Hello Ford community!

I just wanted to introduce myself and see if anyone had any advice or suggestions on Quadravans. I just purchased my first leisure vehicle, a 1990 E250, converted to 4x4 and lifted by the now defunct company Pathfinder.
I’m looking for some easy and not super expensive ways to get more power out of the newly installed Jasper Class I engine, a brand new 5L 302 V8.
I realize the engine is not the most powerful, especially for such a heavy vehicle, but was wondering if anyone had any suggestions. I will say I’m not quite as mechanically inclined as I think I should be, having made such a purchase, but I am happy to learn.
Also if anyone can recommend metal fabricators in Los Angeles who can build racks, side ladder, and convertible interior bed/seating etc. I would be very grateful!

 

Once again I'll say your van is lovely. My first 2 big vans ('73 E200 and '86 GMC 2500, no 4WD) were Turtle Top camper conversions and although it's dated, your interior looks great too That looks ultra-clean. I assume it's low mileage also.

 

Thank you! The interior is definitely on the list, captains chairs, new convertible bed, maybe some cabinets etc. It sure smells dated as well lol. Low mileage, not so much, unless you pretend the 5 digit odo never rolled over and it’s still at 79k. With this kind of mileage, I think the tranny may need a replacement eventually, along with a few other things. Exhaust sure does smell, I’m not sure it’ll pass smog, which would make a new exhaust system a priority just to get it registered (it came from Oregon).

 

If that is a stock for 1990 5.0 truck motor it's smothered beyond all good reason and there is a ton more power to be had, all you got to do is change the camshaft. This motor was rated at 185 peak hp at 3800rpm but I doubt it even makes that much. With a more reasonable cam this motor will make 250-275hp, the trick with this is not tripping up emissions inspections for you.
The good news is there are a selection of cams that are SD EFI friendly, I have personally used some of these and passed tailpipe sniffer tests with them, the motor will idle and run like stock which is critical of course for emissions. This will be a flat tappet motor but the block should be roller ready which opens the door to high performance cams, eliminates the need for a zinc additive in the oil, and frees up some power from reduced friction.

There should be a decal on the drives door pillar with some info on it, if it's still there and hasn't been painted over or removed there will be trans and axle codes that will decode and tell you how this vehicle was originally equipped. I'd expect to find perhaps 3.55 gears and either a C6 or AOD trans.

 

Welcome to the forum.
Wonderful looking van! I am interested to know how the bed works in the back.. I want to convert my van into a simple camper and have been looking at different designs.

 

Thank you Conanski, the only sticker I found was this one, not sure if this is what you were referring to, it doesn’t seem to have the info you were referring to.
I’ll have to call the engine manufacturer to get some additional info on this engine. It is supposed to be the same stock engine as the original, and the seller did mention replacing the cam if I wanted more power. I was also told this may be pricey, but I’ll definitely look into it.

 

 

Thank you! The bed was built with plywood and connected with hinges - when folded up, each section is about 28’’ tall and the width of the interior, and the last portion makes up the seat bottom, the folded rest makes up the back. To convert to bed, it simply pulls and slides out toward the front of the vehicle, kind of like stretching an accordion. It’s not badly built, just sort of dated and clunky.
I do plan on tearing this all out however, and installing a type of metal frame with springs, kinda like a futon.

 

Since we are dealing with limited space it is important to design things so that there is little storage space loss. The rear seat in my van folds into bed but it is not comfortable at all. I am not that tall so i can stretch out across it though. I was watching an interesting video from India where they used a frame and used ropes woven in a pattern to make what we might think of as box springs.
Keep us updated on your conversion.

 

Interesting about the woven ropes, I had not seen this before. There are a number of ways to accomplish these conversions, and honestly I haven’t even begun really scratching the surface to determine exactly how we plan on doing this ourselves, but I’ll definitely share once we figure it out!

 

OMG does that door jamb ever look clean and rust-free.

The 24 axle code looks like a 3.73 Dana 60 which is a great truck axle and the 3.73 is a good compromise ratio except that you're pushing some much larger tires than 215/75's. Can't confirm the trans code of T... You could probably get some acceleration performance increase moving to a 4.10 or 4.56 axle ratio but the cost of doing 2 axles is a lot. The gears *may* have been changed over the years.

I defer to Conanski's suggestion about the cam. My hotrodding knowledge is generally pre-emissions vehicles and the HP gains he projects sound really good. I had an '86 GMC 2500 Turtle Top camper van with a 305 (yuk) and that was probably similar to the 302. Still, these vans are way more powerful than VW buses used by surfers, and you have the low range transfer case.

But if you are trying to pass Callfornia smog testing, I would suggest doing what you can to get the van thru the initial test and make sure you can legally own it in California. Not sure what their rules are or what their testing involves.

I'd get it licensed, get it running dependably, and see how it works for your intended use before you start making large investments in anything. It looks like a great "escape vehicle" and overlanding has gotten really popular during social distancing times so it's an ultra-cool vehicle to own. Like many van owners, I have dreamed of 4WD

 

Trans code T is for the AOD, does the shift indicator have this sequence? 3.73 isn't a terrible gear ratio for this truck if those tires aren't super oversized, looks like they could be 32s maybe?

 

This is great information, thank you for translating the codes. I would have to double check what was customary for Pathfinder when they converted these vans, is it possible that they changed axles and adjusted ratios when doing the 4x4? knowing that bigger tires would require a different ratio?

100% agree about waiting to get it registered. Numéro uno priority.

Also agree on the dream vehicle, it’s kind of surreal, I spent years looking for the right one, and happy I waited for this one.

 

Got it, and what does AOD mean?

Yes, exactly this sequence on the shifter. I was told by the seller not to drive in Overdrive, to keep it in regular drive, but when it shifts to 2nd is where it really bogs down, especially going uphill, I mean unreasonably so... so naturally I tried with Overdrive and it seemed a better transition, higher RPMs going into the next gear. Go figure...

Tires are right up there, I think 35’s but will have to check. This thing stands really tall, I’ll have to measure the ground-to-roof, it rides almost as high as mid-roof sprinters

 

Having owned 5 conversion vans, I'd say that converters order what makes their life easiest so it would be unlikely they would change gear ratios. Gears could have been done by a subsequent owner but suggestion to not use OD suggests that gears were not changed. AOD means Automatic Overdrive and with the big tires, a 3.73, and the 4WD, I can see why the prior owner told you to keep it in drive. I wonder what tire size the converter originally put on that van?

My '86 GMC 2500 (bought it in '88) was a Turtle Top camper with a 305 and came with a stupid 2.73 rear axle. Turbo 350 with lockup converter. I had it changed to 3.42 with an Auburn limited slip unit and performance as well as fuel mileage went up. One option you have is going to a shorter tire although it looks great with the tires on there.

I like Conanski's suggestion on the cam change, and wish I could send a similar cam grind back to my '86 GMC with the 305...but I sold that in 1997