Dog house / engine cover removal?

[cook98astro]

I was fairly sure there was a thread somewhere with the steps to remove the engine cover but I'm having a hard time finding it. Ayone know where it is? Or how to get it off? My heat is only working on the defrost and won't change to nothing else. I read on here it's usually the vacum line running to the back of the engine. Of coaurse, I don't see any problems with the vacum lines under the hood...

MY Astro is a '98. Thanks in advance!

~Matt.

[Gary]

You have to remove the part that is the glove box,cup holder,etc.You will see two latches on the floor.Right under the dash above the center section you took off is two screws(one on each side) that you turn 1/2 that are latches.Those are not easily seen they are towards the firewall.I bought a really long kind of big screw driver just for that purpose.For me anyways was a feel kind of thing.

[Phantom]

Here is a thread of How to


viewtopic.php?f=9&t=4079&hilit=engine+cover+removal

[Lumpy]

Interestingly enough, it appears that in Gen II vans, the top latches (that need the
long screwdriver or several socket extensions) are accessed from the cab (inside).
In the Gen I's, they are accessed from the engine compartment (outside).


Lump

[Dirk]

That's right, but I prefer the Gen I method!

[Phantom]

The front seat does not have to come out to remove the engine cover ; but doing so gives a lot more room to fit your body in the area to reach things , if all you are going to do is replace cap and rotor the you can leave seat in place , but for me it is easy to remove 4 nuts and seat comes out giving much greater access to the whole engine , like the coil and stuff up in there ,, and the 2 screws at the top of engine cover can be seen easily with a flashlight

[redfury]

Removing it's not the hard part, it's just a matter of knowing where all the screws are that hold it in. The hard part is getting it back on...more importantly getting the top two screws in. The first time I did my doghouse, I got the one screw in and thought I had the other one started, and tightened the whole thing down on the one side....the other wasn't actually in the hole and partly threaded like I thought, so I ended up having to pull the other screw back out and reposition the whole thing again.

SO, when installing the doghouse, put the passenger screw in first, make sure it's grabbing the threads, then do the drivers side. The rest goes really fast. I use a socket and extensions for the screws up top, because I have horrible luck using flat blade screwdrivers.

[Gary]

The front seat does not have to come out to remove the engine cover ; but doing so gives a lot more room to fit your body in the area to reach things , if all you are going to do is replace cap and rotor the you can leave seat in place , but for me it is easy to remove 4 nuts and seat comes out giving much greater access to the whole engine , like the coil and stuff up in there ,, and the 2 screws at the top of engine cover can be seen easily with a flashlight

The two top screws?????.Oh man.I say red,you say blue. I say yes,you say no. Ok,Ok,I'm going try"maybe"just to see what ya say........

[Phantom]

,, and the 2 screws at the top of engine cover can be seen easily with a flashlight

The two top screws?????.Oh man.I say red,you say blue. I say yes,you say no. Ok,Ok,I'm going try"maybe"just to see what ya say........

.Right under the dash above the center section you took off is two screws(one on each side) that you turn 1/2 that are latches.Those are not easily seen they are towards the firewall.I bought a really long kind of big screw driver just for that purpose.For me anyways was a feel kind of thing.

Did you not say screws?
The ones I have seen as well as mine are like two big screws , like as in bolts with a slot in them so a big screwdriver will work or a about a 3/4 " socket with extensions , and they do thread into the firewall , not latches ; takes several turns of the ratchet to tighten them down .

[Gary]

Alright.Now you done it.I am going on a hunger strike until you take that back .Damaged me for life and maybe my first born 40yr old son too.

I won't be able to sleep either.


I am revising my advise.Ya take a torch and you.................


Now I am calling DR Phil......hello DR how about Tues for a appointment??.Two o'clock??.OK.I got this guy I gots to talk to you about on a forum that is my whole life.What???.Yes my whole life.How much???.Well send the bill to.........

[Dirk]

May I suggest a BFH?
But I suspect this topic has served it's purpose and is going way off right now

[Gary]

Alright.Now you done it.I am going on a hunger strike until you take that back .Damaged me for life and maybe my first born 40yr old son too.

I won't be able to sleep either.


I am revising my advise.Ya take a torch and you.................


Now I am calling DR Phil......hello DR how about Tues for a appointment??.Two o'clock??.OK.I got this guy I gots to talk to you about on a forum that is my whole life.What???.Yes my whole life.How much???.Well send the bill to.........

Why O Why doesn't anyone understand me???

[Phantom]

Now I am calling DR Phil......hello DR how about Tues for a appointment??.Two o'clock??.OK.I got this guy I gots to talk to you about on a forum that is my whole life.What???.Yes my whole life.How much???.Well send the bill to.........

Why O Why doesn't anyone understand me???

Oh No not that ...
Relax take a deep breath , don't let the claw get you
and take your meds

[Leeann_93]

Interestingly enough, it appears that in Gen II vans, the top latches (that need the
long screwdriver or several socket extensions) are accessed from the cab (inside).
In the Gen I's, they are accessed from the engine compartment (outside).


Lump

Isn't that backwards, Lumpy? I don't have to do anything through the engine compartment to remove mine.

For pics:
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=6322&p=57382#p57382

[Dirk]

The pre 1990 Astro's have the top bolts located in the engine bay.

[Gary]

On my 1985 the two top latches are in the engine compartment and on my 1994 the top two are inside the van.


Now this story is my story and I ant changing it .

[cook98astro]

Great info! Thanks guys!

[Lumpy]

My 89...
(Inside) Remove the glove compartment and it's plastic stuff, 2 - 10mm bolts
accessed by opening the "glovebox".
(Inside) Remove the ground cables from the bottom of that same bunch of
glove compartment assembly, 2 - 10mm bolts accessed kind of blind from
the very bottom - I use a 1/4" ratchet with a 10mm socket.
(Inside) Flip the clamshell levers on the bottom of the doghouse - hand power.
(Underhood) Loosen the two 15mm bolts that point rearward,
left and right of the air cleaner. Requires long bunch of socket extensions
OR a really long, big, flat blade screwdriver. Bolts don't come out, they are
held captive by some kind of bracket. Loosen them till you feel them spin,
then the threads are clear of the doghouse "nut" .

Photos below show where the passenger side bolt access point is. It is
incorrectly labeled 16mm in the photos, should be labeled 15mm.





As others have suggested, in my particular year at least, getting the thing BACK
into the correct mounting location is harder than getting it disconnected
in the first place. I don't pull the seats to do mine but I have to squeeze
the whole thing a bit and be sure the seats are slid all the way rearward
on their adjustment tracks.


Lump

[Phantom]

Interestingly enough, it appears that in Gen II vans, the top latches (that need the
long screwdriver or several socket extensions) are accessed from the cab (inside).
In the Gen I's, they are accessed from the engine compartment (outside).


Lump

The front seat does not have to come out to remove the engine cover ; but doing so gives a lot more room to fit your body in the area to reach things , if all you are going to do is replace cap and rotor the you can leave seat in place , but for me it is easy to remove 4 nuts and seat comes out giving much greater access to the whole engine , like the coil and stuff up in there ,, and the 2 screws at the top of engine cover can be seen easily with a flashlight

Yep mine is a Gen 2 , that is probably the difference in the way they are attached to the firewall , as said earlier the top on mine are threaded into the firewall from the inside and the bolts are secured to the engine cover so they do not fall off when removed and are part of the engine cover .

[paulo57509]

With my '03 Safari, I have to unbolt and get the passenger side seat out of the way. If I don't do this, there's no way to get the cover out of the way.