4x4prepper
Active Member
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2015
- Messages
- 507
- Reaction score
- 216
- Points
- 43
- Location
- Atlanta
- Vehicle Year
- 1985
- Make / Model
- Ford
- Transmission
- Manual
imho, If I was looking at "reliable" I would go with a carb 2.8, though I guess converting the 2.9L to carb while you have it apart would be okay. There is better parts availability for the 4.0L.
Your wiring harness and all ignition components are now 35 years old, a capacitor in your engine computer needs no excuse to leak and burn. It is way beyond it's designed life cycle.
It is getting very hard to find QUALITY parts any more for the vehicles. If I was going to dump money into a B2 engine, it would be a bone stock 302.
One thing you could do to make it more reliable is replace the whole braking system including hard lines. Replace the whole fuel system including the tank. To protect the investment, put good rear bumpers front and rear. Line it with skid plates.
Replace the seat belts and put a solid aluminum driver's seat or at least a one piece plastic. This will protect your son in rear end accidents more then anything, especially with a limiting strap on the seat.
Your wiring harness and all ignition components are now 35 years old, a capacitor in your engine computer needs no excuse to leak and burn. It is way beyond it's designed life cycle.
It is getting very hard to find QUALITY parts any more for the vehicles. If I was going to dump money into a B2 engine, it would be a bone stock 302.
One thing you could do to make it more reliable is replace the whole braking system including hard lines. Replace the whole fuel system including the tank. To protect the investment, put good rear bumpers front and rear. Line it with skid plates.
Replace the seat belts and put a solid aluminum driver's seat or at least a one piece plastic. This will protect your son in rear end accidents more then anything, especially with a limiting strap on the seat.