weeding thru vehicles & would love some suggestions/help

Journeyman · Nov 15, 2011

You can also look for a rv passenger front seat, which does swivel at an auto/rv junk yard.<div> </div>

Journeyman · Nov 15, 2011

It is also alot easier and cheaper to replace the entire door than to change the window from electric to manual.<div> </div>

Seraphim · Nov 15, 2011

White smoke is NOT good.  If it occurs only on startup, from the exhaust, the valves are probably leaking. Oil gets in the combustion chamber while the car sits, and burns off on startup. The valves can be repaired, but now you have tight valve seals but older rings, which may blow out if they can no longer stand the increase in pressure. Essentially, it's an engine rebuild. If it smokes while running, from the exhaust,  it's generally the rings. An engine rebuild. If it's coming from the engine or transmission area, there's a fluid leak of some type hitting a hot surface: could be throwing transmission fluid on the catalytic converter, brake fluid spraying on the engine, whatever. Look for fluid leaks on the ground where the vehicle's been parked. Tracking down the exact source of the smoke will lead you to the problem.

karl · Nov 15, 2011

white smoke can also be a cracked head- had a 7.3 that happened to at less than 80k Also- mid eighties and up  aluminum cased 5 spd manual  fords didn't take the torque of the diesel and failed so often that they are scarce now. The cast iron ones were fine, but lacked the OD. Been very happy with cummins both the 4 cyl and 6 cyl. turbos in my trucks and forklifts

Seraphim · Nov 15, 2011

What Karl said: put your hand in the exhaust and see if it comes away moist. Another expensive proposition.

bantamcattle · Nov 15, 2011

wow, that was quite the day! 9 hours, 20$ in bus fares, 10$ in coffees and some wonderful biking around. the kind of adventure i needed to breakup all this researching and searching on the cpu. i walked 2 hours with the seller of the 1985 Sub Urban, getting coffee while waiting for the mechanic to look it over. that was great as the seller is very personable and forth coming. when we returned to the mechanic, he laid into us with all the anti-6.2l diesel fury he could muster. it is his opinion that the 6.2l Detroit Diesel is a flawed motor and will only cause problems. 'he would not spend his money on one.' he also said diesels would be just too pricey to maintain and fix (high priced oil changes, glow plugs and injectors all pricey). again, he had lots of negative comments and backed them up with his own experience and the extra high compression that the 6.2's had. he did make a bad point about relating the 6.2 detroit diesel with that odd v8 conversion diesel that came before it, as the 2 are not related at all. he also seemed to favor the 6.5l detroit diesel quite a bit tho in my mind there is not much seperating them. so in the end i'm confused and need to research diesels more. they seem to be my last hope for 20mpg 4x4. nicely the mechanic did not charge me as he stopped looking the vehicle over after seeing oil here and there.

jeremy33 said:
just my .02 but knowing alot of people with diesel trucks there not worth the money when it comes time to fix anything on them super expensive. i also have a friend that owns a 2000 chev astro van all wheel drive he put a 2in body lift on it and a set of 31in tires and it dose just aswell as my jeep on 4x4 trails. i was going to go this route but i need a little more room the the astro has. but for offroad it dose just fine if you use your head about it. jeremy33

i like your 2 cents. your views are in line with the mechanic on diesel repairs and i'm pretty sure you both know more than i on the subject. thanks to your 2 cents i biked up to a person standing by their Safari and asked them about the offroad capabilities of the astros and safaris and they said what you said, they do good and to put a lift on them. thus i am opening myself up to studying mini-vans and their all wheel driveness. if i remember from my last learning on these, the main issue was their lack of low gearing for 4x4 situations. i'd love to hear other's opinions on these AWD mini-vans as i believe they are popular in vandwelling.

stude53 said:
A lot of mechanics know Chevy 350's, but don't know beans about diesels. Diesels that receive good maintenance can last for 300,000 miles and more without major problems.  That said, any vehicle is a crap shoot, even the new ones (hence the Lemon laws). If lower cost maintenance is your goal, a standard Chevy 350 V8 is a very common engine, so replacements are comparatively cheap and many shops are very familiar with them. I'd just get the best vehicle I could find in my price range that meets most of my requirements, and realize you will require maintenance and repairs sometime.Bob (aka stude53)

"I'd just get the best vehicle I could find in my price range that meets most of my requirements, and realize you will require maintenance and repairs sometime." - this is great advice Bob.thankyou. i asked the mechanic what he would get with my requirements and he said a Sub Urban with a 350 v8 in it. also something about a certain kind of fuel intake. Journey man - thank you for the swivel chair idea and swapping out doors, i love work arounds and options!

Seraphim said:
White smoke is NOT good.  If it occurs only on startup, from the exhaust, the valves are probably leaking. Oil gets in the combustion chamber while the car sits, and burns off on startup. The valves can be repaired, but now you have tight valve seals but older rings, which may blow out if they can no longer stand the increase in pressure. Essentially, it's an engine rebuild. If it smokes while running, from the exhaust,  it's generally the rings. An engine rebuild. If it's coming from the engine or transmission area, there's a fluid leak of some type hitting a hot surface: could be throwing transmission fluid on the catalytic converter, brake fluid spraying on the engine, whatever. Look for fluid leaks on the ground where the vehicle's been parked. Tracking down the exact source of the smoke will lead you to the problem.

thanks Seraphim, the white smoke cleaned up today after driving it a bit. i feel comfortable that he had moisture in the system since it had been sitting for awhile. i got to study the vehicle more today and i saw that the gasket on the main pan under the engine is leaking a little bit, there's oil coming off the starter so i assume the valve cover above is leaking. there is oil coming out of the small area where the shifting linkage enters the transmission and the rubber hydraulic lines on the steering system need replacing. all the suspension is original. to me this paints a picture of a vehicle in good shape from lack of use but has not had a great deal of maintenance done on it which isn't good.

bantamcattle · Nov 19, 2011

my search continues and i've come across a 4x4 van in my price range. i'd love some input from others as it has a motor that i've not read much about and haven't gotten a good feel for its efficiency and reliability. also i'm a little behind on learning about vans as they are mostly out of my price range. its a 1987 ford E150 Club Wagon with a strait from the factory Pathfinder 4x4 conversion. it has the original 302 v8 in it with 190k miles and a 4 speed automatic transmission with overdrive rebuilt 75k miles ago. amazingly its being sold by the original owner who has all the work receipts for it. it already has a raised bed in back with storage drawers underneath. he only gets 15mpg which is a big turnoff but it is the ideal size of 4x4 vehicle. i worry that the engine is right at the mileage where a rebuild is just around the corner. he's the type of owner who's fixed things when they broke and did basic maintenance like oil changes but wasn't insanely meticulous doing every factory suggested maintenance and keeping it spotless. the last tune up was 30k miles ago. the vehicle is in another state where i have family but i wonder if this is good enough of a find to start investing money in getting it looked at. he's asking 2500$

jeremy33 · Nov 20, 2011

the 302 is a great motor ford has been building them for a very long time. at 190,000 miles that would work out to around 305,000km or so (im canadian lol) id say it would be almost time to replace the motor. but who knows for sure lol ive seen motor that should be replaced just keep on running lol. with that being said 302 parts and full motors are pretty easy to find in wreaking yards and should be fairly cheap. replacing an engine is pretty stright forward and should only take a weekend at most. At 2500 bucks i personly would grab that van in a heartbeat. Just my 0.2 as always Jeremy

akrvbob · Nov 20, 2011

I agree with Jeremy, I'd grab it just because 4x4 vans are so hard to find. With that age and that many miles, you have to expect to put money into it for repairs. But if it is a van you love and want to have, it's worth it. BUT, get it checked out by a mechanic first. If it needs $5000 worth of repairs right now (which is possible) it probably isn't worth it. Bob

4x4tour · Nov 20, 2011

Apologies all... dealign with a psycho ex is draining me... <div> </div><div>Anyway, </div><div> </div><div>My van is an old Pathfinder van that is rock-solid, (welded everything) with a rear Dana 60 full floater and Ford front HP Dana 60 front.  Mine gets 13mpg... but Im running 35's on a 6" lift and 4:10 gears. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>

</div>its a 1987 ford E150 Club Wagon with a strait from the factory Pathfinder 4x4 conversion. it has the original 302 v8 in it with 190k miles and a 4 speed automatic transmission with overdrive rebuilt 75k miles ago. amazingly its being sold by the original owner who has all the work receipts for it. it already has a raised bed in back with storage drawers underneath. he only gets 15mpg which is a big turnoff but it is the ideal size of 4x4 vehicle. i worry that the engine is right at the mileage where a rebuild is just around the corner. he's the type of owner who's fixed things when they broke and did basic maintenance like oil changes but wasn't insanely meticulous doing every factory suggested maintenance and keeping it spotless. the last tune up was 30k miles ago. <div>the vehicle is in another state where i have family but i wonder if this is good enough of a find to start investing money in getting it looked at. he's asking 2500$

</div><div> </div><div>What axles does it have? Transfer case model?  Rust?  But, since it costs 12k to have a van converted to 4wd, it sounds like a killer deal.  The 302 is a very good motor.  If there's no bearing knock on cold start up, you're golden... </div><div> </div>

bantamcattle · Nov 20, 2011

yes, i am very excited as a 4x4 full-sized van really provides an ease of planning with its size, so much so that i am not too concerned about the potential 15mpg. thankyou 4X4tour on the info about the Pathfinder, thats exactly what i wanted to hear. i don't know what axles or transfer case it has. he mentioned that it has Warn (Warren?) hubs and that it has a little rust but nothing severe. its been a desert vehicle for 25 years. i've not gotten to see it but family should be looking it over tomoro or soon. next stop will be the mechanic if it looks alright. what will one hear if a bearing knocks on a cold start up?

bantamcattle · Nov 20, 2011

4x4Tour - best of luck with the ex, that has to be really tough. the dynamics of us people gets so complicated so easily. a very difficult road to navigate. thank you much for taking a little time to add to the forum and my vehicle search.

bantamcattle · Nov 23, 2011

i did not succeed in purchasing the Club Wagon 4x4. after friends looked it over for me, i offered to pay the owner his asking price but he differed, letting me know that someone locally had shown some interest and that the owner had given him first right of refusal and that gentleman bought it the next day. not an exciting story but the adventure goes on. i found myself very excited by the potential of having all that room in a full sized van so i think i am going to check one out locally and see if its size is worth the limits of 2WD. i am also going to look for a book on off road driving and see whats possible in 2WD. i'm feeling more and more comfortable with the idea of a 3/4 full-sized van getting through difficult terrain. a non-4x4 van might get a little better mpg too. i've learned from my searching that i'm going to keep my looking more central, as it is so much more difficult to look at vehicles in other towns. outside of another magic 4x4 full sized van showing up in my price range, i'm looking mostly now at a full-sized pick up with an extended cab of some sort and a tall shell or a Suburban. i'm excited by the Ford 300 in-line 6 and diesel engines* (excluding the 6.2L Detroit Diesel, from a few negative comments i've come across) but am seeing the merit and reliability of the small block V8s. since what i'm looking for is quite common, i'll look mainly for very well maintained vehicles and good deals. i'm not sold yet on the reliability of the Asto vans and since they are in the same efficiency class as full-size vehicles, i'm not really intrigued. i would look at a Toyota Van 4x4 if one showed up but i have great concerns of maintenance costs and the availability of parts. thanks for everyones input. all of what you say is greatly weighed in my thot process. *as i side note, i got pretty paranoid about the potential maintenance cost of diesels and did quite a bid of research and found that there is a bit of extra cost with glow plugs and injection pumps but if the vehicle was well maintained then these shouldn't be in dyer need of replacement. diesels also seem to be able to go slightly longer between fluid changes, this mixed with potential better fuel efficiency, in my mind, puts them on par with gas engines and again comes down to finding a well maintained vehicle and engine. i'm happy to still be able to consider diesels, should one be in my price range.

MK7 · Nov 26, 2011

Looks like you want to also go on adventures in the woods and such. But $3000 is probably not going to cut it, even if you're very handy and do all the labor. Good tires alone will be pretty pricey. Check out some lifted AWD Astro/Safari's That's a lot more than $3k though.

bantamcattle · Nov 27, 2011

MK7 said:
Looks like you want to also go on adventures in the woods and such. But $3000 is probably not going to cut it, even if you're very handy and do all the labor. Good tires alone will be pretty pricey. Check out some lifted AWD Astro/Safari's That's a lot more than $3k though.

thanks for the input MK7. i have no interest in adventuring with my vehicle - if i can have no adventures with my vehicle, that would suit me just fine. that being said, i could see things coming up on roads and trails to unofficial campsites similar to video #2 (minus the snow and ice). my vehicle will be used to get me to unofficial campsites (i have no budget for pay sites) then to the nearest healthfood store then on to another unofficial campsite. at some point i will travel across many states to visit people but that would be rare. outside of long trips i'm budgeting for 500 miles a month (this could be on the highish side). i'm feeling that 4x4 is a good idea for me since i am very inexperienced driving off-road. at this point i feel comfortable looking for a full-size pickup with an 8ft bed and somekind of extended cab, then find a hi-rise cap for the back, all pulled by a 6cyl or small v8. i've ruled out the Sub Urbans as they have a little bit less space then the pick up i just described and could get a few less mpg. i've conceded that i'd rather have a little extra height in the rear at the sacrifice of easy access front to rear. i'm shooting to find a pickup that i can climb through the rear window if need be. i've also not added Astro's to my list as they get quite poor reviews compared to pickups and may require a lift.

LowTech · Feb 13, 2012

How is this search going? I've spent years, about 20, living in two dif Ford E300's. Both `70 4x2s.  Have taken them everywhere, all over the west, Baja's east side dirt track, and loads more. Often pulling a trailer. I barely hesitate to turn off on a dirt road, track, and even some quad trails.  It has a 302 w/ way too many miles on it, a crappy 3 speed on the column (changing that to a 4 speed truck tranny), and a set of BFG AT's on the rear <img src="/images/boards/smilies/wink.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle">  I really feel that it's the BFG's that keep me going. Tried other tires and they often leave me wanting . . . like wanting someone to pull me out <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle">  I'll get back to working on it someday . . . after I get tired of playing w/ our big 6x6's <img src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle">

bantamcattle · Feb 13, 2012

LowTech said:
   How is this search going? I've spent years, about 20, living in two dif Ford E300's. Both `70 4x2s.  Have taken them everywhere, all over the west, Baja's east side dirt track, and loads more. Often pulling a trailer. I barely hesitate to turn off on a dirt road, track, and even some quad trails.  It has a 302 w/ way too many miles on it, a crappy 3 speed on the column (changing that to a 4 speed truck tranny), and a set of BFG AT's on the rear <img src="/images/boards/smilies/wink.gif" align="absmiddle" border="0">  I really feel that it's the BFG's that keep me going. Tried other tires and they often leave me wanting . . . like wanting someone to pull me out <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" align="absmiddle" border="0">  I'll get back to working on it someday . . . after I get tired of playing w/ our big 6x6's <img src="https://vanlivingforum.com/images/boards/smilies/biggrin.gif" align="absmiddle" border="0">

howdy LowTech, thankyou for asking. i had to stop the search during the holidays as it was too much to keep up with. then in january i got started looking agin but hav had no luck other than getting my target narrowed down (4x4, ext. cab, 8ft bed, 6cyl or small v8 like a 302 or 318). then all of the sudden my job is ending sooner than i thot so i gave 30 days of notice to my landlord february 1 and hav begun packing up my stuff. i'm going to transition to a friends home and finish getting what i need together as i won't be ready to launch by march 1. so i would love to hav a pickup land in my lap to help with the move but i'm not going to rush it as the only real dead line i hav is getting out of my apartment and i got a safe place to land and get the things i need next month. thankyou very much for your perspective on the 4x2'ing! i'm going to keep looking for my ideal pickup but if the end of march starts coming close i will start looking for someting less than ideal and that may be a pickup with a 6ft bed or quite possibly a 4x2 van with a good motor. which could be a great consolation prize (tons of space, less moving parts, maybe even a mile or 2 better mpg!). how much are those nice tires you mentioned? sometimes the math gets funny if you got to spend 6-800$ on tires to cover up for lack of 4x4, especially on a 2k$ vehicle. i'm pretty excited to see how it plays out. if i get super crunched on time i might roll the dice on something really cheap to get me goin and see how things work out while still having money to go in a different vehicular direction. thanks again for the help in perspective!

akrvbob · Feb 14, 2012

I haven't read the whole thread, but from what I've read if I were you I would be looking for: Chevy Suburban 4x4 with diesel engine or newer V6(?) Ford Excursion 4x4 (or the other one, forget its name) with 7.3 diesel or 302 Dodge Cummins diesel 4x4 or 318 gas Ford F350 7.3 diesel 4x4 Van--very hard to find The Dodge Cummins is by far the best choice with the Suburban my personal second choice. Bob

karl · Feb 14, 2012

LT reminded me of my '72 Ford 250 van, 302, 3 on the tree- had  32" Coursers( aggressive tread) tires, and added another parking brake lever  so that I could brake which ever wheel  lost traction to transfer the power to the other tire( like individual brakes on a farm tractor)....with a bit of a load at the rear I went places that gave pause to 4x4's. Always carried a hi lift jack  and a come-a-long too.  i still carry tire chains and a hi lift. Love 4x4, hate the costs associated for traveling as much as I do/plan to..

Les H · Feb 14, 2012

Just a thought- I have been 10 miles from the nearest paved road with my 2wd single rear wheel bus on NFS "roads" ( washed out gravel tracks used to patrol national forests) , even pulling another vandwellers transporter bus up a long steep grade when his 7.3 diesel acted up. My bus has Goodyear wrangler pro tires on it, and they have been on it since I bought it 25kmi ago. I spent most of my life in the northeast, in mountains and snow country. Tires and how you drive make muck more difference than what you drive. Evidenced by the unusually high number of $60k 4x4's in the ditch spinning their all season radials after a 2-3" snow. Another thought- I have driven a rented Kia sephia 17 miles into the desert in Arizona on a two track dirt lane, turning around only because we never found the end of the line of phone poles.
The kia got about 30 mpg, and was 3 1/2" above the ground. My bus has room to stand up, 9" of ground clearance and gets a touch over 13 mpg. There is no magical perfect do-all vehicle. I love my 2001 4x4 blazer, but would not want to live in it. From my several years here, I gather that most consitter the Astro/Safari vans to be the best compromise of space, power and mpg.
Just my thoughts-
Les

weeding thru vehicles & would love some suggestions/help

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