Nearly a year after buying this 1982 Ford E-350 Glendale motorhome, renovations of the interior are finally nearing completion!
I removed the propane system for heat, cooking and hot water. Removed the fridge and stove, removed cabinets, removed flooring, and disconnected the electrical system. Then replaced the stove with a wood burning stove, where the old one was. Lining it with insultation and ceramic tile (for heat absorption). Then built a "lift up" kitchen counter addition, that closes the wood stove in when extra counter space is needed (lifted up when the stove is in use). Also covered the kitchen counter with a nice wood coating, installed a new and more energy efficient fridge, wallpapered the ceiling, built bunk bed rails and ladder, painted the walls and stained the wood cupboards, installed the solar power system (soon with wind power as well) along with running powerlines throughout the interior, laid carpet, installed LED light strips and there is probably more that I am forgetting lol. Redoing the water system will be an upcoming project.
Now with a little bit nicer weather, I have moved back to working on the engine. When I bought it, everything ran fine except that it would stall during idle. I rebuilt the carburetor (several mechanics said that was probably the issue) but after doing so the engine would not start. This is when the winter weather hit and working on the engine had to be put on hold. Over the winter I did a lot of research and decided to just replace a lot of small parts, adjust everything and then try to get it running properly. This weekend that work began!
With carburetor engines, 3 things are needed. Gas, spark and air. I verified that gas is getting to the carburetor and verified that spark is getting to the spark plugs. That leaves one thing, air. So I replaced several gaskets on the carb, made sure everything was bolted in as tight as possible and then replaced the vacuum lines.
While I was researching during the winter, it became clear that a lot of the parts were very old and should have been replaced already. So I replaced the ignition coil, spark plugs and wires, and the starter solenoid.
I wanted to have everything done to see if I could get it fired up but I ran out of time. The vacuum lines need to be clamped, the carb air intake needs to be repaired and installed and the adjustment screws on the carb need to be corrected. So weather depending, I am hoping to have the rest done within the week. Fingers crossed it will fire up after that and if not. I'll have to take the hit to my pride and call in a mechanic lol.
