Vanning.com logo
Boxdin
Site Navigation


Advertisements
Recent Posts
Good day
by lukester - March 28th 2024 12:26 pm
Crazy mods
by MufflerMan Mike - March 28th 2024 9:38 am
Lew Greger
by MufflerMan Mike - March 27th 2024 5:15 pm
1987 G20 Gypsy
by SDMickey - March 25th 2024 9:39 pm
Featured Links


Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate Thread
Page 5 of 6 1 2 3 4 5 6
Re: '88 B250 running problems
KogonDodge #771067 February 10th 2021 1:02 pm
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 109
Likes: 5
member
OP Offline
member
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 109
Likes: 5
Back from my trip to the desert, over the mountains taking on some pretty steep hills. The van ran good. It is still pretty hopeless up long steep hills, necessitating dropping the shifter to "2" or even "1" on the really steep stuff. I don't know if that is how they come or not, as I have never driven another one, but I would have expected a 5.2l V8 to have a reasonable amount of get up and go and not feel like I needed to get out and push!
This was all with one original injector and the junk yard one. My new ones from rock auto will be installed this week when I get a second, they arrived right just before I was about to leave - I didn't want to rock the boat, mess it up and be late, so I just headed off as I was.

Finally I can start to think about the other things I want to do. I took it for alignment a few weeks back and they sent me away suggesting an alignment would be a waste of time without the following being completed first, so I have a bit of work on the front end coming up.
-upper ball joints
-lower ball joints
-inner tie rods
-outer tie rods
-idler arms x2
-center link assembly ( I dont even know what this is!)
-shocks x 4


1988 B250 Conversion Van
https://i.imgur.com/uQPPuqo.jpg
Re: '88 B250 running problems
KogonDodge #771079 February 10th 2021 3:46 pm
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,847
Likes: 42
W
veteran
Offline
veteran
W
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,847
Likes: 42
There should be a tag on one of your rear axle diff cover bolts. Mines says 3.5 meaning 3.55:1 ratio. I think 3.73 and 3.23 are the other common ratios.

The Upper ball joints require a special ball joint socket, and shittons of torque to unthread. The lower ball joints need to be pressed out, and back in. I have the socket, somewhere. Few shops have it, No AP stores in the greater San Diego area do, at least they did not in 2009.

The center link itself has no moving parts to wear out. The tie rod ends and the drag link do. I've thoroughly rebuilt my front suspension, in 2009 or so.

The LA-318 without a roller cam is only rated at 175HP, and 185HP with it. 215 to 225 Lb/ft of torque, IIRC.
It might be a big V8, but it is no powerful monster. I think roller cams started in 318's in 1987 but don't quote me.

If yours is an overdrive transmission, one should basically keep it out of overdrive climbing mountain ranges, and it will also shift into overdrive at 28mph under light throttle (lock up @47mph), and then stay in OD even if one gives it just a bit more. The OD unit is the weak link and needs to be babied. I make judicious of the OD OFF button, only allowing it to engage once at speed, and not climbing a hill, and even when there is enough power to climb a mountain on I-8 in overdrive, I press the OD OFF button and just do 55mph in third instead.

I rarely go above 60mph in 3rd as it is something like 3k rpm, whereas in overdrive and lockup it is about 2950rpm @65mph and tons quieter.

The A-500 transmission is not a HeavyDuty TX. The average mileage at failure is 130K miles. Only ATF+4 is acceptable, and one should add an additional transmission cooler to it.



I have that, and an additional external spin on filter, peppered with Neodymium Magnets as rebuilding the A-500 costs about 2,650$ and I don't want to have to ever do that again.

The Kick down linkage from throttle body to TX, if this is way out of whack not only will it not downshift when it should, but it can destroy the TX.


In a recent thread I started, about the aircleaner temp sensor....If this sensor fails, as mine did, it allows full vacuum, always, to the vaccum actuator, which lifts the blend door and allows hot manifold air into the aircleaner. This will make it more sluggish as not only that airpath narrower diameter and more restrictive, but hotter air is less dense and will make less power. Mine still easily passed smog tests with this operating improperly, as they just make sure it is there, not that it is also operating properly.

If the blend door never lifts, it is likely the diaphragm in the vacuum actuator motor has failed.

Since fixing mine I can tell it has more get up and go when asked for those limited ponies available.
Pull off the cold air snorkel and at full engine temp, look inside the snout, at hot idle and see if that blend door is still slammed to the roof. If it is, it is only allowing in hot manifold air. One can disable this system by just leaving the vacuum hose off and plugging it, but then it runs crustier when cold, and it will also not get great mileage as the engine computer is expecting that sensor to keep an average 100f intake charge into intake manifold under light throttle.

Before installing the new Injectors, Run some Gumout Regane through abut 12 gallons of fuel. A 5$ bottle of the high mileage version is about 5$ at wally world, and they say is good for upto 17 gallons. It is said that heat cycling, short trip driving, allows the PEA in this fuel system and combustion chamber cleaner to be most effective. I run this just before an oil change, usually, but once added it to ~ 1/2 tank when driving cross country and 70 miles later the throttle response was much better, to my surprise.

Re: '88 B250 running problems
KogonDodge #771229 February 11th 2021 11:20 pm
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 109
Likes: 5
member
OP Offline
member
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 109
Likes: 5
Thanks as ever for your input, it's pure gold to a newbie to these vehicles like me.

Do you know the part number of the original flying saucer thing you seem to prefer?

Never mind, answered my own question! For my car it is 4287148 which is not much of a hit online

Last edited by KogonDodge; February 11th 2021 11:36 pm.

1988 B250 Conversion Van
https://i.imgur.com/uQPPuqo.jpg
Re: '88 B250 running problems
KogonDodge #771254 February 12th 2021 2:16 am
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,847
Likes: 42
W
veteran
Offline
veteran
W
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,847
Likes: 42
Carter TC 13 is in my aircleaner right now.
Seems to maintain an average 102.5f under light throttle into throttle body.

I've not yet returned my original sensor to test its function, since I opened it up cleaned it out an rtv'd it back together.

https://www.vanning.com/threads/ubbthreads.php/topics/769988/air-cleaner-temp-sensor.html#Post769988

When the throttle is pushed harder there is little vacuum available to hold the blend door open in the lifted position, and it should drop, and allow ambient temperature air into the throttle body.

In theory this air cleaner temp sensor, if plugged up as mine was, should not make any slight differences in max power, as with no vacuum and no accumulator, the blend door should drop.

I theorize I felt more power as the aircleaner itself and filter element were not 150f+ degrees, when I slammed foot to the floor asking for max power.

Last edited by wrcsixeight; February 12th 2021 2:37 pm.
Re: '88 B250 running problems
KogonDodge #771269 February 12th 2021 2:28 pm
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 109
Likes: 5
member
OP Offline
member
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 109
Likes: 5
TC13 or TS13? Only hits for TC13 I find are your posts. TS seems to give some results.


TS13 on eBay


1988 B250 Conversion Van
https://i.imgur.com/uQPPuqo.jpg
Re: '88 B250 running problems
KogonDodge #771270 February 12th 2021 2:39 pm
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,847
Likes: 42
W
veteran
Offline
veteran
W
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,847
Likes: 42

Re: '88 B250 running problems
wrcsixeight #771422 February 15th 2021 5:37 pm
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 109
Likes: 5
member
OP Offline
member
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 109
Likes: 5
Originally Posted by wrcsixeight
The Upper ball joints require a special ball joint socket, and shittons of torque to unthread. The lower ball joints need to be pressed out, and back in. I have the socket, somewhere. Few shops have it, No AP stores in the greater San Diego area do, at least they did not in 2009.

I looked into this. The whole upper assembly can be bought with new bushings and ball joint. Or, if you own a press (which I do) and the aforementioned socket you can buy the individual components and refurb the existing one. The socket might have been hard to come by in 2009 but these days Amazon can sort you one out for $20 next day delivered! I bought one and also a 3/4 to 1/2 inch adapter so I can get my big breaker bar on it. I've got a pretty heavy duty impact wrench that I've been aching to use too. Hopefully , a a Californian car, I won't have any bad corrosion to contend with


1988 B250 Conversion Van
https://i.imgur.com/uQPPuqo.jpg
Re: '88 B250 running problems
KogonDodge #771444 February 15th 2021 11:31 pm
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,847
Likes: 42
W
veteran
Offline
veteran
W
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 2,847
Likes: 42
Back in 2011 when I rebuilt my front suspension, I saw that they had full control arms available with new bushings and ball joints preinstalled.

I read that even the stamped steel McQuay Norris, not the cheapo dorman or mevotech, was 1/2 the thickness of OEM, and that people were not able to achieve anything close to a proper alignment afterwards.

The ball joints quality was highly suspect as was the rubber in the control arm pivots.

I was under the impression that the premade control arms were the route to take if one needed to just get it driveable, in order to sell.

Wanting to keep my van forever, I tried to get all the best parts and do it all myself instead.

I think I had to pay some 25$ for the OTC ball joint socket in 2011 and 10$ to ship it as Amazon did not carry it then.

Mine Van spent most of its life in Florida before I bought it. Roof gutter rust is an issue, not underbody rust, not to any great degree, even though I used to camp on the bluff in Baja for months at a time.

I still hit the upper ball joint and socket interface, with a dental pick and PB blaster every day for a week before busting out the breaker bar. I am no small man and put about 85% of my strength/weight on the end of a 3 foot breaker before it moved.

Re: '88 B250 running problems
KogonDodge #771448 February 16th 2021 1:06 am
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 109
Likes: 5
member
OP Offline
member
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 109
Likes: 5
Fun times ahead then!


1988 B250 Conversion Van
https://i.imgur.com/uQPPuqo.jpg
Page 5 of 6 1 2 3 4 5 6

Moderated by  Astro, Ram4ever 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Donate


Upcoming Events
discovery
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 21 guests, and 3 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
TheDrunkenGunsmith, Jac, LOVclassics, ZenMuffin, Milkman530
12724 Registered Users
Top Posters (30 Days)
SDMickey 125
CatFish 25
frscke1 25
Wedgy 21
Forum Statistics
Forums68
Topics35,746
Posts537,916
Members12,725
Most Online177
May 8th, 2013

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.4