Buying 85 IDI ATS turbo motorhome!

[genscripter]

That sounds a lot like the Hypermax down-pipe ring. Hypermax must have copied the ATS style. I personally liked the Banks connection, because it bolts on, eliminating any possible leakage. The piston-style-ring sometimes can still leak even after it warms up.

 

[Cubey]

I replaced the missing rear window today. I ordered it off ebay. It didn't come with the inner piece it needed, but I just drilled holes and mounted it with screws.

https://imgur.com/a/68BdMeT

 

[Cubey]

I guess I should construct some kind of cold intake lid for the turbo air filter. EGT seem perhaps a little high, but not excessive. Highest I've seen it has been 900, but... the gauge in a bad spot, you have to lean forward to see it around the steering wheel. That was on pretty steep hills and trying not to slow down too much. EGTS drop pretty fast once it's not under such a load.

My highway MPG is a bit lousy (even for what it is, I think) probably not helped by the open top air filter it has right now. But maybe it's just the hills that did it. I'll know better in a week or two since I'm back on the road with the motorhome since the other day.

What kind of material would be good, ABS? It wouldn't suffer from retaining heat like metal. Or should I go with aluminum/steel sheet metal? The air flowing in would probably help keep the metal cooler. so maybe heat build up wouldn't be a problem.

I honestly don't think an original ATS lid could fit height wise, plus the OEM van cold air intake funnel is on the passenger side, where it has hoses and such in the way. It isn't easy to get ahold of just the lid, either.

Anyone have a picture of an NA or other turbo'd IDI van showing the air duct routing so I could get an idea of how it might route?

 

[RDieselKid84]

Cubey, I'LL see if I can get you a shot of the air duck intake on the old 84 E350 I have in the next few days. I have to take the dog house off to get it. It is all original.

 

[genscripter]

I had a plan to run cold air intake under the passenger side battery tray, but now I think I'll reserve that space to run innercooler plumbing to the grill area.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

I had a plan to run cold air intake under the passenger side battery tray, but now I think I'll reserve that space to run innercooler plumbing to the grill area.

I'm sure that you'd see better results from the intercooler.

 

[genscripter]

I'm sure that you'd see better results from the intercooler.

I was also considering moving my passenger side battery to the frame, so that I could use that space to put a air filter box, and run my inner cooler tubing under that to the grill area. I gotta move my air filter off the top of the engine, there is just no room in these vans to access the engine if that filter crap is in the way.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

there is just no room in these vans to access the engine if that filter crap is in the way.

Even though it's been well over 18 years since I've worked on an IDI powered van, I can still remember that they are VERY limited on space. Any extra that you can gain is a huge improvement.

 

[Cubey]

I had a plan to run cold air intake under the passenger side battery tray, but now I think I'll reserve that space to run innercooler plumbing to the grill area.

Maybe I'm wrong, but it looks like mine already has an air intake there. At least, there appears to be.

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[RDieselKid84]

Cubey, I haven't had a chance to get the pictures of the intake. The picture you have of the lower right corner by the lights is the intake for the breather. Hope to get you the pictures soon.

 

[genscripter]

Maybe I'm wrong, but it looks like mine already has an air intake there. At least, there appears to be.

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I took that stock air hose out when I put in my turbo. I'm hoping to use that space in the future to make a custom air filter box or conduit for intercooler... idk. just dreaming

 

[Cubey]

Post some pictures of the rot, it is all fixable. Old Mister Bill was the master rv repair guy on here, but even with him gone there are several of us who have worked on some. Unfortunately I don't think that make had anything but a wooden frame, so you need to be careful taking it apart so you can get measurements to figure out how it should go back.

To give an update/response to the part I highlighted above, this thing actually has some metal structure to it! I have seen it in places. That's why it didn't totally collapsed in on itself 5-10 years ago. The wood seems to largely be for giving places to run screws in for the trim pieces to connect the gaps between panels, and for the structure around the RV windows (again, to drive in screws)

This is up in the cabover on the right side, above the passenger side van/cab door, it's part of the RV conversion, not part of the Ford-made chassis. You can see the rusty metal frame where it goes across then goes up diagonally, which is how the cab over nose is shaped.

I was replacing the totally rotten out wood that sat on top of it. It's mostly there for the trim between the different pieces of fiberglass panels outside, where you see the daylight coming in without the trim attached. It's also supposed to be the base for the wall structure around the small window, but it still feels sturdy above the completely rotten area. Water went down and sat on that metal frame with the wood sitting on it and completely rotted the wood. I couldn't get a 2x3 board where I was when I saw it needed immediate attention, so I put 2x2 instead since the metal frame is the true structure. It let me seal the wall properly outside with butyl tape and the aluminum trim.

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A piece of the wood I removed and one of the screws from the trim that was going into it:

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The new 2x2 board stuck in. The trim wasn't attached yet outside, hence the daylight still coming in on that right side:

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[Clb]

Well I had 6 multi quotes written up.
hit post.
phawk
Only 1 made it.
maybe later...

So are you living in and dd this???

 

[Cubey]

Edit
Only 2 kinds or rv ever built...
The ones that leak now, and the ones that will!

I can't even remember how many people I've talk to with brand new trailers and motorhomes that already leak.

so did ya ever diagnose this???

Diagnose what? Which trans and diff it has? C6 and Dana 70 4.10 open (not limited slip).

You still feel this way?
I read thru this, no where is it stated,
Are you living and traveling in this???

Yes I still feel it was an ok buy and that I should keep chipping away at repairs and yes I full time in it.

It's true, I could have gotten a newer gas motorhome for $5k-7k with way less rot, but it would have still been 25+ years old and probably and everything (tires, shocks, brakes, belts, hoses, etc) rotten and worn out on it too. Mileage would probably be worse too, even with an E4OD. This was $3200 before the immediate $1200 90% complete brake work, $532 for 6 el cheapo tires (plus mount/balance), and maybe another $1000 since on other parts I've done myself, including:

- All radiator & heater hoses ($30-40?)
- Coolant flush (about $100 I'd say including radiator flush solution and a cheap plastic flush kit)
- Radiator cap ($7)
- Thermostat (~$30)
- Fan clutch ($66, IDIBRONCO helped with installation when I was going through KS)
- Brake pads (Bendix Fleet Metlok MKD120FM, $23)
- Brake booster ($105)
- Vacuum pump ($67)
- Fuel hose ($?)
- Rear shocks ($71 for both, Monroe 555043 Gas-Mag RV)
- Front shocks ($190 for a pair of Bilstein, ordered and delivered to my mom's house, just not installed yet)
- Equus mechanical coolant temp gauge ($13; I had $10 gift credit on Amazon)
- LubeLocker reusable differential cover gasket (no RTV needed) ($25)
- Paper air filter (Mahle 91111018502ML - $13)
- NOS K&N filter ($39)
- Turbo blanket ($26)
- Power steering pressure hose ($8, the o-ring leaks on the old original, not installed yet)
- Power steering return hose ($5, uses clamps on hose barbs)
- All belts, plus spares (~$35, RockAuto closeouts mostly)

Some RV area related stuff:

- RV entry door window & frame ($61)
- Rear emergency exit window ($88)
- Dicor lap sealant (for sealing roof, $40)
- Electric fuel pump for the generator ($9)
- Replacement compartment hatch for the power cord ($14)
- Replacement 30A cord end ($9)
- Anode rod for water hater ($13)
- Roof hatch cover lid (~$30, paid retail)
- Gas line and fittings to hard plumb Buddy Heater I already had to the low pressure LP system (~$50)

All that comes out to about $1,200. Not too horrible, I suppose.

There's probably another $200 (or more) worh of misc for both the chassis and the RV area but that gives you a good idea.

I'm not counting oils like chassis & generator engines, differential, power steering (from the leak) since that's normal stuff you get on anything. Also not counting the solar panels and related parts, I'd buy them no matter the RV.

I had just bought new EverStart Maxx 65N batteries for the truck like 2 months prior and the RV needed batteries, so I just swapped them over, saving me $200 and not letting the new batteries sit there and rot in the truck.

I could drop it off at my mom's and switch back to the truck camper if I really wanted to, but I don't. I like the room, comfort and running water I have in here. The truck constantly needed stuff too, being only 2 years newer. It's driveshaft carrier bearing went out the same day the passenger side window mysteriously shattered while driving at 60mph, shattering it. Got shafted by a shop on the differential. I did the glow plugs, glow plug relay, alternator, starter (had a shop do it), vacuum pump, inner wheel seal on the rear, front brake work (calipers, hoses, pads), whole front end (tie rods, ball joints, shocks), tires, etc etc and on and on. Yeah I started all over with the motorome but I like the setup better than a slide in camper. And I HATED pulling a trailer, I tried that last year.

 

[Clb]

You might grab a moderator and see if This could go into a "camping rig type deal perhaps in towing\hauling..
You are run of the mill as to mechanical issues so the thread is good where it is now.
But perhaps making an "rv upgrades and maintenance" thread? ??
I know there are quite a few here with rigs, and a thread dedicated to campers \issues would be