e-450 air intake mods ideas...

[PigPen]

Like I said, my long term plan is to perform some mods to the air intake, but we're traveling to see family at the end of May, and our schedule is already unreasonably tight with getting the bus road ready. So for now, stock sounds great. It allows us to continue believing there is a chance we'll get done

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by PigPen

I'm glad I found one as well. I was looking forward to doing a mod (and still may in the future), but my number one priority is getting this thing driving again ASAP. Especially because I have fluid flushes to get done.

If I end up with the cracked one, I'll be patching/sealing it some way. As described, the crack is still airtight & only 1/2 inch long. The guy was extremely helpful and knew a lot about buses, so I trust him.

I should have taken a picture of the broken part of mine. It can't be fixed. Imagine you grabbed the edge as hard as you could, and bent it until a piece snapped off. Not really a hole and not a crack, just a nice sized chunk of plastic missing the whole way along the edge where it's supposed to be sealed. Like I said, all but one of this guys short buses with the 7.3 (it's a small bus salvage yard in ohio) had the exact same problem according to the guy I talked to. I found others with that problem in my hunting as well. Crazy.

in ohio, is it Paul's?
-Christopher

[PigPen]

I was never given a name actually. I called someone who sells buses in PA, who gave me a number to call. A man answered and I explained why I was calling. He said hold on and transferred me to a woman. The woman sent me back to the original guy. Eventually, I ended up talking on the personal cell of someone not involved in the original process.

He liked talking, but I never did get a name. The location was described as somewhere in the boonies about 30 mins above 70, between Pittsburgh and Columbus.

Edit: Wait, here's the name: Yellow Bus Sales. Newcomerstown, Ohio.

[cadillackid]

sounds similar location... I have talked to paul's equipment company in atwater ohio, among other things they are a salvage yard for school busses.


(330) 947-1147
they dont have a website...I havent had a chance to get up there yet.. im interested to know of other salvage yards as I work my way through coolin system stuff on the RedByrd.
-Christopher

[PigPen]

We successfully got a new (used) air cleaner assembly. Found a guy parting out buses about an hour away from where we live. We headed down for the lid, he gave us everything that comes in front of the turbo. Not technically needed, but I'll take free backup parts any day.

All in all, we only had to shell out $40.

Best part is the guy works for a bus company and has TONs of parts that'll work on our bus. He seems to take all the retired or broken buses from the company and sells them or parts them out. I told him to just let me know the next time he's got a running bus to get rid of.

Great contact to have made so close to home, so this whole ordeal actually turned out to be a positive.

[cadillackid]

that rocks!! tell him next 7.3 E he gets to save that part for you in case your new one breaks!
-Christopher

[PigPen]

Actually, last thing he said was he's almost positive he has others laying around cause he normally just sells engine, tranny, and axles. When he sells an engine, he lets people take the engine, turbo, and fuel and air systems unless they don't want something. The air boxes have been left behind by people putting the engines in things other than vans. So if something were to happen to this one, looks like I know who to call.

[cadillackid]

alot of those van 7.3's end up in pickups.. either diesel conversions or replacements of busted engines.. guys also use them in tractors for pulls and such too... the vans often have less hours / miles on them than pickups so they are a popular yank in a wrecking yard..

im told you can use the ford 7.3 in place for a 444E without much modifcations.. and a lot cheaper than a rebuiolt 444E for a commercial guy on a budget..
-Christopher

[PigPen]

What's a good price on a 7.3 in good condition?