As I sit here at the Ford Stealership watching my parked van wait it's turn.... I realize maybe there's room for a new thread- about poorly maintained Ford Econolines.

I got mine (07 E350 Super Duty cargo w/ 6.8L V10) with 113,000miles back in June 2013.

It had a few broken exhaust studs and crappy, old, stock brakes. On the drive home from buying it, the cruise control kept randomly shutting off. It had Moog ball joints and the trans fluid was in good shape.

Now I'm at 253,000 and I've done the following:
-oil changes every 5-7,000 miles
-added a quart every week/thousand miles
-visual check the coolant jug every time I open the hood
-check transmission fluid once/twice per year
-greased fittings about every 20,000miles
-HVAC blower motor replaced
-replaced both batteries with Advance Auto Parts "no label" units. (Crap that was 3 years ago I better do it again)
-about 3 air filters
-radio died; replaced with aftermarket
-wore out a great set of Firestones
-bought a great set of Michelins (25% used after 50,000)
-high performance brake pads and rotors front and rear (and front wheel bearings of course)
-replace front brake hoses (convenience), and did a home-rebuild front calipers (unsuccessfully: still pulls left)
-catalytic converters plugged up and left me confused for about a year... Then I had a hillbilly put in straight pipes for $100.


And in conclusion-- the old overworked elephant is still serving me well. Though I do have a full time Check Engine Light and an intermittent ABS light. (And every other day a Low Fuel light lol: easily remedied with company fuel card).

Anybody else want to share?

 

Have you checked your alignment?

 

The only alignment checks I've done is watching tire wear over the last 140,000 miles.

... I just realized the part that you highlighted in my post- my van pulls left during hard braking. And it wears out the LF pads and rotors a bit faster than the RF.

Blah... I just need a newer van. But ain't no V10 vans out there.

 

I realize maybe there's room for a new thread- about poorly maintained Ford Econolines.

That's something I noticed too over the years, it seems like most Econolines have been beaten,neglected,and pretty much considered kind of worthless. People ask me what I'm driving and I say an Econoline they don't even say "oh" and then just change the subject.

 

I don't have much to report about Pop's E-150 club wagon. He bought it new in 1988, drove several long trips in it, hauled church groups on occasion, visited siblings on both coasts while living in the midwest, and attended many Army reunions with his old WWII outfit. He was who I learned much of my wrenching skills but he was retired when he bought the van and had it dealer serviced regularly.

The neglect came later when he stopped driving about 10 years before I got it. Sitting is the worst treatment any vehicle can have. My hobby to restore it was time-consuming but not all that difficult (except for the $^%!@ water pump replacement), and since I was now retired, consuming time was a non-issue.

In the year and a half I owned it, I "refreshed" everything on it but the trans, and added rear and right side video cameras, power ports for GPS, cellphone, etc. I sold it last year and broke even on parts costs, and someone got a brand new 1988, Club Wagon XLT with a 302 and no smog devices.

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. jim

 

I had been thinking about starting a thread similar to yours... Not so much about neglect but rather about maintenance on items that are mostly over looked for years..
Both of my vans had sat for years before I bought them.
Some of the first things I did was change the oil, transmission fluid, thermostat and flush the radiator.. On my 85 I pulled the differential , axles, changed the bearings, cleaned the housing, and of course new rear axle grease. That was a bit extreme for just maintenance but it had a bad axle bearing and thought I would just go a head and change them both..

on my 88, here is a list of things I have done I would consider should be maintenance
New thermostat..
Had radiator cleaned
Flushed block and new antifreeze.
Changed all coolant hoses
Change serpentine belt
Changed transmission fluid and filter.
Flushed the brake lines

Some commonly over looked maintenance ideas:
Flushing the power steering fluid
Differential grease
Cleaning and lubricating door seals
Pull and lubricate ignition switch
Pull door panels, clean and lubricate window track and window mechanisms and door locks
Lubricate door hinges, hood hinges, and hood latch
Lube speed odometer cables on older vans.

I plan to pull the upper intake to change a valve cover and while I have the intake off, clean the throttle body and PCV port..
Cleaning the EGR

There are lots of simple maintenance items that will help prevent those gremlins from popping up as your van gets older. Some are wear related while others are age related.
When ever I loosen a electrical connector I make sure and use dielectric grease.
Most of all try ad use high quality replacement parts and replace those parts before they become a serious problem..

50fast, have you had the transmission fluid changed?
rear Axle grease changed?
U-joints perhaps?
Those are 3 major items that can be done when you have a bit of extra time and will save you time and money in the future..

 

Check the brake lines. The right one may have a restriction.
1) possible pinch in the metal line
2) possible crap in the line (since it set for 10 years)
3) possible bad rubber line, the insides can go bad and can come apart

 

Flushing brake fluid is often over looked. Add it to the list.

 

how about cleaning those weep holes in the doors and other body parts so trapped water can drain out?

 

I didn't even know there were any

 

my front door glass wipes, scrapers, or what ever they are called that look like this
More Information for FAIRCHILD KF10106
are cracked and leaking and allow water to go down inside the driver door when it rains. I found abut 4 inches of water sitting inside my drivers door when I took the door panel off.
JWA told me to clean the weep holes.. The door seals were glued over the weep holes and once I cleaned them, the water drains on out now..

HEre is a result of that
<a href="http://s472.photobucket.com/user/Annaleigh_123/media/WP_20151226_16_35_53_Pro.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr88/Annaleigh_123/WP_20151226_16_35_53_Pro.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo WP_20151226_16_35_53_Pro.jpg"/></a>

about middle ways in the pic looking down in the door, you can see light where one of the weep slots are
<a href="http://s472.photobucket.com/user/Annaleigh_123/media/WP_20151226_16_46_26_Pro.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr88/Annaleigh_123/WP_20151226_16_46_26_Pro.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo WP_20151226_16_46_26_Pro.jpg"/></a>

It was up under the door seal and the door seal had closed it off.
<a href="http://s472.photobucket.com/user/Annaleigh_123/media/WP_20151227_10_57_10_Pro.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr88/Annaleigh_123/WP_20151227_10_57_10_Pro.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo WP_20151227_10_57_10_Pro.jpg"/></a>

 

I'd be tempted to drill a couple of holes that can't be blocked.

 

Thats a good Idea Vettex2.. Just be sure and primer or paint the bare metal.. There is no rust at all in my doors at all. The pic use looks dirty because there is no flash on my camera. But i bet many of those rusted out doors we see are due to the weep holes being closed off.. Those window seals can probably leak for years and you would never know.. Mine on the other hand,, I could hear water dripping into a puddle! I was wondering, what in the heck is that..

 

I did change the rubber brake lines up front when I did the (failed) caliper rebuilds.

And no I've never changed the trans fluid.

Mark Kovalsky said mine requires a trans flush machine that heats the new fluid and that there's no way to do a home flush. I've had two Ford dealers say otherwise, and clearly pretending like they have even heard of such a thing.

I have a strange trust of Kovalski due to his experience and great detail.... But doubts creep in easily when multiple ford dealers disagree with him.

Plus my one Ford dealer said they won't even do a flush on a 250,000 mile transmission.

 

I thought I said brake fluid?