Hello - first time on the forum. Did some work on the family '77 E-250 460-4V way back when. More recently went from '99 B3500 360 MFI to '97 Suburban Diesel to the '93 E-150 Chateau 5.8 we have today. You might have seen me at allpar.com, thedieselplace.com or peachparts.com

The Chateau has 2 more buckets in place of the folding bed and I added a 4-place bench with OE seat belts. It could have come out of Lorain this way except for the holes I drilled in the floor... and the mismatched upholstery... and I probably didn't line it up perfectly. This leads to the first question:

1) The body bolt by the left rear wheel doesn't have a nut on the other end. Based on the right side, there should be a nut at the bottom of an elongaged bowl which encases the lower tip of an elongated rubber bushing. Despite the van's Boise and Salt Lake City history, there isn't so much rust that the nut would have disintegrated. It seems like someone spun the bolt from above not knowing what was below. The van is fine over bumps. Can I replace just the nut or is there more to the job?

2) It smells like there's a fuel leak most noticeable right after shutting off the engine. No check engine light. What are the typical leak points?

3) This one I haven't searched yet - there is an intermittent Rear ABS light. It either comes on and stays on until the engine is shut off or it doesn't come on for the trip. Maybe related, it needs a new master cylinder. The brakes will throw you through the windshield if you stomp on the pedal but sitting at a light the pedal sinks as you keep pressure on it. It behaves the same way when the warning light isn't on.

4) The steering is ridiculously heavy with the front wheels off the ground and the engine off. Is this normal or is something in the steering system too tight? Tie rods (if that's what they're called) were replaced just prior to sale. It feels a little bit heavier than I expect while driving but not objectionable. It tracks straight but is vague on-center. The PO says he never had it aligned.

I've played the LMGTFY card in the past so feel free to throw it back at me.

Thanks,
Sixto
'93 Chateau 184K miles

 

1. Just put a nut on it
2. Check obvoius places for leaking and maybe do a Fuel Pressure Test....
3. Replace the Master
4. It should be a little heavy , but I would grease the Upper and Lower Ball joints and then check them for wear (Hands at 12 and 6 o.clock and rock tire ) and replace as necessary

 

Hey, if you have those silly 5 bolt long brackets for the bench bed that thing had, I'll be happy to throw you some scratch to get them. I have a second van that could use the unique bench bracket.

1. Second. Just put a nut on.
2. Would like add: check the evap system, and check the fuel filler hose. It tends to disintegrate and leave a strong fuel smell when stoping.
3. Def replace the master. Remans are cheap. While you are at it, look inside the booster and make sure it hasnt been filled with brake fluid. if so, replace the booster too.
4) Jack the van up and try rocking the fronts top to bottom. If they move AT ALL, then you need to replace the balljoints. You should not be able to feel them move. Left to right movement means you need to check the steering joints. Heavy steering can be normal if the balljoints have been replaced with aftermarket units.

As an aside, The E150 wagons have a pretty narrow payload compared to their beefier 3/4 and 1 ton brethren. 10 adults along can, depending on their weights, overload the P255/70R15 tires most of them run. If your tires do not say XL at the end, then you are running a risk. Non XL tires are typically rated at 1850/tire vs XL tires rated at 2205, and run at lower pressure (35 vs 44).

 

We bought the van this way. No extra quad brackets. I see quads with brackets available locally from time-to-time such as - Ford Van Seats! OBO

Replacing the master cylinder is on deck. Waiting for time. Not driving it 'til then.

There's a hair of movement but I don't remember if it's 12-6 or 3-9. I was hoping the movement was bearings or something I can tackle myself.

I hear you on the tires. I was even thinking of LTs.

Sixto
Sixto
'93 Chateau 184K miles