Adventure Van on a Budget - ‘98 Econoline

rex_1_mn

Observer
Your A/C / vent problem is probably the vacuum resivoir check valve. It’s buried passenger side in the engine compartment under a/c and heater stuff. Options are to remove all of this and most of the dash to replace the factory one, cut small hole in the passenger wheel well to access, or bypass the original vac resivoir and check valve. I chose option #3. If you find my build thread (the manvan) I have some pictures, links to videos, and info on this.
 

CLM

Member
Thanks Rex! That was part of it. I ended up using a combo vacuum canister/check valve.

I had wondered why the Max setting was more sensitive and it was because a mouse had chewed on the max line a little.

Also forgot to mention that the blower van went out last week and I replaced it as well. AC is all working like it should again. Hopefully my Lean codes go away as well.

C27FE1C2-5D61-48F1-B350-BF3A8C4E6C58.jpegFDE77A44-271E-4541-8CAF-65E991381447.jpeg55672F78-A512-4AFD-B5C3-F5ACA0C7FA37.jpeg
 

CLM

Member
We went to three salvage yards this, but scored. $20 total. New dog house/console and a swivel base. I’ll cut the base to the height I want while getting rid of the removeable seat function and make my own base plate. 87BCDD6F-84DC-446A-B6DA-49A092DEEA17.jpeg
 

CLM

Member
Btw, if anyone in the St Louis area needs swivel bases. Pick N Pull on Hall St has a van with three bases in it. Two removeable and one short on that was on the power driver seat.
B01C45EC-849E-4394-AFD7-93C6A1C1BB50.jpeg25968C34-54AD-4E1A-9300-B61E17994550.jpeg1D9D2ABA-2E93-4A96-AB55-A102DA898483.jpeg1F8A4418-A7E5-4FA5-B47D-EF994CC545BB.jpeg
 

WVI

Adventurer
I was just in STL today....I've been to the one across on the IL side and it's like a toy store!
Mu console is just like the one you have there.
 
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devo 1

Adventurer
Sweet van! Just for every body's info. The Seat Shop out of Texas sells high quality replacement cushions and seat covers for Ford vans. I rebuilt two of my work vans with them, very impressed. They have leather also. Their instructions are on you tube.
 

dwh

Tail-End Charlie
I picked up a 97 Tbird about 6months ago. Cleaning the mass airflow sensor cleared the lean codes. Just picked up a 99 E-250 a couple weeks ago. Same lean codes.

One of the mechanics at work cleaned the MAF but it still kept throwing lean codes, so I got a reman MAF from O'reilly.

When I went to reinstall the round plastic plate that the MAF is bolted to, the bloody plate wouldn't sit straight while I put the air filter in. Kept shifting outward at the bottom, leaving a 1/8 gap. I found that there are several plastic tabs that hold that plate in, and a couple were snapped off.

The helpful mechanic at work had cleaned the MAF in the parking lot at work in the dark and hadn't noticed the problem.

So I finally got the air filter back in and the housing reassembled without the plate shifting, and the lean codes went away long enough for it to pass smog, but eventually came back.

I suspect that I didn't really need to replace the MAF. I think that a bit of air getting past the edge of that plate - bypassing both the filter and the MAF - is the problem.

I won't know for sure till I replace that plate. Dealer could get the whole air cleaner assembly, but not just that one part so I'm going to have to find one in a junkyard.

Or...maybe make some brackets and screw the thing in.


It's the part marked "9A628" in this image (same image I saw on the dealer's computer):


8.jpg
 

dwh

Tail-End Charlie
And my van has that same problem with the vent stuck on defrost. There's a bunch of YouTube vids about that problem.

I'm also looking for that 4 hole cupholder for the doghouse. It's a separate part that clips onto the doghouse. Mine has the 1 hole "cargo van" version. According to the dealer only 99-02 will fit mine.
 
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CLM

Member
Dwh, my CEL has been off for about 5 days and probably 200 miles now. The last round of attempts on it, I cleaned the MAF and pushed the boot below it back in all the way as it was out a little, replaced both elbows on the PCV valve tube and put in a new pcv valve. So far, we are golden. Have an appointment tomorrow to get the smog inspection. After that, I may swap back to the old PCV valve and see what it does, because the new one is noisy.

I had a crap load of bad vacuum lines, little 3-4" pieces where everything splices together (maybe from the body lift) and then a few large ones that were bad, so I am glad that I replaced all of them. Bypassing the ac vacuum canister and check valve with the all-in-one unit fixed my defrost to dash issue and only cost me $15. I watched a bunch of the youtube videos and then did some digging on Napa's website. Basically went in with a list of part numbers to see what he had in stock and then made that work. Glad I ended up with what I did, nice and compact. Had a second issue with a bad line to the Max air side of the valve and fixed that with some of the left over pieces that I had pulled out.

There are several different doghouse storage units, all of them unclip. I didn't want any of the ones with a door and I needed to be able to put RTIC cups in the cup holders. So I settled on the 4 cup version, works perfect. I actually grabbed the doghouse from one van and the cup holder from another. Just clipped them back together so that I would pay one price while walking out. My doghouse has carpet glued too it and I wanted just grey plastic.
 
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dwh

Tail-End Charlie
I found a local junkyard that does vans and trucks. He had the 4 hole cupholder, but for a newer (2008) van. I said it wouldn't work and he said hell, he'd throw in the newer doghouse cover no charge. Said the doghouses are the same.

I haven't confirmed that yet...
 

CLM

Member
A few more brackets, front seats and the rest of the carpet. Then I can start welding up holes and prepping the floor for paint. After that, swivel seat, insulation, fantastic fan and window tint.
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CLM

Member
The only difference that I saw in the any of the Econolines in the wrecking yard, were pre-1997 were completely different. However, I didn't pay attention to what any of the motors were of the version that I needed. I rounded up two candidates and set them side by side to examine further. The one that I purchased was quite a bit heavier than the other. They looked the same, but I don't know if maybe the insulation was different. I decided heavier would hopefully be quieter. So I put the drink holder I found on that one and checked out.
I am by no means a doghouse expert, but if I don't stop spending money on the van, I may be living in the doghouse until the van is liveable. Lol
 

gmtech

Observer
hahah im trying to get rid of this hideous thing which I only use 5 of the switchs and rarely if ever IMG_20180314_123038749.jpg
 

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