Chevy & GMC Vans

There are a number of new members now.I thought I would bring up the age old question again.Who here is going to swap the first diesel into a Astro??.I can tell you all it won't be me,but it is a subject of common interest.

diesel sounds intresting especially because i do long runs and intend to be towing but i know it won't be me for some reason the idea of working on a diesel frightens me (not like i really know anything about ICE's either tho), not the mention the cost and availability of parts not for me

GEJ wrote:There are a number of new members now.I thought I would bring up the age old question again.Who here is going to swap the first diesel into a Astro??.I can tell you all it won't be me,but it is a subject of common interest.

Well, gary. I was going to say whats the point until my wife reminded me about that V8 in my van.

astro355 wrote:

GEJ wrote:There are a number of new members now.I thought I would bring up the age old question again.Who here is going to swap the first diesel into a Astro??.I can tell you all it won't be me,but it is a subject of common interest.

Well, gary. I was going to say whats the point until my wife reminded me about that V8 in my van.

Someone's always reminding ya about the V8's. If its not the wife, then its the family dog. Sheesh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNvdnZ04Tjc

would the mileage be high enough to offset the high cost of diesel these days? down here, diesel is still more expensive than premium gas.

you could run bio

T.Low wrote:

astro355 wrote:

GEJ wrote:There are a number of new members now.I thought I would bring up the age old question again.Who here is going to swap the first diesel into a Astro??.I can tell you all it won't be me,but it is a subject of common interest.

Well, gary. I was going to say whats the point until my wife reminded me about that V8 in my van.

Someone's always reminding ya about the V8's. If its not the wife, then its the family dog. Sheesh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNvdnZ04Tjc

kings-x59 wrote:would the mileage be high enough to offset the high cost of diesel these days? down here, diesel is still more expensive than premium gas.

This would depend on which engine you used of course. There are many good reasons to run a diesel. Some of them you can tweak for more performance which usually makes them perform better on fuel...kind of backwards to a gas engine. The more you tune up a diesel, the better the fuel economy you get in just about every application...weather you are towing, racing or just cruising. Due to the nature of the fuel (more of an oil than a solvent), diesels last many times longer than gas engines.

I have been running diesels for almost 30 years and they just keep building them better and better. Some of the newer ones with electronic controls are using multiple event fuel injections per power cycle to gain more power and torque. These newer diesels run alot quieter and are WAY more fuel efficient than the last generation of diesels.

At one point I had measured everything to install a GM 6.5 turbo diesel into our favorite vans. It would fit with some major mods to the heating/AC system on the firewall. The next challenge would be to install a large enough rad and intercooler. This swap would give a guy lots to fabricate, but in the end you would have a pretty hot towing machine.

If you are going just for fuel economy then I would find a smaller 4 cyclinder or even a small inline 6 cylinder turbo diesel (Izuzu, Cummins, VW). What ever diesel engine one uses I would make sure that it is turbo charged. You will not realize the fuel potential in power/torque/fuel economy without a trubo on a diesel engine.

I've thinking of the diesel swap for a while. I think the easiest swap fit wise at the moment would be a diesel engine from either a wrecked Jeep Liberty 2.8L CRD or Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0 CRD. Ideally GM would hurry up and get their new 4.5L Duramax to market and then swap that in.

a GM 6.5 would be a beast

Rockwerx wrote:

kings-x59 wrote:would the mileage be high enough to offset the high cost of diesel these days? down here, diesel is still more expensive than premium gas.

This would depend on which engine you used of course. There are many good reasons to run a diesel. Some of them you can tweak for more performance which usually makes them perform better on fuel...kind of backwards to a gas engine. The more you tune up a diesel, the better the fuel economy you get in just about every application...weather you are towing, racing or just cruising. Due to the nature of the fuel (more of an oil than a solvent), diesels last many times longer than gas engines.

I have been running diesels for almost 30 years and they just keep building them better and better. Some of the newer ones with electronic controls are using multiple event fuel injections per power cycle to gain more power and torque. These newer diesels run alot quieter and are WAY more fuel efficient than the last generation of diesels.

At one point I had measured everything to install a GM 6.5 turbo diesel into our favorite vans. It would fit with some major mods to the heating/AC system on the firewall. The next challenge would be to install a large enough rad and intercooler. This swap would give a guy lots to fabricate, but in the end you would have a pretty hot towing machine.

If you are going just for fuel economy then I would find a smaller 4 cyclinder or even a small inline 6 cylinder turbo diesel (Izuzu, Cummins, VW). What ever diesel engine one uses I would make sure that it is turbo charged. You will not realize the fuel potential in power/torque/fuel economy without a trubo on a diesel engine.

I think Mr_Roboto who has spent tons of time looking at different turbo set-ups has said a V8 diesel would take a down stream turbo to fit it into a Astro.So as the saying goes-"build it and they will come".That is design a kit and they will buy.

Was it Badassbee that was working on the 6.2 install? I wonder how that one is coming along anyways.

At work right now I'm driving a turbo 6.0 Powerstroke. As much as I am not a fan of FORD I have to admit this freaking truck just hauls ass. I wonder if a Powerstroke is possible.

Best swap tho would defiantly have to be a 4BT. I've seen a few popping up around here for sale and everytime I see one it takes an amazing amount of will power to not just go run and buy it.

I believe there was a thread on the Overland Van site. Possibly the owner before Dan. I will have to see if it it still there.
Harv
http://www.overlandvans.com/0104_diesel.html

TheHarv wrote:I believe there was a thread on the Overland Van site. Possibly the owner before Dan. I will have to see if it it still there.
Harv
http://www.overlandvans.com/0104_diesel.html

Wow-I don't remember seeing that ref before.All along I thought the cummins was too long.Very interesting for sure.

I have been watching for one of those motors but having been unemployed for a while makes it not even reasonable to consider right now.