Oh now I remember what it was! Two questions actually - firstly has anyone dealt extensively with Bronco Graveyard and are their parts usually of good quality - practically every rubber seal exposed to the elements are bad - exterior and interior window weatherstripping, and the weatherstripping around the back glass is nonexistent so the back glass rattles like crazy. I found a whole set at BG - just wanted to see if it was worth it or to try somewhere else.

Also the exterior tailgate trim is broken off as can be seen in one of my pictures. I'd like to take the old one off and put on a new one - what is the correct color for this year BKO I see red and black trim pieces. What is on there now is a grey strip that is broken off completely in several places - no blue oval on the left side.

 

Check with a local Muscle Car restoration shop. They have connections with companies that have OEM quality rubber seals for the doors and windows. They are also a good resource for rust proofing supplies and ideas. The local shop that I work with has some of the same materials and uses the same methods as Ziebart uses.
I ordered my tailgate glass seals from Rockauto and are working just fine.

 

I haven’t been into that gear shifter in a long time, but I believe if you remove the steering column cowling/shroud between the shifter and the instrument panel and look over on the side you will see where it connects and where you can adjust it. The clamp may be broken or cable is broken.
Remind your mother that Drive is one click down from neutral…..
Be careful, all that old plastic stuff is fragile.
If nothing is broken then an adjustment may do it.
Take a photo once you are in there..

 

We're back in business guys! I've got three weeks to work on both this bronco and my truck before it's time to start a whole new semester. First things first: the new plugs, wires, cap and rotor are like night and day. The bronco fires up great now - also probably helps that Dad has been driving it around and has run a tank and a half of fresh fuel through it. One discouraging thing - as per Vinny's photo I found the little cord that hooks to the gear indicator. It's stretched out and it looks like the indicator itself is stuck. How hard is it going to be to get that piece out to see what's up?

Also, the "Ford hater" of the family went to the pick a part specifically to look for bronco parts. He found a 1996 to cannibalize he means well so I appreciate him doing so - even if all the parts might not fit.


A very important piece - our Bronco is missing the rubber all around the back glass so he pulled out a fairly intact and supple piece. He also got the trim out of the back of the '96, which of course will not fit!


A mocha-tan 1996 center console to replace the smashed up 1988 one. If it bolts down we'll leave it.


The most important piece! Our tailgate trim was missing entirely - rather than pull the black piece off he robbed the whole silver piece.

So far that's all I've been able to do - I'll get to fixing the window switch and the brake light issue and report back in!

 

Got some work done today - here's some pics.


Andy gets some work time on his own car - cleaning up the studs on the spare tire carrier.

We had the access panel off to get at the trim bolts.

Look at all this stuff I pulled out of the bottom of the tailgate - made sure the drip holes were free and clear too!

Installed the window rubber out of the '96 BKO required drilling a few holes in the fiberglass for some pins.

I think the rear looks a lot better with the black trim and blue oval!

We also put in the new center console - it didn't quite bolt up but Dad was insistent - especially after he found out that his other trim pieces wouldn't fit!!

 

Alright so I got the column holder off and I believe the gear indicator is FUBAR. The cord is stretched and it won't move - i figure it broke off the little indicator and is pulled as far over as possible, while the orange indicator is stuck at "P".

Determined that the rear glass switch was bad after performing the procedure Vinny explained. Got one on the way as we speak.

Still confused about the brake light. Pulled the plug off the switch at the PBK pedal and the light didn't turn off. Dad couldn't get the plug off the master cylinder and I didn't try it myself. Read a thread about a 79 or an 80 where there was a failing circuit in the proportioning valve that led to the light being on always. Is it the same on an '88? I'll try to get that plug off the master cylinder. Brakes feel a tad soft but are there and will stop the vehicle without undue effort..... Any suggestions?

 

Yeah, good catch, you do have a proportioning valve. But I think that would light the Anti-Lock Brake Light.
I suggest you spray that connector with some penetrate and carefully remove that connector on the master cyl.
Since we are on a brake subject, when time permits, i suggest a flush of the brake fluid, and bleed the brakes.

 

Does your instrument cluster Have a Tachometer ?

 

Ahh the Bronco sensei has returned!!! Yep Vinny my cluster does have a tach. The light actually shut off today - I have a sneaking suspicion the bulb burned out which is a shame since I just had the cluster apart!!! It does not flash on with the other lights for the bulb test at startup.

A fluid flush and brake bleed is for sure in the works - both the front pads and rear shoes have plenty of life left in them and I have confirmed that each brake contributes when the pedal is pushed (turned front wheels manually - had the back up on jack stands and in drive the back wheels will lock up when the pedal is pushed).

 

While we are on the subject - I got the last of the stuff buttoned up on the Bronco. New wipers, back window switch, glued on the rear view mirror. We also found the correct ***** for the headlights and wipers, got a cover for the dome light, and some OEM seat fabric and foam for the hole in the seat. But that wasn't the best thing I found.....



A 1988 F350's cluster gave it's life so that our Bronco shift indicator could work again! I forgot an extension when we went to pick a part and stumbled upon that beauty. Dad did things to that cluster that would make all of us cry, but in the end I was able to reach the fasteners and pull this thing out. As I suspected, the clear plastic piece on mine was broken, so the indicator was held at P while the cable was at full extension....



We also had the dash apart so we could replace the faulty switch - put it all back together and buttoned up the rest of the trim - I'll try to get a picture.


Well guys - we're almost done. I think she's ready for inspection and once she's got plates and insurance a quick trip to the carwash to wipe off 2 years of moss. I'll continue to update the thread as we go.

 

LOL, yeah, took a run down Greenville NC way for a few days. Looks like you guys are making great headway.....

 

I believe what happens is folks drop the steering colum before disconnecting this, and pop.

 

... and that's why you make the big bucks and I'm just here. Probably what happened to mine. That or 30 years of use......


Well some good and bad news. Got the brake lines as purged as we could and bled properly and all the plugs back in. Pedal is now firmer though braking habits are the same. Got a little discouraged when I jacked up the front end though. The left wheel was tight as new, but there was a LOT of play in the ball joints and tie rod end on the right. So it probably won't be inspection ready before I leave on the 6th. Break is winding down and I've still got a lot of other things to do besides work on the truck.

We ordered some new 32x11.50x15 tires, just so we could keep using those rims you old timers seem to like so well Ran into two more interesting situations though...

1. Whenever it rains, the first time I go to drive the BKO I randomly have no electrical power in the dash - no wipers, no turn signals, sometimes no power windows. I always have headlights and door locks. I'll try to get a picture but I think it's because the hood doesn't look like it's lined up properly, and when I opened it up today the firewall was wet where the nest of wiring is... Looks like we'll have to get some rubber to try and insulate it from happening again.

2. So ever since the trans fluid change the ol' C6 has been working great, except when warm she likes to grab reverse HARD. First reverse shift is usually normal feeling. Did a little snooping and the answer I found that I'm most comfortable with is basically that there is a pressure valve in the valve body that modulates line pressure when shifting into reverse (reverse allegedly operates at twice the line pressure of forward gears) and sometimes that valve gets stuck. When that happens, it's said that you get the immediate higher pressure causing the harsh reverse shift. They went on to say that it shouldn't cause major driveline issues but can be annoying (very true). Now I know jack squat about automatic transmissions and that could be a steaming pile - but I had a Cherokee (Chrysler ) with a 42RE and it shifted hard like that for a few months and then randomly lost reverse.

Well other than that not much has gone on. Been driving it a lot - she is insured but no cop has asked me do I really live on a farm.........

 

OK perhaps Vinny and the other EECIV gurus will want to chime in on this. Noticed that the MIL was flashing at me on a drive today, so made sure the truck was warmed up and performed KOEO and KOER tests.

KOEO: Code 31, Continuous Memory codes: 32, 95.

KOER: Codes 41, 31, 77.

According to a couple trouble code sites I deduced the following: 31=EGR Valve Position/EGR Circuit below min. voltage, 32=EGR Voltage below Closed voltage, 95=Fuel Pump Circuit Open - PCM to motor ground, 41=System lean, 31=EGR Valve Position Circuit below min voltage 77=No goose test

From what I can gather, there's some issue with the EGR, maybe its making the system run lean. Not sure what the fuel pump ground code means.

How should I go about fixing this?

 

[QUOTE=evan_nugget;18387256]KOEO: Code 31, KOER: Codes 41, 31, 77.
Is your EGR-Valve old, new ?
Is your O2 sensors old, new ?