Introduction..new to 7.3 IDI and diesels, not new to Fords

[Paul E350]

Paul here from Gardner, Massachusetts. A few weeks ago I brought this home on a rollback from Saugerties NY. Sorry I don't have a better pic, however I've been working on this most of my free time. I've been lurking here for about a month, reading up on how these engines work, this forum has been great to solve the problems I had, and to learn. This is my first diesel of any type, however any gasser alive I can fix.

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History shows it to have lived in Florida until very recently, and then only 1000 miles driven up here. Very rust free except for a few spots on the floorpan around the passenger's side seat tray mounting points. The van would only idle at purchase, turns out the lift pump was toast. After reading up on these diesels, I picked up the Facet electronic pump and she drives! PO spent over 3K dancing around the problem, all to my benefit.....new fuel tank, pickup/sending unit, fan clutch, water pump, lines and on and on.

I'm lovin this van, did radius arm bushings, put a set of new Michelins on her, PO had installed KYB Gas-A-Just shocks, van drive straight and body rattle/door rattle is not an issue. She's showing 16MPG in mixed driving, I've changed the oil, air filter, and plan to do a complete flush and fill with new antifreeze once my local Tractor Supply gets in more of the Fleet Charge antifreeze, they only had 3 gallons in stock, and I got 'em, one more and I can get that job done.

So I'm wondering.....of all the expertise here...does anyone know of a place or a person who may have a NOS section of floorpan, the one the seats bolt thru? I can get left and right front pans online, however on this truck mine are in excellent shape. I would prefer to put a new section of pan in this , however if need be I'll patch what I have. I actually make it sound worse than it is....however I'm plannning to slowly bring this van back one day at a time.

Best to all here,

Paul

 

[Wyreth]

Can't help you with sourcing the floorpan. But welcome to the forum anyway!

Nice rig too!

 

[Paul E350]

I know it'll come up, so I'll tell now.... I paid $1000 for the van. Nice finding a southern truck delivered within 150 miles of me. For some reason I checked the Hudson Vally NY craigslist, and there it was..........

 

[Devon Harley]

Sweet ride I think vans are sweet! Welcome to Ob! Keep us posted on updates with your rig.

 

[Devon Harley]

Smokin deal! The pig in my sig I paid 1350. Po thought trans was bad new fipl sensor an new filter oil trans cooler she was ready to roll. Oh ya CL find as well!

 

[Wyreth]

I know it'll come up, so I'll tell now.... I paid $1000 for the van. Nice finding a southern truck delivered within 150 miles of me. For some reason I checked the Hudson Vally NY craigslist, and there it was..........

hehe, quite a few people from the rust belt are going to be really jealous of you.

 

[Paul E350]

hehe, quite a few people from the rust belt are going to be really jealous of you.

True! Though most folks around my town haven't got a clue to what it is. In the pic with the rollback is my friend Davey...he's another Ford guy like me...there's a few of us around here.

Yesterday I pulled a set of seats out of a 2007 Glaval custom Ford van, those are going in, tomorrow I'm pressure washing the whole inside floor pan. I found a van in CT with good door panels in Grey, went and got those a couple weeks ago... toasted the transmission in my daily driver Taurus on the way home.....still need to deal with that but it can wait. The interior is a mess. Its a slow process getting it cleaned up. I need some door gaskets, Florida has dried out the gaskets in the truck now. Big list, I need to drop the transmission pan, drain the torque converter and put in a new filter. Lucky for me its a C6, I'd like overdrive but C6's are nearly indestructible if you take care of them.

 

[Wyreth]

but C6's are nearly indestructible if you take care of them.

Nearly... they can be killed tho, ask me how I know. =P

 

[idi_econoline]

Welcome to OB, PaulE350. There are a few of us extra-insane IDI-E guyz on here, though not many!

Nice-looking beast ya got there. Spent many a year in the early body-style. Dunno about that porthole on the side, but I'm not fond of my PO's side window either. But, then, IDI Es are rare finds these days. Nearly all used-up and crushed, even out here, in the land without rust.

My thought is that the body is heavier steel in the early bodies. How I miss the solid door-slam of the earlies. Actually, there's a nice light-250 gasser E for sale down the street from me. But my budget's shot as I start a head gasket job on my E. Urffff.

Oh, one quick question: Slider or swing doors? How I miss the early sliding door! Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[idi_econoline]

Ah, single rear fuel tank (like 16 gallons?) and spare tire inside. Forgot about that.

FYI, later mid-tank is like 26, with spare underneath in rear. Ford figured that out by '92.

Still, fond memories. Pls pardon my nostalgia.

Oh, suggest you check your glow plugs. They didn't have to work hard down south, but they sure will for you, as the weather cools (and freezes). Even one bad one will give you grief, and starter wear!

And yeah, the aftermarket wheelcovers are crap. The one we had at work actually stayed on for 6 months.

 

[DOE-SST]

Here in NM, the junkyard vans are almost completely rust free, and a big section of floor would cost around $25.

The problem would be cutting it out with a cordless saw, and shipping it to you.

Personally, since the floor would be covered with carpet anyway, I'd just weld in a big piece of 1/8" steel sheet. Plug weld it everywhere so it doesn't tear out in an accident.


I have several E350s, and they are great haulers. The only weak point is the floor. They will buckle with heavy loads (2000-3000 lbs). Mine aren't rusted. so I screwed down 5/8" plywood over them to support heavy loads. Put a hydraulic wheelchair lift in the back and you can haul all kinds of loads very easily.

 

[idi_econoline]

The only weak point is the floor. They will buckle with heavy loads (2000-3000 lbs). Mine aren't rusted. so I screwed down 5/8" plywood over them to support heavy loads. Put a hydraulic wheelchair lift in the back and you can haul all kinds of loads very easily.

I believe it, DOE-SST. Fortunately, some PO put down heavy plywood on my rust-free floors. Since most Es are 150s, Ford got away with minimal floor bracing. Our work E350s never dealt with heavy enough loads to be damaged.

BTW, my PO put in BMW seats! Held in with Grade 5 bolts and spaced with washers. Lucky for me he still had the stock seats, and that was my first project. I do still need to seal the holes in the floor.

 

[Paul E350]

Answers:

PO put in new glow plugs and a new controller, tank and sending unit/pickup are new as well. The tank IS small, only 22 gallons.Just in case I bought some real Ford correct glow plugs. This van does have the sliding door on the side (big plus for me). I found real Ford tip-out privacy glass for the slider and the two back doors. Previous tilt-out windows had some sort of all-bubbled-up ghetto tint on them. :-( She needs a good buff, and I have yet to diagnose why the cruise doesn't work, horn fuse OK, got to dig deeper into that. Tilt wheel is stuck in somewhat of a down position, I need to get at that too.

I have removed a boatload of very questionable wiring added by a previous owner, diagnosed and fixed the blower motor for the heat. Guy I bought it from installed new fan clutch and water pump himself, no leaks and he did a good job howeveer instead of disconnecting the A/C lines he just cut 'em off the condenser in front and he removed the compressor. I have it, and down the road that'll be another task.

I haven't had this style E series in quite a while, last one I had was an '87 E350 with no windows, and a 351 Windsor....the last year with a carburetor. Here's a pic below of my '87, probably taken in '91 or '92: