Only running on 7 cylinders!!!! What to do? Keep or S

[broncojoe90]

Hey everyone, i have a 90 bronco xlt with a 302. Dropped it off to the mechanic and was told today that its only running on 7 cylinders. Truck does have 150k on it. what can i expect. Turns out #8 cylinder has low compression... The mechanic does have a 302 H.O. from a crown vic in his shop that he says would fit. Not sure if i should consider this option, or just sell this truck.. I bought it not to long ago to pull the boat, and dont have the $$$$ to be swapping engines.. Do i keep it and drive it like that, or sell it?????????????? How long till the other cylinders give up? thanks for any info...

confused.....

 

[rubberdust]

There is probably not a good answer to your question. There are several things to consider 1st is the condition of the rest of your Bronco! If it's basicly a clean piece & appears to be in good shape vs something that has the overall look & feel of something that was road hard & put away wet.

Doesn't sound like you have been completely biten by the Bronco bug YET, but if it's a decent rig & you trust the shop & they have some history on the other engine why not, you may just fall in love with it. If it's rough then maybe it's an indication of the care it has gotten over the years & it's time to cut your losses.

As I have an affliction & find it very hard to give up on a decent Bronco until it proves a complete & total waste of my money. I'm on my 3rd engine in one of them (350,000 miles) & will probably put a 4th in it someday.

 

[2NDTOUR89]

I agree. If the Bronco really turns your crank and is in decent shape, go for the motor swap. It may cost you now but you will probably love it when you are done. I have owned three Broncos in my life and I have owned the one I have now twice and am really happy I got it back. It went through a bad spell with the previous owner neglecting it but it is coming along great and has more room in it than my wifes Grand Cherokee and my F350 and rides tons better than my F350 does too (not that hard to be better than a 1994 F350 crew cab long bed with a 6" lift and 35's) but anyways, check all your options and it will turn out how you best see fit.

 

[bidibronco]

Well, I've had my Bronco for almost 3 years and I've put two motors in it after the first. I love my Bronco and if this motor goes then I'll put another one in. My boy loves riding in it, my wife hates admitting to likeing it and I love driving it and all the people I see in other Bronco's just wave and honk and flash lights and such. It's great fun... But it is your decision, make it for you not anyone else...

 

[miesk5]

If readings are low or uneven between cylinders, pour a teaspoon of S.A.E. #30 oil into each cylinder and retest. If the readings increase considerably,

the fault is poorly seated or worn rings. If the readings remain about the same, the valves are at fault.

If you find the compression reading is very low or "0" in one cylinder, it is highly probable that internal engine damage exists such has:

a. The piston could have a broken connecting rod or a hole in it.

b. A valve could be stuck or leaking.

c. There could be a broken valve spring or a bent push rod.

d. The camshaft has excessive wear and is not opening the valve(s).

Then, if a bad valve(s); What's wrong with just a valve job?...the mechanic can remove the cylinder head, pull off the valves and confirm the diagnosis. There should be visible signs on the #8.---intake or the #8 exhaust valve and seat to confirm that low compression reading. Of course, he may not know how to do this, which could be why he'd prefer that you buy an exchange engine.

also, a possible cause;

by miesk5

yo,

"REROUTE THAT PVC SYSTEM

Problem:

Failure of the #8 piston or the #8 rod or rod bearing in Ford 5.0L, V-8 gas engines

Applications affected have been in 1987-1993 Bronco, pick-up trucks and vans. After discussing the situation with several installers, the problem has been narrowed down to the PCV system.

Solution:

During engine installation, reroute the PCV valve vacuum supply hose. Follow these steps:

Plug the 3/8" (pipe) thread hole in the rear of the plenum where the PCV valve hose is connected.

Drill and tap a 3/8" pipe thread hole in the center of the plenum and thread the PCV connector into it.

Reconnect the PCV valve vacuum supply hose to the new location.

Be sure the drain hole in the baffle is open. The baffle is under the PCV location in the valve cover.

Installers who have rerouted the PCV system and opened the baffle drain hole have not reported any #8 cylinder failures."

source is gone..but I saved it in my site...

finally found a pic of the baffle...

or, if the sf pic can't be displayed now...http://www.superford.org/members/con...3549&sID=15947

5.0 PCV oil baffle pic

PCV Valve Vacuum Supply Hose Rerouting for 87-93 5.0

Source: by Ryan M (Fireguy50) at fordfuelinjection.com

 

[89Bronco58]

sounds like number 8 piston has blow by, low compression due to worn out rings, if i was you, i would run 20w50 oil and check it frequantly to keep it full, since it most likely has blowby, its running on 7 cylinders because the burning oil is fouling out that plug, so change cylinder 8 plug and see if it runs good, most likely will last a while with normal driving, eventually it will foul out again, just keep changing the plug, and get a sparkplug defouler for that cylinder to help, do all of that for now, and put a new motor in it if you see its worth it, good luck >-

 

[Ozark Hauler]

Hey Joe ,

Steve here . I'm in the exact same boat on my 94' Bronco 351W roller cam lost compression last December .I drove it until 3 weeks ago , it had 163+ when it crapped out .

My Bronco is in great condition inside and out . Last week I went and scouted a dozen or so car lots . High prices , high miles and alot of rust buckets . A squirell ate the injector harness on mine last week or so . I finally got the parts .

I ordered my engine yesterday (94' 351W-$1700.00) company up north called Promar (Info below) .Doing everything on the truck will be around $2,500 .00 that's engine, fuel injectors , roller timing set ,high flow catalytic converter , dual out exhaust , fluids etc.

How is the body , front end , tranny ,brakes interior on yours ?

Ask your self if your rig is better than most others for the $2500-$3500 price range that it would cost to get your Bronco fixed .

Can you do your own work ? Do you have a place to do it ?

That's were I started , fix or go into even bigger debt on a truck with 181K+ another had 267K both of those were $5500.00 . Anything less than that was pretty well "Rode Hard" and rusting heavy .Fixing mine won hands down !

Promar Engines

1-800-442-6022

Dave

Their engines come with a 36 month/unlimited mileage warrenty . NO shipping fee to a loading dock or a local trucking/shipping depot . NO Core (Turn in old engine in 30 days)

And something REAL important - They use NEW Melling Cam Shafts . NAPA Pep Boys etc. etc. have just about no idea where their engines will come from . Napa did say possibly Mexico .

The majority out there re-use cams ,or, they weld them to a newprofile , and slap them in without hardening the new lobes (happened to me ) . I did alot of research before I ordered my engine . Promar has an excellant operation .They show every rebuliding step on their E-Bay listings . I called them up in PA. or N.J. and asked them about their cams and shipping and ended up buying over the phone . They're fast if it's in stock they'll either go that day or the very next day .

If you're interested check them out in E-Bay Motors under stores ,type : Promar Engines (eBay sales of 410+ and 99.8%) also, eBay is only a small portion of their business .

Ford charges $125.00 each for rebuilt injectors here :blink: . Hyperjective on eBay Stores has a full set of rebuilts for $165.00 . They have 100% positive feedback.

Hope this helps

Steve

 

[miesk5]

broncojoe90, was thinking last night; did the mechanic say if he did the .A.E. #30 oil into each cylinder and retest? or just a quick compression test?

Also was thinking about my early days w/ardly no $, babies, getting by on Navy pay, etc.. so I know the value of a $ when trying to make a decison like this; so if he didn't do the rest of the test, DIY or find someone else.

GL!

Ozark, good info! thanks..

 

[broncojoe90]

broncojoe90, was thinking last night; did the mechanic say if he did the .A.E. #30 oil into each cylinder and retest? or just a quick compression test?Also was thinking about my early days w/ardly no $, babies, getting by on Navy pay, etc.. so I know the value of a $ when trying to make a decison like this; so if he didn't do the rest of the test, DIY or find someone else.

GL!

Ozark, good info! thanks..

hey miesk5, the mechanic said he did just a compresstion test. His shop rate is $85 an hour and only charged me a half. I'm goin to try the 20w-50 oil and see how it runs after that. Hopefully a little better.. I've replaced plenty of parts so far, thinking it was just from neglect that it was running like this. Apparently, it was neglected. A true shame, because it only has a little rust over the rear wheels. Other than that, its a clean truck. Besides the motor, the back window doesnt work, so i'll try to fix that myself. I have the manual, and rather save the money if i can. I guess the only upside, is the AC blows cold. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> Heres a list of parts i have replaced:

Plugs

Wires

Cap

Rotor

PCV Valve

Air Filter

Fuel Filter

Idle Air Control Valve

Starter Solenoid

Previous owner:

Radiator

Battery

Starter

Alternator

Belt

wish me luck

<_<

 

[broncojoe90]

hey miesk5, the mechanic said he did just a compresstion test. His shop rate is $85 an hour and only charged me a half. I'm goin to try the 20w-50 oil and see how it runs after that. Hopefully a little better.. I've replaced plenty of parts so far, thinking it was just from neglect that it was running like this. Apparently, it was neglected. A true shame, because it only has a little rust over the rear wheels. Other than that, its a clean truck. Besides the motor, the back window doesnt work, so i'll try to fix that myself. I have the manual, and rather save the money if i can. I guess the only upside, is the AC blows cold. /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> Heres a list of parts i have replaced:
Plugs

Wires

Cap

Rotor

PCV Valve

Air Filter

Fuel Filter

Idle Air Control Valve

Starter Solenoid

O2 Sensor

Previous owner:

Radiator

Battery

Starter

Alternator

Belt

wish me luck

<_<

 

[miesk5]

ok, so the mech didn't say he tried the #30 oil into each cylinder and retest to see if it is other than an $$$ ring... etc. job?

and yes, do the compression test yourself w/the 30 wt oil in the cyl.

If it needs a valve job, I can get out some $ figures for you from a NAPA pal...

GL!

 

[muladesigns1]

you could always hone the cylinders and just re ring the pistons. its a redneck cheap fix, but will solve your problem cheap.