Any Ford RV/ Motorhome experts on here?

[Rembrant]

I finally got around to pulling the engine cover off this E350/460 tonight to have a look around, and I guess I have a minor case of the previous owner blues...lol, and man, getting that doghouse in and out of there around the big captains chairs is no joke.

Anyway...first up was the PCV valve that had obviously been out of place for some time.

Also noticeable in that picture is that the last exhaust manifold bolt is missing. Looking in the mirror below you can see it is broken off about an 1/8" inside the head.

I'm not too concerned about that broken bolt at the moment. The exhaust is currently not leaking...or least it isn't making that ticking sound that leaky exhaust manifolds/gaskets usually make. The engine was sounding pretty good actually, what little bit I have heard of it.

Question for you 460 experts though...what is this sensor in the very back of the block, just in front of the trans bellhousing?

I went looking for the coolant sensor for the gauge in the dash, and it appears to be a typical 1-wire sensor right behind the thermostat, next to the distributor, so I'm going to test that this weekend. The gauge works, but barely. I am assuming bad sensor, but I'll short it to ground, and also check actual temp of the coolant with an IR gun.

Found this bracket loose on the driver's side. It is supposed to be mounted on a manifold stud (I assume). It is the mounting bracket for the EGR solenoid valve, and others. I am assuming that the exhaust manifolds have been changed...they are really way too clean to be 27 years old, and I've found some missing nuts, etc, like somebody has been in there.

I also found a loose open ended vacuum hose, so there was a good 3/16" vacuum leak...not sure how much difference it would make, because like I said the thing seemed to be running OK.

I also found that there is a hose/connected to the oil filler pipe, and I don't know where it is supposed to go when everything is connected as it was at the factory.

[Gary Lewis]

I finally got around to pulling the engine cover off this E350/460 tonight to have a look around, and I guess I have a minor case of the previous owner blues...lol, and man, getting that doghouse in and out of there around the big captains chairs is no joke.

Anyway...first up was the PCV valve that had obviously been out of place for some time.

Also noticeable in that picture is that the last exhaust manifold bolt is missing. Looking in the mirror below you can see it is broken off about an 1/8" inside the head.

I'm not too concerned about that broken bolt at the moment. The exhaust is currently not leaking...or least it isn't making that ticking sound that leaky exhaust manifolds/gaskets usually make. The engine was sounding pretty good actually, what little bit I have heard of it.

Question for you 460 experts though...what is this sensor in the very back of the block, just in front of the trans bellhousing?

I went looking for the coolant sensor for the gauge in the dash, and it appears to be a typical 1-wire sensor right behind the thermostat, next to the distributor, so I'm going to test that this weekend. The gauge works, but barely. I am assuming bad sensor, but I'll short it to ground, and also check actual temp of the coolant with an IR gun.

Found this bracket loose on the driver's side. It is supposed to be mounted on a manifold stud (I assume). It is the mounting bracket for the EGR solenoid valve, and others. I am assuming that the exhaust manifolds have been changed...they are really way too clean to be 27 years old, and I've found some missing nuts, etc, like somebody has been in there.

I also found a loose open ended vacuum hose, so there was a good 3/16" vacuum leak...not sure how much difference it would make, because like I said the thing seemed to be running OK.

I also found that there is a hose/connected to the oil filler pipe, and I don't know where it is supposed to go when everything is connected as it was at the factory.

Cory - I think that is the oil pressure sender. That's exactly where my tee with the sender and switch go.

By the way, what are you missing now? I may have found a source.

As for the bracket, I should have a pic that shows where Huck's bracket was. I'll go look.....

[Rembrant]

By the way, what are you missing now? I may have found a source.

Gary, I bought most of the air cleaner/intake assembly in two sections. One half coming from Texas, and the other half Connecticut. I'm pretty sure everything is there, but the one piece I am still for sure missing is the elbow in the picture below as well as whatever type of clip or grommet holds it in place. It does not appear to be a separate part from Ford, it is part of that intake duct piece. If I can't find it or another duct, I'll just make something out of a PVC elbow or something.

 

[ArdWrknTrk]

I finally got around to pulling the engine cover off this E350/460 tonight to have a look around, and I guess I have a minor case of the previous owner blues...lol, and man, getting that doghouse in and out of there around the big captains chairs is no joke.

Anyway...first up was the PCV valve that had obviously been out of place for some time.

Also noticeable in that picture is that the last exhaust manifold bolt is missing. Looking in the mirror below you can see it is broken off about an 1/8" inside the head.

I'm not too concerned about that broken bolt at the moment. The exhaust is currently not leaking...or least it isn't making that ticking sound that leaky exhaust manifolds/gaskets usually make. The engine was sounding pretty good actually, what little bit I have heard of it.

Question for you 460 experts though...what is this sensor in the very back of the block, just in front of the trans bellhousing?

I went looking for the coolant sensor for the gauge in the dash, and it appears to be a typical 1-wire sensor right behind the thermostat, next to the distributor, so I'm going to test that this weekend. The gauge works, but barely. I am assuming bad sensor, but I'll short it to ground, and also check actual temp of the coolant with an IR gun.

Found this bracket loose on the driver's side. It is supposed to be mounted on a manifold stud (I assume). It is the mounting bracket for the EGR solenoid valve, and others. I am assuming that the exhaust manifolds have been changed...they are really way too clean to be 27 years old, and I've found some missing nuts, etc, like somebody has been in there.

I also found a loose open ended vacuum hose, so there was a good 3/16" vacuum leak...not sure how much difference it would make, because like I said the thing seemed to be running OK.

I also found that there is a hose/connected to the oil filler pipe, and I don't know where it is supposed to go when everything is connected as it was at the factory.

Definitely the oil sender, not sensor...

Later 460's have a mod to make the gauge more linear, rather than (basically) an idiot light.

The rearmost exhaust bolt is why I said to slot the front and back ears of the manifold.

So shear stress doesn't break the bolt or crack the manifold.

Man, at least you have access, with the doghouse removed.

It's a nightmare to repair when it's up against the firewall.

[Gary Lewis]

By the way, what are you missing now? I may have found a source.

Gary, I bought most of the air cleaner/intake assembly in two sections. One half coming from Texas, and the other half Connecticut. I'm pretty sure everything is there, but the one piece I am still for sure missing is the elbow in the picture below as well as whatever type of clip or grommet holds it in place. It does not appear to be a separate part from Ford, it is part of that intake duct piece. If I can't find it or another duct, I'll just make something out of a PVC elbow or something.

Cory - I had a gentleman in my shop today that has a '91, I believe, motor home with a 460 in it. Last I knew it wasn't running. Although I don't know what he plans to do with it I can contact him to see if it has that piece if you'd like.

[Rembrant]

Cory - I had a gentleman in my shop today that has a '91, I believe, motor home with a 460 in it. Last I knew it wasn't running. Although I don't know what he plans to do with it I can contact him to see if it has that piece if you'd like.

Gary,

Don't worry about it for now. I'll wait until I get everything assembled and installed and see how it goes.

[ArdWrknTrk]

By the way, what are you missing now? I may have found a source.

Gary, I bought most of the air cleaner/intake assembly in two sections. One half coming from Texas, and the other half Connecticut. I'm pretty sure everything is there, but the one piece I am still for sure missing is the elbow in the picture below as well as whatever type of clip or grommet holds it in place. It does not appear to be a separate part from Ford, it is part of that intake duct piece. If I can't find it or another duct, I'll just make something out of a PVC elbow or something.

Cory, I'm willing to bet you could find an elbow like that, that fits both the hose and the grommet, in Dormans HELP! line.

It's pretty amazing how comprehensive it is, even though you only see the popular pieces on the shelf.

[Rembrant]

Cory, I'm willing to bet you could find an elbow like that, that fits both the hose and the grommet, in Dormans HELP! line.

It's pretty amazing how comprehensive it is, even though you only see the popular pieces on the shelf.

Ya I'm not too worried about replacing it, either with something like a Dorman part or something from one of the industrial shops. There's a shop a few hundred feet from my work that specializes in all of that plastic tubing and hose, etc.

I got a bunch of the parts I needed Jim from your great state of CT! I trolled the damn internet for days and days trying to find this stuff, and as it turned out, the parts, as obscure as they are (1992-1996 E350 specific) were not that hard to find. Problem was getting people to ship them, even within the US. I found the identical RV, same year and everything, being parted out in Oregon and the guy said I could have all of the parts for $40 bucks...lol, but he wouldn't ship them to Maine. I came across and ad in Hartford for a guy selling a hood off a 1993 E350 cube van, so I asked if he had any other parts...which was a bit of a long shot as many of them were diesels, but sure enough he did have a bunch of the parts I needed, and he did ship them for me. Anyway...I chalk it up as a bit of OCD...lol, but I wanted the factory intake system replaced on this thing, even if it does absolutely nothing other than lighten my wallet. I live with it.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Cory, I'm willing to bet you could find an elbow like that, that fits both the hose and the grommet, in Dormans HELP! line.

It's pretty amazing how comprehensive it is, even though you only see the popular pieces on the shelf.

Ya I'm not too worried about replacing it, either with something like a Dorman part or something from one of the industrial shops. There's a shop a few hundred feet from my work that specializes in all of that plastic tubing and hose, etc.

I got a bunch of the parts I needed Jim from your great state of CT! I trolled the damn internet for days and days trying to find this stuff, and as it turned out, the parts, as obscure as they are (1992-1996 E350 specific) were not that hard to find. Problem was getting people to ship them, even within the US. I found the identical RV, same year and everything, being parted out in Oregon and the guy said I could have all of the parts for $40 bucks...lol, but he wouldn't ship them to Maine. I came across and ad in Hartford for a guy selling a hood off a 1993 E350 cube van, so I asked if he had any other parts...which was a bit of a long shot as many of them were diesels, but sure enough he did have a bunch of the parts I needed, and he did ship them for me. Anyway...I chalk it up as a bit of OCD...lol, but I wanted the factory intake system replaced on this thing, even if it does absolutely nothing other than lighten my wallet. I live with it.

It does much more than that.

It gives you a concrete baseline, and the availability of parts and service, as you move away from propane.

Now, with that big tank you can have ice cold A/C in this beast all summer long!

[Rembrant]

It does much more than that.

It gives you a concrete baseline, and the availability of parts and service, as you move away from propane.

Well, I like having everything connected properly and not have loose hoses hanging everywhere. I am in no way going to hotrod this thing, but I do want it to work it's very best, and when 7.5 mpg is the norm, every little bit counts...lol. My goal is to get it back to a stock baseline mechanically, and remove any and all error codes from memory, and have the thing to it's KOER tests without issue.

After that, swaybar bushings, steering stabilizer, and shocks and alignment, and that will be it.

I appreciate all the help guys. Thanks.