Hello, fellow Ford Bronco-II Enthusiasts! Here's what I'm confronted with: I have two 'sick' Bronco IIs, an '84 XLT and an '88 XL with which I hope together to make one healthy Bronco II.

The '84's body and chassis is in better shape than the '88, and so it'll be the one that will prevail out of all this. It's original 2.8L engine, on the other hand, thanks to its previous owner who let it go too long without oil, is virtually a basket case and needs to be replaced. It's mated to the original Mitsubishi 5-speed, followed by a Borg-Warner 13-50 manual transfer case, which is connected to the axle through a still very tight 3-joint Cardan configuration driveshaft that looks too good to be the original. As one might expect, the front hubs are the original manual ones.

The '88's body, having minor front-end collision damage and is already developing the dreaded cancer from several years of exposure to Northwest Pacific Coast salt air, is destined for the scrap heap, if it can't be converted it to a trailer. It's 2.9L engine has but 120K miles on it and is running great, getting excellent mileage. It happens to be mated to an A4LD automatic that was rebuilt around 1200 miles ago and seems to be pretty healthy at this point in time. Behind that, is its original Borg-Warner electric-shift case that's presently giving me fits, but would probably be easy and cheap to repair. It connects to the third member through a CV-joint-type driveshaft that's still holding up very well. Up front are the original (and still questionable) auto-locking hubs.

So far, it's been decided that the '84 body and chassis will get the 2.9L engine along with all its associated electronics and fuel system components. And I'm already familiar enough with the reliability issues between the two types of transmissions and feel confident that, either way I go, whichever one was put to use wouldn't suffer a premature demise due to deliberate abuse or misuse. But, judging from some of the posted threads here, I'm still not sure why the automatics seem to be so prone to (premature?) failure, whether being from abuse or just from "normal" use under harsher than normal conditions. So, I'm still somewhat reluctant to decide in favor of this particular automatic transmission.

>> What I'm least familiar with, being new to these fun-to-drive agile little Ford SUVs, is: which would be the better choice for the towing capability, moderate off-roading, as well as everyday city and highway drivability: automatic or manual transmission? I'd especially like to hear from anyone who has had experience in a variety of driving situations with BOTH types of transmissions.

Finally, there's the minor problem with combining the manual transfer case (my preference) with the automatic transmission, since neither vehicle I have possess that particular combination dual-shifter floor console and linkage, requiring me to have to scope around for those parts. Of course, there'll be several major components and maybe dozens of less significant, but still very serviceable components leftover from this project, starting from when it's nearly completed. Anyone interested can contact me at <jerralle(No Email Addresses In Posts!)> and I'll try to respond within two days.

>> And if anyone has converted between the two engines mentioned and their crankshaft output flanges from automatic to manual or vice versa, that knowledge would also be helpful.

 

sounds like a great project..keep us all posted on the results..i have the 5-speed..so good luck...

 

i would go with the 5 speed,too many folks that have the auto say its sluggish & shifts too quick,i have the 86 BII with the 2.9 5 speed mitsubishi,4x4 on the fly,works good for me but,that system "is" questionable as you said,my opinion,id stay with the manual transfer case & locking hubs,less things to go wrong on it

 

i am with the manual 5 speed i have 2 bronco 11's and i am puting in a 4.0 in it with a manual but i have a auto in the truck i am uesin and the manual is out of the 87 and a 4.0 out of a 1994 Ranger had a manual but uesin the 87 i am puting the 4.0 and the manual in a 86 auto. i know for a fact the automatics rob your power and the manual is alot better for off roading and pick up. you can put auto locking hub's but it's just more to go bad i have the auto locking hub on my but i am putin so manual locking hud's in but i have push 4x4 so i think it will be cool. good luck i hope im have helped.

 

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Thanks for all the feedback. It looks like the consensus is for strictly "Manual", and I have to agree on all counts. The comparison with the Crown Victoria got a chuckle here! Even if I were crazy enough to employ this automatic transmission, I've DEFINITLY decided on the manual transfer case and manual hubs. There's certainly peace of mind in KNOWING that all your wheels are engaged when you need them to be.

This A4LD transmission uses a lock-up torque converter so, at least while cruising, it's a solid power-transfer mechanism, much like a manual gearbox. I've even watched the Tach while on the freeway and it almost never varies in relation to vehicle speed on this '88 Bronco-II. That's where I've noticed it gets the best MPG, too. Around town, however, it can drop up to several miles/gal and there's less feeling of control in the drivetrain. The engine temperature also runs higher then, and I suspect the transmission is the main reason.

Now, I just have to see if the flywheel will transfer from the 2.8L over to the 2.9L, or else I'm buying a new/refurbished 2.9L flywheel, along with clutch kit and pilot bearing. And I guess I'll have to try to sell this recently rebuilt automatic to help recover the expense. Anybody in the Oregon-Washington area looking for a perfectly good A4LD? (yes -> email !)

 

Most 5 speeds have the 3.43:1 axle ratio while most automatics have the 3.73:1 ratio. I believe the 3.73 would make the 5 speed a bit more "responsive" and better for towing. I'm considering swapping the 3.73s from my parts auto BII to my daily driver 5 spd BII as I think they would work better in the mountains of upstate NY where I live.

 

I've heard about the manual BII's being quick and perfect. I have automatic everything. The automatic tranny is SLOW! I plan on taking up slack in the gas pedal soon with a nylon spacer. It does shift too quick, doesn't accelerate very well, but yet my throttle doesn't open all the way. I recently tested my throttle to see if it could open more by trying to bury the pedal in the floor, and it was able to open more and take off more, so that's part of the problem as well. Now, when it does this, it downshifts TWICE (the regular downshift that tends to not make much of a difference, and then again where it finally decides to jump and take off, but it jumps to about 4500 RPMs to START).

I thought my truck prolly had 3.73's in 'em.

Didn't know that about the transfer case. When I was using my cruise control driving home from a concert one night I noticed that, while the speed stayed the same like it should, the RPMs NEVER moved, and if it did, the speed would change with it like a clutch.... good to know info!

 

Hello again, Knucklehead11!

What you said about the throttle cable, I've noticed on this '88, too. It FEELS like the gas pedal just can't be pressed down far enough, even compared to my thrashed '84, 2.8L 5-speed. I first thought it might be due to the fairly thick floor mat under my gas pedal - some boots can tear up a typical factory floor carpet in no time. I thought if I could bend the lever the pedal's fastened to, up just a little without kinking or breaking it, that would help. Besides, I prefer having the gas pedal at about the same height as the brake pedal anyway.

But your 'nylon spacer' idea, or even a thick piece of vinyl hose cut to the right length, sounds better than my first idea - I'll probably look into that myself real soon! If it helps, I'll let you know.

About the automatic transmission - I just had an enlightening conversation with friend who's in the transmission parts business about the Ford A4LDs. I've also spend some time looking into relavent material posted online, too. And what I've learned is this:

Overall they're considerably improved over the earlier 'AOD's. One website [Greg Foutz wants YOU! ....to build a better Ranger!] actually PREFERS automatics for off-road racing over manuals! He recommends avoiding the pre-'88 versions, however.

Apparently, that model transmission has gone through MANY upgrades over time, getting most of its "problems" worked out by the early 1990s. In addition, there are minor characteristic differences between the model and year vehicle transmissions are set up for. And being more computer controlled, have become EXTREMELY more complex and varied.

However, the general professional opinion is they're most prone to overheating under very harsh conditions or very heavy workloads, and as a result occasionally may even cough up a pint or two of fluid through any orifice it can manage.

So where those conditions are common, an auxilliary cooler IN SERIES with the standard radiator-imbedded cooler (to avoid over-cooling) would be recommended. The factory aux-trans coolers I've found mounted just behind the grilles on some '80s and later full-sized Ford "F"-series trucks look to be more than adequate and, when gotten from your local salvage yard, probably much cheaper than buying a new one of the same.

Speaking from personal experience, it would be a good idea to have one in Houston's almost year-round heat and heavy commute traffic, especially in those outbound Southwest Freeway rush-hour commutes. It's a great place to live, with abundant opportunities! But when I was there during the mid-'90s, I really could relate to Stevie Ray Vaughn's music. With family and friends there, I've been recently considering moving back; only time will tell...

 

I got the nylon spacer idea from a mod tutorial from mustangworld.com . It's where you get a spacer (prolly about an inch or something) and put it on the linkage or whatever it's called, to pull up the slack on the pedal and give more WOT. Some cars don't allow their pedals to hit the floor completely when they do this, so I'm gonna be a bit careful on length of the spacer. The tutorial also said to tighten it on the throttle cable with two hose clamps.

And my A4LD is a two year old tranny. The factory one went to crap, and the previous owner installed a new one a couple of years ago. It's still a dog somewhat, but if I do that pedal mod, it'll be able to take off nicely.

EDIT: I also have the factory tranny cooler, and it works like a charm. No tranny fluid leaks, nothing wrong with the tranny.