Need more umph power :)

[reaper]

Abe,
If it were me I'd go with a chip,headers,gearing,March pulleys.
If you have the bux,I would also go along with alex's idea of heads & cam.

[phr1$k37]

What I'm asking is how far are you willing to dip into the engine to get the power?

Not much as I cannot afford too much down time - super busy schedule and I use my ride all the time. That is the great thing about these Safari and Astro. Truly under normal maintenance they are VERY reliable. The angled valves and cams is something to do when I kill the motor (which I thought I threw a rod back in Oct 2006 hehe).

I am no genius like you Alex - it will take me much longer to do internal engine work #-o

[phr1$k37]

Abe,
If it were me I'd go with a chip,headers,gearing,March pulleys.
If you have the bux,I would also go along with alex's idea of heads & cam.

Hi you!!!
Man I need to free up some time to drop by. How is the RS coming along?

The more I read and learn I think I will stick to original plan = headers + chip + pulley. MAYBE gear.

Flex-A-Lite has contacted me back and actually recommended I spend my money on something else that will give me performance. He said the eFan is nice to have, less noise, can give better cooling, controllability, super good for the off-road slow going but higher reving engine moments but he touched on the type of AMPs I would pull which I understood and the fact that I am actually introducing more points of failure. Sounds obvious but I never thought about that. Anyways I have enticed him to give me a spanking deal and if he does I will bite and buy ... $460.

Headers is key here. Everyone telling me to do it and I WANT to but I only find Muffler-Tech here in the lower mainland ... $1200+ Ouch?

BTW can folks with either the Typhoon K&N, Volant or JetChip CAI tell me honestly if you got more power? Again I tried a Volant before and it did not give me performance boast. In fact it was noticable that it was NOT getting the air it needed. However after going over my log of mods ... I noticed I replaced my muffler and more importantly the clogged/broken CAT a few months after I ditched the Volant. I am thinking if it DOES work for you guys maybe I was taking in enough air but not pushing out due to CAT >.<

Please let me know - those things are not cheap IMO and I might not be lucky to return this time haha.

[meetthespeakers]

I installed the Volant Cold Air intake. I believe it gave me more hp, but I have no numbers to prove it. I removed the screen in the M.A.F as well. The only other mod I have is a Gibson Catback. I am looking at replacing the cat with a Magnaflow unit, I am just unsure of going with a universal Magnaflow high flow cat or modifying the Magnaflow Y-Pipe. I was thinking of fiberglassing some sort intake to direct the air like the stock box to the Volant intake, but that is on a long list and its on the bottom of it.

Is it worth the money? That's really hard to say, you know it's not a cheap buy. Performance/Price ratio. I got it for under $200 and I am happy with it. I wish there was a 6lb Powerdyne unit for the Astro like the foxbody mustang that runs $1900. That's expensive, but anything above that just seems crazy to spend on a V6 unless it's bolt on and either gives you a massage everytime you drive it, and maybe some sexual favors.

[Rebel]

the corner car techs scratchin' their nuts trying to understand the next time you pull in for repairs

Something I thougth they only did down south when you pull up.

[phr1$k37]

Why not cut a hole in the fan shurd if you install the Volant filter to the driver side? Just a thought.
When you lay on the throttle does it feel like the engine is working too hard to get up to speed!? Like it is strong and all but it just doesnt flow as well. That is what happened to me. Where as with the stock box + K&N ... smooth.

$1900?
Check this site out: http://www.wynjammer.com/
You should have seen it by now. I have not receive an email back from "Al" but I was curious if he was able to drop the cost a bit for me - us - since we are just a little bit different the Jimmy / CKs and so on.

Now that I posted that you can see why I was playing around numbers and what to change

[phr1$k37]

the corner car techs scratchin' their nuts trying to understand the next time you pull in for repairs

Something I thougth they only did down south when you pull up.

Hey no nut scratching here in the cold!!! Maybe a grope ... [-X

Reminds me during the time I had my modified Venture van (3.4L many things done + whipple) and I was on business trip - had to get oil changed ... the mechanic called over others to say look at this !!! :p

[Kidhauler]

Gee so you say that the flex a lite fan guy wanted to sell you a flex a lite fan and tried to talk you out of all other options... GEE what a surprise. To get the most HP a electric fan is the best choice. Loading up you alternator is kind of a mute point. When you are driving the rad will have plenty of air going over it and you will be nice and cool. The only time that the electric fan should have to run is when you are going slow with no air going over the rad. If you are going slow you will not be needing the extra horse power. Also alternators are free spinning they pretty much take the same horsepower to turn no matter what the load. If you are that paranoid about the loss of power created for the 3 minutes during which the alternator is running to recharge your battery think about this way your fan is running all the time now it is allways pulling 10-15 horse off your engine every minute the engine is running. So when you think about it that way the electric fan makes sense since it is only going to be running in heavy traffic and at low speed when you don't have enough air running over the rad.

[phr1$k37]

Gee so you say that the flex a lite fan guy wanted to sell you a flex a lite fan and tried to talk you out of all other options... GEE what a surprise.

Actually no ... I did not make it clear enough. The Flex-A-Lite salesman was TELLING me to spend the money elsewhere first to get the power I am looking for LOL.

Hey sorry I missed your post back in March when you vehicle problems! Glad it is all sorted out. Sanja is awesome eh!?

[T.Low]

In the time you have invested into this thread, you could have assembled the Vancouver Gang and installed a V8 and already burnt a significant amount of rubber off all four tires! (Yay Red Wings!)

Do us all a favor, quit playing around and install a V8 this weekend! (Yay Red Wings!)


Seriously, though, it would be good research for all of ASV for you and I to get our lifted vans together to document the speed and acceleration differences between the bone stock (and now very dusty) '03 with 4:10's and the '97 with 3:73 and some mods. Our tires are the same...and with all that street racing going on in Vancouver these days, the Mounties won't even notice two Astro vans racing around Robson Ave! (Yay Red Wings)

And there's two Starbucks right across the street from each other, so no matter which lane we are racing in, we can both pit stop and get a mocha!

Only one rule: no race courses that include parking garages!

Oh, and Yay Red Wings!

[Kidhauler]

ya know tom I'm starting to get the idea you might like the wings.


I'm quick like that. If Abe wanted to do a V8 swap I am sure the Vancouver gang would help spin wrenches for the weekend to get it done.

[T.Low]

ya know tom I'm starting to get the idea you might like the wings.


I'm quick like that. If Abe wanted to do a V8 swap I am sure the Vancouver gang would help spin wrenches for the weekend to get it done.

Yah, I'm still a little excited about this season. I'm free this weekend, too, and I promise not to get in the way.

[phr1$k37]

*sniff sniff* I can see what's happening (What?)
And they don't have a clue (Who?)
They'll fall in love and here's the bottom line the Astro Safari community ROCKS!

You guys are purely amazing. I dont know what to think of this BUT that I could not and would not make the suggestion to a swap.

Also I am pulling my hair now ... that supercharging kit looks pretty damn good to me right now. >.<

Gonna drive around town in a cheap 89 octane tune to Princess just to ponder what I am going to do.

TOM!? ARe you up here in BC this weekend!?!?!
I am sadly busy Sunday till late evening therefore not possible. Saturday I will MAKE time ... I was only gonna head into work. Dude - you want to race and record? serious? OK! You got a deal! and yes no low ceilings place ... last week I nearly took off my CB mount hah ha.

No seriously ... are you in town already for something? or just free in general? darnit where is my passport

[peter]

Man oh man, did phr1$k37 ever get bit by the bug!

I can sense the excitement in his posts. The frustration in not being able to do anything right NOW. The impatience in having to wait for something, anything...

I've got my pretzels and am sitting back watching this show unfold with much interest. Pass me another beer, will ya?

[phr1$k37]

Man oh man, did phr1$k37 ever get bit by the bug!

I can sense the excitement in his posts. The frustration in not being able to do anything right NOW. The impatience in having to wait for something, anything...

I've got my pretzels and am sitting back watching this show unfold with much interest. Pass me another beer, will ya?

What bug? :^o You mean the thing that got me into my light minor modding crazy a few years back ... exhaust (muffler and cat) CAI (but returned, thinking of getting again) then into the damn 2" lift which I was happy with for what, 8-9months then to go higher with leaf-springs, ranchos and tweak the fronts? Then my stereo (JVC + Bostons). Into the cheap Jetchip tuner. Then the dumb darn light crazy (was eyeballing those HID rally lights but that is insane) ... oh special thanks to Dwag and Zam for that ... search for new CB antenna. Then to the brakes - woot they feel good (thanks Petey) 2500HD calipers + brembo + raybeatos and now to figure out what to do on the engine.

I emailed the TBIChip dude about reprogramming my computer. That might just wake it up more - BUT I SO want get headers first. I just do not want to shell out the local asking price for customs >.<

Petey ... since you shall so much in seeing my excitement and teasing me with the bug can you be a buddy ole pal and PM me your credit card number with the expiration date and the 3 or 4 digit number?

EDIT: I forgot add the IAT mod, throttle mod, and of course thankyou Sanja + Steph, the Vette servo!!!. I had a B&M shift kit before but I replaced back with stock because with the Vette servo in there it felt like a sledge hammer ... very violent slamming of shifts but hella fun. Right and I am running Purple Royal oil in everything but tranny right now.