Video

Yeah honestly I think doing injectors, wiring harnesses, glow plugs, wiring pigtails, and CCV vent o rings all at the same time makes the most sense. But doing just the glow plugs isn't too difficult compared to injectors. Just make sure you get legit OEM glow plugs; I've heard horror stories of knock-offs swelling and breaking off inside the head at the tip.

Yes Motorcraft all the way. Learned that with the Dorman GPR

​@@sylvainlaforest4393 gotcha. Bummer. Those are also difficult to reach. I went with a stancor and thus far haven't had any trouble.

Thanks. Lots of learning for me with this van. And yeah since doing the injectors I took the van for a two week work training in Oregon and a two week paragliding competition in central WA and it was excellent.

Nice. From what I understand the 6.0 can be a fine engine if you fix a few things: oil pump and studs? But I think clearance for injector replacement is harder than on the 7.3.

@@PowerstrokeEconoline biggest weak link in the 6.0 is the lifters.

​@@ardenbriggs1190oh interesting. I haven't done a lot of learning on the 6.0. it seemed like the bulletproofing process was outside of my skill level and facilities, so I looked for a 7.3. but a newer body would be nice.

I considered doing injector cups and did a ton of reading. Forum posts are split pretty evenly between "do it all now so you don't have to later" and "if it ain't broke don't fix it". I think that doing injector cups would have taken me a lot more time and from what I understand can be really difficult in a van without pulling the engine. So I'm in the "ain't broke" crowd. Hopefully that doesn't come back to bite me!

@@PowerstrokeEconoline riffraff sells/rents a tool to do the injector cups pretty easily with the engine still in, my buddy rented it and said it was a life saver and did the cups in a day. I wasn't going to do mine but unfortunately I have a crack in one of them so I'm just going to replace them all.

​@@asalvanoRosewood also has a tool. Did your buddy do cups on a truck or van? The issue I was concerned about is just being able to reach in there to clean out the old adhesive, particularly on #1 and #3. I was on a bit of a time crunch also; if you have time then it would probably be more doable.

@@PowerstrokeEconoline he did it in a van, and to clean out the old adhesive he used an electric ratcheting wrench and connected a wire brush to it. That's what I'm going to do seems like it would be easier than trying to clean it by hand. The only thing I'm concerned about is I don't have a driveway or garage to do it in so I'm going to be doing it on the side of the road.

Thanks! Removing the solenoid on #3 really wasn't difficult. Putting the solenoid back on the new one after installation was a little bit of a pain because it was really difficult to hold the torx bit down while wrenching on it. I got it to click on three of the four screws, and the other one felt equally tight but the bit kept popping off before the torque wrench clicked. Hopefully good enough. Spoiler alert, I got the van running again and overall am really happy about the whole project. I'll post the second part with what actually fixed in a couple of days.

Yeah, just a little.

I have a buddy who did exactly that. I think it's probably a good move and I have a spare battery box in my junk pile in case I ever decide to do the same. It would make disconnecting the batteries a little more difficult when you're working on electrical systems or welding, which is a con. It also makes the batteries a bit more difficult to replace. It would also change the wiring runs but ultimately I think it would shorten the overall length of cable required, which would be more efficient in terms of voltage drop/resistance.

@@PowerstrokeEconoline Thanks for the reply! Yea agree with the potential cons, i was thinking if I relocated them I would also add a disconnect some where close so hopefully that would solve that bit.

I removed the fuel bowl on my parts van and it wasn't that difficult.....after I removed the turbo, resonator, alternator, and air intake! I have a reseal kit for mine and was going to do it this spring but ultimately decided to wait. It's really difficult to get at it from the doghouse side without pulling the turbo. I've heard of folks going in from the front but I think it would be equally difficult without removing the alternator. I'm going to rebuild mine at the same time as servicing the turbo. Good luck and lemme know how it works out!

@@PowerstrokeEconoline I wound up getting some coach net towing and got towed to a repair shop . They were in and out in less than 3 hours . Replaced the drain valve thru the doghouse . $454 total for about 3 hours . $63 for the part in California. The rest was labor . I've put about 240 miles on it since being repaired . Thankfully no leaks

Wow that is really reasonable! Glad you got it sorted out.

Personally I like driving a manual but I don't think I'll ever go down that line with the van. If I make any major changes to the drivetrain it would be converting to 4x4. As to the belt, that's a pretty simple swap. You just need a breaker bar to lever open the belt tensioner, then it slips right on/off. On some of the trucks there is an upper radiator hose that runs through the belt, but I haven't seen that on any of the 7.3 vans. I'll make a video about the water pump if/when mine fails. Hopefully never!

Good luck! It would be a pretty easy job to add in when replacing front brake pads / rotors / bearings.

Frankly no. I ended up replacing the injectors and IDM last month and now we're firing on all cylinders.

@@PowerstrokeEconoline good to hear anyways. Mine will do good around town but it seems like after driving for a few hours it will almost act like it’s running out of fuel, then run horribly until it or you give up. Pressures all look good.

That doesn't sound like an injector problem to me, but rather a fuel problem. Have you dropped the tank and cleaned the fuel screens? These vans have issues with fuel tank liner delamination and it will clog those filter screens right up.

@@PowerstrokeEconoline yes, I did that recently and replaced with a less restrictive sending unit. It’s an f-250 converted to a 6 door excursion so I’m going to check the wiring next. The canister filters seemed okay.. also going yo check fuel pressure next if I can replicate it

I haven't heard that. Please tell me more. How is it any different in terms of safety from the passenger side?

@@PowerstrokeEconoline The driver's side is usually occupied. They're supposedly not as safe in a crash and that why they won't insurethem

Good luck! It's definitely work to repair. I have some body rust to fix still but the interior is good now.

65mph.

Please do!

The gutter contains a joint between the roof and the side panel. The sealer, well, seals the joint to prevent rust.

@@PowerstrokeEconoline ok So I'd bette have a deeper look because few months ago I only put some rust converter. thx

Yeah I would definitely get in there with seam sealer. If you just do rust converter that will stop the problem temporarily but to finish the job you have a few more steps.

Awesome! I've got a stack of raw video to edit: injectors, uvch, glowplugs, steering wheel and clockspring replacement, idm swap, diesel heater installation and dropping the fuel tank....been busy!

There are a ton of various rust products out there. I'm not convinced that any of them are better than taking it down to bare metal with a wire wheel.

It felt like being in a sound studio.

You're welcome! More to come, that is for sure!

The heat worked great this winter! And the van runs rough until it is warm, so I don't mind it getting a bit warmer than stock. Otherwise I can't say that I've noticed anything significant. My fuel economy was around 19 mpg highway beforehand and more or less the same after. I just sent some engine oil in for analysis so that will be my first real insight into wear on the engine.

Valid points. I think durability is the main reason to upgrade to the Stancor. It is a burlier unit with larger contacts and a stronger build, and should outlast the OEM unit. I don't think current draw is really a concern, it's more with burning out the contacts over time, which will happen as a result of normal wear and tear over years of regular use even if the glow plugs aren't offering increased resistance. As far as tests, I know that my old OEM relay was providing less voltage on the draw side than on the feed side, so there was an issue with the unit itself. Despite buying a van with 300k+ miles, I don't love wrenching around under the doghouse so replacing the OEM GPR with a beefier unit that should outlast the stock replacement for not a lot more cost made sense to me. I couldn't agree more about the bandaid concern, and I will be replacing my glow plugs (and injectors and UVCH) this spring/summer once budget and weather allow. Anytime you have an issue with one component of a 20+ year old system that is subject to wear and heat and dirt and vibration, I think it's pretty likely that if one piece fails the others aren't far behind.

I've got a pair of doors without windows for sale, if you want them!

@@PowerstrokeEconoline I've got a cutaway chassis with an ambulance box. But thanks for the offer!

@@TheDogsBox I see that now. I debated the door swap for a while but ultimately I decided that the added visibility both into the blind spot and for passengers is worth the decreased insulation. Considering putting a bench seat back there for passengers. I think that making quilted insulation panels with magnetic attachments gives you the flexibility to have both.

I haven't weighed the van since the top swap, so can't say for sure. I would estimate that the high top weighs between 125lb and 150lb, and that the roof we cut off was around 40lbs. Total guesswork based on my experience lifting kettleballs and 7 gallon water jugs.

It wouldn't make sense to me as a standalone project, but maybe when replacing UVCH or glow plugs. Thanks for the tip! Surface prep might be a challenge. Lots of degreaser first!!

@brin6449 I don't know. It's hit or miss with stuff from China. It doesn't seem like the foam will resist heat very well but the foil will. I stuck it over top of the original fiberglass foil insulation so if it doesn't work out I can just peel it off. I've driven a couple hundred miles since and there hasn't been any odor or smoke.

Sure do! And vans are the forgotten step-child of the 7.3 world.

@ckinsleyjav The only way to remove the inner liner and cage without destroying them is to pull the topper. With careful use of cutting tools I think you could remove the liner in pieces, then the same for the cage. The topper has a wood core just in the ceiling. The sides and rear are solid fiberglass.

@clarkleakins879 Haha definitely not! I didn't film removing the top because my buddy came over and I didn't want to waste his time filming. And the top is relatively heavy. I shoot video with my cell phone so it takes a hand and I had none to spare. To remove the top we pulled all the screws and trim, then lifted the outer shell so we could unbolt the metal cage. From the inside we drilled out the rivets that hold the liner, then we slid the whole mess off the back of the van. (Which was hard.). Then we lifted the outer shell off and put the inner liner and cage back on the old van. Hope this helps!!

Also the inner metal cage might be for roll protection but it wouldn't offer much. It was attached with thin brackets that bent under hand pressure. I can't see it doing anything but crushing down into the interior of the van in a rollover.

@@PowerstrokeEconoline Awesome video. So you and a friend were able to remove the high top yourselves without a forklift/gantry/DIY tree pulley of death, etc?! I am looking to do this and it would save a ton of effort if we could just remove it and away we go!

@ckinsleyjav yeah, we did the whole removal and reinstall without a crane. It was difficult. Removing the top took three people and would have been easier with four. Putting it back on we managed with just two but again it would have been better with three or four, especially if I had mounted more stuff (panels, rack, etc) beforehand.

My air intake is custom from the previous owner. Basically a dual K&N filter setup tied into the old intake with a piece of PVC pipe, some flexible gasket and hose clamps.

Should do a video on the intake, great info, thanks!

No trouble getting past the alternator?

@@PowerstrokeEconoline No, I did have to remove my airbox and unbolt the wiring harness mount to move it around... I just noticed what seems to be blood @2:04. Tight quarters turning wrenches on these things. FYI I just received the billet cap from RiffRaff, and it is pretty chunky. Seems to be thicker than the factory one, so that is something to consider.

​@@TheDogsBox Yep, definitely have given my fair share of blood and sweat to this van. The topper project was pretty brutal on the hands. Good info on the billet cap. I'm planning on swapping one in for the next fuel filter change.

You're welcome. I'll keep em coming. Next up is some soundproofing then a bit more interior work on the high top. Anything in particular you'd like to see?

Sure does. I'll be dropping the tank sooner or later and will definitely report what I find.

Thanks. I'm not really focused on appearance, but more on function. The van is so much more comfortable inside now and has much more storage.

Yeah, it's custom built by the previous owner. He modified the intake with a piece of PVC to accept dual K&N oiled filters. I'm not confident that it's the best option but it is what I have.

@PowerstrokeEconoline have you seen the Subaru hood scoop upgrade? Intake options for the vans is a good topic 👍

I have not. Got a link? I'll check it out. And yeah that is a good topic. I think the original airbox isn't a bad option but on many vans by now it is cracked beyond repair. I've seen a few options but haven't messed with mine other than to clean and oil the filters.

Thanks! The next couple videos will be primarily camper van build stuff. I'll be doing a bunch of 7.3 engine work eventually (notably injectors and glow plugs) but it's gonna take me a while before I can afford those projects.

Yes, thanks for the reminder!! I put it in the description also. amzn.to/3V4khrk

Not much of the old adhesive remained on the topper; most of it stuck to the van. I scraped what was left off with a knife then sanded down the whole area. It seems like the Raptor adhered well in those areas so I don't think I had much if any residual contamination.

@@PowerstrokeEconoline ok awesome, thanks very much

Do you have a part number by chance?

@@PowerstrokeEconoline let me dig it up. ill see if i can find it.

Ha! If I was going for aesthetics I wouldn't be driving a thirty year old white van. I'm looking for function over form within a budget, and with this thousand dollar topper I can stand up and still have storage for three large totes above the cab completely out of the way.

Welded the top? It's fiberglass.

Regular or tandem?

Only if it's diesel ;)

dude how much do you think it weighs

@@Doksamauru My van weighed ~6880lbs before I installed the top. I haven't weighed it since. The metal we removed was probably ~25-50lbs and the top with fan and solar probably weighed ~200lbs. I don't think a the 7.3 cares much about weight though; I got the same fuel mileage moving across the country with all my possessions piled high in the back as I do driving almost empty on shorter trips. I think speed and aerodynamics matter though. I expect to see a slight decline at 60-70mph and a real drop in fuel mileage at 70-80mph.

Nice! Lots of similar history there! What make boat?

She’s a custom built fibreglass Norris design 40 feet on deck. Similar to an Endurance 35 but a bit longer.

Awesome! That is a good size for a boat. Mine's 30 and felt huge when I was living in a van and was great for seasons aboard, but after living aboard full time for two years it felt tiny.

Chuck, that's great advice. I'll check out your video. Offhand do you have a specific RV window that you like or dislike?

@@PowerstrokeEconoline Not by name and part number, or anything like that. As you can see in my van tour video, mine are sliders. The only problem there is that you can't leave them open when it's raining. Having said that, there is only a limited amount of room there, so that may be your only option....

What happened to your hwy fuel mileage

@@michaelkritter1694 I don't know yet! I'm still on the first tank since putting on the topper. My mileage was 15-17 city and 19-20 highway (if I kept to 65mph, less at 70 or 80mph) before. I have an older video detailing my mileage pre-topper. I'll post an update once I've gotten to drive a bit of distance!

@@michaelkritter1694 I never had the van without the top, so I can't really answer that question. My van has the 351 Windsor V8, E40D trans, and I average around 12 mpg....