What did you do to/with your van today?

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kings-x59
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Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by kings-x59 »

Cobra wrote:thanks to those shocks my 100mph test drive was fun, not scary

i now know why the older folks on here take their trucks to the shop my legs are sore from the 1000 squats i did installing my ball joints lol
I refer to that as mechanic's yoga...
'89 Astro, 4.3L, TBI. Minor intake and exhaust mods. Rebuilt 700R4 trans (by me). Corvette servo, 0.5" boost valve, police grade 1-2 accumulator spring (shifts fast and solid). B&M stacked plate trans cooler. Bilstein shocks. Belltech sway bars front and back. New head unit, speakers and subwoofer. Needs paint and a new headliner.

name's Steve
I can't remember all I've forgotten about that....
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potskie
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Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by potskie »

Bought it rear tires.
Image 98 Safari RWD. Stock.
Do you smell what Barack is cookin ?!?!

Moreforles
I sleep in my van
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Joined: Fri Feb 22, 2008 8:35 am
Location: Cleveland, Ohio

Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by Moreforles »

ihatemybike wrote:Grumpy ate its serpentine belt on the interstate this morning on the way to work. Pulled over for a quick look and the van seemed to be good enough to limp to the next exit, thing was actually able to limp the remaining 13 miles to work on the surface streets. No power steering or brakes, no juice from the alternator, no cooling fan or water pump, but everything stayed in the safe range.

I love these vans!

Hmmmm, will it limp the 18.6 surface street miles home?
I think even though the serpentine belt is a major improvement over separate belts (most of the time), I think they should have had a second pulley and ran a second belt (at least for water pump) for just that kind of problem, although when the first one went, chances are the second belt might have been displaced anyway.... but I guess having an spare belt waiting to go on would be simpler.... I saved the one from my 96, just for that reason....
2000 Astro, passenger van. Converted into a cargo van, used for Carpet cleaning (10 lbs of crap, in a 5 lb bag)

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ihatemybike
I plan to be buried in my van
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Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by ihatemybike »

Moreforles wrote:but I guess having an spare belt waiting to go on would be simpler.... I saved the one from my 96, just for that reason....
If the dang plastic tensioner pulley doesn't get destroyed. ](*,)
Aaron

2005 Astro (Gandalf) - AWD, 4.3L, 3.42, 130k+ miles
1997 Astro (Grumpy - $250 Rally Van) - AWD, 4.3L, 3.42, LSD, 2" lift, 31" tires, 335k+ orig engine, $30 eBay fuel pump
Prev Astros:99,97,00,94,87,86

leadtrombone
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Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by leadtrombone »

Had some help an bought a new set of wheels. To replace the stock one that broke open after a rainy spinout last month. Been looking for a used replacement but being overseas limits my used parts availability.

Coupla weeks and it will be mount an balance... time.. 8-[ :partyman:

these are the wheels i bought.. i hope the will be good...

http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direc ... vid=012036



excited though as this is the first set of NEW wheels i have ever done...
1999 Safari SLE. Stock. Proud owner since May 2010. So far I love it..

Image
P1050479 by leadtrombone, on Flickr

The old cars - my progression to here (most recent first)

1996 Honda Passport
1988 BMW 320i touring
1989 BMW 520
2005 Chrysler Sebring Convertible
2002 Dodge 1500 Quad Cab
1989 BMW 320i
1990 Toyota Tercel EZ
1991 Mitshubishi Mirage
1970 Mercedes Benz 250 Saloon

Lumpy
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Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by Lumpy »

Installed a new 160 Amp alternator, 2 gauge cable and 200A fuse to the battery.


Lump

Cobra
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Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by Cobra »

finally installed trans cooler replaced collapsed vacuum lines but it didn't fix my defrost only....
1998 GMC Safari AWD, BFGoodrich AllTerrain T/A
Jet performance tuner 91 octane preset, Jet under-drive pulleys
Rancho 999000 series shock, on-board controller to be installed later
DHC rock rails and skid plate Add-A-Leaf
G3500 front calipers
Zexel Torsen Diff
11" drums
180 amp Alternator
Long tru-cool 4590 trans cooler

1997 gone
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crash
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Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by crash »

replaced broken front sway bar with replacement from wrecker =D>

realized while laying on my back under the front of the van.. it's time to rotate my tires... again (didn't do it though, only thought about it)
Rob Image

current rides:
04 Mazda 6 V6 5spd

vans owned: Image
97 Astro AWD (selling by summer .. i think) SOLD
99 Astro LS Sept 08 ASV VOM
94 Astro LT
93 Astro LT
96 Astro LT AWD * parts van*

Cobra
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Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by Cobra »

checked fluids again and added a 2/0 gauge lead from alt bolt to battery neg. watched dash volt meter stop working not sure why it suddenly started sticking
1998 GMC Safari AWD, BFGoodrich AllTerrain T/A
Jet performance tuner 91 octane preset, Jet under-drive pulleys
Rancho 999000 series shock, on-board controller to be installed later
DHC rock rails and skid plate Add-A-Leaf
G3500 front calipers
Zexel Torsen Diff
11" drums
180 amp Alternator
Long tru-cool 4590 trans cooler

1997 gone
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d3athm3talh3ad
I finally get the smurf thing
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Location: Kentucky

Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by d3athm3talh3ad »

rear door hinge pins--what fun!
couldn't find a bit small enough to be able to use my air hammer, so i sprayed all 8 hinges down with p'blaster every night last week, and tried smacking them loose sunday...to no avail...so, cut the pins with the sawzall, and the bottom part of the pins popped right out, but the top still wouldn't budge...heating didn't help, ended up drilling through the top of the pin, hitting the head inward, and finally pushed the remnants out...4 hinges down, just have the 4 on the van to go until it's window-less...
Image
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Great A'Tuin
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Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by Great A'Tuin »

I replaced my cracked 5/8" core radiator and replaced it w/ a new 1" core radiator.
Installed a cooler t-stat.
Replaced the serpentine belt.

I test drove it today in 97 degree heat w/ the A/C on while going up a very long grade and it stayed nice and cool!

Looks like I'm headed back out to the desert this weekend...
john

2000 LS AWD
2.5" lift, 3.73 G80, Bilsteins, 235/75-15 Toyo A/T's, 2500 Brakes, Skid plate
Ultra-Gauge, Long/Tru-Cool tranny cooler, Electric fans, Bed Kit. 265,000 miles.
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d3athm3talh3ad
I finally get the smurf thing
Posts: 214
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Location: Kentucky

Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by d3athm3talh3ad »

got the passenger side rear door mounted this evening, and the door lock cylinder swapped...hope to get the driver's side done tomorrow evening...
Image
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1Gary
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Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by 1Gary »

Took the top of the shroud apart on the 1994 LT and trace a leak to the rad.Parking it until I get a rad for it.
1979 Malibu drag race only car
1999 Sonoma 4.3 5 speed-Rufus
1989 Astro-Ole Yellar cancelled-still selling off parts
1985 Astro-shop van R.I.P. my friend
1994 Astro LT RWD W4.3 rod knock RIP
1982 Winnebago single rear wheel-Chevy 350 Scraped 1/28/13-broken dreams......


Rochester,NY
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tbhager94
I sleep in my van
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Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by tbhager94 »

replaced spark plug wires , hope it stops the ses code cyl 4 misfire
2000 chev blazer 4x4
If its got tits or wheels, its gonna give you problems!
im sure we all know the #1 junk yard rule if it fits in your pocket its free.

Lumpy
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Re: What did you do to/with your van today?

Post by Lumpy »

Spent a big part of the last several days trying to locate
a local welder who would take on the job of fabricating
a front bumper for me. Apparently "You design it, I'll
weld it" means "I'll tack your patio furniture and
iron gats back together". Everybody says they're
either too busy or they don't do bumpers.

Anybody here a metal melter in Phoenix?


Craig 'Lumpy' Lemke

www.n0eq.com
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