Yolanda my TURBINE PRINCESS E350 7.3 powerstroke build to 4x4 pop-top

[Zappo]

I like the stickers! For your front firewood rack you might want to consider one of these hitch risers if you are off-roading through a lot of dips it will keep you from plowing,just make sure you buy a quality one(solid shank) and they come in several different offset heights.they state that they are for flat towing only but I’ve used them many times for hauling 4 milk crates full of heavy eucalyptus and my Ktm motorcycle etc

[Zappo]

You can use them for clearance on front or rear

[shadetreevanman]

Silver was the right choice.

I swapped my sway bar bushings to urethane just a week ago. My new bushings matched up closely size-wise to the old bushings. You may want to make sure you have the right parts if you're having difficulty.

[Wanderer-RRORC]

Originally Posted by Zappo

I like the stickers! For your front firewood rack you might want to consider one of these hitch risers if you are off-roading through a lot of dips it will keep you from plowing,just make sure you buy a quality one(solid shank) and they come in several different offset heights.they state that they are for flat towing only but I’ve used them many times for hauling 4 milk crates full of heavy eucalyptus and my Ktm motorcycle etc

Yep I got one from harbor freight..im gonna also make the new hitch a folder so I can lay it flat against the front grill when not in use!

[Wanderer-RRORC]

Originally Posted by shadetreevanman

Silver was the right choice.



I swapped my sway bar bushings to urethane just a week ago. My new bushings matched up closely size-wise to the old bushings. You may want to make sure you have the right parts if you're having difficulty.

Thanks!!

I didn't pull the rubber bushings metal sleeve out so I think that's why it was so tight!

[Wanderer-RRORC]

9 day NIGHTMARE IS OVER!!!
Yolanda is FIXED!

7.3 powerstroke info to share. (2003 E350)

After changing my oil cooler gasket and replacing my oil cooler after I cracked the aluminum housing installing the block heater that I didn't even need to remove to change the gasket)

The van wouldn't run right. (van and trucks dont use the same oil cooler..vans are closer to the block because the exhaust manifolds go down not up like the truck.)

I spent an entire day searching Central Ohio junk yards could not find one. Found one on eBay and drove 400 miles round trip Monday night to get the van oil cooler from a fantastic seller who met me on 4 hours notice. Only to discover the next day that the van wouldn't run right.

It acted like it was starving for fuel and would chuff white smoke at 1/2 throttle. Buzz test was good. Oil pressures good and I went thru the entire fuel and oil system.

7.3 powestrokes WILL RUN without a fuel pump. The injectors can siphon feed themselves. I found this in only one reference on line after I changed my fuel filter as part of diagnosing and possible reasons why it acted like it was starving for fuel.

Turned out I had a broken wire to the fuel pump. Fixed it... after 9 days of full trouble shooting and waiting for my BAXF ODB2 reader so I could run a full diagnose.

Glad it was a cheap fix..but wanted to share that those motors are so damn TOUGH it would run by feeding itself fuel!!

unfortunately while she was down she didn't get to go to the Mid-Atlantic Overland Festival. I took the Jeep a trailer out for their very first time worked out pretty well but sleeping on the ground is for peasants. Picked up some new maps and had a great time rubbing elbows and meeting new people.

*note* supervisor dog was exhausted after 9 long days..

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[Wanderer-RRORC]

Today's build! My Craigslist $30 carrier rack converted to flip type for the front of the van..i already have one with aux lights for the back and I wanted one that would flip up so it could be stowed when we were not hauling firewood.

I had some 2in square tube and an idea.

Turned out pretty nice..i will need a bungee or strap to keep it from rattling and partially folding down.



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[TomsBeast]

Originally Posted by Wanderer-RRORC

7.3 powestrokes WILL RUN without a fuel pump. The injectors can siphon feed themselves. I found this in only one reference on line after I changed my fuel filter as part of diagnosing and possible reasons why it acted like it was starving for fuel.

Turned out I had a broken wire to the fuel pump. Fixed it... after 9 days of full trouble shooting and waiting for my BAXF ODB2 reader so I could run a full diagnose.

Glad it was a cheap fix..but wanted to share that those motors are so damn TOUGH it would run by feeding itself fuel!!

Yikes! Glad it's fixed now...



While in the middle of a bunch of other upgrades, I was under my van a couple weeks ago, and noticed some previous shop / owner electrical butchery. I saw it before, but never really investigated. I wound up completely rewiring my dual tanks selector switch.



I Never had a problem with it, but as I pealed back the black electrical tape, I uncovered the usual shadetreemechanicock****ery, with crimps for the wrong gauge wire, wires looped some around this way, some around that, and spices with nothing more than bare twisted wires hidden under electrical tape (what? they ran out of crimps?). Oh, and my favorite, green fuzzy copper wire. Even the hose clamps were carbon steel and rusting, instead of the good stainless ones. Greaaaaaaat.


Its as though some talent-less (and connector and soldering gun challenged) 'hack' was paid to change out a bad selector valve, probably got paid 2hrs flat rate for 30 minutes spent (tops) of bullshit hackery electrical that could have been better done by Ray Charles. Ray Charles on a bad day! Paste, patch, and run....



I spliced into the harness with some new wire, soldered and shrink wrapped everything, new spade crimps at the valve, new clamps, trying to avoid a scenario like the one you just had, and that I've had a few times with past vehicles.



Didn't mean to rant in your thread, but when ever I see someone trying to chase down what turns out to be a broken wire (maybe from a previous repair/) I think back to when this 'ASE trained veteran mechanic' was helping me remove a dash from my new truck, he tugged and stained that harness so much i stopped him, I thought it was going to break.

[Wanderer-RRORC]

Spent the weekend at Keweenaw Off-road Adventure Retreat!!

Michigan Upper Peninsula.

Got to drive all the way to the Top of keewanaw Peninsula north of Copper Harbor to the abandoned Rocket Range pad.

Lake superior was a little angry..and cold..

2000 miles...never missed a tick...20+in of water on the trails..

UP snow gauge in FEET!!
SMOKED FISH and spicy jams!!
Trails were muddy and tight..no worry for Yolanda, she ain't scared of scratches n mud. Huge cable drum and lift house for copper mine.
Kitchi-ili-kip spring 45ft deep!!

Very cool trip!

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[Wanderer-RRORC]

Originally Posted by TomsBeast

Yikes! Glad it's fixed now...



While in the middle of a bunch of other upgrades, I was under my van a couple weeks ago, and noticed some previous shop / owner electrical butchery. I saw it before, but never really investigated. I wound up completely rewiring my dual tanks selector switch.



I Never had a problem with it, but as I pealed back the black electrical tape, I uncovered the usual shadetreemechanicock****ery, with crimps for the wrong gauge wire, wires looped some around this way, some around that, and spices with nothing more than bare twisted wires hidden under electrical tape (what? they ran out of crimps?). Oh, and my favorite, green fuzzy copper wire. Even the hose clamps were carbon steel and rusting, instead of the good stainless ones. Greaaaaaaat.


Its as though some talent-less (and connector and soldering gun challenged) 'hack' was paid to change out a bad selector valve, probably got paid 2hrs flat rate for 30 minutes spent (tops) of bullshit hackery electrical that could have been better done by Ray Charles. Ray Charles on a bad day! Paste, patch, and run....



I spliced into the harness with some new wire, soldered and shrink wrapped everything, new spade crimps at the valve, new clamps, trying to avoid a scenario like the one you just had, and that I've had a few times with past vehicles.



Didn't mean to rant in your thread, but when ever I see someone trying to chase down what turns out to be a broken wire (maybe from a previous repair/) I think back to when this 'ASE trained veteran mechanic' was helping me remove a dash from my new truck, he tugged and stained that harness so much i stopped him, I thought it was going to break.

Yep..love a good HACK job,.

Looked like the wire was pinched when the previous fleet mechanic installed a new fuel pump..ground wire so it didn't affect it until I bumped it.