Southwind by Fleetwood – sporting its new paint job
When we bought our used Southwind, I was the third owner and there wasn’t any maintenance history, so I had no idea where it was regarding preventative maintenance. I performed a very exhaustive pre-purchase inspection which included a look at the front brake pads, but you can’t see the rear Continue reading F53 – Brake pads and wheel bearings
Servicing the differential oil is fairly easy and straight forward. Ford recommends using 75w140 synthetic. The Dana Service manual says to change the oil every 250,000 miles or 3 years.. These specs could easily apply to a service truck that travels 250,000 miles in a few years. However, My Southwind Continue reading F53 – Servicing Differential (Dana S135)
Since we bought our Southwind a couple years ago, every now and then when I attempted to start the motorhome, I’d turn the key and nothing. It would usually start on the second or third attempt. Since I had the steering column tore apart to replace the bad shift lever Continue reading F53 – Replace ignition switch
Immediately after we bought our Southwind, I noticed the over drive button (OD) seemed to be intermittent. A search of the internet showed that this was a common problem with Fords. Where the wires exit the transmission shift lever, they can chafe, break, and sometimes short out, causing weird instrument Continue reading F53 – Replace transmission shift lever (OD button)
UPDATE – Dec 2023 – The pipe that comes out of cylinder #2 cracked and broke when we were 1/2 way between Ohio and Phoenix. Fortunately the break was in a nice straight section of the pipe. I was able to use a 2 inch strap clamp to join the Continue reading Upgrade report – A little more power and better fuel economy
NOTE – Sorry for the lengthy post on such a simple filter change and transmission flush, but as I got into this project, I discovered other issues that needed attention. When we bought our Southwind a couple years ago, I noted our transmission (4R100) had an aftermarket in-line filter installed Continue reading F53 – Transmission filter change and flush
Prior to purchasing our Southwind, I performed a comprehensive pre-purchase inspection so I had a good idea what was going to need attention. Before jumping in and tackling the list, I wanted to get a few miles under our belt to make sure nothing major needed attention. I also added Continue reading Been a busy year working on the Southwind
DARN.. I wish I had done this last month when I had everything apart for the broken exhaust studs.. Last spring while out on the west coast I had an incident during a long steep climb, I was in 2nd gear turning about 4000 rpm. I was monitoring the temperature Continue reading F53 – Fan clutch replacement
The brake hoses on my F53 are almost 20 years old and I have no idea when (if) the brake fluid has ever been changed. While I have the Southwind up on jacks and the front wheels removed, this is a good opportunity to take care of these two items Continue reading F53 – Replacing Brake Hoses
Changing the belt on the older F53s looks like a task best left for a contortionist. But its actually fairly easy once you’ve done it about 50 million times.. When I had my chirping problem on my ole Mirada, I must have had the belt on and off 100 times… Continue reading F53 – Serpentine Belt Replacement