change engine

[eric888]

hi guys i am a newbie frm the philippines
i have a astro 1992 with 4.3 v6 gas engine,my question is what is the perfect diesel engine for my astro ?here in manila some mechanics told me to put a hyundai starex D4BH diesel engine,your suggestions will be highly appreciated. tnx

[LiftedAWDAstro]

I don't know anything about that diesel engine but you will have to make sure you can adapt a transmission. I do see it's a 4 cylinder so I bet it would fit pretty easily. Make sure you post lots of pics of the swap!

[doyoulikeithere]

I have heard that:
Chevy did produce a 4.3 litre V6 diesel with the same basic engine block as our 4.3 van engines.
So I bet it would fit real nice....

[mdmead]

I don't know anything about that diesel engine but you will have to make sure you can adapt a transmission. I do see it's a 4 cylinder so I bet it would fit pretty easily. Make sure you post lots of pics of the swap!

If you are dealing with a 2wd van, then it wouldn't really be a problem to use the diesel's transmission, assuming it was an automatic.

[1Gary]

Eric welcome.A few yrs a I ran into a guy in a thread that said he worked for a company in Argentina.He posted his company at a auction bought a fleet of used Astro's from Japan.They had GM Chevy new van price stickers still on the windows. The vans had in them Isuzu diesels which used the T5 stick shift 5 speed trannies. Best he could figure out was Chevy sold these vans to a outfitter in Japan and they did the swap.He said these vans in the mountains where the best they ever had and would climb them no sweat.

The point of this post is to tell you it has been done before.I am trying to find that thread which I didn't think to bookmark it.I post a ref link if I do run across it.

[1Gary]

I am going to correct myself.Here is a copy of the post I thought of and no I didn't ever get the pictures,I do believe him.

Hi Gary, I'm Steve.
The Safari I'm describing is the Astro Twin. Not a full size van. Surely you know GMC makes the Safari Mini van! They're almost identical to the Astro but for the grille and I think the headlight might be a little different. Google 2006 GMC Safari. We purchased the vans new from a company in Malaysia. They started life in Michigan.
I don't know if Malaysia or some of the other countries like that special ordered them like this or if an aftermarket type shop converted them. I know all labels stickers etc. indicate a factory job. The owners manual is in english and it describes exactly what they are with the diesel, so a factory special order is looking strong.
Some countries can get vehicles from the big three that we can't buy in the U.S. For instance the 4 door full size four wheel drive Chevy/GMC trucks (K1500) were available in Brazil years before the U.S.
Anyway the vans are awesome for what we use them for. Top speed on the island is 35MPH. The terrain is volcanic mountains. 2 lane roads barely wide enough for 2 cars to pass. Incredibly steep inclines, switchbacks etc. We can carry close to the full load cap with no problem.
We searched far and wide for these vans. They're 2006's by the way, bought new in Dec 2007. The Astros and Safaris we had with the 4.3 4L60e and 3.23's would never shift out of 2nd gear. We mostly kept them in 1st. In the 4l60e First gear is 3.08:1, 2nd is 1.63:1. A huge difference.
So we put 4.56's in the rear that increased RPMs by 29.16 %, Increased torque by 29.17. An awesome increase that allows them to finally be able to carry more than the driver, his lunchbox, and a cup of coffee!
The diesel vans with a 5spd is great. Not such a wide ratio, you can control shift points better, and of course the diesel makes all of it's torque and HP at low rpm's.
As soon as I get back to the island I'll post pics. I'm in the U.S. now on a business trip.
Oh and another benefit of the diesel is it can be left idling for extended periods of time allowing use of a power invertor and the A/C can stay on. A big thing when it's always HOT.
Steve

[Ironhide]

I have been researching a diesel swap for my 2001 Safari. The ultimate would be the new Cummins R2.8 crate engine, the first of a new series of crate engines with everything you need to install it. The "kit" includes electronics and wiring. You can view these engines on youtube. The catch is it cost $10,000.00, and they are releasing only 500 units in 2017. At this point of my research I am considering the Isuzu 4BD1 PW or the 4BD2 turbo equiped of course, 4 cylinder. The torque is about the same as the 4.3. The hp is a lot less, but I've read the the torque is the most important factor when selecting a diesel. The other factor with the Isuzu engine is there a lot of them out there, and they are comparatively cost effective. I am still researching the of adapting a beefed up 4L60E, or even a newer 6 speed GM automatic!
But my whole reason for going diesel is FUEL MILEAGE! I want to extend the range of my van to do some serious overlanding.

[AstroWill]

I have been researching a diesel swap for my 2001 Safari. The ultimate would be the new Cummins R2.8 crate engine, the first of a new series of crate engines with everything you need to install it. The "kit" includes electronics and wiring. You can view these engines on youtube. The catch is it cost $10,000.00, and they are releasing only 500 units in 2017.

Probably closer to 11-12,000 by the time you are done, engine mounts, transmissions or adapters, drive shaft(s), AC compressor/adapter/hoses/etc. You could buy 4000+ gallons of gasoline just for the price of the conversion.

But my whole reason for going diesel is FUEL MILEAGE! I want to extend the range of my van to do some serious overlanding.

In all honesty though, maybe adding a 5gal aux tank under the van would get you the range you want without the massive expense.

[Ironhide]

That is true, and I am looking into that too. Problem is I'm only getting 13 mpg combined right now. Well you know I am pretty shrude and persistence leads me to some pretty good deals. The prospect of getting double the fuel mileage is very tempting, and having an extra 5 to 12 gallons of diesel would be even better. But I am still in the research stage. We'll see what I come up with.
It is good to have your input though! Thank you.

[mdmead]

A diesel conversion would be cool from the engineering and 'dare to be different' point of view, but I agree it is far from cost effective. I'd have to side with AstroWill on this one. I'd guess for $1,000, you could have a custom tank fabricated that would improve your range to exceed that of a diesel swap using the stock tank.

One problem with a diesel swap is the fact the 4.3L engine is just so good. Bulletproof. And cheap to repair when needed. I'd be far more inclined to spend money on a small block or LS V-8 swap; both of which would have little impact on fuel economy, are also bulletproof, but would provide a tangible increase in performance. (And of course you could still go with the bigger fuel tank.)

The new Cummins diesel crate engine is a cool piece for sure!

Certainly if you go forward, document it here! This group loves drivetrain upgrades! (If you've checked the archives, I'm sure you have seen the 502 swap, M-B diesel swap, and also a 6.5 GM turbo diesel [as I recall].)

[Ironhide]

Thank you guys. I really haven't looked into the V8 swap, or for that matter performance/fuel mileage improvements to the 4.3. It just occurred to me as to what would a newer 6 speed auto transmission do for mileage? In any case I will press on with my research. I will post any revelations I come up with.