The Great Bronco Engine Transplant- Tranny Mods and Looking For Trouble

During the last two days, I have accomplished a lot on the transplant project. I disassembled the automatic transmission and installed the adapter piece and tailshaft that will allow the transmission to the existing Bronco transfer case. While I was at it, I installed a "shift kit" that will hopefully improve the shifting and make it snappier and probably harsher.

Disassembling and reassembling the transmission was easier than I anticipated. I bought a shop manual on a CD, so I set up a laptop and had it running while I worked. I covered the workbench with cardboard and kept the parts in order of disassembly.

Today I installed the shift kit. While I was working, I noticed that a check valve was missing from under the filter. The spring was there, but the plug was gone. Somebody probably lost it when the fluid was changed as it can drop out. Fortunately, the shift kit had an extra plug that was for a competition setup. It fit the hole perfectly. The parts people say that you can't find these anymore.

Last week, I went looking for more trouble with the 302 V8 engine. I had read something about the valve seals hardening, breaking off pieces and jamming the oil pump. Sure enough, the new oil pump had warnings about that happening. So I looked carefully at the valve seals and found one broken into three pieces with a fourth piece missing. A friend loaned me his valve spring compressor. Tomorrow a set of seals should arrive from Jegs and I will change out the seals. Fortunately the tool my friend loaned me enables me to remove the springs and change the seals without lifting the heads.

Should be ready to start removing the Bronco engine next week. I advertised it for sale on Craigslist and have had one response so far.

It was a bit of a lift, but was able to get the transmission up on the workbench.
As I removed components, I kept them in order.

This is as much as I disassembled.

The valve body disassembled. The shift kit does not amount to much. One new spring, reconfigure a valve to increase pressure, enlarge a couple of holes in the separator plate, remove some balls and plugs and reinstall a couple of new balls.

The transmission mostly assembled with the new adapter. I still need to install the bell housing, but will probably wait until I get the transmission on the ground. I also need to drill and install a drain plug in the pan and install the pan on the transmission.

Hard, broken valve seal. Interesting that this was No.4 intake valve and that plug was not fouled, but it was "wet" and I could not figure out what it was wet from. I thought residual gas had found its way there. Maybe oil?