1990 E350 Pathfinder, What to look out for?

[JasonRedwood]

Going to look at a 1990 E350 pathfinder for sale soon. Has 58k or so on the van.
Its supposedly turn key and looks useable for us, while we make it ours.
What should I keep an eye out for while inspecting it?

I know MPG wont be good, im okay with that. It wont be a daily driver.
Figure for the amount of time we use it and the price differences between the 460 and the diesels, it'll be fine.

thanks,
Jason

 

[Mickey Bitsko]

It's a ford

 

[Bikersmurf]

Rust, rust… and did I mention rust.

I’d poke around here…

Log in to Facebook

Log in to Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family and people you know.

www.facebook.com

 

[iggi]

I think it depends on your goals and expectations.
If you're expecting to replace a lot of belts, hose and rubber mounts plus do any other maintenance a 35 year old vehicle needs then rust and previous accidents would be the big things.

An the other hand, if you're looking to be driving it sooner than later, and have little patience for roadside repairs then you'll need to carefully inspect everything.

 

[JasonRedwood]

I crawled around it for a good 30mins and couldn’t find anything beyond a spot of surface rust.
definitely had a squeaky belt or two.
Ill have it inspected by a shop before I make the deal for sure. Just to get some insight on what to look forward too down the road. I’m just about finished with my 1985 4runner and in 2019 I finished up a 1985 fj60 that sat for 15 years. My 1970 Avanti is no stranger to aged belts and hoses as well. Haha

The Pathfinder conversion is a leaf spring setup and looks decent compared to the earlier conversions from what I have read online. Wonder if anyone on expo has experience with the Pathfinder conversions that came out later in its life span.

 

[G35Vortec454]

Known 460 issues:
1. Low pressure in-tank fuel pump not working - vehicle runs fine during light use, high pressure inline pump sleeps/rests when under stress until it wakes up
2. ICM heat soak - vehicle runs fine during light use, sleeps/rests when hot until it wakes up
3. Old distributor PIP sensor - vehicle runs fine during light use, sleeps/rests on prolonged drives until it wakes up
4. Tired Fuel pressure regulator - vehicle runs fine , poor MPG than usual, fails pressure leakdown test
5. Clogged 31yo catalytic converter - sluggish acceleration
6. Broken/leaking exhaust manifold rear bolt(s)

 

[JasonRedwood]

Known 460 issues:
1. Low pressure in-tank fuel pump not working - vehicle runs fine during light use, high pressure inline pump sleeps/rests when under stress until it wakes up
2. ICM heat soak - vehicle runs fine during light use, sleeps/rests when hot until it wakes up
3. Old distributor PIP sensor - vehicle runs fine during light use, sleeps/rests on prolonged drives until it wakes up
4. Tired Fuel pressure regulator - vehicle runs fine , poor MPG than usual, fails pressure leakdown test
5. Clogged 31yo catalytic converter - sluggish acceleration
6. Broken/leaking exhaust manifold rear bolt(s)

thanks @G35Vortec454 this is all great. I’ll share this with the shop that will be checking the van. The seller is having troubles with sniffing the vehicle at the moment, I’ll share this with them as well. Much appreciated.

 

[G35Vortec454]

thanks @G35Vortec454 this is all great. I’ll share this with the shop that will be checking the van. The seller is having troubles with sniffing the vehicle at the moment, I’ll share this with them as well. Much appreciated.

You're welcome. Mine is also 1990 E350-based 460, only 50k miles when I got it, but it's a 22ft Class A Motorhome I converted to 4x4 using wide F550 axles. Took me awhile to iron out those 460 issues but they're all addressed and fixed. Thanks to online forums and their very helpful members.

Good luck with your project(s).
Art