I replaced the coolant bypass hose that sprung a leak and was able to test drive the van for the first time with the new calipers on it. I took it for a short 5 minute drive info residential streets and pulled over to check the brakes, the front wheels were cool to the touch. Drove around for another 5 or ten minutes and pulled up to the house. Now the front drivers side wheel was hot and the passenger side front was a bit cooler than hot. What else could be causing the calipers to stick? I called my dad and he said to see if anyone else had issues with proportioning valves sticking causing this...

 

I think the guys in the bullnose section have got me on my way to figuring out the sticky brakes situation. If you want the details here is the thread i posted there:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-sticking.html

Coles notes: master cylinder push rod needs/needed to be adjusted shorter.

I am still working to figure out the hard starting issue. It has become on and off lately, but i think it has something to do with the choke. When I start the van I often have the air cleaner cover off to watch the choke plate. When the choke plate closes fully and stays closed during cranking the van fires up perfect. Sometimes the choke plate won't close on its own and sometimes it closes but opens as soon as the starter starts turning the motor which makes for a really hard start. I took the carb off this morning and will be disassembling to see why the choke plate doesn't always close, if there is linkages binding or if it is operator error.

Thats all for now.

 

Update: I posted a thread in the bullnose section about my brakes, they led me to check out the piston inside the brake booster. It seemed that it was adjusted too long so that even with no force applied to the brake pedal it still held some pressure in the brake lines. I shortened it and the brakes seem to run cooler. i still might need to tweak it some more but i think i have that issue figured out.

After tinkering with the carb i discovered the accelerator pump circuit was blocked. i fixed that and it seems to run much better now. I still need to tweak the idle fuel screws to fix a tiny bit of low throttle hesitation but i believe i have that figured out as well. I have also adjusted the choke and it starts much better now as well.

I am in the process of cleaning out the rear tank and reinstalling it. i had to cut the rubber filler hoses so i will have to find some more of that to reinstall, and then figure out the plumbing in front of the tank. I suspect it has been bodged together.

Lastly i have a new problem. the brake lights don't work and the signal lights aren't great either. the left signal blinks but very slowly, and i have to hold the stalk down to get it to do so since the plastic detent is busted in the hub. The right side just turns on but doesn't blink. The hazards don't work at all. All the brake lights, signals and hazards worked when i bought the van.

Note: I also busted the brake light switch when i was working on my brake issue. i bent it back together and reinstalled it and that's when i noticed the brake lights didn't work. i thought it was the switch. i just replaced that switch with a new one and the brake lights still dont work. i checked both new and old switches and they are both open circuit when not compressed and closed circuit when compressed which i think checks out. So i tested the wiring to them, there seems to be no power to the switch. i read in the manual that failing brake lights can be caused by a failed signal light circuit, so i am hoping one problem is causing both brake light and signal light failures.

i tried to find thehazard and signal flashers but i can only find the hazard flasher (behind the dash to the left of the steering column. the manual says the signal flasher is there too but i can't find it.

anyone have any input on the lights issue?

 

Someone else had this same problem couple weeks ago with the turns/brake lights.

Here's the topic.

 

The difference between his problem and mine is his signal lights and brake lights didn't work at all. My signal lights will light up but dont flash or only flash slowly and my brake lights and hazards flat out don't work. I don't really understand the brake and signal light circuits ado the first step should be figuring that out. I wanted to confirm if the flashers were functioning but could only find the hazard flasher.

 

Thinking, that this era van only used one flasher unit for both the turns and the hazards.

Check to see if the front turn signals work correctly, and there is a problem with the rear only, that will tell you if the problem is in the flasher unit, the brake pedal switch or the turn signal/hazard switch in the steering column.

Slow, or very dim rear turn signals in the rear could be a bad frame/body ground wire at the rear. This will also affect the stop lights.

Understanding the turn/stop/hazard lights would be on the schematic drawing that annaleigh posted on that link.

 

My mom's 78 E100 was having brake/turn light problems and I wound up just adding a new ground to the body behind the tail lights and that solved the problem. IF I remember the turn signal worked fine by itself but when you hit the brakes, the light went completely out.
I fixed it after a cop stopped me just before pulling in my driveway. When my daughter came out to see what was going on, the officer told her to get inside the house.. 2 more cars came up and my friend who was visiting came out and was to told to get inside or she would be arrested. The officer told her that they were just going to ask a couple of questions and they would be on their way. My friend told the officer: If you need 3 officers to witness a couple of answers, then i am staying here as a witness for my friend.. They just packed up and left with out even giving a warning ticket. So I fixed the lights the next day!

 

A lady in a van, running from the Po-po's.............
Hope your friend got her video camera/cell phone out to record this too.....hehe.....and that's why they left. You must have a very slow department that they could send 3 squad cars after you, in your driveway.

 

Odd to say the least

 

Dgoodsy has a 84 and my 85 has two flasher units. My 85 is also carbed..
Now my 88 is wired different then the 85. 84 I believe was the duraspark ignition, 85 with a 5.0 was TFI ignition with a feedback carb. To swap the TFI to Duraspark all I had to do electrically was swap the TFI harness to a duraspark harness at the connectors that came through the firewall. (kinda).

This is for my 85

 

Yes Annaleigh that diagram is what i found in me cd manual. i pulled off the left most dask panel (with the lights and wiper controls) and found what i think must be the hazard flasher but could not see or feel the turn signal flasher. Mind you I couldn't get my hand very far in there and could not see much either, from the top or underneath. Also i think the signal lights worked (sort of) with that flasher disconnected.

When the signal lights are "operating" both the front and rear signals light up.

I suppose i could do a continuity test from the rear lights to ground to test if it is a ground issue.

Thanks for your help guys and sorry for the slow reply. Another van project is keeping me pretty busy at the moment.

PS. Annaleigh, weird story about your cops! In my younger/dumber years i got a stunting ticket for squealing the tires (honda civic) in a big parking lot at night. One police car pulled me over but before he finished writing the ticket another cop had parked in front of my car and one more behind him for backup. I am curious what their policies are that require that much help, or maybe they were just bored that night.

 

Ok thinking here... The lights were working fine before you worked on adjusting the brake peddle switch?
Have you checked to make sure the switch contacts are in fact closing when you press the brake peddle? it has been my experience that 1 out of every 3 after market parts are bad and one of the 2 working ones will go bad soon!



My 88, if you lightly push on the turn signal lever, instead of all the way locking it into place, the indicator light on the dash will come on but not blink. You have to push just a bit more to get it to flash.. Since your turn signal switch is broken, I would replace it first..
According to Rock Auto the part number is #E4UZ13341D, E5UZ13341D
Automatic trans.; w/ Tilt Steering Wheel

There is a difference in tilt wheel and auto or manual transmission. The first two digits "E4" or E5", the letter E stands for 1980's.. the second digit 4 or 5 is the year.
So E4 = 1984. the U stands for van.. Many parts for our vans are the same as trucks and you might see a different letter in place of the U. Some times the part is updated and i guess that is why they list a 1985 part also.

This is a complete switch with hazard and wiring harness. You can get just the aftermarket plastic switch cam and replace it. I don't know what is involved in replacing the whole switch with harness. If you don't have to pull the whole steering colum apart to do it, I would recommend the whole switch. i am guessing that perhaps the harness connector might not fit down the column, again I do not know.. If it will not then i wold think about seeing if i could pull the pins out of the connector and slide it down the column.. Again I have never changed one out on one of our vans.

But here is the ford part..
1984 Ford Econoline 150 250 350 Turn indicator Switch NOS E4UZ-13341-D
1984 Ford Econoline 150 250 350 Turn indicator Switch NOS E4UZ-13341-D

 

When i was looking at the van before purchasing it, yes the lights worked as they should. The only time i checked the lights after that is after I broke the stop light switch, which is when i found they did not work. I can't say for sure the stop light switch that started the issue.

The right signal indicator light never has worked for me, not sure if that is a clue or not. I assume that is a burnt out indicator light but...

Yes i was eyeing up that turn signal switch but rockauto lists the part for $130 CAD. The link you sent is cheaper but does not ship to Canada. I will look around and contact that seller in that link and if see what it takes to get one into Canada.

 

I just came across this info and the thought had never occurred to me that the cruse control is also tied into the brake/turn signal circuits. i have not studied the diagram very well so it may be operated through relays but,,, look at your manual for speed control and there should be a few wiring diagrams. Something I learned about these manuals is that you will find bits and pieces that are related in different sections.
section 37 on my 85 manual.

i guess shipping to another country deals in taxes? There is another listed on ebay as new for $29 and the seller has 100% feedback but the switch looks like it has a wire that has been cut or has to be spliced.. So I would talk to the seller abut that one and if it didn't work then you wasted good bit of time..

If you have to go aftermarket, her eis a site i use often for cross referencing part numbers
E4UZ13341D,FORD E4UZ13341D; Turn Indicator Switch

I was correct about having to remove the connector to feed the wiring harness down the column. This is a truck but should be about the same. Good video on what you need to do to replace the switch.

If you have any trouble with the connector pins, here is a great video all about Ford connectors and how to lock and unlock them. The guy in the video about changing out the switch, He doesn't show how the multi pin connector really works. this video will.

 

One more thing.. You said that you cut the rubber lines when you dropped the gas tank, I did too on my 85 and had to replace them..
I ordered the first large one from these guys
Filler Neck Supply Co Specialty Parts Group Inc DBA - Search Results for "Ford+E150+1984"

the problem was that it did not look like the pic with little angles on each end. What they sent me was a straight piece of tubing. It can be used but I went ahead and found a factory filler neck hose.. I still have the straight one.
they also stock the smaller fuel hose that is around 3/4" diameter. I tried a boat supply first but they didn't have that size. That might be an option for you.

The large hose is part #E1TZ-9047-B

Numberdummy made a post here about the hose in 2012. if you need a part number he's the man!
VINTAGE PARTS in Beaver Dam WI has 48 = 877-846-8243.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post12504556