engine removal from a van?

[vasquezmrysvll]

this my be the wrong area? but im looking at buying a 88 chevy van w/ 350/700r4. iv never pulled an engine from a van. how is the best way to go about it. oh, and the rest of the van is getting scrapped when the drive-train is out, so cutting is NOT out of the question. im getting the engine and trans for 250 and both run. good deal or not? thanks guys

[Willys47]

the rad and grill have to come off and you should be able to get it out that way

[Hottrucks]

fire up the saws all ..take out the radiator disonect the trany cooling lines then cut out the front rad support..it comes out the front....

[tonypaul]

Im glad this subject came up, I just bought a 1995 custom van with 99,000 miles on a great running engine, less than 2000 mile on a rebuilt 4l60e and all brand new tires. Runs and drive great, got it for $400.00.... The interior sucks on it though, and the outter body is a little rough. My neighbor has a construction company and it was one of his workers van. But the worker went to mexico during xmas and never came back. He mailed the title and said just to get rid of it....

Im not sure what Im going to do with the van in the long run, but for now Im using it as storage. My garage was so full I could barely walk through it. I live in one of those very strick HOA areas that only allows 1 stoarge buiding in your back yard and it may not be taller than the fence. So this has been great getting alot of the parts out of the garage and making some room. But Im sure I will be pullng the engine/trans, steering colum, rear axle, seats, plus what ever I can take out and sell on craigslist pretty soon.

[junkyardjohn]

I once pulled a 350 out of a van at pic n pull staight up thru an after market sunroof, & again by kicking out the windsheild & cutting out the radiator support & everything else in the way to take it straight out the front. It's a piece of cake if you don't care about the body. it's putting them back in thats a real pita. John

[fine69]

If no trans is attached i always take the out the side door.

If you try to take the M/T's out the front you will have to hack a bunch of crap out of the way.

Get a few buddies over, and some choice beverages, make it a party.

[71meangreenc10]

Vans, (Sigh)
have fun with that one.........

Smitty

[vasquezmrysvll]

i think im gonna cut it out. im not using and of the fuel injection stuff, i will be going carb. utilizing the provisions for factory roller cam with bowtieoverdrives tv cable stuff. so i guess sawz-ALL may be the perfect tool for my application.

[AusTruck]

Just an FYI.

Just because it has a TBI don't necessarily mean its a factory roller cam. Voice of experience here. I got a great deal on the motor from a 90 1/2 ton pickup that was TBI, likewise thinking it was a factory roller cam block. Part of the "great deal" was that I had to pull the engine. Well, you can guess, after all that effort to pull the motor when I finally got it home and pulled the TBI and manifold, it was a flat tappet cam and didn't even have the bosses for the roller cam spider. Thus no roller cam block.

FWIW, I've heard that if you can find a later-model (like 96 and newer) Vortec motor, the ones with the multiport injection and where the upper part of the intake manifold is plastic, these are the ones with the roller cam block. On a recent junkyard junket, I saw a bunch of these in two different wrecking yards. Problem is, all of them had a sign on them stating to the effect "Motor destroyed using sodium silicate as part of Cash for Clunkers program". So all those roller cam blocks were toast.
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[vasquezmrysvll]

Originally Posted by AusTruck

Just an FYI.

Just because it has a TBI don't necessarily mean its a factory roller cam. Voice of experience here. I got a great deal on the motor from a 90 1/2 ton pickup that was TBI, likewise thinking it was a factory roller cam block. Part of the "great deal" was that I had to pull the engine. Well, you can guess, after all that effort to pull the motor when I finally got it home and pulled the TBI and manifold, it was a flat tappet cam and didn't even have the bosses for the roller cam spider. Thus no roller cam block.

FWIW, I've heard that if you can find a later-model (like 96 and newer) Vortec motor, the ones with the multiport injection and where the upper part of the intake manifold is plastic, these are the ones with the roller cam block. On a recent junkyard junket, I saw a bunch of these in two different wrecking yards. Problem is, all of them had a sign on them stating to the effect "Motor destroyed using sodium silicate as part of Cash for Clunkers program". So all those roller cam blocks were toast.
>

you are 100% correct, but in this case the block does have the bosses for the spider trey. mostly performance cars of the era got roller setups, and some trucks and vans got the roller blocks with flat tappet cams.