On another note, took off the front wheels last night looking for a way to lift up the front end 2 inches. The coils have sagged over the years. Seems like I can weld a spacer into the lower coil pad if I buy a longer bolt. Unfortunately its going to be a pain to get a socket in there to loosen it up. I'm sure the bolt hasn't moved since it left the factory.
Hello everyone,
I just picked up my first diesel vehicle: a 1984 E-350 econoline with a 6.9 idi and c6. Been enjoying the fun of the van life and dove right into the project. The previous owner had build a bed platform in the back as he lived in it for a year during college. I went ahead and tore that out along with all the old wooden panels and insulation behind them. Clean start.
Before I get too far into interior though I’d really like to solve a few problems regarding drive ability. Here are the known problems:
-Power steering leak (belt removed until fixed)
-Leak in fuel lines (hard start after morning of sitting)
-Glow plugs controller?
As far as the power steering leak it’s just something I haven’t gotten to yet. Previous owner installed a new pump and it worked for a few months before leaking out all the fluid. I assume it just came loose when the two bolts holding the pump to the engine removed themselves lol.
For the fuel line leaks I’ve done some reading through the forum I discovered it’s a good idea to replace injectors and the water/fuel separator. I’m also a college kid with little money though so this is going to have to wait.
Lastly, I don’t know much about diesels (drove them for work) but I assume the glow plug light is supposed to stay on for a minute or so before i turn on the engine? Mine glow plugs seems to come on for about 5 seconds, wait 10 seconds, and then turn on again for another 3 seconds. They seem to go through this cycle over and over when the engine is cold. Is this normal? Also, when really cold, the glow plugs/indicator light seem to continue this cycle even after the engine is started. Sometimes it will even keep cycling for 10 minutes into a drive. Is this normal??
Thought I’d write up where I’m at for hopes of tips and instruction. All input is appreciated!
So are you going to do alot with this or just get it in driving condition? Either way, make sure you take pics and post them up here as this will be a fun build thread to watch.
Thanks for the pictures!
Unfortunately I looked and my throttle return spring was actually still attached the the front mount. The unfortunate part is it was broken in half. So I don’t actually have a throttle return spring. This explains the weird spring hooked around the linkage from above. Too bad the spring is not strong enough. The spring on the C6 kickdown was also the wrong spring even though it works... I’d like to replace all of them with new correct springs
I’ve searched the Internet for springs but I’ve had zero luck. Any chance you guys know where I can find part numbers for these springs?
You can find replacement springs at autoparts stores. Just bring your old one in and find one (preferably a "double" spring for added peace of mind) and compare the size. My local store has a half dozen different size springs.
Bummer. I'm sure you'll find a buyer in L.A. or S.F. Lots of people are buying these vans up to live in. How much are you asking?