What power can the 5.8-liter stock engine produce?
Let’s start with the basics. This is a 1996 Ford Bronco. We know that there will be comments filled with OJ Simpson jokes about his 1994 police chase. Let’s get this out of the way and let’s focus on what is really important. What is the Bronco’s juice after 25 years and 212,000 km? We’ve said it, so let’s get on with the business.
1996 was the final year of the big Bronco. Although technically it’s the fifth generation of the Bronco, all five generations were connected to full-size Ford F-Series trucks. The Bronco has a large frame under and a variety of big engines at the front. This is Ford’s 5.8-liter pushrod engine V8. According to Late Model Preservation, the engine is completely stock.
Although it looks amazing, it isn’t a garage queen. It has racked up 212,000 mile over 25 years, but we assume that it was well maintained. It’s an old-school V8 that sends power through a 4-speed automatic transmission. Since it has four-wheel drive, a transfer box is necessary to get the horsepower from engine to ground. The video shows that there is an expected loss of 18% between the crankshafts and the wheels. The old slushbox, transfer case and transfer box really sap power.
The stock Bronco’s 5.8-liter Bronco had 205 horsepower (153 Kilowatts) as well as 328 pound-feet (445 Newton meters) of torque. It sounds soft, even though it is a new Bronco that puts out almost 100 more poniesfrom its turbocharged, 2.3-liter fourcylinder. That’s almost a quarter century of technological progress for you. The V8 in the old rig was perfectly acceptable given its time.
This is not 1996. This is 2021, and 212,000 miles is nothing to be ashamed of. The classic SUV produced 165 horsepower (123 kW) with 260 lbft (353 Newton meters) of torque in just one pull on the chassis-dyno. The driveline loss of 19% is slightly higher than the original power ratings at crankshaft. This means that power at the wheels matches the original power ratings. This is a good deal for an off-roader that was well-used in the 1990s. It’s not bad at all.