By yesterday (Saturday), I had completed my preliminary tests, and wanted to seize the moment while the weather was good. I started at 6:30am and it was a frosty 39 degrees. By Lunchtime however, it had warmed up to the point where only a light jacket was needed. I spent the morning preparing the front clip, while the batteries charged in the garage. You need every amp you can get, when your only working with a pair of 500CCA batteries out of your boat!
I removed every uneeded tidbit from the inside of the front clip, and then got my boys aged 13 and 10 to help me lift the clip onto the Bronco. To answer someones question, yes it fits right on with one exception. By 1987, Ford had finally figured out that the mounting method being used at the bottom of the fender near the door was prone to rust. Consequently, the mounting tab has to be cut out and a notch made to clear the newer style. Mr. torch was called upon to do his sooty duty. After securing the front clip using the remaining holes, I shimed where needed and got everything aligned. I then hooked up the radiator hoses and put water in it. I then put the batteries in, hooked them up, and got her
started. You will note, I have a rather short road draft tube at this point, and no fan (not needed yet, didn't want the hazzard). So after almost a year, the front clip which has been laying in the grass on blocks (and looking all the worse for wear) finally can snuggle around a warm engine, and warm water is coursing through its radiator again.
Note the F-350 badge. The truck is on life support from the
battery charger, because at this point the alternator wiring is not hooked up. I then spent some time doing some wiring to make it so that I could sit in the truck and start it. There are still lots of temporary things, including the ugly
air cleaner and some jumper clips until I find a connector I need. The connector is what would have connected the 5.8L EFI engine to the main wiring harness and looks like
this. If anybody has one laying around, I'd be much obliged. The Bronco is still a bit confused right now, as the dash is lit up like a
Christmas tree. I sure could use a 87' wiring diagram if anybody has one. My 86' diagram doesn't quite cut it. A word now on the fuel pump discussion. Those of you who told me I have a lift pump, and an inline pump....
Indeed. You were correct. Those who thought this pump's presure output would be too high....
You were correct. Currently the truck runs on just the lift pump alone, which is insufficient to sustain engine speeds much higher than 1000 rpm. I did learn something interesting, which may be of use to someone. You can dynamically adjust your timing by varying the fuel presure. That's right folks. If somebody wants to play with their timing, all they have to do is figure out a way to put a presure regulator on the fuel line, and use one of these EFI fuel pumps. At too high a presure, the IP gets very confused and starts to go into convulsions. Not exactly what I was hoping for. A Holley Red will be obtained this week.
So, after loading the family into the Bronco, and with all of us sitting on the floor (no furniture, no carpeting. The walls are painted, but nobody has moved in yet), we took a slow spin around the property, including one brief burst of "throttle response testing" which spun the tires, and darn near put Suzi out over the tailgate.
I then spent a good bit of time flushing the cooling system out, after which time I decided we would button it up for looks. With Matthias' help, I put the old Moose Truck hood on, and then mounted the front bumper. I then
WASHED the Bronco (first time in I don't know how long). As you can see from the picture, it has been moving around, as it is now in the upper driveway, however with the low fuel supply, it just about petered out climbing the hill. Lastly, in a bizarre but poinent gesture, while washing the right front fender, the remaining F-350 badge simply fell off in my hand, as if the truck were saying "I'm Not an F-350 anymore.
I'm a Bronco!" (note the missing badge).
The End (For now).
What picture do you see those in? 
