Alright, this is a bit long, and I wasn't sure in which section this should be posted...
Three years ago, our student-run sports car club received a 1987 Ford Econoline E350 as a donation from a neighboring, well-established club. It has a carb'ed 351W with a 3spd auto. The previous owners did a good job of keeping up with basic maintenance, but the driveline still shows signs of neglect (from before the previous owners). The brakes and suspension components are all in fairly good condition, as the previous owners spent the time/money to repair/refurbish them the right way.
We run our event timing (Autocross) operations out the back of this van, and rarely drive it more than a few miles per month.
Upon receipt of the van in early 04, it was my understanding that a basic round of fluid changes (oil, coolant, and possibly ATF) were performed.
For the first year, it was stored on-site and saw maybe 1-2 miles of driving every 5-6 weeks on average. From mid '05 'till now, it has been stored off site, and sees 2 10 mile trips every 4-5 weeks.
Last September, the van received its first maintenance since '04 by way of two oil+filter changes in one day. I first put in fresh Coastal 20w50 oil with a cheap walmart supertech filter, along with a can of 5-minute engine flush (solvent based) from autozone. After letting the flush run through the engine, I drained the oil, installed an STP filter along with more 20w50, and a quart of Lucas oil stabilizer to help increase the oil pressure. Currently, the factory oil pressure gauge reads at the lower range of normal, which seems OK for a van that has been neglected this poorly. I can safely say the the engine is still a sludge monster...
The transmission and differential, however, look like they haven't received fluid changes in many years, unless we actually did change the ATF/diff oil in '04 (I wasn't in charge of things until mid '05). The transmission slips badly until it reaches op temp, then the shifts are merely OK (I wouldn't call the shifts great, but it never slips when warm).
Currently, the coolant system looks like it's working great (van never overheats), despite the coolant's atrocious appearance, and the fact that I had to use a 1-gal coolant container as an overflow bottle (the original is missing).
Finally, we have not run any form of fuel stabilizer in the tank, and the fuel level gauge stopped working over a year ago. My hunch tells me that the two are related.
Anyways, in a couple of months, we will resume storing our van onsite, permanently. Given that we're still making a few more 10 mile trips between now and then, I think now would be a good time to go through a round of fluid changes and set both a long term and short term maintenance schedule (time based) to help prevent the engine/trans/diff from randomly dropping out in the next 5-10yrs. Given that our organization is student-run, rebuilds will most likely never be an option, so the van will barely be used (we use our personal cars/pickups to haul equipment around).
I'd like to perform the below items this Saturday/Sunday.
Currently, our van is at its off-site location, and will be driven ~10 miles to our event site before I perform all of the items below (except #5, it'll be done before the van begins its trip).
1. Run another 5-min engine flush (solvent) and put in fresh dino oil and a filter. Add a long term detergent-type additive to the oil, then change it again in September (6 months later).
2. Drop the pan, try and remove as much oil fluid as possible (does it have a torque converter plug?), then replace internal filter screen and refill with fresh ATF.
3. Install a new diff cover gasket and change the diff oil.
4. Drain the coolant, fill with distilled water + prestone coolant flush and let it run through the cooling system, per the instructions. Then drain+refill with fresh coolant, and install a clean, new overflow bottle.
5. Add a bottle of techron concentrate and fill up the tank with 93 octane Chevron gas (it only needs 87, but would the higher temps from the higher octane help cleaning?).
6. Check/fill water levels in battery, if serviceable (it still starts great).
Shortly after I perform all of the above, we'll hold an event this Sunday, then drive it back to our storage site (10 mile trip), where it will be stored until 4/21 (our next event). From then on, I want to do the following:
1. Wait 6 months (late Sep '07), then change the oil+filter+coolant, and require that this be done every 12 months (september) indefinitely. This works out great because we hold a two-day event every September, giving us plenty of time to do it all on site.
2. Perform another ATF drain+refill at the 4/21 event, and add an aggressive ATF detergent/flush. Drain+refill the pan+converter again every 2 months until September, then install a plug kit and require a small pan drain+refill every 12 months indefinitely. If the internal filter is dirty, we'll replace it again when we have the pan off in September.
3. Change the diff oil again in September, then require that it be done every 24 months.
4. Try to empty the tank as much as possible, then refill with Chevron/Texaco and add a fuel stabilizer.
My questions are:
1. What brand/grade motor oil should I install this weekend? For the long term? The cheap Coastal brand that we used before, something high mileage perhaps? The seals look like they aren't in the greatest shape, so I doubt we can consider even a semi-synthetic...
2. Since it's too late to order Auto-RX, is there a suitable alternative available at O'reilly's/AAP/AZ/NAPA as a long term detergent/cleanser over a 6 month period for the engine oil? Would it be OK if I just add the Auto-RX next time, as the van will only be driven 10 miles after the oil change?
3. Should we run anything better than the STP filter? Anything preferred in that price range?
4. I want to just run the normal Dex/mercon pennzoil ATF that I can get at Sam's club for the flushing cycle. If a high-mileage, yet cheap ATF is avilable, we'll run that. Is this OK? What is preferred for the long term?
5. What additive should I run in the ATF, and under what cycle? I have the feeling that there is a lot of varnish build-up inside the trans that I'd prefer not to simply dislodge and jam up solenoids, passages, etc, when we put in fresh ATF. Perhaps I'm wrong in this assumption of needing an additive?
6. What diff oil is recommended? I know for sure that his diff drives like an open diff (one wheel peel in mud), but I'm not sure if it started out as a limited-slip style diff. Any cleaning/detergent additives needed here (short term)?
7. Please comment on my proposed maintenance, and their intervals. I just cobbled this plan togehter based on what I've read here. I'm really interested in seeing what you guys have to say about the flushing cycles and detergent/solvent selections, along with the way they're used.
Keep in mind that the van will be driven about once a month on average, mostly on short 2-3 mile trips, with the pending 4/21 event as an exception. We still have the option of keeping the engine running for a long time at each event, and using the van to help setup and teardown autocross courses (lots of stop/go action over a short distance and long time) to help the fluids move thru the engine/diff/trans and do their jobs...
Finally, keep in mind that the seals on the engine/trans aren't in the greatest shape. Part of the process of getting our van stored back on site involves showing proof of no excessive fluid leaks. Obviously, I'd like to take care of the driveline internals, but also avoid an embarassing situation with new leaks...
Three years ago, our student-run sports car club received a 1987 Ford Econoline E350 as a donation from a neighboring, well-established club. It has a carb'ed 351W with a 3spd auto. The previous owners did a good job of keeping up with basic maintenance, but the driveline still shows signs of neglect (from before the previous owners). The brakes and suspension components are all in fairly good condition, as the previous owners spent the time/money to repair/refurbish them the right way.
We run our event timing (Autocross) operations out the back of this van, and rarely drive it more than a few miles per month.
Upon receipt of the van in early 04, it was my understanding that a basic round of fluid changes (oil, coolant, and possibly ATF) were performed.
For the first year, it was stored on-site and saw maybe 1-2 miles of driving every 5-6 weeks on average. From mid '05 'till now, it has been stored off site, and sees 2 10 mile trips every 4-5 weeks.
Last September, the van received its first maintenance since '04 by way of two oil+filter changes in one day. I first put in fresh Coastal 20w50 oil with a cheap walmart supertech filter, along with a can of 5-minute engine flush (solvent based) from autozone. After letting the flush run through the engine, I drained the oil, installed an STP filter along with more 20w50, and a quart of Lucas oil stabilizer to help increase the oil pressure. Currently, the factory oil pressure gauge reads at the lower range of normal, which seems OK for a van that has been neglected this poorly. I can safely say the the engine is still a sludge monster...
The transmission and differential, however, look like they haven't received fluid changes in many years, unless we actually did change the ATF/diff oil in '04 (I wasn't in charge of things until mid '05). The transmission slips badly until it reaches op temp, then the shifts are merely OK (I wouldn't call the shifts great, but it never slips when warm).
Currently, the coolant system looks like it's working great (van never overheats), despite the coolant's atrocious appearance, and the fact that I had to use a 1-gal coolant container as an overflow bottle (the original is missing).
Finally, we have not run any form of fuel stabilizer in the tank, and the fuel level gauge stopped working over a year ago. My hunch tells me that the two are related.
Anyways, in a couple of months, we will resume storing our van onsite, permanently. Given that we're still making a few more 10 mile trips between now and then, I think now would be a good time to go through a round of fluid changes and set both a long term and short term maintenance schedule (time based) to help prevent the engine/trans/diff from randomly dropping out in the next 5-10yrs. Given that our organization is student-run, rebuilds will most likely never be an option, so the van will barely be used (we use our personal cars/pickups to haul equipment around).
I'd like to perform the below items this Saturday/Sunday.
Currently, our van is at its off-site location, and will be driven ~10 miles to our event site before I perform all of the items below (except #5, it'll be done before the van begins its trip).
1. Run another 5-min engine flush (solvent) and put in fresh dino oil and a filter. Add a long term detergent-type additive to the oil, then change it again in September (6 months later).
2. Drop the pan, try and remove as much oil fluid as possible (does it have a torque converter plug?), then replace internal filter screen and refill with fresh ATF.
3. Install a new diff cover gasket and change the diff oil.
4. Drain the coolant, fill with distilled water + prestone coolant flush and let it run through the cooling system, per the instructions. Then drain+refill with fresh coolant, and install a clean, new overflow bottle.
5. Add a bottle of techron concentrate and fill up the tank with 93 octane Chevron gas (it only needs 87, but would the higher temps from the higher octane help cleaning?).
6. Check/fill water levels in battery, if serviceable (it still starts great).
Shortly after I perform all of the above, we'll hold an event this Sunday, then drive it back to our storage site (10 mile trip), where it will be stored until 4/21 (our next event). From then on, I want to do the following:
1. Wait 6 months (late Sep '07), then change the oil+filter+coolant, and require that this be done every 12 months (september) indefinitely. This works out great because we hold a two-day event every September, giving us plenty of time to do it all on site.
2. Perform another ATF drain+refill at the 4/21 event, and add an aggressive ATF detergent/flush. Drain+refill the pan+converter again every 2 months until September, then install a plug kit and require a small pan drain+refill every 12 months indefinitely. If the internal filter is dirty, we'll replace it again when we have the pan off in September.
3. Change the diff oil again in September, then require that it be done every 24 months.
4. Try to empty the tank as much as possible, then refill with Chevron/Texaco and add a fuel stabilizer.
My questions are:
1. What brand/grade motor oil should I install this weekend? For the long term? The cheap Coastal brand that we used before, something high mileage perhaps? The seals look like they aren't in the greatest shape, so I doubt we can consider even a semi-synthetic...
2. Since it's too late to order Auto-RX, is there a suitable alternative available at O'reilly's/AAP/AZ/NAPA as a long term detergent/cleanser over a 6 month period for the engine oil? Would it be OK if I just add the Auto-RX next time, as the van will only be driven 10 miles after the oil change?
3. Should we run anything better than the STP filter? Anything preferred in that price range?
4. I want to just run the normal Dex/mercon pennzoil ATF that I can get at Sam's club for the flushing cycle. If a high-mileage, yet cheap ATF is avilable, we'll run that. Is this OK? What is preferred for the long term?
5. What additive should I run in the ATF, and under what cycle? I have the feeling that there is a lot of varnish build-up inside the trans that I'd prefer not to simply dislodge and jam up solenoids, passages, etc, when we put in fresh ATF. Perhaps I'm wrong in this assumption of needing an additive?
6. What diff oil is recommended? I know for sure that his diff drives like an open diff (one wheel peel in mud), but I'm not sure if it started out as a limited-slip style diff. Any cleaning/detergent additives needed here (short term)?
7. Please comment on my proposed maintenance, and their intervals. I just cobbled this plan togehter based on what I've read here. I'm really interested in seeing what you guys have to say about the flushing cycles and detergent/solvent selections, along with the way they're used.
Keep in mind that the van will be driven about once a month on average, mostly on short 2-3 mile trips, with the pending 4/21 event as an exception. We still have the option of keeping the engine running for a long time at each event, and using the van to help setup and teardown autocross courses (lots of stop/go action over a short distance and long time) to help the fluids move thru the engine/diff/trans and do their jobs...
Finally, keep in mind that the seals on the engine/trans aren't in the greatest shape. Part of the process of getting our van stored back on site involves showing proof of no excessive fluid leaks. Obviously, I'd like to take care of the driveline internals, but also avoid an embarassing situation with new leaks...
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