Ok, we're back at it! Took some time off to build an 8.8 for my buddies XJ. So we got that all wrapped up, and brought the bronco back into the garage to resume work. Just in time too, as it started snowing like hell as soon as we started Coming down so fast we couldn't keep the bronco clean But atleast we got her inside. We ended up getting about 4" that day. Later that week we got another 18" of snow, most of which is now gone. So I have been busy dealing with snow. Finally got back to working on the bronco this past Monday, when Greg came by and helped me drop the motor in. Im so used to looking at the 7.3 & 7.5 on the other trucks, I forgot just how small the 351 is! Installed idler pulley (96 351 doesn't use a smog pump) and alt bracket + alt, then laid the harness over the engine Final installation of headers: So now here is where the fun starts. I am now in the process of wiring up the motor. Sounds simple, and it probably is, but im taking my time. The truck was 302 Mass Air, and it will be 351 Mass Air. But the 351 was SD. So I am slowly removing everything SD specific, and replacing it with the Mass Air parts. It is mostly a direct swap, but there are some differences, which I will highlight as I go along. So, first up. The Mass-Air trucks have the AIT installed in the back of the airbox The SD motors have the AIT installed in the lower intake. In this pic it is now removed, with a pipe plug in its place the 351 uses two different ECT's. The books call it "with" or "without" air pump. So this pretty much means the Mass Air motors got a different ECT than the SD ones. Old one installed in coolant standoff, new one in my hand. Also of note, that pipe the ECT is installed in (which feeds coolant to throttle body & heater core) is shaped very differently than its 302 counterpart. Altho all ill need to do is shorten the rubber hoses coming off the heater core and itll work just fine. Heres a weird one I haven't sorted yet. The truck has a wheel with cruise control. So I would assume it has cruise. However, if you look closely in this pic that I took when I first bought it, youll notice the lack of a brake pressure switch in the master cylinder: So, not thinking about it, I bought the 'cruise' master for the F350, which uses the brake switch. Then went to plug it in and couldn't find the plug! Did some digging around under the hood, and found it! Its located between the power distribution box, and the relays for the tow package, with a dummy plug plugged into it. I have to plug that in, and then find the servo motor & cable in a junkyard to make the cruise work. All that will come later. I have also noticed that the DPFE mounts on the driver's side of the throttle body on the 302, but on the passenger's side of it on the 351. Of course I don't have the 351 bracket but I do have the 302 bracket, and I should be able to make that work without too much work. More to come on that one later. This is pretty much where im at as of right now. Tomorrow im gonna do some more tinkering with it, so ill continue to post up pics of all the weird little things as I come across them. Its taking me a little bit of time, because I don't know what the engine bay should look like for a Mass-Air 351. Don't know the vacuum routing, what sensors actually belong there, etc, so its slow going as I compare to my EVTM to see which parts I need to use. Mostly just small updates from here on out I suppose, while I finish up the motor swap. Here's the crank sensor, the bracket for the sensor (which replaces the timing pointer), and the super elusive 351 Mass Air harmonic balancer: Installed on the motor. The crank sensor/timing pointer bolts to two threaded holes on the timing cover, instead of two of the timing cover bolts like it does on the SD motors. The replacement timing cover came from Dorman, and doesn't fit for shit. What a PITA to install. ...and now, the money shot! The headers are JBA titanium-ceramic coated shortys. Big fan cuz they are not at all blingy like the chrome ones. Unfortunately this will be the last update for the week. If you snoop around in my recent pics, youll probably spot parts to an 8.8- that's because me & buddy are building an Explorer 8.8 for his XJ (4.10, Spartan locker, Solid diff cover, disc brakes, etc). Plan is to try to finish reassembly of the rear tomorrow, and then try to get it swapped in Wednesday/Thursday. After that he's gonna help me drop the 351 in, but we don't expect to do that until next week. After that his jeep comes back in the garage so we can do a high pinion 30 swap up front along with some other mods. So yeah, busy. |
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