Hello!

I picked this up on Thursday from a friend last week and I've been finding useful information here daily, so, first of all, thanks! Numbers 1 and 2 on my to-do list are ridding the van of mold, and locating and sealing the what I believe to be a driver side rear-ish roof or window rain leak. I'm concerned that the mold issue will extend beyond simply cleaning the van out, and that the primary source of mold may in fact be the evaporation core. I'm waiting for the Hayne's manual to get here before I try to get a look at the core, and planning to not run any air until I do that.

It may or may not be a hopeful sign, but when pulling the driver side rear paneling, I examined the duct which I think pipes air to the rear of the van, and the inside was 100% free of visible mold. Fingers crossed.

As for the rain leak, PO thinks it's due to bad weather sealing on the cargo doors. I live in the desert and I don't expect rain soon, so I plan to get the hose on top of it and find the leak(s) before I do get caught in the rain, so to speak.

Things I've done:

1. Removed ALL seating, all paneling, the doghouse and carpeting. Will clean plastic part of paneling, but I'm thinking that though it doesn't look moldy, I should remove the insulation attached to the paneling and either replace it or go without.
   
2. Started to clean all paneling and upholstery as best as possible to rid the van of mold. Using a mask and keeping it well ventilated.
   
3. Ordered a Hayne's manual, the treasured Torx Plus 55 bit, and a Masterlock Magnum Shackle lock to be installed onto the cargo doors later this week.

I'm brand new to this van and moldy cars in general. I would greatly appreciate any advice on these subjects. Also, since the interior (minus the headliner, which shows no sign of visible mold or water damage) is almost fully stripped, is there anything I should take care of before I put anything back in?

 

Looks like a good van. you sure do have a project on you. The only thing I could suggest is to not use bleach or any chlorine product for cleaning. And if you have done so already, do an extremely thorough rinse. Makes the toughest metals corrode; you don't want rust.

 

Nice looking van!

I have a 98 Club and I'm having a similar issue. Driver side rear is the worst but I also have a leak over the passenger side rear (large) window as well. Also as you mentioned, I seem to have a mold issue in my rear evaporator, too.

Things I have noticed on my van is that the drip rail sealant is cracked. I am not sure if this is a significant source of a leak but I plan to get some MarineTex sealant and seal it up anyway. Then I plan to coat the roof with an rv roof coating to try and repel some heat.
Then I would like to try and pull my windows and see if I can reseal them. I have not pulled one yet, but I feel there should be a seal between the plastic surround and the body of the van and I think this is where I am leaking at the windows.
I also want to pull apart my rear ac unit to clean the evap as I notice a moldy smell sometimes when I turn it on. I know the drain is open as it drips a good sized puddle when I park after using it. I think it is full of dust/lint after 19 years of use.

Hoping to get into this soon, post your findings here and I'll do the same!

Thanks - Chris

 

Here's a pic of mine going to work a couple of months ago....

 

Check the third brake light on the roof. I've read posts about water getting in through it.
Good luck. Please report back!

 

Thanks, Badback. Yep, I remember changing a bulb up there and noticing it being a bit crusty. I plan to switch to led lights up there when I coat the roof and would make sure to seal it well at that time.

 

I will try to document my work here as I go to keep bugging everyone for advice and to possibly help other lost and moldy souls. Just a warning, not all of my posts will be interesting, and most of them will probably even be boring.

After work today, I got a little ambitious and tried to see if I could peak into the evaporation core, and after removing 5 or so visible screws, I couldn't (my repair manual won't get here until the end of the week). I did notice for the first time mold in the engine compartment... gross. Not much and limited to a few spots next to the core, but I found growth underneath the battery, and a couple smatterings on whatever component is left of the evap core when facing the van.

The Core


Underneath Battery


I did idle the van for about 5 minutes with A/C on to check air flow from vents and to see if any condensation would make it out of the evap core and onto the ground (or past the doghouse and onto the floor). Not sure how it feels in vans that aren't lab experiments, but the air flow out of the vents felt strong and cool to me when the engine was running. I was unable find any moisture on the body or ground beneath the evap core after idling with A/C on, which I think may have been because I didn't run the A/C for long enough? I also tried to find the core drain, and was unable to find it much less know whether or not it was clogged. Where is it?? I did find what felt like a 1/2" slot and some very sticky, tacky gray substance on the bottom of the core near the "slot". It really didn't look like road gunk or mold to me, more like something a PO could have used to seal the core?

Dash Vent


A couple other things that occurred to me today while I was cleaning seats and paneling:

Any recommendations for cleaners that will help remove mold from upholstery?

I plan to have no more than 2 of the 4 benches installed at any given time. What do I do with the holes in the floor where benches aren't installed?

Driver Side Pre Clean


Seat Belt Housing... safer this way, right??


Didn't get to much today. Will be checking the third brake light for leakage once I get this mold a little more under control. One more drop of water in this van and it might turn into one giant mold spore.

 

(Posted twice. Oops.)

 

I think the rain gutter seal might need to be replaced



Passenger/cargo headliner was completely contaminated. Also, I'm lead to believe both evaporator cores are also contaminated! It's not good. Been busy cleaning and getting panels ready for storage until i figure out what to do about the cores.

Got SEM 1k Seam Sealer for the rain gutters, and some 100% Silicone Window Sealer for the windows. I think some weatherstripping, particularly the rear cargo door stripping, is due for replacement. Trying to get to it before the rain.

Yikes, lots of problems so far.

 

Good grief! The mold seems to be everywhere. Obviously it's been very damp inside the van. Now that you have all the panels removed and there's rain in your forecast you should be able to see where the water is coming in. If for some reason you don't, take it through a car wash and stay in the vehicle. You should certainly be able to see it coming in with a high pressure wash.
Any chance this thing was flood victim?

 

Mold is all cleaned out of the van and upholstery, and the gutter is resealed with SEM 1k Seam Sealer. Got a decent amount of rain last night and this morning, and it seems now that worst of the leaking is due to worn rear cargo door weatherstripping. Best to order pre fab, or DIY? Found a pre fab solution here for about $112.

Still need to find a solution for the evaporator core(s), but with a trip coming up in about a week and a half, and since the mold issue is less immediately pressing, I'm changing gears to start tackling some of the other issues.

First on the list... is that the speedometer and odometer aren't working. And I think it may affect transmission performance! PO says that it wasn't an issue before the sale. Checked voltage out of the harness at the vehicle speed sensor, and it was only getting 1.37V with ignition on when my manual says it should be getting 10V. Checked both fuse panels for bad fuses and couldn't find any. Suspecting maybe an old battery? Or that there's a short or bad ground somewhere? Also noticed that the power locks occasionally don't work, and the driver chair (electric motors) will only adjust for a split second before becoming unresponsive until next startup or so.

The headlights turn off while driving, and can be turned back on by pushing the headlight plunger in and then back out. This has happened twice that I've noticed. Pretty disconcerting. This needs to be fixed

Other than that, got a pretty clean bill of health from the mechanic. Recommended changing the rear differential fluid and flushing brake fluid. Although, the same mechanic did quote me $1159.32 to replace the speedometer... $975 of which being the cost of an all new instrument cluster.

 

No, not a flood victim as far as I know, though my area did get some pretty serious rain Dec-Jan. I think the issue may have just gone unattended for long enough to get pretty serious.

 

I don't know how the Fairchild weatherstrips fit but if you are interested in oem ford weather stirps here are what i believe to be the correct part numbers. the site Ford Parts Giant, I have never bought from them so cant recommend them, but I often use them for finding part numbers.
You should double check the part numbers yourself if you choose to use the Ford ones. They can also be found on EBAY and are shown to fit your 98 e350. RA has the two door seals but don't show what they fit. i just put the part number in their search window


F3UZ-1543723-A Driver Side $75.40 = part #3

F3UZ-1543722-A Passenger Side $79.38 = part #2


F2UZ-1541654-A rear door center $36.79 = part#4

https://www.fordpartsgiant.com/parts...html?PNC=43722


Looking at the site you linked to, it shows rear door kit. Does it have that center piece of weatherstrip included? Perhaps it is made into their seals. i could call them and ask if you go with that company.

 

Thanks! It's helpful to have the part numbers. Waiting to hear back about the Fairchild stripping. In the diagram you posted, there are parts numbered 1-4? Any idea which part is labeled "1"?

 

I am going to assume that it is this part.

Sill plate- Interior Trim


9C2Z1142624AA
https://www.fordpartsgiant.com/parts/ford-plate_9c2z-1142624-aa.html?Make=Ford&Model=E350%2fE350+Super+Duty&Yea r=1998&Submodel=&Filter=(e=8-cyl-5-4l;t=4at-4r70w)
they also show it fitting here

FORD OEM 92-02 E-350 Econoline Club Wagon Interior-Rear-Sill Plate 9C2Z1142624AA

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FORD-OEM-92-...3D252387181306