Van Restoration Project

[yARIC008]

I've never seen one of those windshield washer filters.
Is it a check valve? Lol

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I don't think it is. I found them on ebay. It had a factory one on there that basically just fell apart when i pulled it off the line. It was a similar design.

 

[79jasper]

Hmm.
I'm gonna have to look on my truck now to see if it has one.

I have seen people talk about check valves though. Lessens the delay between the wipers moving dry and actually spraying.

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[yARIC008]

Okay, basically have the under hood done to my satisfaction. It's all good except engine paint now, which kinda sucks, but will give me something to do in the coming years, eh?

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Here is basically stripped down before i redid much

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here is it cleaned and coated with lizard skin

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Here's it put back together with the trim back on.

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Battery and fuse box cleaned up, new strap downs for the batteries.

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Same here.

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Vacuuming out AC lines and sweeping out with nitrogen to ensure it's 100% dry.

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These are radiator brackets to make the van shroud work with the champion radiator.

Funny thing, i couldn't figure out where to get adapters to make the tranny cooler work on this new radiator. After finding some stuff that kinda worked, I was chopping up the box it came in to throw it away, and what do you know... a little baggy of adapters falls out. So, that was stupid, but glad I found it.

 

[F350camper]

Nice find on the hidden adapters
I have the utmost respect for you van dudes. Great work as always Eric!

 

[mbolton1990]

Good work on those brackets!

Those look real nice, I have zipties holding my shroud on for now.. It's solid!

I was really impressed by the quality of the Champion radiators,and it's nice to pop your hood and see a little bling.

 

[sgallaty]

...
I have the utmost respect for you van dudes. ...

I always wonder if every other ford van guy reacts the way I do when I see a truck engine interior. "Wow there's so much room to work in there!"

 

[yARIC008]

Yeah, I've been working on the van so long I'm just used to the tight quarters. Not even a challenge if it's not a van, lol. Now that everything is back in though, i'm really not looking forward to taking my brand new steering gear back out again now that it leaks. I'm pretty damn pissed about that, quite the demotivator. Was hoping to get her out on the road this week. Probably will be another two weeks to screw around trying to get this replacement gear.

 

[yARIC008]

So, I've made a bit of progress, need to get some pictures going.

I've got the AC working finally after that massive debacle, got the two front chairs installed, got engine compartment all buttoned up. Best part is I now seem to have NO LEAKS. This is probably the first time in 10+ years I haven't had some sort of leak. I drove her for a couple hours yesterday, pulled it back in the garage and after sitting overnight, nothing is on the floor!

Bad news is my steering is not returning to center on it's own for some reason. Going to pull the steering damper off to see if that somehow is causing it. I don't remember this being an issue before. Only thing that has really changed is the redhead steering gear and possibly the alignment of some of the tie rods from screwing with it all.

 

[79jasper]

Hate to say it, but thats usually the box. Lol
Steering dampener could. Just not as common.

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[yARIC008]

Hate to say it, but thats usually the box. Lol
Steering dampener could. Just not as common.

Nice... probably so. I took the damper off today and it's about the same, maybe slightly better. I guess I'll try lubing everything up again to see if maybe that helps. It drives perfectly straight once the wheel is straight and every little movement in the steering wheel makes the wheels move, there's no play. But when turning, it'll come back to center except for maybe half a turn, then not go any further.

 

[F350camper]

Only other thought would be ball-joint(s). But that would seem to be quite the coincidence since the box was just changed.

 

[yARIC008]

Ball joints are new moogs and are lubed up. I mean I guess they could be binding up somehow even though they're new. I am thinking about this road master steering stabilizer. It's got a spring on the stabilizer that it supposed to help bring the wheel to center and keep it there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoK8sdwySB8

 

[Thewespaul]

Installed one on our 96 E350 with psd and it still had issues. Sold the van once it needed injectors

 

[Shadetreemechanic]

I would try loosening the adjustment on the steering box by 1/4 turn. Not returning to center is classic symptom of a box that has been overtightened.

 

[yARIC008]

I would try loosening the adjustment on the steering box by 1/4 turn. Not returning to center is classic symptom of a box that has been overtightened.

Aye, I'm thinking I'll call Redhead and see what they think and if they'll let me adjust it. With as expensive as this thing is and I'm pretty sure it said warranty was void if adjusted, I wouldn't want to mess that up.