The first big trip after 13 years.

[Bart F-350]

Hello,
I bought my truck in 2005, due to registration issues I was'nt allowed to drive her.
In order to keep everything moving and not rotten in place I took a tour trough the remote woods every month.
A good week ago I started a bigger tour, the mileage was 8000, and the tanks were full.
the weather was cold, around 0*C, and dry. You could notice that the whole truck was a bitt stiff from this long rest, but everything went well, better be, because I had done quiet some things for preparations; rear axle seals replaced, since the axle oil contaminated the brakes, also replacing the axle oil and brake linings and cilinder.
In the front I replaced the brake hoses due to old age, and overhauled the calipers and MC. after a check of all the oil levels I took off.
al in all I drove a 1600 Miles, and even at the halfway mark you could already notice that everything started to free up, starts were easier, braking improved, shifting from the E4OD also.
there were of course a couple of small flows: after a couple of miles the engine started to smell after diesel, and after a quick check I'd seen that the new fuel return lines were sweating, I decided to put them under surveillance.
Also I noticed that at about 60 miles at 2000 rpm the E4OD started to hunt, once and a while, about 200 rpm plus, and then back again at 2000 rpm???
anybody here an Idea about the cause?
What would be the Ideal charge for the batteries? The gauge indicates 13.2V I alwais thought 14.2 would be best?

This was a very awarding trip, I got the truck trough and through warmed up (and now ready to change all oils to new ones), got confidence in my truck, got her registered (at least!!!).

and now the second phase arrives, how to build the best possible (for me) camper out of it?
Thanks for any reactions.

1989 F-350 7.3IDI 4x4 ex US AIRFORCE ambulance.

__________________
greetings, Bart

 

[IDIBRONCO]

If I was to guess about the transmission "hunting", judging by your statement of "about 200 rpm plus" I'd say that it sounds like your torque convertor is locking and unlocking. If the ambulance box is quite a bit bigger than the cab of the truck, then you may be getting a lot of wind resistance and that could cause this.

 

[Christian9112]

Im in the same process with my ambulance in terms of registration. My registration says it is commercial. I dont know if I can drive it as I dont have a commercials license. What did you end up doing in order to drive it legally?

 

[Christian9112]

also, did you replace the FIPL or TPS sensor?

 

[Bart F-350]

@IDIBRONCO , that should not be possible, since this combo is build like that, and they won't accept if it did so with a patient abord, I'm sure!

other that that, (I did'nt mention) I had to remove the ambu body and replaced it with a flat deck (the officials told me to, and after that still refused to register my truck! hence the thirteen years of obligatory rest in my meadow, but that is a whole other story.)

@Christian9112, no I didn't replace that sensor yet, and I can't help you with your "commercial" reg., since I live abroad (europe) sorry.

 

[chillman88]

Im in the same process with my ambulance in terms of registration. My registration says it is commercial. I dont know if I can drive it as I dont have a commercials license.

Cali may be different, it usually is. Here in NY there's no reason you couldn't drive it as long as the door sticker says the GVWR is LESS than 26,000lbs. My truck has commercial plates and a GVWR or 10,000 and my wife with a non commercial license can legally drive it.

Private message Towcat, he is in Cali and is very knowledgeable about the DOT regulations concerning hauling. If he doesn't know, I'm sure he can point you in the right direction.

 

[tradergem]

Unless California changed the DMV regulations since I left, you used to be able to drive a pickup registered with commercial plates and not have to have a CDL.

 

[DaveBen]

Still the same. No CDL needed for a pickup truck.

 

[79jasper]

For now. They are trying to pass new laws though.

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[IDIBRONCO]

@IDIBRONCO , that should not be possible, since this combo is build like that, and they won't accept if it did so with a patient abord, I'm sure!

Yes, when it was new. This could still be all original and you could have mechanical or electrical parts that need to be replaced. I believe that the lock up in the convertor is electrically controlled. Since you don't have the ambulance box on it, my wind resistance theory no longer applies. It still sounds like the torque convertor to me. I know it's totlaay different, but I have seen quite a few Chevy 700R4 transmissions that had their torque convertors that would lock and un lock going down the highway.

 

[Bart F-350]

Aha, Ok, I will have the throttle sensor looked after, and the trans fluid replaced, and then I'm curious if it still happens, though this might take a while.

 

[Danielle]

Do you have a trans temp sensor? Mine used to do something similar before it began overheating on long trips. After installing a big cooler, it was resolved. (Until my dad blew it up!)


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[Bart F-350]

not yet, but one will be installed one of the next days.

 

[Bart F-350]

Well, I guess something more drastic is in place here now, and I guess that I need more as only a new filter.
I think that if you are aware of symptoms, and and have a indication, things doesn't necessarely have to turn out nasty.
Here is the proof that something in my observations went wrong; yesterday (more in the middle of the night) my E4OD puked out its guts, all over the street. and a small cloud of smoke as a "burp".
I was asked to help a friend out, he bought a caravan 6600Lbs, and asked me to get it.
we didn't really well prepare the route, so we didn't knew that we had to cross a pass with about 1001 curbs, and some serious grades.
earlier on the route, just before we arrived at the sellers place, the earlier "hunting" from about twohundred rpm's became more intensive. I thought that had to do with the tps and woud dissapear if I cleaned the contacts, or changed the thing. but not beeing in a position to do so, we continued.
so we hooked up with the beast, and off we got.
then there was this pass, we got over it, working the truck hard, when it fell back in speed and rev's I downshifted, so the engine wasn't lugging, and I was under the impression that with a bit more rpm's (up to 3000) everyting necessary would have had more cooling as well.
It's a 7.3 idi 4x4 ambulance package so normally they are executed from the factory with the heavy-duty coolers and all that!?!?? I guess that heavy duty here doesn't mean that much???
Ok, so far all went well, and we continued our route. I smelled a wiff of the brakes, but that was all, (I also downshifted on the decent, to help the brakes a bit).
Then we had more flat land to cross, but here I noticed that with accelerating, the gearbox stayed longer than normally in a lower gear, thereby revving the engine to about 3000Rpm. and we didn't smell anything, nor were we indicated a high temp. somwhere??? and at a certain moment I had to stop before entering another route, and there it was, we saw a small cloud of smoke in the headlights, and smelled hot trans oil, when I got out of the car all of the oil was leaking onto the road. and we were nailed!

My question, taking into consideration that this truck has stood still most part of it's life, ( I just passed the 10.000Miles and it's a '89).
I'm guessing and hoping that it's only a seal that gave up? due to old age and hardening of non usage?
What exactly has happened here?

 

[Danielle]

Well, I guess something more drastic is in place here now, and I guess that I need more as only a new filter.
I think that if you are aware of symptoms, and and have a indication, things doesn't necessarely have to turn out nasty.
Here is the proof that something in my observations went wrong; yesterday (more in the middle of the night) my E4OD puked out its guts, all over the street. and a small cloud of smoke as a "burp".
I was asked to help a friend out, he bought a caravan 6600Lbs, and asked me to get it.
we didn't really well prepare the route, so we didn't knew that we had to cross a pass with about 1001 curbs, and some serious grades.
earlier on the route, just before we arrived at the sellers place, the earlier "hunting" from about twohundred rpm's became more intensive. I thought that had to do with the tps and woud dissapear if I cleaned the contacts, or changed the thing. but not beeing in a position to do so, we continued.
so we hooked up with the beast, and off we got.
then there was this pass, we got over it, working the truck hard, when it fell back in speed and rev's I downshifted, so the engine wasn't lugging, and I was under the impression that with a bit more rpm's (up to 3000) everyting necessary would have had more cooling as well.
It's a 7.3 idi 4x4 ambulance package so normally they are executed from the factory with the heavy-duty coolers and all that!?!?? I guess that heavy duty here doesn't mean that much???
Ok, so far all went well, and we continued our route. I smelled a wiff of the brakes, but that was all, (I also downshifted on the decent, to help the brakes a bit).
Then we had more flat land to cross, but here I noticed that with accelerating, the gearbox stayed longer than normally in a lower gear, thereby revving the engine to about 3000Rpm. and we didn't smell anything, nor were we indicated a high temp. somwhere??? and at a certain moment I had to stop before entering another route, and there it was, we saw a small cloud of smoke in the headlights, and smelled hot trans oil, when I got out of the car all of the oil was leaking onto the road. and we were nailed!

My question, taking into consideration that this truck has stood still most part of it's life, ( I just passed the 10.000Miles and it's a '89).
I'm guessing and hoping that it's only a seal that gave up? due to old age and hardening of non usage?
What exactly has happened here?

I'm not saying this is your solution but I had same symptoms - overheating and dumping all fluid on long trips and once when towing a boat.

I installed a huge cooler and eliminated where the lines go into radiator. My radiator also had a small leak and it may have been heating up my trans fluid.

But if you google search the E4od, most issues are overheating. There are larger deeper trans pans allowing greater capacity. There are larger diameter cooler lines. And most recommend an in line filter with temp gauge on the outlet to the cooler.

Just have to figure out cause of overheat so start at basics.

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