ok i have a 88 bronco and i'm not exactly a greese monkey. i like to get my hands durty but i have no idea where to start. i'm afraid that all screw up my truck. i just got a new exhauts system put in ( its a s**t midas set up but now it don't sound like a damn tracter) and i wanted to know if there is anything i can do to improve the proformance of my bronco. i don't have air tools or anything so i can't do any really serious work. i was also looking at replacing the 305/5.0L with the bigger 351/5.8L. does anyone know how much that might cost and if it is even possible to do that?

 

well its definatly possible
are u going to do the switch urself or have a shop do it?
where are u going to get the engine it from (if u get it from a junk yard u might want to rebuild it)?

there are alot of performance mods for ur 302 that would be much easier to do then a engine swap and that is what i would recomend

but if u really want some power buy a engine and juice it up before u put it in there, (heads, cam, you get the idea) it would be easy to work on if its not in the vehicle plus u dont have downtime where the truck isnt running while u do alot of deep engine work

 

If the engine swap was going to happen it would be done in the shop cuz i wouldn't know how to do it(plus i don't have the tools) but right now i think i want to stick with what i got. i was leaning more toward upgrading the engine i got anyway. Maybe i'll save the engine swap for another year. And since i'm an amateur with this stuff i was lookin for a few mods that were on the cheaper/ easier side. somehting like replacing my stock intake with a shorter and wider set up. I've heard i could get only a few horses out of it and it also makes the sound alot richer and deeper. But this could only take a few minutes with one of those bolt-on kits, right? thanks for the response if you got more ideas i'd really like to hear 'em.

 

the swap from a 302 to a 351 is easy as pie. the best way to go about this would be to find a complete motor from a wrecking yard with decent mileage and wear. this is what i did ran me $800 for the motor and some change for other things i needed. it bolted right up to the existing mounts and tranny . was the best upgrade i could have done so far.
late. just know that mustang stuff and truck stuff dont work good together.
late

 

the swap is good also because u have the engine out and can do modify it as you get the money piece by piece and there will be no pressure to get ur truck running ASAP, that makes it alot more fun

if ur set on the current 302 you could convert to MAF, do the intake manifold/TB, headers and exhaust, computer chip(do ur homework here), there are also ignition upgrades and countless other ways to get a little power here and a little power there

check out the 302, engine performance, and computer chip forums
how big is ur budget?
its fun to think of performance ideas with other ppl's money

hmmm blower, heads, cam, turn to 347 stroker, run of 107 octane, new tranny oh the possibilities

 

ok first of all i'm not all up in these terms(like MAF). i learn quick but i'm just getting into doing my own work. don't get me wrong keep the ideas coming and i'm not afraid like i said to get messy but help me out alittle and tell me what the hell your talkin about. haha your right about the possiblities but the money is and will always be the problem. but since its my money i really got to keep my head on. i got several hundred to spend but as you must know the more weeks that pass the larger the pile becomes. and the idea or not have my truck running is not a good idea for me right now cuz that means the pile stops growing. I NEED to be able to drive it almost every day of the week i have to get to jobs. thats why i have always left the fixin to the pros. but thats no fun for me so i what in on it. but i have to have a running truck( so no risky stunts) Also the quater panels are rusting out in the fenders just like almost every other bronco. any "quick" fix? and the swap idea i like but i just don't want to do that now. if it comes to it i guess i will but i think i'll play around with what i got for now thanks for the comment.

 

i completely understand
i have only had my bronco for 1 month and everything i know has come off this site but im the same way i like to do my own work now and learn quickly and experiment

mine is also a daily driver and it is alot of pressure when its 3 a.m. and the truck isnt running and u need to drive to work in 4 hours

ok i would buy a engine at a jyard get a 351w unless u get a deal on a 302 u just cant refuse

you'll hafta get one of the experts on here to tell you what to look for as far as a good block is concerned

 

rusty panels well what i have done sand all the rust off first then patch them with light sheet metal and used bondo to fill gaps
however i did this before i completely redid the flooring with roll on bedliner so the bedliner covered up all the uglyness

 

If you already have basic hand tools by a manual first. First go over the running gear, ujoints, ball joints,hubs, t case operation, change fluids, inspect brakes, make sure you have the basics covered before you jump to the wish list your probably going to find a few problems. Use the forum and the manual to see what you getting into and give it a shot, come back if you get stuck, there are many knowledgible people on this site who enjoy helping people through a hard spot (I'm not one of them, I'm just a parts changer). It really does make a difference if this is your daily driver because you'll be doing a job for the first time and it has to be back together in the morning. In that case the best money you could spend would be 500-1000 for a 10 year old beater car for backup, people give em away when there not pretty anymore. Don't sweat about mistakes the bottom line is you probably don't have that much into the truck now since it's old and resale ain't that great, and if you have to farm out every job on this old a vehicle you will take a beatin' money wise. But if you skip most of the labor at $60/hr and keep it to parts and a few tools along the way, you can in a few years have a truck that is as good as new, modified to your tastes, and gives you personal satisfaction that you can't get with a new truck for $30,000+.

 

I would reccomend a tune-up if it hasn't had one in a while.

Spark plugs
spark plug wires (Ford sells a good set for about $40)
Distributor cap and rotor

All very easy.