technerd88
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 12, 2018
- Messages
- 52
- Reaction score
- 11
Anyone have a class C here with the 460 7.5l EFI? Doesn't have to be the same year as mine as they are virtually all the same with this motor I believe
So some back story before you ask me why I just bought it. Has roof leaks but nothing I can't rip out and fix myself. Needed a new place to live since four mechanics have told me my current rig is scrap since they(tow company) bent up the front cross member so bad it mashed the oil pan(which was a milkshake already) and drug it without taking out the drive shaft which likely overheated the transmission even though I asked the guy if you were supposed to remove it. Been sitting in this parking lot for a month so I found the 91 e350 tioga arrow with the 460 EFI for sale with only 54,000 something miles and brand new tires. The guy at the shop I bought it from thought it was carb not EFI. Took me 1 second after opening the hood to know it was EFI and bought it right there on the spot for dirt cheap. Here's my problem. I understand VERY little about this EFI stuff. I know its a feedback system where it gets the water temp and manifold pressure, O2 sensor data to make the injectors pulse to fire and how to get codes from it now but thats about it. It had the check engine light on when I drove it away, but it went out after 10 miles with fresh gas. I thought that's why it died on me a few times but immediately restarted when I turned the key. It drove a little funny, almost as if there was either too rich or too lean where it would stumble a little at 40mph ish I think but it didn't die again. Parked next to our broken down rig the day before the historic blizzard up here in Buffalo NY hit and didn't touch it for a few days because you couldn't see outside. So while waiting it out I researched a bit and thought it was going to be the fuel pump in the tank because the guy did say it took a bit of cranking to start(guy thought it was carb'd lol) and from the research I did the fuel pumps on these rigs are a common issue. So its that right? I just throw parts at it. Nah, not my style. Finally had a decent day today where I could go outside and look at some things on it. First thing I had to do was clear huge snow drifts to be able to open the hood.
So first thing I checked was the air filter after I figured out it was 4 flat head screws to open, and its dirty. So I added that to the list with a fuel filter to get for it plus oil change stuff. Then I noticed the starter battery is completely dead and someone wired the coach battery as the starter one somehow :/ that explains why there's no power besides for the engine and transmission...all the "van" stuff. Strange because the coach already has the facility to do that with the press of a button. Checked the coolant, and oil, everything is good. Even has windshield washer fluid. I then proceeded to clear out the snow that got into the engine bay to see how it would act when I started it. 16 degrees outside I thought it was going to be trouble but surprisingly no. Started instantly after sitting for 3 days. Didn't bog or anything like when I first started it to drive it back. I think that pretty much rules out the fuel pump being the problem. I did put injector cleaner in the tank. I'm leaning towards a wiring issue now that I seen the hackery with the batteries under the hood and maybe some of it was dirty injectors from sitting? I don't know. The CEL never came back on and all I get is the code for everything good when I put it into diagnostic mode which is everything good. Was going to do the engine running test but will just wait till tomorrow(I didn't know there was a key on engine running test on top of the engine off key on test) but first I probably should figure out what the heck they did with the wiring. I noticed disconnected ring terminals and bad aftermarket wiring. That stuff I do know very well. I really have no idea why they'd do that nor why they'd put an ac delco AGM battery into a ford lol...I know it doesn't really matter. If it had a bad fuel pump I don't think it would have started like a brand new car at 17 degrees f lol literally as quiet as one and smooth too running.
I don't plan on using the coach battery anyways as I already have 1200ah lifepo4 bank I built out of bare cells, but I think I probably should fix that wiring so at least the generator can start and make sure the drivetrain connections are all good then. Only other reason I suspected wiring was because the gas gauge pegged and other gauges weren't working right at first. I think a bad connection like that could definitely make the PCM do nutty things on EFI correct and I made it make good contact again when I brushed all the snow out? It had plenty of oooooph when I drove back. Like it felt as if it were a truck with nothing in the bed, barely had to touch the gas to accelerate only went 40 though. I think the fresh gas made all the difference with the cleaner in it. Does anyone here have any experience with these old coaches or have one you can send me a pic of the wiring under the hood so I can put it back to factory? I looked but couldn't find any. The engine looks well taken care of, not a single leak of anything and it looked pretty much brand new when I removed the doghouse to look all those glorious 460 cubic inches. I'm pretty sure its a E4OD transmission as well. All the electronics make me nervous and I was a network engineer by trade before I became disabled so there's that.
So some back story before you ask me why I just bought it. Has roof leaks but nothing I can't rip out and fix myself. Needed a new place to live since four mechanics have told me my current rig is scrap since they(tow company) bent up the front cross member so bad it mashed the oil pan(which was a milkshake already) and drug it without taking out the drive shaft which likely overheated the transmission even though I asked the guy if you were supposed to remove it. Been sitting in this parking lot for a month so I found the 91 e350 tioga arrow with the 460 EFI for sale with only 54,000 something miles and brand new tires. The guy at the shop I bought it from thought it was carb not EFI. Took me 1 second after opening the hood to know it was EFI and bought it right there on the spot for dirt cheap. Here's my problem. I understand VERY little about this EFI stuff. I know its a feedback system where it gets the water temp and manifold pressure, O2 sensor data to make the injectors pulse to fire and how to get codes from it now but thats about it. It had the check engine light on when I drove it away, but it went out after 10 miles with fresh gas. I thought that's why it died on me a few times but immediately restarted when I turned the key. It drove a little funny, almost as if there was either too rich or too lean where it would stumble a little at 40mph ish I think but it didn't die again. Parked next to our broken down rig the day before the historic blizzard up here in Buffalo NY hit and didn't touch it for a few days because you couldn't see outside. So while waiting it out I researched a bit and thought it was going to be the fuel pump in the tank because the guy did say it took a bit of cranking to start(guy thought it was carb'd lol) and from the research I did the fuel pumps on these rigs are a common issue. So its that right? I just throw parts at it. Nah, not my style. Finally had a decent day today where I could go outside and look at some things on it. First thing I had to do was clear huge snow drifts to be able to open the hood.
So first thing I checked was the air filter after I figured out it was 4 flat head screws to open, and its dirty. So I added that to the list with a fuel filter to get for it plus oil change stuff. Then I noticed the starter battery is completely dead and someone wired the coach battery as the starter one somehow :/ that explains why there's no power besides for the engine and transmission...all the "van" stuff. Strange because the coach already has the facility to do that with the press of a button. Checked the coolant, and oil, everything is good. Even has windshield washer fluid. I then proceeded to clear out the snow that got into the engine bay to see how it would act when I started it. 16 degrees outside I thought it was going to be trouble but surprisingly no. Started instantly after sitting for 3 days. Didn't bog or anything like when I first started it to drive it back. I think that pretty much rules out the fuel pump being the problem. I did put injector cleaner in the tank. I'm leaning towards a wiring issue now that I seen the hackery with the batteries under the hood and maybe some of it was dirty injectors from sitting? I don't know. The CEL never came back on and all I get is the code for everything good when I put it into diagnostic mode which is everything good. Was going to do the engine running test but will just wait till tomorrow(I didn't know there was a key on engine running test on top of the engine off key on test) but first I probably should figure out what the heck they did with the wiring. I noticed disconnected ring terminals and bad aftermarket wiring. That stuff I do know very well. I really have no idea why they'd do that nor why they'd put an ac delco AGM battery into a ford lol...I know it doesn't really matter. If it had a bad fuel pump I don't think it would have started like a brand new car at 17 degrees f lol literally as quiet as one and smooth too running.
I don't plan on using the coach battery anyways as I already have 1200ah lifepo4 bank I built out of bare cells, but I think I probably should fix that wiring so at least the generator can start and make sure the drivetrain connections are all good then. Only other reason I suspected wiring was because the gas gauge pegged and other gauges weren't working right at first. I think a bad connection like that could definitely make the PCM do nutty things on EFI correct and I made it make good contact again when I brushed all the snow out? It had plenty of oooooph when I drove back. Like it felt as if it were a truck with nothing in the bed, barely had to touch the gas to accelerate only went 40 though. I think the fresh gas made all the difference with the cleaner in it. Does anyone here have any experience with these old coaches or have one you can send me a pic of the wiring under the hood so I can put it back to factory? I looked but couldn't find any. The engine looks well taken care of, not a single leak of anything and it looked pretty much brand new when I removed the doghouse to look all those glorious 460 cubic inches. I'm pretty sure its a E4OD transmission as well. All the electronics make me nervous and I was a network engineer by trade before I became disabled so there's that.
