cowboy 4x4 ford van

[Maximus Ram]

Time for some interior work.
It came with this weatherguard sliding box, I was going to mount it so it would open up at the back but figured it would hinder putting anything tall inside so I will leave it here. This is where the recovery gear and misc. supplies will be kept

Nice...those pack rat boxes go for a pretty penny, even used....I was looking a one for the back of my Dodge at one point.

 

[RocKrawler]

man I'm glad I have no spark plugs!

 

[nely]

man I'm glad I have no spark plugs!

Doing diesel injectors is just as much fun. But luckly you dont do them as often.

Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk

 

[TroySmith80]

For what it's worth...

I just picked up a '92 with the 5.8 and it is having a sort of similar problem. I haven't had a chance to address it yet, but some things that i was told could be the cause are fuel filter, fuel pump, and throttle position sensor. I'll report back when it is sorted out.

 

[cowboy4x4]

The fuel fuel filter was the first thing I tried but it was a no go. I just bought the van so not knowing anything about past up keep one just has to guess as to when anything was done to it. All said and done when I have to do it again I will be able to do it quicker as I put anti sieze on the plugs and same type stuff made for the boots and I will know the tricks as well. It has been running like a champ ever since.

 

[dsw4x4]

Not to hijack the thread but a 5.8 is a different monster to chase down a similar problem first on that motor for me would be a complete tune up, plugs wires cap and rotor. It is rare for a single coil to act like that my guess would be plug, wires or a cap. Start a thread and lets see some picks!

 

[cowboy4x4]

I was looking through the site and started thinking (that can be dangerous) I'm entertaining different ideas for a pop top. I came up with an idea and was wondering if anyone else had thought of this or had any ideas. What about a VW westfalia pop top put on a ford van..... what do you think ? everything would already be there ..the top,lifting mechanism,material sides and so on.

 

[Maximus Ram]

A quick google found this

http://www.camperize.com/poptops.html


scroll down near the bottom..

 

[coguzzi]

same guy removed that pop top (must have been a country homes), installed a eurovan pop top after that and he liked it better, then after that did a hi-top he liked it the best

i almost bought the van off him but someone hit the buy it now button on ebay before i made the 20 mile drive to check it out--doh

its all on the sportsmobile forum which seems to be down today

 

[TroySmith80]

It's been done for sure. There are at least two guys over at the sportsmobileforum who have put VW tops on Fords. "Betty Ford" is one, and "Spurious" is the other. In fact, i'm pretty sure that coincidentally each of them has done it twice.

Here is a link to Spurious' build thread http://www.sportsmobileforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=2650


**Edit, Spurious is the one that coguzzi is referring to**

 

[cowboy4x4]

The rain shut me down for work, so I worked on the van I installed 3/4 rigid insulation on the roof and the upper half of the walls. I glued it on with adheisive and then sealed all the joints/seams with foil tape. What a huge difference in the noise level, no more echos and metal sounds at all. And it will be cooler/warmer for the seasons.

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[1sweetvan]

Hey, it's really looking good. What is that Fortiflash product? Is it the stuff meant to be used around windows and flashing under the siding of a house? I've looked at it and wondered if it works for sound dampening. Does it?

 

[cowboy4x4]

yes its the stuff to go around windows and doors. If you can find the brand "Bituthane" it is twice as thick. I covered all the open areas first and drove it around before I put on the insulation and it def. helps dampen the the noise. Ford and other auto makers already put the same type of material inside the doors, they just dont put very much. Stainless steel sink makers also put stuff like this on their sinks to deaden the sound.

 

[cowboy4x4]

To everyone out there with a Ford van...... when I bought my van the back door lock was busted, it was pushed in towards the inside of the door. I thought the plastic had just broke from use as this was a previous work van. I was trying to figure out how to repair it without having to buy a whole new lic. plate,door handle assembly. I was looking at some delivery vans and noticed they (ford) and I noticed they had some type of cover over the back door lock cylnder. I took a closer look at my van and realized that it was broke on purpose, prior to me owning it. It is a poor design on fords part, all one has to do is push the lock cylnder in and the plastic will break there is a thin piece of metal on the back side which will fold away and now the lock release is totally accessable to lift up with your finger. Hence the security plate on the delivery trucks. So I made my own security plate and it repaired my broken cover as well.

Its just made from a piece of aluminum with a 1/2 hole drilled over where the lock opening is so only the key portion is visible and 4 holes to pop rivet it in place. I painted it to match so it doesnt stand out.

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this is the back side of the lock, you can see it's just a thin piece of metal. From the factory the metal is not secured in any way, there are two little plastic nub's in the bottom holes for locating purposes but nothing stopping it from being pushed inward. my metal plate now sandwiches the two together requiring major break in damage/noise to get in. The orange tab is the locking mech. so you can see once the lock is pushed in you can unlock the door with your finger.

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[TroySmith80]

hmmm, good to know!

So seriously, to break into a ford van all you have to do is give a good push on the rear key-hole? That's ridiculous! Has it been that way from '92 to current? lol. I'll have to go take a look at mine.