Gary Lewis

Wow! And 6 days to go! Please keep us posted.

Ok, please check it out. Two ways to get to it: Documentation/Literature and then go to the bottom of the spreadsheet and click on the Other Publications tab then click on Car & Driver 1980 Bronco Test Documentation/Literature/Miscellaneous Literature/Car & Driver 1980 Bronco Test Note that the link to View Photos takes you to the C&D site, but I have downloaded them as well so could put a tab up on that page with the pics. Also, all of the links that are active on the C&D version of the page are currently active on the page saved here. I wonder if, over time, they'll go dead? And the menu at the top is C&D's menu, as are the Subscribe and Sign In links. So other than our red CAR & DRIVER 1980 BRONCO TEST page name the page is pure C&D. And, if you right click and say View Page Source you can see all of the HTML that generates the page, including a statement of "Saved from URL" and then giving C&D's site. So, it is obvious from whence it came and nothing has been altered. But, the page Is it Legal to Copy Content from a Website? says "Anything that enjoys copyright protection, whether it's rendered in ink or pixels, may not be copied or published elsewhere without the express (typically written) permission of the author." So, I'm fairly sure what I've done isn't legal. Given that I've searched in the links provided and finally found a place to email and sent this: Personally I'm not sure I like all the advertising, but do like the fact that the page won't go away since we have it saved. Your thoughts?

Ha! The A/C is missing and the vents on the bezels as Shaun pointed out. After searching for A/C brackets for my truck, that’s not jump in and drive to me anymore. Knowing now, with all the work I did on my truck, I wouldn’t have traded my 87 4Runner for it, let alone drive it home 5 hours through ice and snow in places. However, that’s a testament to it’s durability and functionality I guess! I have a fully-charged A/C system from Big Blue that would bolt in there save for the brackets. But, I have enough holes in my head so don't need any more.

1980-only stainless trim ring and shift boot on the transfer case lever? I'll never understand why they ditched those, or why the boot was never listed in the MPC. Scott - If it is put on the internet it is supposed to be fair game. I could try to contact C&D to get permission, but it will retain all their information, advertising, etc. Let me try it and we'll see what it looks like.... Shaun - Yep, that's it.

Question for y'all. How likely is that report to go away? I've downloaded it and am pretty sure I could put it on a page on the website/documentation. What do you think about starting to capture some things like that so this site is a central place for all things Bullnose?

Shaun - What do you see on Pic 21? Scott - It looks like the mud was hard on the fog lights. Never understood placing them there.\

The door panels swap from 980 through early 1981, and late 1981 to 1986. The 1980 and early '81 trucks had slide locks where the late '81 through '86 trucks had pin locks.

On the t-case, did you coat the splines with RTV before installing the yoke? That's necessary on the front yoke given its lower position with respect to the lube, and is shown in the shop manual as a needed step. But while it doesn't show in the shop manual for the rear yoke it is still possible for oil to seep out there. And, did you replace the seal itself? Torque King is my go-to place for seals and other t-case parts.

Thanks to Chris McGaugh for sharing this on Facebook: Tested: 1980 Ford Bronco Sheds Pounds and Gains Refinement. Interesting read, but not all was praise.

Sounds like you need a new fuel pump. And and change of oil. Then drive it and see how the vacuum is. The gas in the oil may have thinned it enough to cause a lifter to collapse every once in a while, and good oil may cure that.

Curious to hear how the Thermocure works out, and I'm curious about that 90* petcock...is it like this? https://www.cjponyparts.com/radiator-drain-petcock-f-100-1948-1979/p/HW4035/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAmL-ABhDFARIsAKywVacCvI3Tod3cETOYOvWFISMnanX640uNYMFL7EGQlKdQ_tpYOYgQkPwaAil7EALw_wcB I need to drain/flush my 300 at least once, probably a couple times. You are wise to at least be checking the tightness of the petcock. I had a drip I couldn't find and it was that they'd not screwed the petcock in tightly on the Champion radiator. But I do like the 90 degree one, and if I didn't have the system full I'd probably change. Makes a whole lot of sense. I hope the Thermocure takes care of the rust, and that it is the cause of your problem. How do you know your radiator is a Champion knockoff? Those lights will make a huge difference. Backing up in the dark will be sooooo much easier!

Right. I missed that. I was more or less referring to the plain white exterior and white wagon wheels. No exterior mouldings or trim or two tone, and no fancy wheels, etc. Man, if that close by I'd sure be tempted! Something for $5K that you can jump in and drive gets me thinking - and I shouldn't.

Jim - I'm sorry for the server response. As you know, I have a sys admin supposedly working on our new home. Please don't go away. As for the red lines, I think I see what you are saying on their placement with respect to the ammeter. They were on the wrong side of C610. They all have to be on the same side of the connector, meaning either the "cab side" or the "alternator side". And I had them mixed, but have changed that in the schematic below. However, I'm not sure I understand "Don't cut anything... just unplug 610 and be done." Does that mean tap into the circuits ahead of C610, but leave the cab half of C610 for future use? Also like shown below? Scott - I've seen my cab voltage change significantly with load, which is why I wanted my voltmeter to read battery voltage, and even then I can see the effect of large load changes. But I can also see that many people might want to do it your way since it is so much easier, so have no problem presenting both approaches and explaining the differences.

I think it must be time for me to go to bed as I'm dense. I'm not getting it. And I'm not trying to be difficult, although I probably am being difficult. We have two halves of a plug and w/o both halves there's nothing to connect to. And I don't understand "far side" vs "near side". (Actually I did get Far Side most often, but not tonight. ) So, is this right? Both sides of C610 are still there and we have leads coming out to connect to.

That's a bummer about the oil pan leaking. On the t-case seal, that's a really easy job. Just did it myself. As for the mini-BB grounds, I like them. Should bond everything together nicely. On the knock, have you checked the radius arm bushings? They'll give a thump or knock on braking or bumps, and probably on certain turns.

I like those!

You are now on the map.

Guys, I'm having a mental breakdown. I'm missing something that should be intuitively obvious to the casual observer. When we say we are keeping C610 but then say "the alternator side of C610 is pretty useless with a 3G" I get lost. I was assuming we are keeping both sides of C610, but are cutting the wires as shown below. Right?

Yes, keeping C610 makes it far easier to go back. But why the 60 amp fuse? The yellow wire goes to fuse links L & M? Just extra protection? I see what you are doing on the voltmeter. But your order of explaining it threw me. I think of LG/R being the source, through a 1A fuse to R/O going to the voltmeter, and then Y/LG from the voltmeter to ground. (Originally I thought you were using the R/O and Y/LG from the ends of the shunt, but then realized what you were doing.) My only problem with that is that your voltmeter is reading the voltage at the ignition switch rather than the battery. But, it is a cleaner way to do it and doesn't require the relay, and the voltages should differ very much. So, maybe we should adopt that approach in the scenario where we have a voltmeter? LG/R can go to both the 3G awa the voltmeter.

I've never been to a "BA" meeting, but in my mind I always thought that's the way they'd open. Welcome! Glad you joined. Always room for one more. Where's home? We have a map (Bullnose Forum/Member's Map in the menu) and we could add you if we had a city or a zip. On your RPM, I used our calculator (Documentation/Driveline/Calculators) and dialed in 31" tires, 3.55 gears and 69 MPH. And that shows 2655 RPM. You asked about a tach from a V8, but the tachs are all the same with the V8's having a ground run to them from the ignition to tell the tach to divide the pulses by 4 instead of 3 for a 6 cylinder. And if your tach was in 8 cylinder mode with the engine turning 2655 the tach would read 3540. And, as you said, if I dial in 4.11 gears I get basically 3000 RPM at 69 MPH. So, maybe your tach is reading incorrectly?

I have no problem taking the Y/W wire back to the output lug. I'm just using the schematic from the '96 EVTM, and it shows it going to a fusible link, which I turned into a megafuse. And, as I think about it, if people use a pigtail from the salvage it might be wired that way. Either way works. We could discuss that in the verbiage. As for the stator connectors, I can make that change as well. The EVTM says C233 is at the alternator and C231 is at the right front of the engine, so going with C233 gives longer wiring to reach the 3G. But I'm confused on C610. I thought you said to remove it yesterday. I'm not bothered either way.

Yes, that's what I did on the test I ran. But today I decided to be a bit "cleaner" in my approach and employed the round file. It is tapered and I can turn it by hand to both clean up the hole from the bit as well as to enlarge it. Makes for a very tight fit.

Am I reading that right in that you drilled the hole .004 to .006" smaller than the O.D. of the Nutsert? I don't know how you got the nutsert in the hole without beating on it. I drilled as close to the O.D. of the Nutsert as possible but never under. Bill - Thanks for the pics. And I fully understand about getting the red plate and the terminals out w/o breaking the catches. Did that on the PDB I put on the passenger's fender as it didn't have the 5th relay spot populated with terminals and had way too many fuses. One of those boxes might be a good option as they'll attach to at least the PDB if not the air box. Not sure either of my 4-relay boxes will. I appreciate knowing what the options are. And, I see what you mean about the wiring and the proximity to the engine. I may have to use some of the high temp loom to protect things. But placing the ECU near the firewall looks easier than cutting on the kick panel. As said, I have to solder wires to it anyway, so what matter how long they are? John - Yes, I'm drilling undersized. But the step I didn't tell you about is the round file I then use to open the hole up so the nutsert is a tight fit. It takes a bit more time, but ensures that I don't have a bigger hole than I want. And, the nutserts get a very tight grip that way. One thing I didn't say about my use of nutserts is that I will always use anti-seize on bolts going into them. I don't want to take a chance of the bolt seizing and then spinning the nutsert.

It is nice. And the link worked for me.

Three in one day! Still think you need a commission.