I just picked up a 3 core rad from the wreckers out of an 84 Bronco II and it looked factory installed.It cost me $40.I replaced the stock rad in my 85 Bronco II with one from a A/C truck a few years back but it still tends to get too hot once in a while so this one should do the trick.The only difference in auto or standard rads is the fittings for the transmission cooler so if you have an aftermarket transmission cooler that bypasses the stock transmission cooler you can use either style.

 

Well, here's the latest...

I took my original radiator in to the shop to have it checked out - no possiblility of repair. So I bought a new Modine, but I bought the 91-94 Explorer model. So that will go in sometime in the next couple of days, and I'll let you guys know what comes up after that. Thanks for the help so far.

Brian

 

you will need to trim your upper and lower radiator hoses to make it fit correctly, i did the swap last summer, in my oppinion it wasnt worth it. didnt run any cooler, still gets hot in traffic.

 

Well, I didn't have to trim the radiator hoses any, but I am a little concerned that the lower may rub on the frame a bit. My main problem though is that the tranny cooler line fittings were not the same size. Anyone considering this swap must also obtain a pair of either 1/4" to 3/8" NPT bushings, or the 1/4" flare tubing to 3/8" NPT adapters. If you get just the bushings, then you can reuse the 1/4" flare to 1/4" NPT adapters that come out of your original radiator tranny fittings. Just figured I'd write this down so some other poor shmuck didn't have to run around for a couple hours looking for last minute parts like I did.

As always, thanks for the input guys...

Brian

 

weird i didn't have to do anything to my fittings i guess it's not for everyone's b2

 

you need to trim the hose so it doesnt rub on the frame, otherwise it chew into it leaving you stranded.

 

see that's the thing i didn't have to do anything to my hoses or my trans fittings or shroud everything went into place nicely

 

It may be due to worn front suspension, but I don't really think that there will be sufficient room for the hose even if I do trim it. I'm just going to have to hold it out of the way, or pad that frame member for now. I'll take a better look, hopefully this afternoon, and let you guys know.

Something I just thought of, it may also have to do with the push bar that I have that is mounted to the frame. I need to get a good look under there, but now that I think about it, I'm betting that's part of the reason I have less room.

 

I have an 88. I used an 94 exploder lower hose when I put my 2 core radiator in. My problem was the hose rubbing on the power steering box. Instead of cutting the hose, I cut the little tab off of the lower radiator neck and slid it on farther.

 

That may be a workable idea. I'll have to take a look at it as soon as I get a chance. I got it all together today, but I still need to get those little things ironed out. More importantly at this point though is the leaky valve covers.

I'll keep you guys posted on status, and I'm sure I'll be asking more questions if I decide to tackle the valve cover gaskets myself.

Brian

 

well, good luck on those valve cover gaskets, they are a pain in the butt. i have replaced the gaskets on both of my bronco IIs several times, they always seemed to start leaking again. so i made sure that i had all of the washer things in the correct position because there are two different types of them. i used the rubber gaskets and used a thin coat of rtv on both sides, here is the thing though, dont over tighten the bolts or they will leak in the rear above the last exhaust port on each side, i found this out the hard way. to avoid this i used a little blue locktite and only tightened the bolts with a 1/4 " nut driver. they have been holding for 1 1/2 years now, no leaks at all. i am not really a big fan of silacone but these 2.9 valve covers seem to need a little.

so let me ask... did anyone have to trim there upper radiator hose or did it fit? did the explorer upper hose bib on the radiator angle away from the radiator? i searched for a hose that would fit for mine and then trimmed it down cause it was rubbing against the alternator belt. i also had to trim the bottom hose on mine. makes me wonder if there are two different explorer radiators or what?? i also have always had a really hard time keeping the bronco II cool in the summer while in traffic. maybe i just got a bad one?

 

The upper tube does angle toward the passenger side. I haven't trimmed anything yet, but will have to do something about that lower hose. And as far as cooling goes, I started and stopped this thing about a dozen times in a row last night, and the temp never even got into the normal range. Not even after a short trip down and back up a fairly steep hill.

Which leads to another question. The genius that I got this from did a tranny service just before I got it. He had it about a quart over full. I've pumped out the extra, and now the tranny is whining, and still doesn't shift real well. Am I just screwed on the deal, or is there something I can do to whip this tranny back into shape? I probably put about 60 miles on it while it was overfull.

 

I have a 2.8 in my BII and it doesent get up over the 1/4 mark.Is there something wrong(wrong as in a good thing) or just the difference between the 2.8/2.9.

 

Most vehicles generally run about half way on their temp gauge, but I wouldn't think that running at a quarter was necessarily a bad thing. If that is unusually low for that engine, then it's possible that you have a gutted or stuck thermostat.

 

Use the lower hose from an Explorer with automatic transmission, and that will eliminate the clearance problem with the steering box. At least it did on my 87.