The Great Bronco Engine Transplant-Phase III- Improving The Breathing

Warning: This is another installment in the ongoing saga of "The Great Bronco Engine Transplant". Many posts have been published over the last two years chronicling this engineering/installation project. Those people looking for sailing info will probably be disappointed, move along.

About a month ago, I reported on Phase II of The Great Bronco Engine Transplant. Phase II is the replacement of the rear differential with one from a 1996 Ford Explorer. The Explorer 8.8 inch differential is much stronger than the stock 7.5 inch differential and also has disc brakes and limited slip. This mod is ongoing while I assemble the various parts and line up a weldor to come to my house and weld on the spring perches and shock absorber brackets.

But before I have completed (or even started) Phase II, circumstances have occurred that allowed me to start Phase III. Phase III is a performance mod to the V8 engine.

I was at a car swap meet a couple weeks ago at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds and found an Edelbrock Performer aluminum intake manifold that fits the Ford 302, V8 engine I installed in the Bronco. This was always something that I have been keeping my eyes open for and I felt fortunate to find it. I picked it up for a cheap price. It is a manifold for a four barrel carburetor and my original thought was to buy an adapter and install the existing two barrel carburetor as a money saving alternative until I could buy a four barrel carburetor. But I was searching on Ebay and found a new Holley, 600 CFM, four barrel carburetor for a great price, and free shipping too!

So now, I am rounding up the miscellaneous parts to install the manifold and carburetor. I hope to be able to start this install in December or early January before I accomplish Phase II. This mod should provide more performance than the stock intake system. But because of the improved breathing and the modern carburetor, a lot of opinions are that my fuel mileage should improve too. I hope so, because it can't get much worse!

Here is my Holley, 600 CFM, Four Barrel Carburetor and

Edelbrock Performer Manifold waiting to be installed on the 302 V8.
Aren't they pretty?