comes to trucks. I love my Escort rally car but that is about then extent of my ford knowledge.

Because of rallying I tend to believe the lighter is better philosophy. My Escort weights 1800 lbs and can handle a 6' jump easy with the stock suspension. That and it goes to 60 in about 6.5 with just some small mods on the engine. If I can get those type of results from the 2.9 Bronco II, than I will go light. Light equals power even if the engine doesn't make much.

Kevbo, what is the DD 2.9?

Thanks again for the info. More and more I am thinking I will have to add the Bronco II to my driveway.

Tim

Plenty of aftermarket support for BroncoII/Ranger 5.0 conversions. Is a fairly straight forward swap. I used kaufmann mounts and headers. I have no body lift, and the headers cleared the frame without notching.

http://www.kaufmannproducts.com/

http://www.landlproducts.com/

http://www.jamesduff.com/

http://www.v8-ranger.com/

http://www.rangerpowersports.com/

http://www.advanceadapters.com/

http://www.therangerstation.com/

There's a few to get things started. I've got some info on my website as well. Go for the 5.0L, you wont' regret it, and enough of us are around to help with any problems you might have. Don't cut corners, and it will turn out sweet.