Aah, now I understand NG/Jack.

 

slow day, but I made it to my ambulance right at dusk. First problem - the tires on the driver's side are flat. I doubt one of the air compressors that plug into the cig lighter will output enough to fill these tires up all the way, but maybe a little. And, I can get to the top bell housing bolts through the doghouse, they're right there, easy as can be.

Gonna be a fun day tomorrow. O.o Gotta find me a transmission jack first.

Dang, this ambulance is sooo nice. The interior is perfect, with an XLT-level accessory package, which is rare in Eseries. The engine compartment is all original, no parts missing/rearranged, etc. Just like it came from the factory. But, I was wrong, I never took the belt off to eliminate the AC pump being locked. However, can't imagine why it would have locked up at the same time as the engine blew up. Wonder what else could make it turn so slowly? I'm sure I asked that of y'all of the time - that's why I gave up on it, couldn't come up with any reason for it except the cylinders being full. And, IMHO, the gaskets have to be blown based on all the coolant being gone and the huge clouds of white smoke that blew out of it. IIRC, I figured there was no way I could repair blown head gaskets since it meant removing the engine.

I want to scavenge the driver's door to replace the one on my other shuttle, but that bus doesn't have the electric windows and door locks that are on this ambulance. Are the connections for those part of the base wiring harness/fuse box, etc., in all Eseries, or would I have to do some custom splicing to make use of them? Otherwise, there will be no way to roll down the window.

This also has an aux battery set-up - 2 big 1000amp storage batteries and something called an AutoCharger that, I assume, keeps them charged. Those batteries weren't good when I got it, but I wonder if that autocharger is worth pulling. I'll google and see what it costs. It really is a first class set up. The ambulance was donated to the Red Cross by the government of Kuwait - you can see where decals were on the side of the box that described that.

 

Just pulled a trans on an f-550 and it really isn’t a huge deal, torque converter bolts thru the cover on the DS is easy enough to get to. I’m pretty sure it was a 14mm socket with about a 3in extension and a 3/8 ratchet. I have a gear wrench XL-which worked perfect for turning the harmonic balancer to get to the next nut.

remove driveshaft-cooler lines-wiring-trans cross member lower the jack to get to the top bell housing bolts. I have a long extension-which is 1/2in on the impact gun side and 3/8ths on the bolt side. Works great. I will say you’ll have to get the front end up high to slide it out-but jack it up on either side and put some wood under the front tires and you should be fine.

 

Well, the only transmission jack for rent I found is 30 mins away. $34/day. Otherwise, Harbor Freight has a couple for $110 and $180 although I haven't checked their stock. Any opinions whether the cheap one is too lame? Is the more expensive one or the rental better for our transmission?

https://www.sunbeltrentals.com/equip...mission-jacks/
https://www.harborfreight.com/automo...ion-jacks.html

Dang, the HF website is as lame as their tools. It doesn't let you check inventory at the stores.

 

Thank you. This is an Eseries, but I hope it's not much harder. Looks like my only issue is getting the truck up high enough. You're recommending jacking the front up; I was thinking I'd jack the back - it weighs less. On the positive side, the parking lot in this storage yard is crushed rock that's compacted real solid, so I'll be able to jack right from it. On the negative side, ditto, because I was thinking I might be able to dig a hole, rather than jack the truck, to pull it out. Brought a couple of shovels to do that.

Those DS flat tires are a problem. They weren't flat when I parked it here two years ago, so I'm hoping they'll hold air long enough to do this job. Anyone have experience with portable tire inflators? I see cheap ones that claim 150psi for about $40 online, but don't know if I'll find one in stock here. Advance Auto has one for $89 that claims 99psi. Is that BS? Maybe it'll only do that if the tire is off the ground/vehicle, but what if the weight of this big ambulance is on it? I'm not a physics guy, does that weight affect how much psi it can pump? These E450 tires recommend 80psi, but of course, I don't need them to spec, prolly 50-60psi would be sufficient.

Or, maybe I don't mess with the tires at all - just jack that side up? Was hoping to just jack one side, so maybe that's the side since the passenger tires are OK. Or, is that wishful thinking - maybe I need to get both sides up in the air, and one back corner up even higher. I can barely get under the passenger side now. All I have is a HF 3T floor jack and a 5T bottle jack. Got cinder blocks, the hollow ones, and some wood - anyone know how much weight those blocks will hold (placed with the hole facing up)?

 

In my experience, the major drawback to the small tire inflators for large tires is heat. Those little motors can only do so much before they will burn up. The fine print in the manuals may give you a hint about run time and rest time. I try to keep them in the shade and well ventilated. Check with your hand and shut off when too hot. I also pull the plug out of the socket to cool also. You may be able to inflate for a couple of minutes then have to rest it ten. It will get there but not in any hurry. I went with a pump that draws directly from the battery with clips and can run pretty much continually on a large tire. Even it will not do multiple tires without a cool down. Also need to run the engine of whatever you are pulling power from for the obvious reason and also speed of the pump.

 

Great info, BB. that's similar to what one of the "reviews" of a pump I looked at said - he felt the motor and hose getting hot. I'm thinking now that I'll just jack the driver's side up - won't matter that the tires are flat if they just hanging off the ground. The body isn't on the ground so I think there's enough room to get my floor jack under it. Thanks!

 

I think all I really lack for this job is muscles, lol. Jacking up this big ambulance, pulling that 350lb tranny out from under, then getting it loaded in my bus is for a younger man than me. I'd hoped to back my bus right up to the ambulance, but since I first parked that ambulance here, the place has filled up. Used to be empty spaces next to me, now there's easily 80 more boats and RVs here and on all sides of me. I also have a car in that slot, behind the ambulance, so I'll have to get it moved before I can move the ambulance. And the car has flat tires too, but it's a econocar, so less work.

What I'd like to do is use my two-wheel dolly. Hoping I can pick up the rear of the tranny and tilt the bell housing on the dolly. If I can do that, it should roll right on my bus' wheelchair lift and then right into the truck. If not, I gotta drag it out to the truck, onto the lift, and then inside. That would be a lot more work. Have a feeling I'm going to be real sore.

I may not even get finished tomorrow - no air/power ratchet, lots of manual wrenching. All the jacking. And a couple of hours going to pick up the rental jack and whatever else I need. Prolly be sleeping here in my bus a second night. And when I do get the tranny, I still want to pull off so many other parts. I'd hoped I might get it done this week so I could have it hauled out of this lot before next month's payment is do - they just went up to $100/mo, :-(. Prolly won't make it though.

From here, I hope to go straight to OK and give the tranny to the installer, then just wait there for him to get it done and drive that bus home. This bus has a trailer hitch, so I can drive my little car back to get it then rent a tow dolly for the little car.

Sometimes I wish I had a normal life.

 

I hope this may help, but since you're not at home, it maybe harder. First, I think you are much more capable than what you described/felt. So be assured, you'll be fine.
I also think you may over analyze things, which is good for far from home situation, but too much can be a burden. 350 lbs is not that heavy at all. So, if you don't have the jack, you can stuff wood, whatever underneath it, pad with moving blanket folded several times, tied it up with cables to hang it up there. Once all bolts/nuts are out, you can just let it down slowly by releasing the cables. If you do that, be prepared for it to drop, meaning having soft pad around it.
It didn't take me long at all to remove it. Jack the bus up after removal, so it's low. I wouldn't bother with the tires. Just jack up from the frame. Make sure you're safe, and don't let anything drop on you.
Please don't take this in a negative way. I want to cheer you up, and also letting you know that you do have what it take, or more. You did that injector amazingly well in that crazy cold weather. This is a piece of cake for you.

 

x2!! Well said. Things always look worse before you take that first step. You can do it. Wish I could help.

 

Thanks, NG, for the vote of confidence, but you're killing my Bonehead rep. Yes, I usually do get 'er done. My problem, and its happened over and over, is I break something else while fixing the first problem. I don't lack confidence, sometimes I have too much.

Either way, my Bonehead rep is well earned. That I can laugh at myself is just my nature. I'm a ying/yang guy - nothing's good and nothing's bad, it's all just balance in the universe.

Maybe some of yall can understand: in a perverse way, I enjoy these challenges. Feel great when I finally overcome. Even the part about being on the side of the road - more of a challenge. Rolling the dice on auction trucks. It's all fun.

Of course, with no one waiting for me at home, what's the difference between sleeping in a ditch or my cold bed? My only fear, and its terrifying, is losing my Brody, and he's already 14. Everybody loves their dog, but he's all I got. By my side, literally, 24/7/365. Don't know what I'll do; how I'll be able to do anything. Definitely won't be able to run from loneliness on the road, like I do now. Prolly go back to devoting my time to charities; try to have some purpose for the time I got left.

LOL, guess that'll teach you to go off topjc.

 

Thx, BB. You're exactly right, it's that first step that's difficult. Once you dive in there's no way to go but forward.

I didn't mean to sound so morose. I'm really one of the most upbeat people you'll ever meet. Ying/yang, baby!

 

Well today didn't go well, but it was productive. The starter won't turn my engine, and I couldn't get it to turn using a crank bolt - how hard should it be, and which direction should I turn? I tried both ways, using a breaker bar and my legs. I was actually turning the bolts both directions. Obviously, loosening them isn't going to work, and it felt like the bolts were going to break off going the other way. Didn't budge at all.

I had planned to take NG's advice - I carry a big stack of moving blankets, and figured my standard floor jack strapped to the tranny would be enough to pull it free from the flywheel - so I didn't go get the tranny jack. By the time I got the truck jacked up a little, and all the harness connectors, linkage, drive shaft, et al disconnected. and figured out I couldn't turn it, it was too late to go get the jack. I think I'll need it, rather than my floor jack, to pull the transmission straight out from the torque converter.

So, I started yanking other parts off. Mainly, I need the engine harnesses - I'm still getting EGR and GPCM codes, and based on the other harness issues I've had, and the splice I had to make in the cooling fan pigtail, I think that's the first step. Of course, getting the harness off an Eseries is even a bigger pain than an Fseries. I also need the fan clutch. So far, I've scavenged the fuel pump, CAC tubes, fuel regulator, one of the alternators, and the PCM (I need that for the new bus - that's why the tranny blew, because the connector wouldn't stay on, the little notch on the PCM side of the connector broke off in that 20 degree weather in Minn). The air filter and box have a lot of oil in them - more evidence that the engine has serious problems. The radiator already had a small leak - I was topping the coolant in the dark before leaving early in the morning when I accidentally left the degas cap off and that's what blew up this ambulance - so it's no good.

I plan to get the turbo, the other alternator, the GPCM, and the IPR as well. And the seats, and dash with radio, and the driver's door. Wish I could get the steering gear and ball joints; one or both are bad in my current bus - it has a lot of slop. Looking underneath, it looks like the shop that I took that ambulance to for an alignment when I was first repairing the wreck damage only replaced the bushings at the (I forget what the A-frame arms are called that go towards the back and have a rubber bushing with a huge bolt holding them on). They charged me $1500, and I could swear they said they were replacing the ball joints. It definitely worked, the truck steered great when I got it back, but that price was way too much. I was pissed then and more pissed now. Maybe that's all my current bus needs?

Ended the day with a dud. I had left my wheelchair lift lowered to the ground all day - I had my tools in that back cargo area and left it down for access - but, when it came time to stop, it wouldn't work. Completely dead, like it has no electricity. Thought I was hosed big time - can't go anywhere with the lift down, and it's supposed to start raining and get cold here - I couldn't even close the big door.. But, I found out that it has a manual pump for just this issue, and got it closed up.

That may be another problem - I need that lift to pick up the tranny and get it in the truck. Not sure if that manual pump is made to lift additional weight, but I think so - the manual instructions mention loading a wheelchair.

By the end of the day, my hands started cramping again - that hurts. Literally have to use my other hand to straighten my fingers out, but they'd cramp right back again. And, it feels like I pulled some arm muscles. This is definitely not a game for old guys.

Any tips/precautions on how to pull the tranny out without the torque converter? The bell housing bolts will be simple - the top four are right there in the bell housing. Otherwise, all I have left is the cross member and starter. I guess there's no way to get the torque converter off afterwards. Will just have to use the one that's in the bus now.

Oh yeah, with all the stuff I'm pulling off, that DS valve cover will be exposed, so I might grab those injectors. What are the chances that the starter could turn the engine if I do? Maybe that's the best route - grab the injectors, then turn the engine to get to the torque converter nuts. Or, to be sure it will turn, would I need to remove the PS injectors as well, or the glow plugs? I don't have the lift to take that motor mount off, and I think you have to do that to get the GPs as well. If that's the case, I'm back to leaving the TC on. Or maybe, I roll the dice - remove the DS injectors and hope that lets it turn - if not, I still get 4 injectors for my troubles.

Dang, that reminds me, I still need to send my old injector back to White Bear to get my core charge back. They said another Ford dealer might accept them - maybe I try that here first.

Sleeping in the storage lot again. Need a shower bad.

 

You rotate the bolts clockwise to rotate the crank clockwise, looking at the front of the motor. But if that was coolant in a cylinder, the rings could be rusted in.

Mark and I said you need to pull the GPs, or injectors with a hydrolock. You'd have to be damn good and get the trans out without the TC not to bend the shaft. No friggin way could you use a frame jack and do that. Even with the TC, I'd never try one of these trans without a trans jack.

The wheelchair lifts typically are rated for a fat person and the wheelchair. An obese person. And a powered wheelchair. The Braun lifts are rated and tested at 800 lbs or 1,000lbs; they typically can go higher. Some of the school buses are lighter at 600lbs. Test weight, but can lift higher. They have their own 12v pump and a hand pump in case of an emergency.

You learn useless crap when you work on-site with fleets.

 

Take all the DS injectors out and you have 50% chance of rotating it, which goes by tightening up the bolts. I think you can get the PS out too. Remove the AC system as one unit. Unbolt the blower box and remove it. The pump maybe an issue. After that see if you can just cut the dog house or bend it. Use a good pair of shears may work.

I would take the TC out together also.