I'm at the beginning stages of a mid-life crisis (HA!) and I want something. I'm looking at a 1995 Bronco and a 1986 Bronco II. The Bronco II has the 2.9L 6 cylinder with a 5 speed. I haven't driven it yet (this weekend), but I'm curious what is wrong with this motor? Seems the are "notorious" for cracked heads? I guess what I'm asking is, in your humble opinions, is this an engine to stay away from or just one to be cautious with?

 

I thought the 4.0 was the one prone to cracked heads. Not sure though. I have a friend with a ranger with the same engine and transmission as you do in your BII and he has had no problems. It starts extremely easily. I wouldn't sweat it.

They do not have very much low end torque, all the power is up higher.

Edit: unless you mean 2.9 v6 and not 4 cylinder this applies. I misread your post.

 

Crap, I'm sorry. After reading your post I went back and looked and it is a V6. Same question though, is it something to stay away from?

 

No worries, we all make mistakes.

My post was with regard to the v6. To my knowledge, there wasn't a 4 banger with that displacement. From what I have seen, they are pretty decent little motors.

 

The 2.9L can have problems with heads cracking when overheated and was somewhat helped with a redesign of the head in 89 and people have had problems with low upper end oil pressure causing lifter ticking. That said I didn't have trouble with either problem until my 89 Ranger had 220,000 miles on the OD with very poor maintenance by the PO when I got it at 180k and for under 1000$ it now has a 140k mile Engine and transmission from a BII that runs like new.

 

The 2.9 has an oiling problem that makes them all sound noisy, I have never seen one that didn't sound like a rackety sewing machine.

 

I had an '86 Ranger 5 speed, not particularly noisy but the valve covers leaked a bit. Sold it at about 60,000. IIRC there were BIIs and Aerostars that were supposed to be 2.9 but were solid lifter 2.8s. Clatter city.

 

The 2.9 is basically a ticking time bomb. Its not a matter of IF it will fail but WHEN.

 

I had a 86 Bronco 2 with the 2.9. It wasn't a bad little engine but I learned a few things on it's design.

When I first got mine the engine ran fine but a couple of months later it started having a over heating problem. It turns out the PO had put a lot of stop leak in the radaitor and it stopped up the holes in the head gaskets causing it to overhead on the then wife one day. It would up collapsing some rings. I would up putting a long block in it. I drove mine normally. Even did a few 4x4 trips in it. I didn't try to dog it out.

When we tore down the original engine to see what the problem was I had heard about the heads and had them checked. Mine turned out ok but I noticed the head gaskets water stain. From the factory about 3/4 of the cooling holes to the the head the gasket is blocking. After much research I found out this was due to Ford figuring out if the heads ran hotter than the block it got better emissions out of the tail pipe.

They seem to do fine but later on in the engines life when stuff starts to corrode it slowly plugs up those passages on the gasket even more so they don't there job anymore. The solution I came up with before installing the new long block was to pull the new heads off then with a new gasket set open up the cooling holes to full size. After that I never had a cooling problem with it. It's one I kick my butt for getting rid of.

 

I know old post my research points to problematic 2.8 6 cylinder engines the 2.9 is no saint by any means but better than the 2.8

 

I had cracked heads in my old 86 2.9 but replaced them about 15 years ago. It ran fine after that until I did my 4L swap in 2012 (only for more power). The old 2.9 is still running in Flat Toy's BII with over 350,000mi on it and burns no oil. If you get it, at least have a source for new heads if they crack later, or replace them during the swap to be safe. Another thing I highly recommend is to replace the radiator with the 4L rad. It will add about a gallon more coolant. You'll need to use the 4L lower hose. The 2.9 is a good engine if you don't mind the lifter noise, especially in winter. And I used 10-W40 dino oil, changed every 3K mi with the filter.

 

powrstrkr good to hear it, as stated 2.8 was problematic cracked heads - cracked cylinder walls this was eased with the 2.9 The 2.9 is, was forever will be superior over the 2.8.

 

I have a 2.9 in my 86 ranger. Like someone else said, it had a few problems but burns no oil. I had problems with the freeze plugs because of lack of maintenance by previous owners, one popped out, and I think before I got it stopped it must have gotten hot because when I pulled it to go through it, one of the heads did have a crack. I bought the $400 heads off ebay (for both of them) bolted them on, and am still driving it. The valve covers do leak. I have the old "turned down" valve covers on the ebay heads. I am thinking I need the revised "turned up" valve covers and maybe they would stop leaking so bad.

The 2.9 with the 5 speed and 3.73 gears moves this truck along nicely. I am not sure why you would want to swap a v8 in one. I just bought a 84 Bronco II because I need more cab room. If the 2.8 doesn't work out that it came with, the 2.9 is going in, fuel injection and all.