Hey guys, it's been a few weeks. I haven't made much progress - the Radio doesn't work (I tore it out) the backlights don't work on the cluster) tore that out too, and I bought some paint to refresh the needles and am going to use polish to clear up the speedometer bezel and use LED lights (dimmable) in the back of the cluster. I've done this before so I'm not worried, I'm going to solder the ends into the plug that matches up with the circuit panel on the back of the cluster. Not so bad!

I removed the old padded dash that was very cracked through the padding to the plastic. I have a new dash that needs a little work but I'm thinking of painting it first to make it look nice; not 100% sure yet.

As I took that apart and took the e-brake pedal that was dead, I realized I'm at a cross-roads. The floor boards in the cab have holes and the metal is definitely pitted. I bit the bullet, bought a Hobart 140 and bought replacement floor pans (they're pretty nice!) for the front of the front cab and the rear of the front cab.

Now, here is my cross-roads dilemma. I 100% want to move forward with a 5MODR2 transmission over the 4 speed I have in there. The stock options are all working well and at this point I want to fix up the body and anything that can "get worse" over time, however if I'm welding in new floor boards I'd rather have the 5 speed in location rather than swap the transmission at a later time, seal the 4 speed (or 3+OD) hole and cut another one for the 5 speed.

Does anyone know what the conversion process would be like, or directions they can point me in? As always, I'd be eternally grateful, and I'm sure the 5MODR2 is a much easier in terms of slamming the clutch pedal to the floor (not for nothing, and I haven't driven many older manual cars, but WOW is that clutch pedal hard as a rock. Transmission shifts OK and I may keep it or may sell it. Not sure, but I would absolutely love the 5 speed as I don't plan on towing or hauling huge things with the truck, so I'm not very concerned about towing and the reliability of taking it down.

As always, thanks for everything. The HVAC system is on hiatus while I wait for the floor boards and I'm doing work on that - I may need some vacuum solenoids to complete the system BUT I have the thermostat and I'm not overly worried about that... when the dash is finally together I'll be closer to driving the vehicle around. Oh, and the exhaust manifold... still weighing my options on that. I do want to go EFI at some point in the future, but I'm not concerned about that for now. That'll be expensive and can be done whenever, the 4/5 speed swap right now is at more of a crossroads so hence, my discussion.

Also, I have the money (not credit) to do the swap. I appreciate any concern with my wallet, but I nested away the amount the van would cost plus extra for projects like the transmission swap; I just really don't want to turn my new floorboards into a mess of swiss cheese.

All the best!

 

Sounds like you still have a bunch of pokers in the fire LOL. You're getting into territory that would be kind of new to me so someone else might have better suggestions at this point, but my suggestion right now is to get the floor pans removed 1st, then you'll have more open room to wrestle with the trans mission swap. Once the new trans is mounted fit your new floor pans to see if there will be any interference or any fabrication that is needed before final install. That and hopefully you're experienced with wire welding? If not then find scrap to practice on before goin at those floor pans or you'll chew right through them. If you're not that confident in your abilities, you may want to start looking at automotive panel adhesives and just the the floor pans in, Again, once they're fitted after any modification or fabrication is done. Good luck. Take pictures both to post your progress and for records of your build. People like to see what you're talking about when you tell them what your done during restoration and fabrication.

 

When you can’t sleep at night, think about how to fabricate floorboards that’ll take either transmission. Maybe a removable section for 4sp or 5sp cutouts.

Sixto
07 E350 5.4 198K miles

 

Doghouse is 2 piece I think, the shifter is in the back portion of it I believe, been some time since I've seen one, knowing how hard it is to get off without a shifter in the way, I have to remove my passenger seat to get it out. I replaced my floors, lip for the doghouse is important when lining it up, the replacement was not the same, but don't know how different as there wasn't much left of the factory floor at the engine in mine, and the doghouse hold down bolts, you'll need to redrill the holes and weld some nuts on the underside of the new floor.

 

Hey all, @Mike1 , @tabijan , @maples01 ,

Not sure why I didn't see the notification on your posts, but I sincerely appreciate you providing information and commenting on my post!

Not much has been done, still waiting on the rear cabin floor boards, but the dash has been ripped out and I've been piecing together a duct system that functions by vacuum power so I can slide in the AC and have heating/cooling where I want it. Vacuum diagrams are not fun!

I've decided that I'm going to pull the transmission out after measuring the driveshaft angle and taking a ton of pictures - I'm going to be replacing all the insulators from the body to the frame (https://www.fordforum.com/forum/ford...acement-39144/) - I found this post and it seems pretty good, but they're all messed up. I pulled off the rear bumper to replace the rot under that, and I have the new metal for under the bumper so we'll see how it comes out! I need to do more practice welding, but I purchased some 16ga steel to do so, so when I'm ready to get the new piece in I can hopefully do it without destroying myself and the truck.

I decided to do it this way and hold off on the transmission; I'll be keeping myself busy by replacing all the old beaten up body mounts and doing body work and getting the dash back together with heating and AC working. It took a lot of thinking about but I don't want to get too deep into any one project before advancing towards the next, if that makes any sense.

I'd be happy to take pictures if anyone is interested.

By the way, I spoke to someone from YouTube who has done a 5-speed swap and the shifter comes up THROUGH the doghouse, so it definitely is a different place. He also recommended that I add fortifiaction on the floorboard where the master cylinder goes through as the sheet metal isn't really strong enough, so I'll be doing that as well. In addition, I plan on using dynamat to insulate while the dash is torn apart and if I'm doing so, before adding the AC is the best time to do that area, which is how I got to these order of operations. After all that is done, I'll proceed with purchasing a 5 speed transmission and going in for the more serious work.

It should be fun! I'm scared/excited/everything in one, lol. Maples, you are correct about drilling new holes - all the new pieces don't come with holes so dropping the transmission and waiting to install the new transmission after I have the new floors in will be a decent idea, I think... maybe. Mike, I like your idea about having the floor removed and then mounting the trans, so I may do it that way instead of doing the floors with no holes - it will also help me line up the hole for the master cylinder.

Anywho, I'm hoping to get the welding done for the rear (under the taillights) done sometime in July - there are some dings and dents but I'll do my best to tap the metal as even as possible and add bondo to level it out and sand it, or I could just weld in metal and grid it down. That may be the better idea to keep as much body filler out as possible, I don't know and I don't think I want to go absolutely insane on the body but I'd like it to be clean, straight, and no dings/dents so it'll be really nice to look at, some day in the future. Haha.

Thanks for everyone that's chiming in. If you have more to add, please do! I'd love to hear it. Converting this van from basic heat to full heat/ac (not going to worry about installing heat/AC in the back, I don't plan on adding seats or anything back there) is looking like a chore, I'm obtaining parts from before the update (79-84) as well as after (85-91) so I'm hoping this all comes together. I may need to get a manual on the refresh years to make comparisons, but since they're basically the same van I think i should be OK?

 

Good luck to you and yes keep us updated on your project.

 

May want to pop the vent under your wipers and fiber glass the whole thing, betting it was leaking into your floor, thats what took out my front floorboard, wish I pulled the wiper motor out when I had it off, its only working on low speed, need to replace it, I put rain-x on the windshield and don't go out in the rain, through throwing money at it.
Get a bigger radiator, you'll need it with the load AC is going to add to it, a guy I know who was an HVAC worker put 2 small electric pusher fans in front to aid when at idle on his old Econoline.
You can buy colored bedliner paint to put on your roof, allow it to run down the gutter to fill in the cracks, stops leaks around your top seam, unless you are going to get the 2 part seam sealer to redo it, not a fun job cleaning the old stuff out.

 

@Mike1 @maples01 Mike, thanks for the kind words - Maples, the dash area looks really solid and I just had a new windshield installed as the (original!) one was cracked in many places. I'm curious to see a picture of yours if you don't mind regarding the floor; I don't think I'm understanding properly. I'm a visual kind of guy. I'll get a whole album uploaded and post pictures with how it's going.

The wiper motor was easy to replace. I replaced mine while I was under there. I'm also going to do the windshield wiper motor in the tank that sprays fluid. I also installed intermittent wipers, there was a relay that it connects to and it was pretty easy. I'll take pictures of that if you want?

Thanks for the input on the radiator - would an E-350 series radiator make sense?

It looks like there was a change in the way lines were ran from 88 -> 91 on the HVAC, most of the parts I've acquired are from a 1990 model so... **** me, am I right?

 

 

I have an enormous aluminum radiator, my mechanic wasn't going to put one of those garbage plastic tank ones in, as thats all shops were selling, I don't know what it went to, likely a V8 as he had to get creative on the lower hose connection, inline has it on the other side, wasn't able to put the shroud back on, and I've looked into it to see how to arrange it to go in, I just about hate this van by now and just plan to drive it till its dead, too much in it to ever get back out, which is why I'll suggest no one buy a fuel injected 4.9 OBD1, they are a pile of excrement, I should have put a carburetor on it, at this point I could have put in a 351W stroker and came out cheaper.
I added that sheet of aluminum in the middle so my wheelchair doesn't catch on the ribs in the floor as I try to move around, that floor was solid, carpet up front aided in the rust, along with the idiot who felt 30 self tapping screws in the windshield trim would stop the leak, cracked windshield was removed, and all those screw holes had to be welded up, some people should be banned from using tools!
I did not cut out my floor, no welder, trying to budget fix what soon became a money pit, I ground out all the rust, coated it, trimmed for the reproduction floor to fit, and form where the doghouse rests, then riveted the sheets in, one has automotive adhesive too, ordered a reproduction floor mat, front only then drilled and bolted the seats in, lining the passenger up to go back in the factory threaded holes, drivers seat is a power slide track for wheelchair transfer.
Be very wary when buying door gaskets, some places are so ignorant they sell the side barn door gaskets marked for the rear, no they will not go either, and reproduction or not, they lack the intelligence to put the insert into the rubber that the screw goes in to secure it to the bottom of the door, glue wont hold it, has to have a screw in it.

 

@maples01 very impressed by your work! Add in that you're in a wheelchair and it's even more impressive!!! Wow. Consider me a fan. Thank you for posting.

The rust on my truck isn't as bad - in the drivers side foot well there is a hole and the passenger side is OK... except they tore out some of the floor when removing the dog house (d'oh, rust). Anyway, I'm going to replace the whole front cab floor when the rear front cab floor boards show up. I'll be using POR15 or some rubberized coating to prevent issues in the future myself; the passenger side is really dimpled from rust and the drivers side hole is approximately where the slope from the firewall ends - I don't think it was leaking, but I really don't know - I'm just chalking it up as an 81 that was sitting for a long time, the rest of the truck is solid, the only other rot I can find is the rear near the back left tire and below the bumper on the right/left side - I've ordered those pieces and may cut higher as there are some dings around the rear corners. I may just replace the front fenders and I know I need new bumpers - the front and rear are both bent pretty good, unless you have any knowledge about unbending/restoring them? They are solid metal; getting the rear bumper off kinda sucked, won't lie - getting the bolts out for the body mount was OK on the right side, on the left side it was rough. The metal sleeve for the bushing seized to the bolt, I used my cut off tool which basically heated it cherry hot after snapping the bolt, I now have a bolt that is cut in two places but after it got hot it unseized itself and was able to be unthreaded... before the "new" bumper goes on, I'd like to replace the body mounts as well.

Attached are pictures that I found on my phone, I work the overnight so I'm always up at weird times. Figured it was a little slow at work (I work a desk job) so I'd attach some pictures

Front of the truck. Not sure what the emblem is but I dig it. You can see the new windshield and the fender damage in the front.. there's also rot by the bumper. I'll be looking for front fenders to replace it with.

This is the rot in the rear, behind the rear tire. I bought 16ga steel to replace it with, since I doubt I can find the actual panel. It's fine; from the bottom it looks like an easier place to cut and replace from.

right side of the truck. You can see the spray foam the previous owner used, they also used fiberglass insulation. I removed all that crap. I'll sound deaden and insulate the truck properly.

Had to change the turn signal switch, but you can see the hole in the floor and my pale skin.

Cluster before painting the needles. I'm also going to run LED lighting for the back light and replace the two lousy bulbs.

After painting the needles! I also replaced the plastic, there is a company that sells brand new plastic. It was very worth it.

Vacuum lines on the new thermostat controls. I have no idea what I'm doing. I need to find a manual that calls out the colors, or something. I think the thermostat is the same between 79-91 though, so that's a plus

Pic of her booty. The rear doors are not properly aligned. I need to fix this. I do have gaskets for all the doors, the right door is kind of in bad shape, there was a tire holder on it, but I took it off because I didn't like it. New hinges or seal up the holes?

The bolt from hell. It snapped off (top) and from the bottom I was cutting the nut with my cut off tool (3", dewalt battery powered). Turns out it heated the bolt so well that the rest of the bolt was able to be unscrewed from the bottom. That was lucky... otherwise I was going to have to drill it out, and that hole is long!

 

I thought commercial vans were white or grey on the inside. That looks like a custom color throughout the interior.

Sixto
07 E350 5.4 198K miles

 

You have a hood emblem from a 68-74 Econoline, the yellow tells me it was a DHL delivery van.

 

I had a 69 & 72 econolines and neither of them had that emblem. Both of mine were e100's so maybe the lightweights didn't get it??

 

Had one on my 73 E100, thats how I recognized it.
Did you fill your instrument cluster with LEDs, I'd like to do that to mine, get them brighter and a different color.
Finally got the 4.9 where I can drive it, I don't think the throttle pulls wide open, must be slack, keep me from blowing it up, at this point I'm more likely to put it in neutral and floor it and listen to it die.
Beware the universal door lock kits, they are so short you gotta jam your hand pretty high in the door to attach the Phillips screw taps on the door lock rod to attach their rod, then the wires aren't long enough to run through the van, even my shorty came up short, makes your locks hook to a hand held remote, my rear door has no matching key, so I used it to lock and unlock it, bed doesn't allow me to get back and do it by hand easily.
Be certain your license plate is lit, my bulb harness was broken, they aren't available, I put an aluminum sheet over the opening and put an LED bar over my plate tilted to illuminate it, powered by a touch tab, so only operates when the door is shut.
Again I was the only van at the mall cruise in, getting too hot to sit there and drive out without AC.