justbecause
perpetually lost
:lurk:
Boomer the Quadravan 4x4 Camper
- Thread starter spencyg
- Start date
livetoride21
Adventurer
WOW! Just read your whole thread, and the one about your nova scotia trip. Awesome work! Can't wait to see more, and it has given me some more ideas and motivation to start my build next spring. Funny thing is, my girlfriend and I did just about the same route as you back from nova scotia a few weeks before, such an amazing area!
Thanks!
I've been poking at a few items at the top of the ToDo list. One of the small annoyances from the new suspension system has been a drag link which was a touch too long. I adjusted it in as much as I could, but it still left the steering wheel cocked over to one side. The only real solution was to cut an end off the the drag link and weld a new tube adapter in place.
I did the necessary beveling prior to welding and then burned it in.
After cooling I painted it up, first with primer then Rustoleum Semi Gloss Enamel.
After that was setting up to dry, I crawled under the front of the van to address an infrequent metal-on-metal contact we'd get when the front end was bouncing around a lot. After freshly painting the front end, the point of contact became clear. The original suspension modifications involved modifications of the engine crossmember. The front of the crossmember was carved out adequately but the rear was left nearly stock. This is where it was hitting....crossmember to differential. Out came the plasma cutter to liberate some hidden clearance in the old steel.
I had to replace the flange to regain the necessary structural integrity with a piece of 1/4" steel plate.
Once again, out came the primer and final coat paint and now we're all back to (better than) normal.
Next project on the list is dropping the fuel tanks to fix the sending units, pickup tubes, and generally clean things up. This should be....fun.
SG
I've been poking at a few items at the top of the ToDo list. One of the small annoyances from the new suspension system has been a drag link which was a touch too long. I adjusted it in as much as I could, but it still left the steering wheel cocked over to one side. The only real solution was to cut an end off the the drag link and weld a new tube adapter in place.
I did the necessary beveling prior to welding and then burned it in.
After cooling I painted it up, first with primer then Rustoleum Semi Gloss Enamel.
After that was setting up to dry, I crawled under the front of the van to address an infrequent metal-on-metal contact we'd get when the front end was bouncing around a lot. After freshly painting the front end, the point of contact became clear. The original suspension modifications involved modifications of the engine crossmember. The front of the crossmember was carved out adequately but the rear was left nearly stock. This is where it was hitting....crossmember to differential. Out came the plasma cutter to liberate some hidden clearance in the old steel.
I had to replace the flange to regain the necessary structural integrity with a piece of 1/4" steel plate.
Once again, out came the primer and final coat paint and now we're all back to (better than) normal.
Next project on the list is dropping the fuel tanks to fix the sending units, pickup tubes, and generally clean things up. This should be....fun.
SG
The beautiful 80 degree late September weather coaxed me to the driveway this afternoon. On the docket: Fuel Tanks
I have never been able to draw a full 18 gallons from the front tank and the front sender recently stopped working entirely. The rear sender has been quirky since we first bought Boomer, so both tanks needed to be dropped to investigate the problems. The first step was to drain as much of the fuel from the front tank as possible. I opted to throw together a fuel transfer pump to ease the process. There was an old 12V gear pump on the shelf which worked perfectly. I tapped into the system before the water/fuel separator and brought the tank down to where the pump was sucking air.
I have been coating the hanger bolts with PB Blaster for the last week, and everything came apart without much issue.
The sending unit came out easily and it was immediately clear why the tank couldn't be fully consumed. The pickup tube had fallen off.
When I started to tear into the sender a bit further I found a float full of fuel and a worn out rheostat in the float level sensor.
I tried to re-position the wiper but it broke. Of course. A little soldering and it was back together, and I was able to position the wiper along a new track. For whatever reason this sending unit isn't available online in any of my usual haunts. They are all for the gasoline variants which include a fuel pump bracket and an incorrect wire connection plug. I would rather have just installed a new sending unit assembly, but this isn't a possibility at the current time. To address the float full of fuel, I drilled a couple holes in it to drain, then identified a couple extra leak points with some pressurized air, and soldered everything back up.
I ran the multimeter across the sending unit and got some relatively decent feedback (90 ohms to 20 ohms).
Reassembly time.
There was still maybe 2" of fuel in the tank (~3 gallons), so I re-configured the pump system to suck directly from the tank. With the new pickup in place, I was able to get everything out which eased the re-installation considerably.
After that was buttoned up it was time to transfer 15 gallons from the rear tank. This process was slow as I first would fill the 5 gallon jug with the transfer pump, then dump the jug into the front tank, then back to fill the jug with the transfer pump. Eventually it was emptied and the tank came out without issue just like the front tank.
The pickup in the rear tank was fine but I removed it and installed the same hose type pickup as I did for the front tank. The rheostat for the rear sender was equally trashed, but I was able to re-bend the wiper (without breaking it) and got a consistent reading across the whole sweep.
The tank went back in easily. The front sender still doesn't seem to be behaving so I may have to figure out how to retrofit some other potentiometer element at some point. For now, I at least know I've got 18 gallons of usable capacity in the front, and 22 gallons of usable capacity in the rear. Things are looking up.
SG
I have never been able to draw a full 18 gallons from the front tank and the front sender recently stopped working entirely. The rear sender has been quirky since we first bought Boomer, so both tanks needed to be dropped to investigate the problems. The first step was to drain as much of the fuel from the front tank as possible. I opted to throw together a fuel transfer pump to ease the process. There was an old 12V gear pump on the shelf which worked perfectly. I tapped into the system before the water/fuel separator and brought the tank down to where the pump was sucking air.
I have been coating the hanger bolts with PB Blaster for the last week, and everything came apart without much issue.
The sending unit came out easily and it was immediately clear why the tank couldn't be fully consumed. The pickup tube had fallen off.
When I started to tear into the sender a bit further I found a float full of fuel and a worn out rheostat in the float level sensor.
I tried to re-position the wiper but it broke. Of course. A little soldering and it was back together, and I was able to position the wiper along a new track. For whatever reason this sending unit isn't available online in any of my usual haunts. They are all for the gasoline variants which include a fuel pump bracket and an incorrect wire connection plug. I would rather have just installed a new sending unit assembly, but this isn't a possibility at the current time. To address the float full of fuel, I drilled a couple holes in it to drain, then identified a couple extra leak points with some pressurized air, and soldered everything back up.
I ran the multimeter across the sending unit and got some relatively decent feedback (90 ohms to 20 ohms).
Reassembly time.
There was still maybe 2" of fuel in the tank (~3 gallons), so I re-configured the pump system to suck directly from the tank. With the new pickup in place, I was able to get everything out which eased the re-installation considerably.
After that was buttoned up it was time to transfer 15 gallons from the rear tank. This process was slow as I first would fill the 5 gallon jug with the transfer pump, then dump the jug into the front tank, then back to fill the jug with the transfer pump. Eventually it was emptied and the tank came out without issue just like the front tank.
The pickup in the rear tank was fine but I removed it and installed the same hose type pickup as I did for the front tank. The rheostat for the rear sender was equally trashed, but I was able to re-bend the wiper (without breaking it) and got a consistent reading across the whole sweep.
The tank went back in easily. The front sender still doesn't seem to be behaving so I may have to figure out how to retrofit some other potentiometer element at some point. For now, I at least know I've got 18 gallons of usable capacity in the front, and 22 gallons of usable capacity in the rear. Things are looking up.
SG
I think the eventual solution will be to buy units from the gas version and then install just the sending sensor into the old carrier. The mating flange from pictures of new gas versions seems to be identical to the diesel version I've got, so this is probably the best bet.
Of course...
I did a little searching and Blue Sea Systems makes a slick little systems monitoring unit called the VSM422. It can monitor up to 4 tanks along with system voltage in multiple battery banks. It appears to be compatible with Diesel, blackwater and potable water which means I could monitor all 4 of my onboard tanks simultaneously. It uses ultrasonic senders in each tank which eliminates wear problems in the long term.
I probably won't go this "fancy" but it is a really neat option.
SG
Of course...
I did a little searching and Blue Sea Systems makes a slick little systems monitoring unit called the VSM422. It can monitor up to 4 tanks along with system voltage in multiple battery banks. It appears to be compatible with Diesel, blackwater and potable water which means I could monitor all 4 of my onboard tanks simultaneously. It uses ultrasonic senders in each tank which eliminates wear problems in the long term.
I probably won't go this "fancy" but it is a really neat option.
SG
I don't believe the E250 ever came with the diesel option. I could be wrong, but I've never come across one. That would put me back to sourcing gas-engine specified equipment which doesn't help my "bolt in and go" desire. I have a couple options which I can obscess about later. For now, the fuel is able to be fully consumed and I've become accustomed to watching the odometer for fuel level instead of the fuel gauge. With 2 tanks, the danger of running fully out of fuel in the middle of nowhere is reduced significantly.
I have a bad feeling my eventual solution will be that blue sea systems unit :costumed-smiley-007
This weekend's project is going to be finally powering up the rear winch!
SG
I have a bad feeling my eventual solution will be that blue sea systems unit :costumed-smiley-007
This weekend's project is going to be finally powering up the rear winch!
SG
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Mwilliamshs
Explorer
SpencyG if your last post was in response to JedSled, he said f as in Frank F250. The truck not the van. I think there's a good chance for the flange being the same but the tank shape and size differences likely prevent the sending units being a direct swap. I checked RockAuto for a 1990 E250 van 460 and 1990 F250 truck 460 and there are no interchangeable sending units listed for the two. I searched the 460s because it was available in both vehicles and sending units are still available for each of them and the tank shapes and sizes should be the same for both 460s and 7.3s in each respective body. The F250 diesel parts still being available should make diesel compatible sending unit parts readily available if it turns out modifying them is somehow easier than modifying gas parts for vans.
HOWEVER according to RockAuto part number listings, (Motorcraft parts specifically) a 1990 F250 460 GAS and a 1990 F250 7.3 DIESEL use the same sending units so it stands to reason a gas and diesel van should be able to do the same! I would expect gas and diesel sending units to differ if they had in-tank fuel pumps as well. Since the 7.3 has a mechanical lift pump driven by the engine cam and the EFI engines use a frame rail mounted pump I see no reason why the sending units shouldn't be exactly the same so long as the tank shapes and sizes didn't differ from a gas van to a diesel van and apparently, they do not differ at all.
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I just checked and they aren't the same. All of the gas versions that I have seen include the appropriate brackets and plug connection for the in-tank fuel pump. On Rockauto, my default parts store, no sending unit is listed for any diesel E350 application in my body style across any years. The F250 tanks aren't the same shape or capacity as the E250/350 tanks which wouldn't help me at all. It is a strange item to have dropped off the face of the earth but I guess these old units are getting somewhat scarce. I CAN buy the sending units for an E350 with the 7.5L in both the correct front and rear tank sizes and shapes. It would require "bodging" the connection plug which isn't a big deal and will likely be my only stock-based option.
SG
SG
Does this work? I believe its for the rear but I think there is one for the front as well.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/rnb-692-115/applications/year/1986/make/ford/model/e-350-econoline
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/rnb-692-115/applications/year/1986/make/ford/model/e-350-econoline
Nope...still has the fuel pump bracket and a 4 pin connector. Mine has no fuel pump bracket and is just a 2 pin connector. It is pretty silly that this item is so elusive.
With thoughts of Overland Expo East dancing in my head (1200 miles from where my head presides), I got to work on the rear winch setup. I started off with a "project box" from the big orange home improvement box store. The old relay setup was pretty crusty but I decided to see whether the solenoids would still trigger. After some cleaning up with a wire brush they clicked over with serious purpose.
Once it was clear that the solenoids would work out, I started laying them into the box.
Hopefully the "terminals" will hold under extreme loading (heat). The box is pretty stout heat resistant UL listed plastic...
I moved out into the rain to mount the quick disconnect. I had drilled the hole already.....4 years ago.
Then back inside to devise some sort of box mount. Mild Steel, Stainless Steel and Aluminum. What could possibly go wrong.
The rear crossmember ended up being a decent spot which allowed for both relatively convenient mounting as well as short cable runs.
Laying in the cable wasn't too terrible. I took the time to do chafe guarding at all frame penetrations. Back when I first re-did the electrical system I used a piece of 1/8" hypalon rubber sheeting for chafe guarding the house battery feed wires. It has held strong for many years so I repeated the method.
After sorting through a couple wiring bugs, I had a running rear winch. 100ft of new 5/16" aircraft cable was spooled in and we're good to go.
SG
With thoughts of Overland Expo East dancing in my head (1200 miles from where my head presides), I got to work on the rear winch setup. I started off with a "project box" from the big orange home improvement box store. The old relay setup was pretty crusty but I decided to see whether the solenoids would still trigger. After some cleaning up with a wire brush they clicked over with serious purpose.
Once it was clear that the solenoids would work out, I started laying them into the box.
Hopefully the "terminals" will hold under extreme loading (heat). The box is pretty stout heat resistant UL listed plastic...
I moved out into the rain to mount the quick disconnect. I had drilled the hole already.....4 years ago.
Then back inside to devise some sort of box mount. Mild Steel, Stainless Steel and Aluminum. What could possibly go wrong.
The rear crossmember ended up being a decent spot which allowed for both relatively convenient mounting as well as short cable runs.
Laying in the cable wasn't too terrible. I took the time to do chafe guarding at all frame penetrations. Back when I first re-did the electrical system I used a piece of 1/8" hypalon rubber sheeting for chafe guarding the house battery feed wires. It has held strong for many years so I repeated the method.
After sorting through a couple wiring bugs, I had a running rear winch. 100ft of new 5/16" aircraft cable was spooled in and we're good to go.
SG
I had a few minutes today for driveway work. Next on the list was extending the axle vents. The stock vents were free floating tubes which weren't doing anything to keep water out. I made a trip to the hardware store first thing this morning for a 3/8" "T" fitting and some 3/8" rubber compressed air hose. The new setup was pretty simple and not worthy of a single picture. Basically the rear axle hose is extended forward to the "T" fitting. The front axle tube intersects the rear tube at this fitting, and then both are extended up to the engine bay. The axle now vents around 60" above the ground which shouldn't cause any problems. I spent a little more time with some rubber sheeting for chafe protection while I was rolling around in the dirt. I hate chafing, if you hadn't picked that up already.
SG
SG
Well, the last critical component in the fuel system quietly gave up the ghost over the last couple days. I noticed a puddle under the van earlier this week and quickly surmised that the fuel tank selector valve had started leaking. This literally is the last remaining original component in the fuel system aside from the fuel lines themselves. I had a few minutes to remove it today, and when shopping around for a replacement I realized my only choice was either a $250 factory Ford replacement valve or a $50 generic unit that wouldn't directly plug into either the fuel lines or the electrical connector.
Puddle of despair.
I've been on a kick lately of simplifying the running gear on Boomer and I see this as a perfect oppertunity to remove an electrical component and replace it with a manually actuated one.
A quick search on the G00gles led me to a Groco FV65038 6 port manual valve....specifically intended to manually switch between 2 tanks that each have independent return lines.
Conveniently enough, the old water fuel seperator had a manual dump valve handle which I removed under the driver side seat. There is now a hole already available to have the handle of this selector valve protrude through within easy seat-belted driver access while underway.
On a somewhat side note, I find it amusing that my primary goal these days is to remove as many electronic doo-dads as possible within the drivetrain of Boomer, and this same week on the Camper van section of ExPo, there is a great discussion going on over converting an older transfer case to one that is electronically shifted. I love the diversity here.
On a really side note, I just got a neat 2 channel remote thermostat/weather station thingy for Boomer. We never have a good way of knowing the temperature either indoors or outdoors, so this is going to be the solution to that problem.
The main unit reads internal temperature (shown cold because the new batteries I just installed from the freezer), and then the remote units can be toggled to indicate on the outdoor temperature fields. I'm going to install one of the units out by the rear storage box, and the other unit in the fridge.
Prep is going to start picking up here for the big DRAM2 trip in early November....fun fun
SG
Puddle of despair.
I've been on a kick lately of simplifying the running gear on Boomer and I see this as a perfect oppertunity to remove an electrical component and replace it with a manually actuated one.
A quick search on the G00gles led me to a Groco FV65038 6 port manual valve....specifically intended to manually switch between 2 tanks that each have independent return lines.
Conveniently enough, the old water fuel seperator had a manual dump valve handle which I removed under the driver side seat. There is now a hole already available to have the handle of this selector valve protrude through within easy seat-belted driver access while underway.
On a somewhat side note, I find it amusing that my primary goal these days is to remove as many electronic doo-dads as possible within the drivetrain of Boomer, and this same week on the Camper van section of ExPo, there is a great discussion going on over converting an older transfer case to one that is electronically shifted. I love the diversity here.
On a really side note, I just got a neat 2 channel remote thermostat/weather station thingy for Boomer. We never have a good way of knowing the temperature either indoors or outdoors, so this is going to be the solution to that problem.
The main unit reads internal temperature (shown cold because the new batteries I just installed from the freezer), and then the remote units can be toggled to indicate on the outdoor temperature fields. I'm going to install one of the units out by the rear storage box, and the other unit in the fridge.
Prep is going to start picking up here for the big DRAM2 trip in early November....fun fun
SG