Upkeep on a heavy 7.3 idi bus

[Groovatic1]

Hey there!
I wanted to start a new thread as I am fairly new to the world of ford idi.
First, I bought a ford e350 cutaway shuttle bus with a non-turbo idi. When I bought this, it had 107000 on the clock. Weighing in at 12000 lbs and seems as though no maintenance has been performed, I quickly got an education on immediate issues.
First, I bypassed the auto glow plug circuit, and connected a push button switch and a 200 amp relay due to a starting issue. Problem solved there. I then took out the fuel filter assy. And took out the little heater thingy. Patched up all connections with gasoil. Now no leaks. The return fuel system was leaking.. Patched that... Ok.. Now running well.. On a return 1000 mile trip I lost the coolant pump. Then on the next trip, lost the tranny. -I'm carrying a huge weight mind you. Btw I'm running a Dana 70hd rear with 4.51 gears- I think..
Anyway 4500 bucks later for a billit rebuild, it seems to run strong. Are these e4od trannies known for the feeling of engaging/dis-engaging when you let off the throttle? It seems to feel almost like there is a one way clutch somewhere in the torque inverter.. Snappy strong response from engine now. Starts in 0 weather. Original injection pump. Always used rotella t oil with napa gold filters every 5 k. Letseeee... Cilica additive in coolant.

What else should I be aware of? I need this to be bullet reliable. So far so good. My family loves traveling in it. By the way her name is Beluga - my son named her.
Any input would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!

 

[riotwarrior]

WElcome

Read the FAQ and tech sections, tons of info in there for ya. BEFORE purchasing stuff check out HALL OF SHAME too!

Not much to add but may be time ton look and plan for a replacement IP and injectors. yer getting to point of end of life...nearing it 125K seems to be usual recommended changeout time.

Depending on yer location...

Mel aka Agnem here...at Conestoga diesel out east, and out west there is Russ, aka typ4 here, who has access to good pumps and then there is R&D Performance Justin has pumps too.

New injectors are recomended BTW but if you have to get rebuilds get em from a quality shop or person as listed.

PICS or this thread is useless

Enjoy yer ride it's a good one.

 

[BDCarrillo]

E4ODs are well known as E4DOAs... they are very prone to wear/failure with heavy loads. Heck, I stripped out a stock torque converter on an empty F250!

The funky feel of the tranny is the lockup clutch engaging/disengaging.

Coolant SCA levels are critical... plenty of info in the tech section.

 

[Groovatic1]

Thankyou! This is helpful. I tend to try driving very easy with the rig. ... So even though it running great i should be ready for a ip replacement soon?

 

[BDCarrillo]

Consider the IP -AND- injectors a wear item with a 100-125k mile life span. They are just like brakes... wear out until they don't work right anymore. The mechanical lift pump is also a cheap item to replace.

 

[Hydro-idi]

Is your E40D "beefed up" to handle that extra weight? If not, you will probably be back in the transmission shop in 50k. I would strongly suggest installing an extra-large transmission oil cooler in place of the stock one. This is a cheap upgrade that will drastically lower trans temps. High transmission temps is what kills most transmissions.
I am having my C6 rebuilt as we speak and should be done this afternoon or tomorrow morning. Transmission shop owner called to tell me that a few clutches were burnt real bad due to excessive heat. This news didn't surprise me. The PO did some serious towing with this truck before I owned it and left the factory oil cooler in place. He said I should be fine with the champion rad and oversize cooler I got on it now.

 

[Groovatic1]

So- I'm hearing a lot about moose pumps- you all think it's worth the investment with the injectors? Looks around a 1800 investment installed... Eye dang .. Pricey. But.. Don't want to make an investment that delivers headaches.. Seems crazy as ol beluga is running so snappy. Btw. I've rebuilt engines many times. I know mechanics pretty well. Would y'all recommend attacking this myself? What kinda s$&t would I get myself into? Thanks! You all on this forum are awesome!

 

[BDCarrillo]

IP and injectors aren't difficult to install but timing the pump is impossible without the right tools.

Moose and be happy, Pensacola or Diesel Care for continuous headache...

If it's still chugging along just fine don't fiddle with the injection system just yet.

 

[Groovatic1]

Thanks for the update on my e40d. Yes the shop assured me - southington transmissions in ct. That it was an industrial rebuild. Hd tq. They put a huge cooler in front of the radiator, and bypassed the stock radiator cooler. I'm running now 21qts of dextron synthetic. Hope....pray.....fingers and other things crossed..............

 

[Hydro-idi]

Thanks for the update on my e40d. Yes the shop assured me - southington transmissions in ct. That it was an industrial rebuild. Hd tq. They put a huge cooler in front of the radiator, and bypassed the stock radiator cooler. I'm running now 21qts of dextron synthetic. Hope....pray.....fingers and other things crossed..............

Sounds like it will be just fine .
I am another voter for Conestoga diesel. They will always be A+ in my books.
But like already stated, if it's running great and you are not having any issues with leaks, power loss, etc. I wouldn't invest in a new injection system if your old setup is working properly.

 

[BDCarrillo]

Information on the vehicle is your friend and will help with early detection of problems.

May be worthwhile to hook up a transmission temp sensor.

Also keep in mind that it needs a good tach signal, throttle sensor range, and vehicle speed signal to shift properly. Any issues on those sensors and you can eventually nuke the transmission.

A fuel pressure gauge (after the filter) may be beneficial to make sure the IP is well fed at all times.

A pyrometer may be a good idea too for intense hill climbs and very high demands, but in all likelihood a NA engine should be fine.

A real oil pressure gauge will help keep you informed as well. The later stock units are driven by a switch... above ~7 psi of oil will put the gauge into normal.

 

[Groovatic1]

Thanks guys! This is great! I've been researching now to the point of driving my wife nuts ... Moose it is! I'll have to save up for it. Dang the torque on the ol girl really feels like it will snap the driveshaft at around 2mph. Just snappy as heck. Not really good at maintaining 70 on the hills though......

 

[vegas39]

Don't know if your using much oil or not but in general, our old engines like to eat rotella. You may find better results switching to another brand. I am happy with Delo400 and my consumption dropped quite a bit after switching to it.

 

[riotwarrior]

Mine was a suggestion that the time is COMING the time is NOT NOW....so prepare for it...if running that well don't replace IP however .....checking timing WON"T hurt and may even make things better!!!

If you plan for replacement then when they need it it's NOT a shock or an issue. Getting a set of NEW injectors now...and holding onto those would be good idea as stock is drying up on NEW ones as they don't make em any longer! hint hint nudge nudge wink wink...then you have em when it's time. The IP well plan on it in 25K or so and be golden! Or sooner if failure happens!

Sounds to me like it's a great machine, and some TLC and elbow grease will go a very long way!

Again...suggestions are that...suggestions!

I'm still waiting on pictures.

 

[laserjock]

If your looking for a little more oomph, might look into a turbo kit. Used ones pop up pretty regular. That's a neat rig. I saw the pictures in the rides thread. Good luck.