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78 Ranger XLT called Yeti

26K views 223 replies 33 participants last post by  Doosenberry 
#1 ·
Sooooo I did a thing over the weekend. For the past few months I’ve been eying Craigslist and such for a 78/79 Bronco to use while I finish up my project ‘86. Key things I was looking for:
A) Mechanically Sound(or at least running)
B) As rust free as possible
C) Most of its interior intact
D) Electrically Sound
E) Preferable Ranger XLT package

One thing I’ve learned on my ‘86 is even though I saved money on the initial purchase I’ve probably spent close to what I should’ve trying to track down interior or clean up what I have and I really wanted to avoid that here. Anyways with a budget of around $5000 I knew my options would be pretty scarce.

But finally I found this[emoji116], listed for $6000 OBO near Riverside, about 5 hours away from me in Phoenix.







The ad said it ran fairly decent, had a 4” lift and 35x17 wheels. So I immediately messaged the owner and asked if I could come check it and he agreed. So I flew into LAX early Saturday and had a friend drive me out to check it out early Sunday morning. Took it for a test drive and it did pretty great, quick throttle response, 4x4 worked, no rust I could find, no dents, etc. It’s got a C6 and 400 Block. This being my first time actually being behind the driver’s seat of a Bronco you can guess I was sold immediately. So I talked to the guy and he’s selling it to help with a baby he has coming. He’d bought it about a year before for $5000 and put a new radiator, battery and air cleaner on as well as bought the rims and tires. We were able to settle at $5500 and I couldn’t be much happier! Drove it home pretty easily besides a fuel line that busted but I was able to fix without too much trouble.

The truck definitely has some issues though and I’d love some input. Couple of things I’m hoping to fix:

1) Steering

As with most of these trucks I assume the Steering leaves a lot to be desired. Driving it back I had to quickly learn that when getting over I’d need to just barely merge over and then turn the wheel back several inches further to get back straight. With the lift I’m sure it needs an alignment but I’m certain it’s more than that. Seems like the steering gear needs a rebuild since, from the engine compartment, I’m able to turn the steering shaft back and forth with minimal effort. Sound like I’m on the right track?

2) Oil Leaks

I know these engines are notorious for leaking so I was pretty lenient on the amount of oil covering the starter and the rear of the intake manifold. Also covering the valve covers and near the exhaust manifolds. I’d guess valve cover gaskets and rear main seal would be a good place to start?

3) Crazy Gauges

The left side of my gauge cluster(oil pressure and gas tank) seems to have a mind of its own. Even when I filled up it didn’t go past 3/4, but then every once in awhile would drift all the way over to the right, well past full. Also, I assumed with the way these engines are with oil pressure plus it’s age that it was accurate for the gauge to read at the very bottom. But intermittently it would move to the middle so I have no real idea what kind of oil pressure I’m generating. From what I’ve read this is probably a ground issue? I’ll be checking those.

4) Headlights

Hopefully related to the above(?) the headlights flicker pretty frequently when on.

5) Missing Emission Hose?

Near the top of my fix list is figuring out what’s supposed to go here.

I can’t imagine the breather is supposed to go there, but I’m pretty stumped as to what is. I assume I need to run some hose to something on my Carb that’s been capped off? Would love any input or even pictures of the correct setup.

6)Carb Rebuild

Fires right up and drive pretty solid but I’m sure it’s been awhile. Got a picture of the #s off the base of the Carb today and will be ordering a rebuild kit. I’ve heard these are fairly easy to rebuild which I’m hoping is true since I’ve only rebuilt one other Carb.

7) General Tune Up

I ordered new spark plugs, spark plug wires, and a cap and rotor to get things started. Would it be a good idea to get a new ignition coil as well? I’ll check the timing as well. Need to get it smogged and registered so 12 degrees is what I’ve heard?

8) Cosmetic

I was able to order replacements for these off eBay pretty quickly. Should have them by this weekend.


Not exactly sure why someone added a hole there...

9) Hood Latch Cable

Doesn’t have one. Hoping to source one here or eBay. Not may 70s trucks at my local junkyard...

10) Grille


Once the latch is fixed.

I’m sure there’s more but for now those are my big concerns. Not too certain what my long term plans will be with either truck once I get them both going but for now I’m happy to be able to see what this thing is capable of. Thanks in advance for any input!




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#2 ·
Even though I have a '96, I have to say that the '78-79s are my favorite Broncos. You've got a great looking one there! Love the racetrack side moldings & it would look great as a two-tone! Interior looks like it will clean up very well! Those rims are the only thing that I'd change; they just don't go well with the style of the truck & look too modern.

I had horrible wandering issues with my steering when I first got my truck. I ended up getting a Redhead steering box, which made a huge difference! Also, I went thru the front end & replaced the wheel bearings, tie rod ends, & steering stabilizer, which also helped quite a bit. I'm planning to do a Saginaw pump swap soon, but that's mainly to eliminate the noisy whine that these all seem to have. I have no idea how different a '78 would be, but you're probably looking at a similar rebuild.

For the oil leak, I'd first clean the engine compartment as much as possible with a power washer, and see if you can spot the fresh oil later. You're right, it's probably the valve cover gaskets or rear main. Those early engines shouldn't be too complicated to pull, so a rear main shouldn't be too painful. Heck, I'd be tempted to pull it anyway and freshen it all up, especially considering your crazy gauges. And yes, I'd look to clean up all the grounds.

Keep posting photos & updates! This is an awesome truck & I look forward to see what happens to it!
 
#3 ·
Looks very nice, looks like you did good! A few issues, but hey, it's a 40 yo vehicle.
 
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#4 ·
Congrats on your purchase. It's good that it's driveable and you can fix things as you continue to enjoy it. I replaced the steering linkage on mine and it's not to bad now. Still the original steering box. I have an oil leak on my rear drivers side valve covers. Mechanic told me it had uneven spots and I needed to replace them with new. That's on my list to try.

Look forward to seeing and hearing more about your's. No such thing as to many pictures!! :popc1::popc1::popc1:
 
#5 ·
Those wheels aren't my cuppa' joe but that's a nice looking ride. Can't wait to see what you do to it while under your care. Congrats on the score!
 
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#6 ·
Thanks guys!
@Ghosteh
Yeah I agree on the body style thing. They just look that much more aggressive. And I was thinking something similar paint-wise haven’t quite decided though. I’m just happy that I could leave it as is at the moment. Yeah the interior is messy and has its issues but I agree, once I get a good clean in there it’ll look great. Funny you mention that about the rims, I actually really dig them! I do agree they’re not exactly OEM looking though. I wish I could afford a Redhead I’ll tell ya that. Definitely on the wish list. And I actually have a lead on a Saginaw pump at a local Junkyard I’ll be checking out tomorrow. Mine squeals pretty bad. And that’s exactly my plan about the oil leak when I get a chance anyway.

And trust me I’m very tempted about freshening it up but it’s not in the budget at the money. And at that point that 460 would sure look nice under the hood....

I can dream anyway haha.
@SRWillis
My thoughts exactly! Appreciate it. And don’t think I’ve lost any love for the Bullnoses!
@79BroncoSpringTx

Thanks! And yeah that was definitely the goal this time around. I’ve had my 86 for almost a year and it’s still not quite there. Good to know about the linkage, they didn’t seem too terribly priced on Rockauto, but it maybe worth waiting on the Redhead for $100 or so more. And oh the actual covers were bent? Didn’t think about that. Definitely gonna check.


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#9 ·
Very nice. Very smart to buy one with the criteria you used - and you stuck to it! Yes, that hole in the glove box door is very odd. CB or disk changer? As for your steering issue, I would change out all the front end bushing as soon as you can - especially the track bar bushings. Mine acted like that and it soon got the death wobble. Believe me you want to avoid that! Also lube up the sliding window latch mechanism - they tend to break if you force them to unlatch and open. Hard to find if you need to replace.
 
#11 ·
@schwim
Thanks man, I hope you know we’re all pulling for you on yours!
@Festus

Thanks for the heads up. Wish it was closer, I’d definitely snag it. LMC has them similarly priced at least...
@Scoop

Thanks! Yeah I feel very lucky to have found an affordable one that checked all the boxes. Good idea on the bushings, throwing that on the to do list along with the sliding window latch. The passenger side is doing just that.
@trustyrusty

Interesting, that makes sense. It didn’t look like too bad of a hack job so I even thought it was supposed to be that way at first. I wonder too. I do know mine was manufactured for the Denver market according to the door panel sticker. Thanks for the insight!


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#19 ·
78 Ranger XLT called Jack

Did a couple Bronco related things over the weekend I thought I’d share.

First off I hit the junkyard and got a few parts I’d been wanting.


3G Alternator from a pristine looking Cobra.


Saginaw Pump from a 77 Mark IV. The engine was gone so I’m still missing half the required bracketry, but it’s a start.


Some Manual Pedals from a 79 F-150 in case I ever find the big block ZF-5.??

Got my first batch of tuneup parts in!


I also met up with some members of the AZ Bronco club who were gracious enough to let us hit Mt Ord with them for an awesome off-road maiden voyage! Didn’t get too many pictures myself but I stole some others posted.











And @Quader1 hooked me up with the 78 Truck Shop Manual on disc which should come in handy!


He also helped me out with a few of the issues I’d been hoping to resolve including the leaky engine. I think he’s dead right about my oil sender being the problem.


If you zoom in you can see it’s barely threaded in. The crappy part is they must’ve tried to thread it in underneath those vacuum ports because it’s screwed in cockeyed and is impossible to get out with a wrench. So I’m deciding if I want to just go in there with a Sawzall and then fit a socket on top or take off the whole intake manifold. I’d prefer to do the whole intake and get it done right but then I’m worried it might start leaking from the manifold gasket. Hoping to hit the snow up in Flagstaff this weekend so we’ll see.

Also @itwasFREE!!!! Pointed out what’s probably the cause of my steering woes. My C bushings turned into - bushings.


Absolutely nothing on the bottom half[emoji51] So that’s definitely on the top of the to-do list too. Any advice for what I should take care of while I’m doing that job? Figured I’d just get a kit like this. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog...uspension,suspension+master+bushing+kit,16059

Also got a couple of packages from eBay!



“ONCO Ranger” no more!



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#210 ·
78 Ranger XLT called Jack

Did a couple Bronco related things over the weekend I thought I’d share.

First off I hit the junkyard and got a few parts I’d been wanting.


3G Alternator from a pristine looking Cobra.


Saginaw Pump from a 77 Mark IV. The engine was gone so I’m still missing half the required bracketry, but it’s a start.


Some Manual Pedals from a 79 F-150 in case I ever find the big block ZF-5.??

Got my first batch of tuneup parts in!


I also met up with some members of the AZ Bronco club who were gracious enough to let us hit Mt Ord with them for an awesome off-road maiden voyage! Didn’t get too many pictures myself but I stole some others posted.











And @Quader1 hooked me up with the 78 Truck Shop Manual on disc which should come in handy!


He also helped me out with a few of the issues I’d been hoping to resolve including the leaky engine. I think he’s dead right about my oil sender being the problem.


If you zoom in you can see it’s barely threaded in. The crappy part is they must’ve tried to thread it in underneath those vacuum ports because it’s screwed in cockeyed and is impossible to get out with a wrench. So I’m deciding if I want to just go in there with a Sawzall and then fit a socket on top or take off the whole intake manifold. I’d prefer to do the whole intake and get it done right but then I’m worried it might start leaking from the manifold gasket. Hoping to hit the snow up in Flagstaff this weekend so we’ll see.

Also @itwasFREE!!!! Pointed out what’s probably the cause of my steering woes. My C bushings turned into - bushings.


Absolutely nothing on the bottom half[emoji51] So that’s definitely on the top of the to-do list too. Any advice for what I should take care of while I’m doing that job? Figured I’d just get a kit like this. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

1978 FORD BRONCO 6.6L 400cid V8 Master Bushing Kit | RockAuto

Also got a couple of packages from eBay!



“ONCO Ranger” no more!



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On the passenger valve cover. The breather does have a hole.for a plastic piece. That has a angle on it. A hose goes from it to the back of the intake .On the passenger side. It goes onto a junction box. Yes alot of the steering problem could be from the c-bushing. One one of my 78,s One the driver side was completely gone and on the passenger side half was gone-and it steered perfect. You could let go of the steering wheel and it stayed straight. So hard to believe but it did and they are a pain to change out. Better get a come along handy. Nice looking bronco. Good luck and I hope you have plenty of paitence and money. They like it.
 
#22 ·
Very very nice rig! Lol there's at least 3 sets of 73-79 grilles, trim, headlight buckets etc for sale here on CL.

Nice score on the sliding windows. I just spied a 78/9 topper with them not 2 minutes from my house.
 
#23 ·
1) Steering

I'd tackle the bushings first like Scoop said and you pointed out as missing. Then see whats improved. My two cent on the extra 100 for a RH box can be used somewhere else. RA has some perfectly capable replacement boxes if it needs to be replaced.

2) Oil Leaks


As on one of mine, I have smoke coming off the mani's from where the vc are leaking. Sometimes the gaskets are over or undertightened or just flat warn out. Rear main leak should be coming off back of block and possibly dripping down oil pan.

3) Crazy Gauges

Clusters are known to crack over time so the contact terminals could have come loose also (if that makes sense).

4) Headlights

could be a bad dimmer switch or a light switch is warn out. The coils on the back them tend to rust over time.

5) Missing Emission Hose?

Near the top of my fix list is figuring out what’s supposed to go here.



Breather does go there and feeds the back of the carb. Pic not that great on my small screen. There are multiple pcv valves out there that could fix that issue if it doesn't fit.

6)Carb Rebuild

What carb is it?

7) General Tune Up


If you are doing that get a new coil. Also might want to get a new ignition box to keep handy. They tend to quit at the least convenient times. I'd say 10* is a good spot as 12* is a little far out and you could get a slight miss there and a hot running. These thing lack in the cooling area.

8) Cosmetic

digital clock for sure



Good luck with it man. It looks like a nice looking rig. The interior looks to be in pretty good shape for what I can see. Poke around here and you will find some handy info for some of your current and future tasks.
 
#211 ·
1) Steering

I'd tackle the bushings first like Scoop said and you pointed out as missing. Then see whats improved. My two cent on the extra 100 for a RH box can be used somewhere else. RA has some perfectly capable replacement boxes if it needs to be replaced.

2) Oil Leaks


As on one of mine, I have smoke coming off the mani's from where the vc are leaking. Sometimes the gaskets are over or undertightened or just flat warn out. Rear main leak should be coming off back of block and possibly dripping down oil pan.

3) Crazy Gauges

Clusters are known to crack over time so the contact terminals could have come loose also (if that makes sense).

4) Headlights

could be a bad dimmer switch or a light switch is warn out. The coils on the back them tend to rust over time.

5) Missing Emission Hose?

Near the top of my fix list is figuring out what’s supposed to go here.



Breather does go there and feeds the back of the carb. Pic not that great on my small screen. There are multiple pcv valves out there that could fix that issue if it doesn't fit.

6)Carb Rebuild

What carb is it?

7) General Tune Up


If you are doing that get a new coil. Also might want to get a new ignition box to keep handy. They tend to quit at the least convenient times. I'd say 10* is a good spot as 12* is a little far out and you could get a slight miss there and a hot running. These thing lack in the cooling area.

8) Cosmetic

digital clock for sure



Good luck with it man. It looks like a nice looking rig. The interior looks to be in pretty good shape for what I can see. Poke around here and you will find some handy info for some of your current and future tasks.
The ignition box--I trashed mine and went to point distributor. Learnt my lesson on my dump truck. Quit while I was loaded going down the road. Points going bad does give you a warning--power box doesn,t.
 
#24 ·
@BigBlue 94

Thanks! And of course there are! Haha seems like they’re everywhere except AZ. Yeah definitely stoked about the sliders, seems like they’re becoming fewer and farther between.
@379sinvb

Yeah I think that’s the plan as of now, just need to get the bushings ordered. Good to know RA’s is sufficient though. I’ll have to read some more about the redhead setup though. I don’t plan on running the thing into the ground but I’ll consider it if it’s worth it. Appreciate the input. With the oil leak it definitely appears to be the oil pressure sender and there’s no way I can fit a sawzall in there. So either way it looks like the intake will have to be removed and the gasket replaced. I’m pretty nervous about getting a good seal back in there I won’t lie but I’m just gonna take my time. My gauges have been better but I will definitely be checking that. The ground on my intake is basically a strip of corrosion so I’m hoping replacing that helps out a few of the quirks. Yeah found a 400 at the Junkyard and grabbed the PCV off it, still not entirely sure of where it hooks onto the Carb though? There is one thing capped on the back directly under the air cleaner, is that what you’re talking about? It’s the Motorcraft 2150 btw. I think I will buy both ignition pieces you referenced since they’re pretty affordable anyway. Possibly a timing chain while I’m doing the intake too. Although knowing myself I’m sure that will lead to a rabbit hole involving a new water pump, etc and I’m pretty determined to invest in a whole new engine before throwing parts at this one. Especially since it seems pretty solid besides the leak and gunked up Carb. Thanks again for chiming in, appreciate all the help I can get. Yeah I’m really excited to go through some other build threads and technical write ups on the second gens here. Feel really lucky to have FSB as a resource!


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#26 ·


Picked up 3 6BT blocks yesterday (2 12 valve and 1 24 valve) for $700 bucks. They were disassembled for the most part and I didn’t get any injection pumps but I should have most of everything else I’ll need to do a swap besides a few odds and ends.

I’d been pretty committed to building up my 400. I’d even bought a FiTech, Edelbrock Intake and a few other bolt ons, but after thinking about what my real goals are with this truck I realized I’d never get the kind of MPG I’d want from the 400 to make it the daily driver/road trip/off-road truck I’d envisioned. I figured best case scenario with the FiTech I’d maybe manage 11-14MPG whereas the Cummins is supposed to get 20-25+ all while getting more torque than you can shake a stick at.

This is definitely going to be a long term build as my money and time permits. My plans from here are to mic the blocks and see if any of them are usable without having to oversize and get new pistons, then get it magnafluxed etc.

From there I’ll be building one of the 12 valves up. I’m cheap but only want to have to build this thing once so I’ll pay for reliability. You gotta love the simplicity of these engines, 1 wire and I should be good to go! I plan on doing a bit of a mild build as I rebuild, nothing crazy maybe 450HP powered by a p-pump. The scary part of that for the rest of the Bronco is the 900 ft/lbs of torque I’d be making [emoji51] So eventually I’ll be upgrading my axles, etc. Probably backwards of how I should do it but I’ll be babying it until I find a front Dana 60. I was able to pick up a rear Dana 60 from a member of my local Bronco Club for free a few months ago so that’ll help. I also lucked out on a 460 bolt pattern ZF5 at the Junkyard for $180 out the door. I’ll be picking up a Southbend Clutch rated for my horsepower goals to help keep the ZF5 alive and well.

The worst part of these conversions is the motor mounts and transmission adapters. The big guys wanna charge you over a $1200 for those 2 pieces alone, but I found a guy on eBay who makes them for about half of that. I have a little bit of fabricating skills so I’ll be doing as much as I trust myself to do which ain’t much.

Overall I’m fucking stoked to get this thing going!
 
#28 ·
Thanks! Well I’ve finally started getting some money for the machine shop so I have the engine loaded up to hopefully take to the machine shop next week. I’ve cobbled together all the basic parts I need so now it’s on to the fun stuff.

I’ve got in touch with Power Driven Diesel (kind of the Jeff’s Bronco Graveyard of the p-pumped Cummins) who helped me finalize my build. Stoaked about the kind of power I’ll be making but is making me concerned for my axles even more than I was before [emoji51] I’ve been ramping up my search for the front Dana 60 to not much luck.

It might not mean much to this forum but I’ll post my build plans with a brief description of how they help my build anyway. Keep in mind I started out with a stock 160HP engine and this recipe should get a fairly fuel efficient 450-500HP engine.

-5x12 Injectors (More fuel/90HP increase)
-55mm Delivery Valves (More fuel/100HP increase)
-AFC Live (Basically an in the moment tuner)
-BHAF or Big Honking Air Filter (more airflow to support turbo)
-62/68/8 Turbocharger (More airflow=more power)
-Upgraded Pushrods (Handle upgraded power)
-“Hot Rod” Lift pump (Bumps up stock pressure to flow required fuel)
-Intercooler (Increases the efficiency of the turbo by nearly double)
-4K Governor Springs (Stock trucks are limited in RPM range, I believe in the 2000 range due to its strength in torque. These allow you to get up to 3200 RPM and alter the feel throughout the RPM range for a smoother drive)
-ARP Headstuds (Handles increased power)
 
#31 ·
Was finally able to drop the engine off at the machine shop. It’s a local place that’s been in business about 50 years called Kelley’s Machine Shop. They’ve built quite a few of the 5.9s and were building one for someone else while I was there. I didn’t get any pictures but it looked cleaner than new and definitely got me stoked for mine. They were pretty booked up but said it should be about 2-4 week turn around time. Nothing too interesting but here’s some pics of what I dropped off.

Engine Block


A couple of my pistons had cracks so I found a good deal on 6 spares that I left with them.


They’ll also be doing some machining on the rockers that is required when adding the ARP head studs. The ARPs are probably overkill for my build but I figured I may want to add some HP eventually so might as well get it all done at once.


I should be getting some of my Black Friday purchases in soon too. Work has been pretty busy with the holidays coming up but I’m hoping to tackle some of the smaller projects on the Bronco before I get the engine back. I have most of the materials to sound dampen the truck as well as a custom plate I had made up to help me brace my firewall for the hydraulic clutch of the ZF5. Hoping I can get to some of that in the next few weeks.


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