whooooh What The .....

[dcsleeper]

I'm pretty sure that... is... broken.
Time for an L31!!

[Leeann_93]

Hey, if I stopped at my first experience with an Astro, I would have driven one for a whole 6 miles before the lifter blew out the oil pan and started a fire, and moved on to something else.

But instead, I got a '99 on the brink of junkyard delivery and brought it back for a couple years, then an '02 and now my '05. With a couple others in the yard (yes, I have my own pick-n-pull). There's just nothing as useful as an Astro/Safari van.

[AstroWill]

Something got hot...Get an Astro they said....

It can happen, often it depends on how well things were taken care of but sometimes even the best maintained engines fail. If the block isn't broken, the cylinders aren't gouged too bad, and the heads... well you will have to check it out.

Rebuilding an engine is something that anyone can do if they can follow directions; depending on the amount of damage you may not need a machine shop at all. My first rebuild back when I was ~19 I was fortunate enough that my crank could be ground and new bearings installed(I carried my crank back to the US as a carry-on). Looks like you will need a new crank, bearings, connecting rods and pan at least, but you will have to tear it down and check the cylinder walls and heads to see if anything else is damaged.

That is if you want to bother rebuilding, you may want to look into a ready to go rebuilt/reman/crate engines and see if the price is something you are willing to pay.

Just remember all of the gaskets, fluids, hoses, etc add up as well so don't forget to budget for them.

The only 'specialty' tool you need to pull and replace an engine is a hoist of some sort. Can be had at Harbor Freight pretty darn cheap.

Rebuilding the engine will require some more tools depending on what has to be done and what is going to be farmed out.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

[markmitch]

Yeah I would say find a donor van and if you were driving it off road as you said find someone that can bend up a skid plate for the oil pan so you don't break another pan. Might even be better to find an AWD version of the Astro Safari if your going off roading. If you broke it on a trail well heck any vehicle can break in harsher environments.

[sixsix]

Yeah I would say find a donor van and if you were driving it off road as you said find someone that can bend up a skid plate for the oil pan so you don't break another pan. Might even be better to find an AWD version of the Astro Safari if your going off roading. If you broke it on a trail well heck any vehicle can break in harsher environments.

Mark - really ?


And... this has top be the best post of the Month - from the OP:

so I figure I have to take off the heads , right? new gaskets?

[djpigs]

nope, I am not repairing it....By off road I mean around the farm....I bought this for 140 Canadain, 5 years ago, put on over 18000 KM..now it has new rad and hand ground valves, and head gaskets...reworked tranny..Ho, and also put in new battery since owner kept his for that price..I have a Macbook pro laptop if anybody wants to trade..the other day I saw 3 white Astro for 1000 for all three..but they were way across the country too far from me...gone now..

[chevymaher]

I got mine free put 2 motors and 2 rear ends in it. Out of anything i ever owned bucks per mile the cheapest most dependable thing I ever had.

[djpigs]

I guess I'll be looking for a whole subframe with motor and tranny...


EDIT: WHAT IS THIS?
https://www.kijiji.ca/v-transmission-dr ... 1531216958

[dcsleeper]

69000 miles?!?!?!

That's your salvation. Go get it!

[djpigs]

It is in wrong end of country, How do you guys ship this stuff...

[Leeann_93]

Greyhound. Terminal to terminal.

[MechBob]

As we used to say at the drag strip, "your oil pan failed to retain the internal engine parts" You spun a rod bearing,then drove it long enough for things to seize and snap.Been there,done that,and sometimes it can happen fast. as far as shipping,truck freight is usually cheapest,down here,especially if you do not request a due date.However,2 things,1 they prefer it fit on a pallet,with little over hang.That would require splitting the trans off,and 2 pallets.2 you would pay extra for loading with a forklift,and,may require you have one to unload,depending on where you have it dropped.

[djpigs]

found this, will it fit? what you think?

link removed...

[djpigs]

[MechBob]

If yours was a 96 and up,would be easy.However,being a 95,I'm really not sure what all you would have to swap.

[chevymaher]

You need a 95 and earlier just put your intake on it.

[djpigs]

mine is a 96...so all good then.did I say 95?..thanks

[MechBob]

Well,under your name and such,says your van is a 95?

[djpigs]

fixed...

[MechBob]

Then it is a drop in,easy.Would be preferable to hear it run,first.