Any Ford RV/ Motorhome experts on here?

Gary,

The pictures are great for now. I won't bug for any part numbers until I actually have to get this stuff. I'd be curious if there are any common parts between the 351 and 460 in the E250/E350, but don't go to any trouble just yet. I'll get back to you if I need it.

I took a stroll through the junkyard and there are lots of vans there...20 or so I'm sure, but they're all newer with Triton engines, etc. The few cutaway vans that are there were Powerstrokes.

So we finally dragged this tank home today. Spending money on buying something like this at the start of a nasty economic downturn goes against every ounce of Scottish blood in my body, but Mrs. Rembrant really really wanted this and to do some running around, and to just have a project in general. She is going to handle all interior aspects, and I will deal with the mechanical stuff. All good.



It is a beast. It is a 1993 with 460 EFI, E4OD trans, and according to the cert label, has a Dana rear diff with 4.10 gears (Code 62)?

Happy wife, happy life...

I hear (see?) you about the economic downturn.  Just can't see how it won't happen.  

On the RV, is this the one you wrote about earlier?  It looks good from what we can see, but the devil is in the details.

Gary Lewis wrote

On the RV, is this the one you wrote about earlier?  It looks good from what we can see, but the devil is in the details.

Hey Gary,
Yes overall she is in pretty good condition. It has 120k miles on it, and has had a bunch of work done to that helped in my buying decision. It came from out west as we say...Alberta, where the prairie climate preserves things a little better than out here on the damp and salty coast.

It was converted from gas to propane when it was brand new, so not only does it have a 30lb propane tank for the appliances, it also has two 100lb belly tanks for the engine. Sometime in the past few years it was converted back to gas, but is still using the underhood open element air cleaner that was part of the propane conversion. This is why I was on the hunt for a stock air cleaner housing and intake ducting. I'll replace it when I find all the pieces.

I drove it 120 miles to get it home and it has some things that need to be fixed up.

Coolant temp gauge is not working.
Cruise control works, but kicks off when you turn on the right hand signal light...lol.
Steering wheel is way off center, so it needs and alignment.
I'll have to check out the front end...at a minimum is needs new shocks and swaybar bushings.
Worse case it needs a new steering gear, but I see that it has a steering stabilizer on it...aftermarket I'm sure. I could start with that.

As far as the coach is concerned, it needs a new grey water tank, and the on board generator needs service (supposedly). It starts, but kicks off shortly afterwards. Flooring needs to be replaced. Hard to believe, but when they built this stupid thing, they carpeted the entire floor, and then built/assembled the interior on top of it. Good grief. The carpet is getting ripped out next weekend and will get replaced with some kind of vinyl.

It's a his and hers type of project. The wife wants to paint, decorate, upholster, etc. She's very much into that stuff and does it all herself.

In searching for info on the drivetrain in this thing, I came across a lot of recommendations for a Banks kit for the E4OD.

https://www.bankspower.com/i-773-transcommand-automatic-transmission-management-computer-for-1989-1998-ford-e40d-auto-trans.html

After driving it, I see what they were complaining about. It shifts so softly that you actually can't even feel it shift...which is weird. I'm told that the Banks kit rectifies that and makes the trans run cooler (less slippage when shifting gears?).

It has a heavy duty trailer hitch, and the guy had the frame reinforced where the hitch attaches. It also has 7pin trailer connector and new trailer brake controller.

Anyway, it'll be fun, and we can work on it together.

Sounds like a good project, and one that your wife wants to do.  Perfect!

And yes, soft shifts are hard on transmissions, and especially on ones in heavy vehicles and the slippage creates lots of heat.  Do you have a tranny expert around you trust?

With those gears and a good tranny, you should be able to put the trailer hitch to good use.  

I hope you enjoy it!  I know my wife and I sure enjoy ours!

I recently (American Thanksgiving) installed a Banks Monster exhaust, shift controller and intake on my friend Ari's class A Newmar coach.
I think I posted some pics....

It's built around a Triton V-10 F53 chassis.

The Banks programmable shift controller and more aggressive engine management made a world of difference.
It went from being an absolute slug to lumbering beast.

Anything that huge is never going to impress in 0-60 times, but at least merging onto the highway isn't terrifying any more.
It drives a lot better around town too.

I'm NOT any motorhome expert, but IMO the $ were well worth it.

Consider the Banks-Power Ram Air intake for EFI 460's.
That should get you all the plumbing from the bottom of the filter box. (filter, lid, tubes, and cold air inlet from in front of the radiator support)

Hmmmm, who do we know that might have a lower filter plenum?
I'll have to see if I can find one of those E350 shuttle buses old enough to scavenge.


I'm sure Banks offer a package with the shift controller, intake plumbing, an oversized stainless muffler and tailpipe.
The Monster Exhaust isn't loud, I can't even say if it's an improvement over stock, as I did everything at once.

The TransCommand is going to be $300 well spent.

Jim,

I'll be looking at all of the options to get the air intake back to a somewhat normal installation, preferably with a real cold air intake that draws from outside the engine bay. As you know, there's not much room in the E350 engine bay with a 460 in there.

This is what the intake assembly is supposed to look like.



And this is what is in there now. Some of the original duct work is still there, but the air box and mounting bracket is not, nor is there any of the duct work that fed the air box.



The receipt for the propane install came with the RV. The original owner's paid $2500 for the system back in 1993, and it was kit specifically for the 460 EFI.

The only thing I don't know, is where the cold air was drawn from. I've read that the 90's class-C RV's drew their intake air from under the hood and did not draw outside air at all.

I don't know how class C's would differ from any other E-series.

Let me dive into boxes of old photographs (remember those?) and see what I turn up.

I'll also be poking around old shuttle busses, handicapped and church vans looking for what you need.

ArdWrknTrk wrote

I don't know how class C's would differ from any other E-series.

Only thing I can think of would be the dual batteries that wouldn't be present in the regular gas models. I haven't looked to closely at this thing yet, so I don't know which battery is the standard one that would exist in all of them.

Late to the party, but as Jim is implying, I might have the filter box.  But, it looks to me like the top of the box is different from the vans to the pickups, which is what mine is from.  The one below has two fittings for the hoses that go to the front, but I don't think mine has anything like that.  I'll look in a bit.

What is all that?

Resonant tuning?
I can't really see another purpose.

Well, I checked and it seems Banks has CAI for pickups and class A, but not C.  

I'll get down to the tow yard today (before the whole State is locked down at 8 PM)

I don't know what all that is for - unless it is as you suggested.  Seems strange.  And the piece towards the passenger's fender looks like it has anti-reversion molded into it.

The whole state is going lock-down tonight?  What will be left open?  You are, obviously, quite close to New York with all its problems.

Those horns are one of the first things people cut out of EFI 460's.

Only "essential" businesses: markets, hardware stores (for that plastic sheet and duct tape we all NEED!)  and of course liquor stores and gun shops.... because that's always a great combination!  

Gary Lewis wrote

I don't know what all that is for - unless it is as you suggested.  Seems strange.  And the piece towards the passenger's fender looks like it has anti-reversion molded into it.

The whole state is going lock-down tonight?  What will be left open?  You are, obviously, quite close to New York with all its problems.

I found a picture of what the intake snorkel looks like on the passenger side. I guess it is drawing from the area in front of the core support, behind the edge of the hood? Kind of hard to tell.



I guess you can kind of see it here in this picture?



The declared a state of emergency here yesterday about mid day. Everybody has been ignoring the calls to stay away from large groups, and there were a few hundred people partying at the beach yesterday. The police showed up and told them all to go home, and apparently they were ignored.

Today there's a $1000 fine if you're caught out running around without a very good reason.

Schools, courts, banks, libraries, restaurants, bars, most stores are shuttered.
90% of offices are closed unless able to telecommute.
"Non-essential" manufacturing is done, but construction trades: lumberyards, cement plants, asphalt are still operational.

The internet, and especially cellular communications are sluggish because there's not enough bandwidth for everyone to stream 4k while they're sitting home.

Jim - Yes, they cut the horns out, but from what reading I've done it isn't conclusive that it helps.

Guns and booze - one more reason to stay inside.

The illustration helps more than the pic since everything is mashed.  Complex system.

As for the people, I think they should be put in a large cell and allowed to pass their germs back and forth.  That way they won't pass them to the rest of the world, which they have done already by going home.

A fine seems the least the government should do.