hi guys, brand new here. here is the story. i bought a 93 e 150 5.0 by american vans. 1400 , not bad i thought. now comes the fun. first, i started noticing rod knock. low oil press i guess has starved the bottom end. the van starts and runs , and has given me 8000 miles the way it is. i dont push her hard, but i drive 130 miles commute each day. the knock is only noticable on start up and if you let go of the gas on the freeway. next now the tranny is acting up. it drops out of gear as your stepping on the brakes, then catches again after a couple of revs of the engine. thats not helping my bearing knock any. to nurse it ive been changing the oil in the engine about every 2000 miles . itll be fine for a few days then the knock returns. another thing , i have nooooo power going up hill. locally or on the freeway, the thing just dies, i hear the engine lifters rattling and loose all power no matter how far i push the gas peddal. not sure if i should invest in it or look someplace else . the body is in great shape and its big enough for the family ,and i kinda like the damn thing. any ideas on what im looking at price wise or am i wasting my time and $? oh , sorry , the van has 150000 miles on it. thanks for any ideas , comments or help.

 

> i have nooooo power going up hill.

First off, I would do a compression test. If it checks out okay then ...

Second, I would drop the cat. converter off to see if it runs much better, it might be clogged. Much of what you describe happens when the cat. is clogged. Then ...

Third, it sounds like it might be a timing-ignition-emissions problem. Do a vacuum test, check the timing (even though its EFI) to make sure it is advancing, see if the EGR is clogged.

 

With only 150,000 on it, and a good body I'd say its worth while fixing the problems your having, try what rebocardo suggested to start. There are quite a few knowledgeable people on this board and I'm sure someone will be able to help you out if that doesn't work. Keep checking back, a lot of guys on here check the board once or twice a week.

My 2cnts
Dan