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Frame stretching is what’s needed. Search more on what an X measurement is. I will give a brief explanation. Look at the bolts that hold each fender on. Take a tape measure from the upper most right bolt to the lowest left fender bolt. Right that down, then do the upper left to lower right. The numbers aren’t likely to match. That measurement was only on one plane. Now, if you remove all the front bumper, headlights, grill etc then do an X measurement on that vertical plane, those numbers are likely to be off as well.
The unibody is tweeked on your car. A real body ship uses real frame stretching equipment for a professional result. Come along are not advised. In my shop I would remove all periphial items from the front, like lights bumper and grill. After taking X measurements on multiple planes, I would have a clear idea exactly where and how much your car needs to be stretched to put it all back in the right position so all the panels can fit correctly. The car would then be placed on tall jack stands with all wheels off, then I would weld a wide metal tab to the area to be stretched. Then I would attach a hefty clamp to that, then the clamp to the end of a chain that goes to a six foot high hydraulic verticle boom that has pullies fro the chain to travel thru and over with the other end if the chain anchored into the concrete.
I know this sounds like a lot, and it is. Here is my best advice for you. Leave the hood on, but remove all the front stuff until the entire front looks like a frame. Then, have it towed to a real body shop and they can do just the stretching part for you, then you put the stuff back on yourself and that will save you money. Body shops charge by the hour. The more they have to remove is the more you have to pay. I had a guy who had a low speed run in with another guy at a stop light, dented up his pickup pretty good. I told him what I’m telling you. He brought the truck in a a tow truck, already stripped of front body parts and I charged him about $200 for the frame stretching alone, then he reassembled it afterwards with some new parts. He had a great result and learned a thing or two in the process. Keep in mind that headlights can look great but the mounting tabs that attach them to the car commonly break off in low speed collisions. Cheap new pairs online are at least as cheap if not more so that used ones from the junk yard.
Good luckI like what I’ve seen in the replies so far. I would add a warning of predestination. There are numerous brands of plugs that claim to have new ways to improve power. Look at plugs like Bosch plus 4 and e3 for example. They have extra meat at the business end of them. That extra meat gets hit after a bit of running and causes detonation before each piston reaches top dead center, acting like a glow plug. This often punches small holes in the pistons causing loss of compression. I know this on a personal level. I have found that the best plugs for longevity and performance are denso or NGK iridium.
The blend door actuator can have a broken plastic gear, would make a clicking sound in most cases. Also, the blend door can have a broken hinge. That last one is common on ford excursions.
I hear what your saying about the hardware. I am wondering if the ebrake was left on by accident? Or maybe the cable for it is corroded causing it to stick. Let us know what you find!
If a caliper guide pin is stuck that can cause the brakes to drag. Get the correct high temp brake lube and service both guide pins in each front caliper. Also, if the brake fluid is not clear or nearly clear, flush all the old fluid out. If rusty old brake fluid is left in there too long, it will rot out the hard brake lines and also potentially cause caliper pistons to stick a bit.
If any of the brake hardware, such as springs have come loose, that can cause it. If the rear differential is in jeopardy, that can cause it too. I would be more prone to saying the emergency brake could have been stuck on too. My church has several of the large Ford vans and I’ve done brakes on them plenty.
As for the engine overheating, that could be a separate issue. Maybe a new thermostat would fix that.
I would make sure that the caliper guide pins were lubed with high temperature brake grease as well, they are often overlooked and can cause uneven brake wear and pulling to one side when the brake pedal is pushed.
The previous advice is sound. I would add some things and ask some clarifying questions. Did you pinch the flexible rubber hose, or the metal line before the rubber hose? If it was mwtal, then replace that line stat. Also, don’t just bleed the brakes, but flush them. When the brake fluid is clear like water, or nearly clear then its OK. When it looks like strong coffee that means there is liquid rust and atmospheric moisture in the system. That will cause the pedal to hit the floor.
If the abs system is malfunctioning, that can also make the pedal go to the floor if the abs motor is spooling up all the time. Try disconnecting the electrical connections to the abs motor only to see if that fixes it. If it does, that means you have a bad abs motor or defective abs sensor(s) at one or more wheels.I stopped doing autobody work in 2002 thanks to smashed bones. I had a special license to do Salvage rebuilds in addition to regular wreck repair, frame off restorations and lots of custom work.
Working with aftermarket body parts was a pain for reasons mentioned above. The patent parts were always just a bit smaller than the originals, so material had to be added to get the look and fit right. The headlights were rarely an issue, but newer models have HID, auto adjust etc that may affect the aftermarket product.
If the car was very new, sometimes there were no aftermarket panels available, so the insurance company had to approve dealer parts which meant a lot longer wait time with no work being done. Some customers would argue at length with their insurance company to get original parts involved, but it took significant effort.
The odd thing here is with aftermarket mechanical parts. Stuff that the manufacture did not make but were farmed out to the lowest bidder, like hoses, brakes, dampeners and such – these are typically lower quality than standard aftermarket parts. Imagine the first time you do brakes or dampeners on something that wasn’t top of the line. As long as you didn’t use Monroe, you could buy average stuff and have an instant upgrade.
Fast forward to my recent life, working for an auto glass company in a call center, where I took initial insurances claims for various insurance companies. I can tell you for certain that aftermarket glass is always a lesser, thinner product.
I understand the poster’s issue thru and thru. Insurance and aftermarket companies come up with colorful anacronyms and aleged industry standard practices that are designed to make us all feel comfortable with a lesser result. More dishonest bs from corporate asshats. Some insurance companies will do the right thing without being pushed into it, but they aren’t cheap. Shop around and ask specific questions to the insurance salesman. Don’t let them shine you on or give you the bums rush.
It’s also very true that no matter how well the body repair was done, it devalues your car instantly. Many people have a wreck and freak out, rates increasing, licence suspended and many other concerns pop up. Then they find an autobody shop that can do discount work off the radar. Then they realize the work was poorly done and sell or trade it off asap. Then it gets sold at auction and towed a hundred miles away and sold as a car with a clean Carfax at a price that is too high. Never trust Carfax. Get it checked at an autobody shop for previous wreck repair. Professionals can spot it easily.
Sorry for the long winded rant, but there is my 18 cents worth.
On many modern cars, if there is a low voltage situation the computers won’t allow various components to work correctly and the gauges will flutter as well. Before I buy a reman alternator, I always have it bench tested. I have gone thru five in one day from Autozone. On the last one the had, I asked for the bench test, they sqwabbled a bit, but then apologized when it tested bad. The last one on the shelf tested good, that problem was solved.
My niece has an element also, and she has similar albeit not as severe issues as you. I noticed there ain’t much space for a battery in those things. I was considering adding a much larger battery to hers after fabing out a new battery tray.
Follow the cables from positive to the alternator, that cable on my Camry looked great but had an internal short. Also look at the pos cable leading to the starter to make sure the connections are good.
The downside to the free charge test at the parts stores, is that they don’t account for the voltage draw from the ignition system. It has a high energy ignition system. Idle has low power draw, but higher revs can stress an alternator or battery that seems fine until your driving.
There are small testers at the parts stores and harbor freight, shaped like a T that plug into a lighter socket, left side lights for charging, right side lights for the battery. Cheap stuff that may help you.
I have to ask some questions. I want to help and I mean no disrespect, but your problem is poorly worded. I understand you have a serious electrical power drain. Is the radio the stock unit? Do you have an aftermarket amp in there as well?
I’m not sure if your car has fuses for all circuits in addition to relays, since some are without fuses these days.
Normally, if the doors are closed and everything is turned off, there should be no power drain. The standard test here is to disconnect the negative cable from the battery. Now, from the removed cable, attatch a test light. The other lead of the test light should be attached to the negative post of the battery. If there is a parasitic power drain, the test light will stay on. Leave it attached, but pull one fuse out. Light still on? Then put that fuse back in, then pull the next fuse out. Repeat that process until you pull a fuse that makes the test light go out. When you verify what circuit has the drain, trace it down from there.If the new radiator cap does not work, have a leak down test done. That can help determine if you have a leaky head gasket, which could cause some of the coolant to be blown out of the exhaust while driving.
I don’t disagree with everything else that’s been said here, but I will say something else.
You say the guide pins still move, but take them each out and add high temp brake lube just the same. Is your brake fluid clear or nearly clear? If it’s brown, that is liquid rust in the system. If the fluid is contaminated you should do a full system flush. If the calipers are being operated with contaminated fluid, they may partially work but otherwise stick a bit causing premature material wear, not to mention decreased fuel mileage. It all takes a bit if time, but not much money. I buy the high temp brake lube by the tube these days instead of the packet. I’m amazed that even high end dealerships fail to lube the guide pins on brake jobs.
I hope this helps.