Buying 85 IDI ATS turbo motorhome!

[Cubey]

Here's the new valve kit.

It came with 2 sets of instructions, both basically giving the same installation instructions, but they aren't identical documents.

The one on the yellow paper is printed much more clearly than the one on the white paper. The document number of the yellow sheet when Googled comes up as a PDF title saying Standard as the brand, as does the domain (smpcorp).
https://eaccess.smpcorp.com/eCatalogs/Downloads/EMD/GF5642-4REV.pdf

The company logo upper left says "Pollak by SMP", so I was right... Pollak (SMP) is making them all:
http://products.pollakaftermarket.c.../light-truck-6-port-motor-driven-valve/42-300

I'm guessing the crappy white sheet was printed by AutoZone for the Duralast brand. I wonder if they weren't supposed to include the yellow sheet, and the person boxing mine missed removing it, since one review for these on AutoZone said the instructions were very poor quality.

Oh, and both instruction sheets specifically say you can use it with gasoline or diesel.

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[IDIBRONCO]

At least you'll soon be able to use both tanks again.

 

[Cubey]

At least you'll soon be able to use both tanks again.

I need to get some filters and extra fuel line first. I need to relocate the valve slightly since the Holley pump is taking up the spot where it was mounted. I will probably just screw it into the underside of the RV since it's plywood up there above the thin skin of sheet metal. YOu can see some plumber tape (metal strapping) there with a screw holding it up. The valve isn't heavy and doesn't vibrate much so it should be fine. It's that or mount it outside of the frame rail. Or relocate the Holley pump a bit further forward? Not sure how to go about it.

Old pic from when I first installed the pump:

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I hate the glass filter in the pic since it seems to leak no matter how much I tighten it, so I think I will buy a couple of these $4 metal canister filters:
https://www.autozone.com/filters-and-pcv/fuel-filter/duralast-fuel-filter-ff3330dl/830807_0_0

It's that or clear plastic ones. Plastic is nice since you can see if the element collapses in, which can happen. It did on my F250 in winter when the fuel gelled slightly and the dinky 12D pump sucked on it. Made it act fuel starved (surged) until I replaced the filter. Metal is nice since it can't break, though.

I found that Walmart sells these. And yep 3/8" barbs.

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[Cubey]

Oh and unrelated to the fuel system, I am finally replacing the missing black water tank. I ordered one of these today:

https://www.classacustoms.com/WASTE-TANK-24-Gallon-Black-Water-Holding-Tank_p_329.html

 

[Cubey]

Here's how I plan to mount the new tank. I dunno if it's the best way, but it only needs to support ~200lbs including the tank's weight.

There is heavy C channel framing under there between where the tank needs to go, with the open end facing outward. It's 30" between the channels, and the tank is about 23" wide.

Gonna use 3/8" thread rods run sideways at each end to suspend the tank with 1" angle aluminum (1/16" thick) like this:

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blue=c channels
red=angle aluminum
grey=threaded rod
(nuts/washers not drawn. not to scale)

I'll put lock nuts & washers on both sides of the C channel frame, and at the angle aluminum, so the tank should be secure nice and tight, which should help the threaded rods from flexing. A 3/8" threaded rod at both ends of the tank should be plenty sturdy to hold up ~230lbs. It'll be butted up against the 2x4s above, so it shoudn't be able to bounce.

If I found that it looks questionable, I can always add extra support with some perforated flat bar, bolted at the threaded rods and the 2x4s.

Here is a real world shot of the area, with the C channels highlighted in blue.

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[Cubey]

I got the FSV installed today. I did a lazy job on the pigtail wiring (hand spliced and cheap electrical tape) but it's good enough for now. It's easy to access to fix/redo if I ever need to. I have yet to air purge/start the engine but I did check that the ports were working properly in respect to the switch before I connected the hoses.

I did mess up and buy 5/16" barb filters but they are close enough. If they cause problems, I'll get 3/8" barb ones.

I drilled new mounting holes for the Holley Red and moved it forward some to make room for the FSV. Also drilled new holes for the FSV since it has to be mounted upside down vs the original due to the hose connections being backwards vs the stock one. That entire space was for the FSV originally, so that's why it's so cramped having a Holley Red in there too. There's no other good place along the frame rail to have it further up forward due to various lines being in the way.

Hopefully none of the hoses will kink up. I did my best to route them so they wouldn't. I slightly, carefully bent the steel lines coming from the tanks by hand to help take stress off of the hoses between the tanks and the FSV. I ran the big loop between the FSV and pump since the hose barbs are so close and are pointing in different directions.

You need to use oil or petroleum jelly on the FSV's plastic barbs, otherwise the hoses refuse to go on, and can shed rubber bits if they do go on. Diesel isn't oily enough. And getting them back off is not an easy task, even with some kind of lube. Hopefully the FSV lasts a long time since it's a messy job. Hopefully the filters serve their purpose for a long time too.

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[IDIBRONCO]

Two tanks again and no leaking FSV? It looks good to me.

 

[Cubey]

Two tanks again and no leaking FSV? It looks good to me.

The only two wires I wasn't sure which way they went were the reversing power wires, depending which way the switch is set. And you have a 50% chance to get it right the first time. And I did. I'll go back and see which wires are which one day and write them down in my E350 Chilton book in case I ever need to reference it. As I recall, light green is front tank, darker green is rear tank (if I don't have those backwards), yellow is gauge, orange and brown are power. The aftermarket harness is marked A, B, C, D, E so you just have to match up the right color wires to the proper connection on the harness. The instructions tell you which letter is which connection. They were in a different order from the stock harness so you do have to pay attention.

I left a 5 star review for it on AutoZone to balance out the silly 1 star reviews people who don't know what they're doing posted. I pointed out that the other review is wrong and that it does say it's for diesel, as well as commenting on how it's not an easy installation but it's not THAT bad, if you are comfortable with light wiring and such.... which was in response to the other review of someone with a Chevy who couldn't figure out how to wire it up.

Starting it today was no big deal. It fired right up, only stuttered a tiny bit as the air in the supply line was purged but had no problems after that. Didn't stall at all. I guess not enough fuel drained out from the return line to matter. Switching between tanks caused no stuttering either. Driving 15-20mph just down to the dump station and back seemed fine.

I'll know better in a couple days when I leave here and start heading north if the 5/16" barb filters are restricting the flow. I doubt it though, honestly. The Holley pump probably makes up for it with it's more constant flow vs mechanical. It's a 10 mile drive to the main highway at up to 55mph (with a good place to pull over at the intersection, if I need to), then about 60 miles on the highway to the next town (65 limit?) with a mandatory border patrol stop/check point about 40 miles along the way. Shouldn't be too windy on the day I'm leaving, so it should be a good day to gauge how it's working.

 

[Cubey]

It drove fine with the 5/16" barb filters. No lack of power, no surging like it was fuel starving, etc.

 

[typ4]

I can get you a part number for inline screens instead of filters there otherwise you'll be changing them all the time. Trust me on this.

 

[Cubey]

I can get you a part number for inline screens instead of filters there otherwise you'll be changing them all the time. Trust me on this.

Sure. I only ever had to change a plastic one on my f250 once and that was probably due to it gelling up and collapsing it when the epump turned on.

 

[Cubey]

The transmission is probably on it's way out. It's something that started a coupe months ago. Sometimes when taking off from a stop, it seems to be slipping since it has a delay before it starts to go and then it suddenly catches and takes off. It's not a horrible grab but it's a noticeable none the less. It did at low altitude too, so I don't think it's VRV/vac related. Something is probably sticking or worn out. Doesn't always do it. Maybe 35-40% of the time?

I'm debating if I want to keep driving this summer (up in mountains...) or go find a cheap RV park and just sit there for the summer months (June, July, August and maybe Sept), and save at least $100/mo to put toward it later. (about all I can afford if paying RV park rent plus metered electric). If I continue on and if it'll hold out until next fall/winter then I can save several hundred a month instead. So... yeah. Not sure what to do.

I haven't put any additives in (yet) since it's not having problems that bad (yet). I would only do that as a last resort if it starts having problems even going into gear/moving. Could be a sticky valve or the torque converter and not the clutches, but who knows.

If it starts delaying going into D from P/N, then I'll know it's clutches. I had a Geo that was like that and finally first gear totally went and clogged up the filter. I could drive it 1-2 blocks (in 2nd) before I had to shut it off and let the crap settle in the pan. (thank goodness for old grid city streets). I limped it home that way and then had a trans shop come get it (free towing with rebuild).

On the plus side, I have the tools and drain pan to drain the trans pan if that were to happen. It has that aftermarket pan with a drain bolt too, so it'll be easy in a parking lot to drain the pan and just refill, if that's good enough to get out the crud that might clog the filter. I carry about a gallon of fresh Dex/Merc so I could potentially limp it somewhere with only 2nd and third if I get the crap out of the pan first, without the risk of burning it up. The trans is probably gonna be toast anyway, at 36 years old currently.

If I thought I could have it done for a reasonable price, I'd get an E4OD put in for an extra gear (higher mpg). It would probably cost twice what a performance built C6 rebuild would be though, so I doubt that's gonna happen.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Sometimes when taking off from a stop, it seems to be slipping since it has a delay before it starts to go and then it suddenly catches and takes off. It's not a horrible grab but it's a noticeable none the less.

When it does this, does it move forward and feels like it's slipping or does it just sit still until the grab? If it slips and moves forward, that sounds like it's not shifting to first at a stop all of the time. The grab is from when it shifts into first. My Red Truck does that once in a while. If I step on the throttle harder leaving from a stop, it does this less. It may be that all you need to do is some type of treatment.

 

[Cubey]

When it does this, does it move forward and feels like it's slipping or does it just sit still until the grab? If it slips and moves forward, that sounds like it's not shifting to first at a stop all of the time. The grab is from when it shifts into first. My Red Truck does that once in a while. If I step on the throttle harder leaving from a stop, it does this less. It may be that all you need to do is some type of treatment.

It sits there not moving, then grabs and moves. I'm at about 5,500ft elevation right now and it smokes quite a lot taking off from a stop. So I have been trying to baby the throttle a bit more to avoid that, since doing that in cities can be a no-no and that's where it tends to happen, with stop and go traffic. It's not "rolling coal" but it's still black smoke, like an old semi. Some car kind of cut me off in town yesterday (in a 25mph zone lol) because they probably got pissy about getting blasted with smoke when I took off from the many red lights I was hitting.

But... it was doing this at Lake Havasu City, AZ (where I first noticed it happening) so again I don't think it's elevation related. It was a lot of stop and go on the main highway through town.

I have seen where if I don't come to a complete stop (ie at yields) and accelerate, it seems to be in 2nd gear, so you might be on to something. Maybe it's not properly dropping to 1st. It has always the behavior of downshifting to 2nd when simply taking my foot off the pedal and coasting, once it slows down below a certain speed (about 30-35 I think?). Come to think of it, I think it hasn't been downshiftng to 1st, even when I shift it manually. I thought it was my imagination, but now I wonder. A placed I camped at recently had a steep gravel road in places so I was downshifting when coasting down the hills to save the brakes.

And it's always had late shifting too, 2nd at 25 and 3rd at 35'ish usually (but occasionally 30) despite adjusting the VRV and replacing the vac valve down on the trans itself with an adjustable one. So, it's probably got one or more issues. I often manually shift to 2nd to keep the RPMs down since it waits so long.

Hm, could that all be the 2nd gear band? Now I feel foolish, I have been putting it off because I thought I needed a different torque wrench to get 10ft lbs but my 3/8" one starts at 5. Sooooo yeah I should probably adjust that. But.... I'm not gonna do it right now! I'll wait until I'm in a city in case something goes wrong. Right now, I'm out in the middle of nowhere in Utah with very poor cell reception. It's good enough for setting the phone in a specific place and use the hotspot function (what I'm doing now) but calling may or may not work unless I climb a big hill.

It seems to do ok in 1st gear climbing hills, it doesn't seem to struggle there. So, yeah, it may be a downshifting problem.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

I haven't done much manual downshifting in an automatic for over 10 years so I don't remember really well. I had a 1984 Mustang with an AOD transmission that was kind of high geared. On one hill, in town, the speed limit is 30 at the top and 20 at the bottom. I would release the throttle and coast down the hill. Unless I downshifted manually, it would still stay at about 30 MPH. those don't have a spot for 2nd gear so I would drop to first on the shifter. The transmission would shift to second, but not first unless I coasted to around 15 MPH or so. They may not downshift (even manually) until the vehicle gets to a certain speed.