My 1990 Ford E-350 Goshen Bus - Page 3

Stuff · 06-14-2010, 10:33 AM

So i took her out for a run yesterday. Went on a 300 mile road trip to drop off some things and pick some people up. Wind was a major issue on this trip! bucked it for half the trip!! First half bucking the wind i used nearly half the tank cruising at 65mph for 2 hours, then another half hour directly into it at 75mph, then half hour with it behind going back, through a major city of stop and go traffic, then back for another 2 hours with little wind. on way back i used bout half of what i used going up...

anyhow it was 301.2 miles round trip, 23.69 USG, = 12.7 mpg.
but if it's 301.2 miles to 19.7 IMPG = 15.3 mpg, which still sucks lol.
and for the liter/100km bs.. 18.5 litre/100km

Also I think I gotta book it into a tranny shop. when we got to the mid point of the journey, (gf's dad's farm) the bus was off for a bit. When I went to leave, from there to Regina the OD light was blinking and it was shifting HARD and quick.. then on the last 2 hour journey home it was holding steady and driving normal but i could hear it kick down, kick up, kick down, kick up, etc etc. wondering if something isn't shifting right inside that big transmission...

filled to go:

filled when back:

Fuel used:

Also the bus is colour changing!! lol
all the black was vinyl that is covering the blue on the bus. We are planning to give her a paint job so all that has to come off. gonna see what she looks like with it off and make a call from there.

hehe

crazycal · 06-14-2010, 11:40 AM

That seems more like it. That's still not bad fighting a strong headwind. If get anywhere near 15mpg, I think that great.

jkindt · 06-14-2010, 12:35 PM

300 miles west of Estevan? And you didn't even stop in to say hi???

I would be more than happy with 15 mpg, especially with winds like that. Where did your road trip take you?

Stuff · 06-14-2010, 05:39 PM

went from Estevan to Regina to Balgonie to west Regina and then back to Estevan. The worst mileage i assume would been from Regina to Balgonie and back. that 70mph into the wind was not easy.

Also i got the bus booked in for friday at a local tranny shop. Talked to the guy over the phone and explained the symptoms and noises and he said it sounds like a bad speed sensor but could also be something inside. I just hope it wont break the bank..

Also as mentioned earlier, I think the windows with the big sliding windows in it are flipped. one window the text is right way up but the rest of them the lettering in the corner like "tempered glass" etc is upside down. which would explain my water leaking in problem... so i dunno if i should flip them back around or if i should just seal up the windows completely... I think it was flipped around when it was used as Richie Brothers Auction van.

jkindt · 06-14-2010, 05:59 PM

If the windows are still like this picture, then I agree, that is probably why they are leaking.

sdwarf36 · 06-14-2010, 10:32 PM

I just drilled small holes in the corners of the rubber in the window I flipped over- All I get a few drops in the track in the rain. It can be solved-but flipping the window isnt that bad of a job either.

Stuff · 06-15-2010, 11:23 AM

how hard of a job is it? just undo a bunch of screws in the frame and it comes apart in 2 pieces?

wonder how hard it would be to remove and skin a couple...

sdwarf36 · 06-15-2010, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuff

how hard of a job is it? just undo a bunch of screws in the frame and it comes apart in 2 pieces?

wonder how hard it would be to remove and skin a couple...

Its a piece of cake. Just undo the screws(use a new bit in the screw gun)-make note to keep the inside frame + window facing the same way-the screws are all put in there free hand-it helps if the holes line up. I used clear GE silicone II -gooped it up pretty good+just wiped the excess. The wife was holding the window from the outside while I lined up the holes. I think I got like 23 out of 24 to go.It sucked the window in nice. I bet it only took a 1/2 hour.

I bet skining it wouldn't be a bad job. They just wack a hole in side of of the bus with a saw when its made-plenty of smooth surface to work with.

Stuff · 06-16-2010, 04:01 PM

ya i saw the ton of screws on the inside. probably 100 screws or better. they are every 1 inch. Also i can see the marks from what ever drill they used. sigh...

anyhow went on a 100km round trip today, still doing the shifting thing so i parked it at the tranny fixing place. going to be there for a few days so in the mean time im gonna gut that camper.

Stuff · 06-18-2010, 08:44 PM

so its at the tranny shop but they were so busy they didnt get to it. and i worked a 12 hr shift today and its last day for plates on it...

so i guess gut the camper this weekend and hope for the best. guy at the shop said it sounds like a speed sensor is hooched.

Stuff · 06-23-2010, 09:31 AM

A very HAPPY update!!!

nothing serious at all!! it was a faulty throttle position sensor! they scanned it and it threw that code right away. So I got it changed out, then hit the highway for a quick test. I was INSTANTLY amazed at the difference in ride! It is 100% smooth from stop to 110km/hr on the highway. no shimmy or shake or vibration or humming or anything other then wind noise obviously lol!

The hunt is still on for replacement door parts though... this 32" door header is an elusive SOB lol!

oh and the camper has begun being torn apart. so far i got one wall demolished. just time consuming!

Stuff · 06-26-2010, 11:58 AM

well tore the donor camper half apart. got some good parts out of it but most of it was too rotten to save... also i CURSE the people that thought that stapling wood together multiple times is better then a couple screws!! ARG!!!!

so got the stove/sink mostly out

and now its out. along with the breaker box, power cable and DC fuse box. and of course its all Blue Line breakers...

tried to get the over the counter cupboards out of it but the back wall and the roof was the back and top of the cupboards and they are well.. rotted out so bad and staples EVERYWHERE >.<

On a good note i found my water pump! I thought it was under the sink but i guess that was the lines cut off for the non existent bathroom.

and i dont know why i didnt take a picture once it was out but this is now free standing. will require some 1x2 and 1x1's to restructure it a bit but its the most solid part so far.

I also took the table out but i said to heck with the chairs... its all stapled rotten badness.. so the table is out and just gotta make new mount for it between the seats in the bus

Stuff · 06-26-2010, 11:31 PM

Lily - yup. white, grey and black tanks are all there. Just debating on using them or not. I dont have a toilet but i could probably use the white and grey tanks. Also heard to mount them on the drivers side for rv dumps.

did more tearing apart today. found this part to be very rotten. there was even a 110 outlet there!!

we got the kitchen table and chairs out. not sure if we want to rebuild it or not. dont want to spend a billion dollars to rebuild one man.. err camper

then with the help of the reciprocating saw buddy Troy and I got the roof going down

then got the front down

then the back

and loaded it into my LiteAce

Clear deck

then working on the carriage bolts

and now i got a trailer

so bottom line... next guy that gets a camper for the appliances, tear out the appliances and THROW THE REST AWAY!!!! so many staples... ugh..

Stuff · 07-16-2010, 02:59 PM

well some updates. I had to fight but the bus doors are out! the back half's bottom bolt would not budge so out came the cutting torch and she is done! took all the molding off the sides. the top part was the real pain! the metal was tig or plasma welded in 6 spots along the top. had to drill and pry and bend the metal to get it to come loose! what a job!

then after getting that out i noticed the bottom step was kinda buckling. so i got a screw driver under the rubber flooring stuff and pried it up. well it was one big rust fest under there. metal stairs and the bottom step was metal. In the previous pictures of the bus door you see a metal bar along the bottom. well it looks nice and protects etc but it was right full of rust to! the bolts holding it on were about half rusted apart to! so I got that off, pried up the rest of the step covering. I hosed it down and took the wire wheel brush to it, got as much rust as i could off of it. Now i have blasted it with some tremclad rust primer, and since its so beat up I am going to use some construction adhesive to mount a new board down on the old step. Just need to find a 32" piece of wood the right width

oh and sorry but no pictures... somehow I lost the battery out of my cell phone so i am stuck on an old candy bar cell with no camera for now

Stuff · 08-27-2010, 11:24 PM

well mini update. have a guy coming tomorrow to put the door in the bus. been in the shop since july and my father is yelling at me to "get that piece of #$%@%@#%@#%@$%@# outta my shop!" So I hope to get it done this weekend, get foam insulation inbehind the drivers side where it goes from van to bus body. make it warmer in the winter i hope!!

And I can take pictures now! I got a black berry (ya evil corporation and stuff)

Stuff · 08-28-2010, 08:32 PM

well its hung. not pretty yet but its on there! gotta do some shimming and put some more hard ware on then take it for a test drive.

bus-ted · 08-28-2010, 09:12 PM

Alright! Looks homey. The evil blackberry takes pretty good pics- nothing looked distorted.
Is it me, or is the handle placed higher than usual?

Stuff · 08-29-2010, 12:11 AM

yup we put the handle up high. that way from the inside you dont have to reach down to the floor to unlock the door lol. I am going to get a second latch for lower down that can be "kicked" open by a foot or something. Right now i gotta finish around the door and seal it all up. Also i gotta do the step floor. I got some stuff that i will put down that will level out nicely and then i can put the bottom sweep in.

yea im surprised as how well the pictures are even though they were re sized and sent through facebook (yay free image hosting lol) seems good to me.

Also going to see if i can find a locking latch for it. the little clip latch doesnt seem to be good enough for me lol.

Stuff · 09-04-2010, 11:08 AM

so tried sealing around the inside of the door with silicone... didnt work well

so tried foam. that worked better and easier!

just gotta work on the step at the bottom still and all should be good.

Stuff · 10-28-2010, 10:02 PM

Well i never got it done this year... new place, winterizing, work, not enough funds or time

had to pack her up today. went from and empty shell to packed full

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