I have a 79 Bronco that i am about to start working on to make into an off road rig and i was wondering what would be my best setup on the motor and transmission side of it? I was thinking about a 460 with a 4 speed manual. Any ideas?

 

Well, my favorite setup is the 12v Cummins with an auto, but if you're not looking to do a big project, then 460 w/C6 would be my choice.

 

Well for my 79 I am planning on just running a small budget project but my 95 bronco will be getting a diesel after it stops becoming my daily driver. I would like to do that now but I just can't

 

What motor is currently in your 79? what axles, tire size etc.. you plan on running.

 

Right now it has a 400 with a 3 speed auto in it. I plan on a 6 inch lift with 35" tires. It has the stock axels I'm not sure what they are I haven't done much work on it yet. The 400 was working for a while but I had to replace the oil pan gaskets and when i did there was a nice big pile of metal shavings sitting in the pan, and the guy that i bought it from had put a racing cam in it so it made it extreamly hard to get started in the cold. But the 400 is no longer running as you may have guessed.

 

Everybody has their own opinions, but I think a auto is suppieror to a standard for both on and off road applications. If it is to be mostly off road, I would go with the C6 which is probubly what you have. If it is to be driven on the highway, you need overdrive. Then my choice is a heavy duty built AOD. As far as engine, unless your looking for 700 horses, I would stay with the small block. (if you are thinking high HP, the rest of the running gear may need upgrade) Lighter weight is better off and on road. My choices here are also the most cost affective. (eccept maybe the built AOD)

 

My choice in a gas setup would be the 460 hands down for any application, youcan leave it stock and be able to coast around where as good as a built small block.
While everybody is different I prefer a standard, the 4spd 205 is about as bulletproof as possible, if it is going to be a daily driver I would go with a ZF5 though.

 

Id like to have a standard in it but this truck I am looking at buying has a 460/ 4 speed auto. My bronco has a 3 speed in it now, What all would need to be done as far as the shifter, bolting everything up or is it basicly the exact same thing?

 

Manual transmission all the way! Slush-boxes are fine for grand dads Crown Vic/Grand Marquis but give me the ability to pick and choose when I shift especially in tricky situations where I don't need manifold pressure or linkage or computers "deciding" what gear the truck should be in. As was already mentioned, this is purely a personal opinion. If it were mine, and I wasn't going diesel, it'd be a 460 with a ZF behind it. But then I probably have the 460 built to run propane or CNG.

 

Its funny to see Greysteak choosing the "old school" transmission after our recent discussion. I'm not chooseing the "new school" (electronic trans) but I do like auto. One time when I was still in highschool (dont ask) I was in my Scout II and my friend in his Bronco (old small style) were charging up a hill. We were side by side on a one lane trail, so we were running over all kinds of junk. (sticks, rocks, small trees) Just about when we got to the top, He found that second gear was too high. He went to shift in to first and pushed the clutch in. It was so steep, that the truck stopped imediatelty. He hit the brake. What he didnt realize was his brake lines were ripped off on the way up the hill. He proceeded to back down the hill at a fast rate. He couldnt get it to go in first. (The gears just grinded) He hit about seven trees backwards, busting every window in the truck. There were four people inside. It was amazing that no one was hurt bad. He was able to drive the truck home in freezing temps. But his exhaust was kinked and ruined his engine. Moral of the story: My automatic downshifted and I never touched the brakes.

 

This was driver error nothing to do with the tranny.

 

Autos are for consistent drag racing, too..
My Mustang has a manually shifted C4 built by Dynamic, and it's the best thing I've ever driven. Although generally I just launch the car in 3rd so it hooks up, I sometimes shift it just for the fun of it. I love the ability to shift gears without a clutch, and shifts are instantaneous, even at very high high rpm. I was tempted to have my Bronco's C6 modified to shift manually also, but then I figured my woman might drive it sometimes, and that might not be such a good idea.. Plus, the auto is less likely to break other stuff, as the converter absorbs a lot of the shock. Full manual shifting in an auto would be a dream offroad.

 

a manual valvebody for an offroad setup isnt recommended due to the heat generated by such a setup.

 

I don't see how that's possible. Why would a manual valve body make more heat than a standard valve body? Unless of course you're trying to start off in 2nd or 3rd gear.

 

a few guys in my 4wd club have run them in the past in both th350s and c4's with bad results. granted they didnt have an additional fan on the tranny cooler which probably would have helped. i have no first hand experience.

in drags you wont see this due to cool down periods between runs.