This prolly sounds stupid but are all Bronco II's 4wd?

 

nope. The 2wd had a gutted transfer case behind the transmission. (at least I think thats what that was) I had an 88 that was 2wd

 

were most 4wd?

 

My inclination is to say yes. It was designed as an off-road vehicle, and most of the ones I've see are 4wd. However, I do not have any solid facts to back that up.

 

well from what i can tell from what ive seen most are 4wd...im just trying to verify this cuz my bro is supposed to buy one from between 86-90 (hes not sure of the year) for $200 with a 2.9L and 5spd and he wasnt sure if its 4wd but he thinks so

 

ahh ok. Watch out for that 2.9L engine - it has a knack for cracking cylinder heads. All in all, though I loved my b2.

 

yeah i heard about that on wikipedia.org

 

something about being weak under the valvespring and something like rockers seats? i forget now

 

2.9's are great as long as you do proper maintance and you keep the cooling system in check. My 88 2.9 is on 280,000 mile mark and it has all the original gaskets and components with no leaks.

 

good good all the better news i can get lol

 

hey for $200, it could burn more coolant and oil than gas and you could almost say its worth it. On a serious note though, make sure the oil doesn't look like a chocolate milkshake.

 

The problem is that the 2.9 is a weak motor all the way from the heads to the oil pump and if the previous owner did neglect it then he will have problems. Like almost anything if it was taken care of from day one then yes it should be fine but there are far more bad 2.9's out there then good ones.

 

the early 2.9 heads were prone to cracking the late heads were reinforced and less prone to cracking



here is a easy way to tell them apart

 

That is good to know. Mainly because there are a couple later model (89-90) model rigs at the junkyard. I still have to see if someone swiped the radiator I was looking at so I don't end up buying a new Explorer radiator and swap in. I was thinking if I had to do any engine work and not go with a 4.0 swap I could probably find a set of heads or probably spend less money on the newer assemblies -- although, I think they don't sell the earlier weaker ones. I didn't notice any cracks in mine when I had the valve covers off, nor did I pay attention to see if they were the earlier or later version. If I do a top end overhaul, depending on if my "check-up" reveals I need a full rebuild or not, I'll probably re-check that as well as try and put new cam bearings, oil pump, lifters, and maybe the oil-through design 2.8 replacement rockers and pushrods. If I don't see a whole lot of cylinder wall wear, I may just do a quick-n-dirty rebuild... hopefully, I won't find an overly worn crankshaft!

IMHO, if you found a BII for $200 and it runs and drives and you don't have to put a whole lot of $$$ to get in into shape, then that's a steal. Also, I believe it was '87 when they started offering 2WD models, and yes, they had a transfer case that was minus the chain, shifter, and front output shaft, etc. I've read that the easiest thing to do if you want to keep it 2WD is to get a Ranger 2WD transmission and swap it in. Only thing to figure out there is getting the longer driveshaft that would be required, as I don't think a 2WD Ranger one will work! You could also find a 4WD model in the junkyard to rob parts from to make it a true 4WD as well, but it's a LOT of work, even with pneumatic tools. If you need more info on anything, all you have to do is ask or search the forums here and the tech library, etc. on rangerstation.com. Hope this helps!

 

New heads here

http://www.worldcastings.com/prods_pages/052900.htm

if you plan on keeping the B II they are worth it!

you can buy them here

http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku