Daily Observations - Part II

[Fredsvt]

Gentlemen,

Since we're being asked by customers with E vans getting well past it, what they should buy, what issues other than the driveshaft issues, are you guys seeing?   

Many are die-hard Ford buyers.  

I've been leery recommending the Transit only because it is so Euro.  It reminds me of the ultimate shitbox on the road; any year Sprinter. 

Although some fleet drivers have been happy with the Transit, as far as ride/drive vs the Econoline.  But, then anything with low miles may be better than a half million mile E box.

We've reluctantly recommended gas engine only GM G vans.  Full frame, but it comes with it's own issues.  The duramax, while running well, is harder to work on than a 6.0 in an E box.  And it has issues that are unrelated to the base engine, but are impossible to access easily.

 

[tonybullitt]

Can still get e series cutaways. Have several guys trading in transits back in for e series they didn't realize they were still available until I showed them.

https://www.ford.com/commercial-trucks/e-series-cutaway/

[Fredsvt]

There's only a few that want a box or utility body on their trucks. 

They all seem to be ridiculously attracted to a van with a very tall model they can walk around in.

I've only had a couple of experiences with a Transit, one putting on a trailer hitch and aftermarket wiring for the lighting for the guy's trailer.  The other was nothing more than an oil change, both NA gassers.

I find them as much a pita to lift as a Sprinter.  Stupid putting things that are able to handle weight up so high under the chassis.  I really hate crawling around on my stomach on a piece of large cardboard to get the adapters under them. 

This customer bought the maintenance plan to 150k iirc.  At 40k, the stupid giubo (euro speak for that stupid driveshaft coupler) was already all split and spitting stringy crap and the rear brakes were on steel.

[Keith Browning]

24 minutes ago, Fredsvt said:

This customer bought the maintenance plan to 150k iirc.  At 40k, the stupid giubo (euro speak for that stupid driveshaft coupler) was already all split and spitting stringy crap and the rear brakes were on steel.

If you are not aware the driveshaft coupler has been a major recall. If you repaired that truck advice the customer to return to a Ford dealer for a refund and to have the recall performed.

 

[Keith Browning]

I will admit that Transits are no E-series but in all due respect the E-series is no transit either.. Transits ride better and handle better. They come in an impressive number of configurations to suit pretty much any vocation. The mid level and high level roofs are a HUGE advance because being able to stand in a van like that is a big deal not to mention the increased cargo space. I still think they are fucking ugly... and the more I get to do on them I am like the rest of the Ford tech community am finding some major PIA operations and quirks.

[Fredsvt]

I was aware of the driveshaft nightmare/recall.  The owner was warned it needed to go back NOW.  He did, as the brakes were 1 sliver away from destroying the rotors.

I see the car service/shuttle service in the lot next door with a fleet of Transits have them towed in over and over with dropped shafts.  They are too stupid to read the letters they get. 

I agree about the looks.  The similarity to a Sprinter or the other way around is quite annoying. 

The guys that drive them to compliment them on the ride and drive vs their E vans. 

 

 

[Brad Clayton]

On 7/20/2018 at 2:09 PM, mchan68 said:

Okay, now I've reached the point where I wish Ford would buy every single one of these on the road and destroy them. Anybody else share the same sentiment?

I second that. I have never really subscribed to the "I would love to meet an engineer in a dark alley" but these things make me want to hurt somebody! 

[Brad Clayton]

On 7/24/2018 at 7:33 PM, Fredsvt said:

I find them as much a pita to lift as a Sprinter.

We keep a running tally at the shop, every Transit that has come in so far has crushed rear pinch welds before the rear tires. 

[Keith Browning]

One of the knuckle heads at my place just did that to a Transit.

[mchan68]

Have I mentioned how much I HATE working on 3.2L Diesel Transits? Oops..... I forgot I already mentioned that a couple posts back.

[lmorris]

We've hit our slow time of the year. Two weeks ago I watched a few YouTube videos and saved myself over $1000 in labour by replacing my back entry door myself, after finding the frame and floor were rotten during a storm door removal. My latest watches include windows and roofing. I have 5 more windows to replace, hopefully I'll have them done before the snow falls and next spring I plan on replacing my shingles. If the automotive repair industry here keeps this up I may have to start up a handyman service to fill in.

[forddieseldoctor]

5 hours ago, lmorris said:

We've hit our slow time of the year. 

Slow time of year by me means that I don’t have 2 weeks worth of week sitting out back waiting to be touched. And we still have way too much going on for the three of us to keep up. 

[forddieseldoctor]

Wouldn’t you think that if you are hanging off the end of a 2 foot ratchet trying to loosen a wheel bearing nut you might stop and go look in the book to see if it’s LEFT HAND THREAD?????????

 

New guy broke all 4 pegs off of the shop’s axle nut socket trying to take a left rear hub off a Transit. 

[forddieseldoctor]

Aparrently he never backed off the nut to the proper torque. Made it till the next morning. 

[lmorris]

Does he still have a job there?

[Keith Browning]

We had a similar situation - a private shop replaced the pads and rotors on a Transit. Left the axle bolts loose apparently and everyone snapped.

[forddieseldoctor]

11 hours ago, lmorris said:

Does he still have a job there?

Unfortunately. He’s broken more shit than I care to remember since he started a month and a half ago. The latest is he put a wheel bearing in an 09 fusion that we keep around as a loaner and broke the knuckle cause he was trying to press the bearing out without taking the snap ring off. And then he didn’t put a cotter key back in the tie rod. The parts guy asked him about it and he claimed he reused the old one even though he never took it out and ran the nut past it. 

[BrunoWilimek]

On 7/24/2018 at 8:04 PM, Keith Browning said:

I will admit that Transits are no E-series but in all due respect the E-series is no transit either.. Transits ride better and handle better. They come in an impressive number of configurations to suit pretty much any vocation. The mid level and high level roofs are a HUGE advance because being able to stand in a van like that is a big deal not to mention the increased cargo space. I still think they are fucking ugly... and the more I get to do on them I am like the rest of the Ford tech community am finding some major PIA operations and quirks.

I second that. 2 examples. 1: I had the pleasure of replacing the EGR cooler on one that another tech removed and then was off at school and customer needed it back ASAP. My arms are not long enough. and 2: called a 3.5 ecoboost one for a replacement of one injector with 158,000km on it. The intake bolts were so rotten that intake had be broken into pieces to remove it. One of the injectors seized in the head and most of it came out, but will need head removed to continue. Grr.

[mchan68]

12 hours ago, BrunoWilimek said:

I second that. 2 examples. 1: I had the pleasure of replacing the EGR cooler on one that another tech removed and then was off at school and customer needed it back ASAP. My arms are not long enough. and 2: called a 3.5 ecoboost one for a replacement of one injector with 158,000km on it. The intake bolts were so rotten that intake had be broken into pieces to remove it. One of the injectors seized in the head and most of it came out, but will need head removed to continue. Grr.

So you've had pretty close to the same exposure as I've had so far. I've had to long block a 3.5 Eco, replace an EGR cooler and replace a high pressure fuel system on these so far. And all three were horrible jobs, especially the high pressure fuel system!!! I hope the 3.0L diesel F-150 won't be nearly this bad!!!

[RyanG]

Don't forget the sub frame bolts that are always fucking seized in the control arms. I have done 2 EGR coolers, DEF heater and finished up a rear main seal on a 3.7 gasser last week. Our gas heavy repair guy and myself are always buried but I offered to help him out anyway. This fuckin place is really starting to get under my skin. Nobody in this place wants to work or help out unless its easy money so everything that is deemed too hard or time consuming by the gravy queens gets dumped off on a few select individuals no matter how busy we are. Sorry, just venting a little.

[lmorris]

The back seat of my 2010 Focus can handle 550 lbs of gravel. 

[forddieseldoctor]

Just because parts gives you the whole tube of silicone doesn’t mean you need to use it….

[Keith Browning]

Did you pull that off for a repair or was it leaking? I notice in my shop different techs have different approaches to sealing surface preparation. I tend to follow the rules... other than using a wire wheel and a razor blade to cut that mass of silicone off the chamfer. The only time I had a repeat leak was when I decided to be a wise ass and tried using the gray diesel silicone on a 6.7L oil pan. 

[forddieseldoctor]

No. It was not leaking. Another dealer resealed the cover because it was leaking. I got it with a P0017 and a light knock at idle. Found the studbolt for the left chain tensioner was replaced with a bolt and the right tensioner had a broken spring clip. I just don’t understand why they woulda taken the chains off to reseal the cover. Cause I find it hard to believe it made 60k with the bottom 1/3 of the right guide unsupported. 

[forddieseldoctor]

On 6/25/2021 at 7:52 AM, forddieseldoctor said:

No. It was not leaking. Another dealer resealed the cover because it was leaking. I got it with a P0017 and a light knock at idle. Found the studbolt for the left chain tensioner was replaced with a bolt and the right tensioner had a broken spring clip. I just don’t understand why they woulda taken the chains off to reseal the cover. Cause I find it hard to believe it made 60k with the bottom 1/3 of the right guide unsupported. 

So the studbolt wasn't replaced with a regular bolt. It was broke off flush. I found the busted off piece laying in the upper oil pan while I was cleaning the rest of the silicone off the motor. 
I still have no idea why it broke.