Chevy & GMC Vans

sfeaver wrote:Did you ever have cooling issues withouth having the shroud?

Scott

Nope, I use a 195 degree thermostat without a shroud and it actually works pretty well. I do house to house service calls and it actually has never overheated. Even when I tow in the summer. I use an after market tranny cooler and the stock 93 radiator. Runs pretty cool for me. And that's with stock truck exhaust manifolds. I just installed headers and not sure about heat issue yet.

Thats what I was going to try for the upper hose. I think it will just sneak by the brake booster.

Lower hose you need to cut off 2 1/2" from the rad side and it will bolt up nice. At least on a 97 model with stock rad.

Oil cooler lines, the 5.7 has a different oil filter adaptor so the Astro lines wont bolt up. I purchesed my adaptor on ebay and it came with lines and a seperate cooler from an earli 90s blazer, so i used all that. I had the lines extended a bit at a local shop. Pics are up of it on my photobucket album. You could have the Express lines modified and put the Astro radiator ends on it if wont work as is.

The Express dipstick is about a foot longer than the Astro one. Use the bottom half of the express, and top half of 96-2005 Astro, and shorten the 96-2005 Astro dipstick half an inch and it will be good.

What year van are you doing? The 99? or your older one (cant remember exactly what year it was

The Express MAF is bigger, it is 3 1/2". The Astro one is 3 1/4". The intake snorkel is 3 1/2" too.

Its close.. Not sure the stock intake is going to work. Here is a pic.




Also a pic of the space at the brake booster. And on the left where the heater valve/hoses are just so you know when you go to put it all together..




Oil cooler:



Scott

And for the power steering line from the box back to the pump I cut 4 inches off it to make it line up nice.. But AWD is different having the cooler, but the four inches might help you out..

Scott

Man, you take good pics, thanks! You're ahead of me, I'm off work Thursday and the weather looks good, so I plan to try a first attempt on the subframe install. It rained here all weekend, so I was a trim carpenter.

I am working on the 1999 AWD Safari, and the engine is a 5.7 Vortec from a 1999 3500 Savana. My 1989 4x4 Safari with the TPI 350, SM465 4 speed and NP241 is next on the list.

Did you try the full size van dipstick as it was? I don't have a stock Astro one that I know of, I may have to dig around in my parts vans if the other one won't work. As long as the hood will close, I'll be happy with it.


I hate to admit it, but I bought a new set of oil cooler lines for the Savana, since they fit the engine, and a new set for the Safari, since the radiator ends are a tight squeeze. There is a good truck shop close that can combine them if needed.

Thanks for the tip on the lower hose. I'm installling a new radiator, and a 12"x12" 30K GVWR trans cooler so everything will be new and clean cooler wise. Those things trap particles (like if you fail an engine or trans) and you can't ever get them out, although they seem to manage to free themselves to ruin your new engine or trans. I had the trans rebuilt and upgraded while it was apart. I did the alternating brake parts cleaner and compressed air to clean the trans lines. My trans was fine, so I feel pretty good about it.

I have the rubber snorkel tubes from the Savana and the Safari, I was hoping I could make something work. I really want to run the stock air cleaner. It doesn't look so good in your pics. May have to be creative.

It's cool that we're doing the same swap at the same time!

I think the Express tube would be too long, would be sticking right into the fan shroud. The upper Astro tube is partnumber 12550243 and was about 10 bucks from http://www.shopgmparts.com. You'll need the Astro dipstick too, dont have the number handy but I think that will be about the same price too.

Another thing that is different is the oil fill tube, that is on the right valve cover on the Express. I think that may stick out too far too. I have mine on the left valve cover, and used a stock astro fill tube. I had to make a braket to mount it though, it was about an inch too long to make the braket by the A/C compressor. That tube is a 12560962 and is 12.58. You can flip the valve covers around.

You'll know for sure once you start lowing the van on the subframe how it will line up. Once you bolt on the tranny, use its dipstick for reference as it will be in the same spot as before with the V6.

And ya its pretty cool were doing the same swap... Hopefully we can pass info along to make it go easier for us both..

Scott

Thanks for the part numbers, I'll have to check it out. I'm glad you posted about the oil fill, I'll fab the bracket before I put the subframe back in. I already swapped the covers L+R, and figured the other oil fill was not gonna work. It it isn't too rusty, I have a dipstick I can steal from a 1993 Astro with a 4.3 W motor.

How'd you do on the wiring harness? I grabbed injector the wires from a 1999 Tahoe harness, but had to extend them all since they were short. I pulled back and rerouted the knock sensor wire. Brendan at lt1swap.com has my PCM and is adding the V8 trim; He'll prolly have it done and ship it back today.

The wiring harness was pretty easy. I had a spare harness so I just took two whole injector wires. Then two pink/blacks and soldered those in.

I also switched to a 0411 PCM from a 2002 Express. That PCM has more processing power and capability so thats the reasoning behind that. Had to repin to the new style connectors but was pretty easy overall.

For the oil filler, I forget exactly what the length of difference was. 1 5/8" rings a bell, but once you pop it in you'll see. I just used a short piece of flatbar with two holes.

Scott

Roy,

How are you making out?

I got the upper rad hose in tonight. Used an Express hose, and cut about an inch and a half off the rad end. Fits around the shroud and master cylinder nice, although touching the resevoir. I think it will be fine.

I'll get some pics.

Scott

Hi Scott!

check my misc pictures post: viewtopic.php?f=16&t=5767&start=30 page 3, and you'll see where I am as of now.

This is a busy week, lots going on at work (stuck here now, manager on duty)and my wife has a Wed-Sat craft show this week, plus my bro-in-law is bringing his Acura road race car up so I can replace all of the brake lines, nix the anti-locks and convert it to NSX brakes, so no van time this week. I did pick up a new heater valve to replace the one I broke. Depends of when the acura is done, I'll hopefully finish hooking things up and test fire the engine Sunday.

I need to figure out the air cleaner problem and cut the shroud, figure out the oil cooler lines, and just hope the rest works.

Anything new for you other than what you posted? Get the rear axle buttoned up yet?


Edit: I looked at your PB, and like that inspection cover. I couldn't even find one to buy so I made one from an old sign. Yours looks better, but mine was cheaper, lol.

My V8 swap I could not use a clutch fan at all it rubs the radiator, I guess I will buy a after market fan.

Yeah, my 89 has very tight clearances to the radiator. I punched a hole in with the snout because I had the rad a bit loose. Sucks but hey that's life.