My wife's bronco died!

[Jesus Freak]

The 'Stealth' Bronco...with lotsa torque...

What carb do you favor for that one..?

The "meat and potatoes" motorcraft 2150. I'm not a hot rodder.

 

[Jesus Freak]

Ahhhh...ok....makes sense...and low compression would allow it to spin faster....

Whew..!!! Glad we got somewhere on this one...

What's funny about this is that we couldn't tell if it was spinning faster. It has crunk up so quickly since we've had it that there was no comparitve analysis. I bump the key twice, really I just bump it, and it's crunk right up until 2 days ago. It's really why this is so surprising!

 

[XOLATEM]

The exhaust valve is still open at TDC and the intake valve starts opening almost halfway down..

You know...back in the 80's...I had a 460 block on a stand in my bedroom...eventually I moved it to the little garage when I was done admiring it and went about filling it up with components...

Once I had the rotating assy. in the block and was about to link up the cam and crank...I decided to set the crank gear to the 'Factory' position...(8 degrees retarded..) just to see what effect it would have on the cam timing...

I was surprised at how far the piston traveled downward before the exhaust valve shut completely...(!!!)...HM !! and then the intake valve was opening just as the exhaust valve was closing up...(overlap)...

So then it dawned on me...in order to meet emissions tomfoolery...the manufacturers retarded the timing to accomplish at least two goals...

One...the size of the engine...as far as swept volume in each cylinder...is reduced and they can use a larger engine that they have... instead of having to invent a smaller engine immediately...( the 'Romeo' engines were probably on the drawing board but nowhere near ready for production...)

Two...the EGR system has less to do to dilute the intake charge and reduce combustion temperatures...thus cutting back on the potential generation of NOX...because some exhaust gas is pulled back into the cylinder...or never left until the cam timing was durn good and ready...

This is probably the reason that the 400's and 351 M's had gotten such a bad reputation as a 'doggy' engine...retarded cam timing...

I yanked that crank gear off as fast as I could and put it back on in the 'right' position...and then turned it over...

Ahh....much better...

 

[Jesus Freak]

The engine itself is far from factory. The kid I got it from kinda knew about it but it was his dad's baby and not the kid's. The block is a '79 block out of a Fairmont, I confirmed that from the block # and the block isnt made for a dipstick. I'm pretty sure its stroked, the kid said it is. But part of the reason I got this on the cheap is because he stripped the oil pan plug and couldn't put oil in it. So when I had the pan off I noticed that the piston skirt comes pretty low into the block. It might have a "cam", and it's probably .030 over. I might be able to confirm some of that when the front is off the engine. It is an unusually peppy 302(347?).

 

[Jesus Freak]

Well, my care package came in from rockauto yesterday, so today I did the 302 deep dive. Here's the problem!

 

[Rdnck84_03]

It's only a little off! I had a pretty good suspicion within your first couple posts that was likely the issue. Did you upgrade to the Cloyes double roller?

James

 

[Jesus Freak]

It's only a little off! I had a pretty good suspicion within your first couple posts that was likely the issue. Did you upgrade to the Cloyes double roller?

James

Yeah, and I'm doing the advance position.

 

[KansasIDI]

Fire is hot

All the time, ive never heard of cold fire

Smart aleck alert

 

[KansasIDI]

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[XOLATEM]

Hm!! Does this mean that the Bronco actually 'jumped time'...?

Do you know how many times I heard someone...in the 70's and 80's accuse an innocent chevy, Ford, or Dodge engine of 'jumping time' when it was only bad points...or some other simple problem..?

Countless times...so many that I just became numb to the concept...

Except....when it came to the plastic-coated cam sprocket on 302's and 351's....don't know about Clevelands, 351 M's 400's or 429-460's...never saw it on those...But...I never really worked at a general repair shop...the vehicle usually needed to be running to be able to fix the transmission...

Ok...if this fixes the thing....I was wr...wr....wro...wron...wrong.....

There, I said it....

Hey...howderhell did that steel chain and sprocket setup actually get loose enough to 'jump time'...?

How many miles were on that thing..????

 

[XOLATEM]

Like Columbo again...'One more thing..'

I gotta tell you...seeing the front of that engine made me a little misty for my old street-and-strip engine...the only thing left of it is the heads...I broke everything else...well...the rods are still around...but I would not use them...

I wish that I was done with this house and had a...at least a shed to build another engine in...

I miss those days of building engines...

Some day...

Dang it...

 

[Old Goat]

Home Depot sell these little wood buildings, be just right size for a engine rebuild Shed.


Goat

 

[Jesus Freak]

Hm!! Does this mean that the Bronco actually 'jumped time'...?

Do you know how many times I heard someone...in the 70's and 80's accuse an innocent chevy, Ford, or Dodge engine of 'jumping time' when it was only bad points...or some other simple problem..?

Countless times...so many that I just became numb to the concept...

Except....when it came to the plastic-coated cam sprocket on 302's and 351's....don't know about Clevelands, 351 M's 400's or 429-460's...never saw it on those...But...I never really worked at a general repair shop...the vehicle usually needed to be running to be able to fix the transmission...

Ok...if this fixes the thing....I was wr...wr....wro...wron...wrong.....

There, I said it....

Hey...howderhell did that steel chain and sprocket setup actually get loose enough to 'jump time'...?

How many miles were on that thing..????

Yeah man, there was enough slop in the chain that I could have massaged it over some teeth. I'm not an "old man"(42) ,but I've heard people mention a timing chain jump, but I was like "yeah right", timing belt, yeah....chain, no. But you saw the pictures, they're not Photoshop. The teeth arnt worn down like on @Rdnck84_03 s truck he did a while back, it's literally the chain itself is that stretched.

 

[lotzagoodstuff]

it's literally the chain itself is that stretched.

It is hard to believe that any chain can stretch that much. I know miles and heat make things to funny things, but cheap parts really do suck. Think about the fact that for just a few dollars more than that POS the previous owner installed, you can get a quality double roller set that really cannot be worn out. Good for diagnosing it to the exact part that stopped operation, and for upgrading to the bullet proof replacement part. Two thumbs up

 

[XOLATEM]

these little wood buildings, be just right size for a engine rebuild Shed.

Thank you for reminding me of that...it is a viable solution...

That was thoughtful of you...Mr. Goat...