Anyone have any tips on how to get to the lower drivers side radiator bolt (the steering box and some brake line stuff is in the way)

And how to get the fan off
I know its reverse thread
I rented the 48mm wrench for it from orally **** parts
I've tried everything I could think of
Like using a 9/16 on a bolt and against the shaft the fans mounted to
I need to get this vans engine pulled and leaks fixed
Any help would be appreciated

Its in A 91 E350 so its a bitch to get leverage on

 

smack that wrench with a hammer

a Knocker wrench is generally what I use.

and yeah Vans are no fun compared to the Trucks.

 

Never heard of knocker wrench
tried with a hammer
While holding said 9/16 on the pulley bolt against the shaft
The trans is out for rebuild
Im trying to get this block out to clean it up and fix a couple oil leaks from the valve covers etc

I've seen advice other places about pulling pan and pump to pull the motor
Is that good advice?

 

Try retighting the belts, every little bit helps. And just beat with a hammer, eventually they'll come loose.

Another trick you can try is using a long rod, like sucker rod or a big piece of rebar and placing it on one of the flat sides and smack the hell out of it.

If you haven't already done so, pull that hood to get you some extra room since you're pulling the motor out.

Hopefully genscripter will pass by and give you the tips and tricks in that department. He's got his own website too that he documents all of his van stuff and others on. Pretty interesting read and it'll more than likely come in handy to you since you also own a van. Not alot of folks here do, but there are some. Gen is the most active

 

As Darkovercast posted, make sure the belts are real tight. Then take a couple of shop rags and wedge them between the alternator (IIRC) pulley and belts to prevent the fan pulley from turning then smack the wrench with a heavy hammer.

 

After looking up Genscripter and rolling over his site to see his 7.3 pull video im reconsidering pulling
The obvious oil leaks are at the passenger side valve cover and what I assume is the oil pressure sender at the back of my 7.3 here
the sender with the little black L shaped boot here

Has anyone done the valve cover inside a van?
There are bolts I can't see from looking at pics of the bolt pattern and I'm not sure how I'm gonna manipulate my torque wrench to get proper specs if I'm in, hence the reason I wanted to pull as I think previous owner didn't give a sheet about doing it properly

Just bought a rebuilt trans having realized the gaping anus probably towed OD on at speeds that burned it up or ran it with the hazards on (or so I'm told)

 

The first time I had to pull my radiator in my '88 E250 (and my '84 E350), I had trouble getting those lower bolts loosened. I can't recall how I got them loose, but once I had the radiator out, I replaced them with lock-tited thru bolts with a nut on the front side. I didn't tighten them all the way down. I just lock-tited them about 1/32" bigger than the thickness of the radiator slot metal, because my radiator had slots at the bottom. So whenever I had to remove the radiator in the future, I just slid the rad in on those thru bolts, and tightened the top bolts. My bottom bolts are basically just resting bolts. If your radiator has those slots, I'd recommend doing the same thing.

I did my fan clutch back when I first got my van. Long before I started my website and youtube channel. I wish I had documented it. It was 8 years ago, but I remember using the four pulley bolt heads with one wrench, and the clutch mounting slots with another wrench, and grunting so hard I pooped myself. It eventually popped loose.

yeah. pulling a big block through the E-series is a PITA.



https://www.nickpisca.com/diesel/tur...econoline-van/

​​​​​​​My only piece of advice is, if you are going to pull the engine, you might as well invest in some other enhancements and repairs as well, because you won't want to pull it again. The amount of time you have to spend pulling off the front end, taking off the parts on the top of the engine, and reinstalling them is 80% of the engine swap project. So a "quick and dirty" fix job is not really worth the time.

​​​​​​​For a valve cover, you can totally do that in the doghouse. Easy Peasy. I did the head gaskets with the engine in the bay (had to remove the engine mounts and tip the block but did it). So VC's are an easy job, especially on passenger side. The drivers side VC's are a bit harder, if you have AC. If you run into trouble, you can always slide out the motor mount on the other side and tip the engine down a smidge. That'll make the VC's easier to remove, but I doubt you'll have that problem.

If you have an oil pan leak, you'll need to pull the engine to fix that. You can't get the pan off without hitting the crossmember. I remember reading some kind of urban legend that they were fixing ambulances in the 80's by cutting the crossmember out, then fixing the underside of the engine, then welding in the crossmember again. I can't confirm this is true. Just relaying the mythology.

Judging by the massive oil on your y-pipe, you either have a rear main seal leak or that oil pressure sensor is leaking. My guess is the main seal, because when you leak diesel of oil down that rear side of the valley pan/back of engine, it tends to drain down by the starter, not directly under the flywheel cover. The only time you get leakage down there, is the rear main seal or the trans is leaking out front. What's your TC look like? Might as well replace the TC while you got the engine and trans separated. Might as well get head studs. Might as well throw more money into your van.

 

Hey thanks for the heads ups

It's that sender mostly
it has a fresh wet trail down the pass side on the back of the block
the area directly under the rear main does have a light bit of of wet sludge
So is that an in van as well?

And a thick black river of sludge from burned oil directly from pass side VC all the way down
My starter was caked in sludge

I have brand new TC with rebuilt trans and FP (a few teeth were mangled)

Im still not sure how to get that lower rad bolt loose
I'd like the rad out of the way while i take uppers off to get at that VC and to be able to clean the surface for when I remate them together

I can't tell if pan is leaking as all the upper leaks have gotten the thing rather dirty

it wasn't dumping oil
it was a slow loss over hundreds of miles (never smelled burning oil) so before trans started slipping warranting a pull for rebuild I was unaware of the leaks until I saw them having ripped the doghouse

gonna call the parts store for rear main now

 

Parts guy mentions a speedy sleeve for the rear main
says its an extra bit to protect the RM from spring?
This worth doing?


Edit: appears speedy sleeve has had lawsuits
Answered my own question

 

After having read the writeup on your page though
I lack access the equipment to get the rear main replaced
def no press here or anything to throw the plates on flat
While there is a tiny amount under the rear main
the trail out from the sender is much more significant
I think ill leave the rear main for later
As im solo and lacking the means ATM

So my focus is the sender and the VC
Gotta get at that darn radiator bolt to clear my way

 

So both VCs outside middle to rear driver side is smaller seep than pass
small rear main
Alot of gunk on the front but didn't find any fresh wet
so not sure fronts leaking
The blocks caked around bottom alot so not sure about pan leaking
decided there's too much to take care of and its not near critical
so put rebuilt in
bolted right up with the help of a good buddy
will at least get oil pressure sender leak though
Did end up fanagling an adjustable ratchet in to get the radiator out
will have it flow tested
Now I saw on a different forum (at least I think it was, ill try to find it later)
Arguments to keeping the in radiator cooler in the loop and plumbing outboard after so that when sitting idle it'll cool better from the radiator, but when in motion it'll cool better from the outboard cooler

Plz feel free to toss in yours
is it bull****?
is it plausible?

Thanks for your time

 

It's a bit of a pita but I didn't use a press for my rear main seal. Didn't have any leaks. I'd change it since you have the trans pulled.

Lay it on something flat, take a mini sledge hammer, turn it on its side and tap on it with another hammer so it drives it more uniform. It's hard to get it started but once it starts it's all downhill.

You could also try a block of wood, or a piece of pipe of correct size. Sometimes a pvc coupler works.

 

Trans is in
but ill consider that in a few months when I take the motor out and give it a go over
I have no intention to neglect it
but I've gotta tow a trailer and help my sick folx move out of their place they're being tossed out of....

 

One benefit to working in the van is the access to the back of the block. If I ever had to do a rear main seal, I'd just pull the tranny back a foot, and extract the rear engine plate. It shouldn't be that hard to remove.



Source: https://www.nickpisca.com/diesel/eng...l-replacement/

You gotta remember that with the large access from the doghouse, I'd think pulling off that rear plate would be pretty easy. And then you can use a press to easily remove and install the main seal. The only wildcard would be permatexing the oil pan mating surfaces to the plate, but with enough goop, I'm sure it would seal fine.

Looks like Blk_sheep has already reinstalled the trans, so that'll have to wait for a later date. maybe his rear main is fine. I just saw how much oil was on that y-pipe and thought it must be seeping from the trans flywheel cover weep hole.


I can't remember the sequence on my trans cooler and external cooler. I think i've tried it 4 different ways (just the internal cooler, just the external, the internal first then external, and reverse). I don't recall any significant difference, but then again, I live in LA and it's usually 75 degrees every day all year. I imagine a colder climate would have more variability.

 

Yeah trans went back in
I'm not trying to pull the engine on my own
I'll give it attention when I have some more money time and a helping hand which will be a few months

Trying to find a dipstick n tube as mine are damaged
been having a he'll of a time trying to find em

Only two wreckers that had wouldn't split em from trans