4wd Astro "Patches"

[zerskier]

My names Bill and I have been lurking around here for about four years, learning and stealing other members ideas and figured it was time to post up my interpretation of a camper van. I have never done a build thread so bear with me on this one.. Im on a pretty fixed income so this is definitely a budget build. Patches is a 2003 astro I picked up last fall cheap due to a crushed sliding door, C pillar pushed in, and a bent up rear window opening. I will be doing a small lift, np233c, Arb awning, small other mods to suit my needs on a extended camping trip this summer. The day I got it home

 

[tequilasunset]

Welcome... I'll be watching
Also check out www.astrosafari.com

 

[zerskier]

First step was some maintenance. 120,000 miles I figured a fuel pump and filter were due. Since I don't want to deal with a pump failure to soon I bought a Delco pump and stepped up and bought the pump for the robust/E85 fuel system, figured it would be more tolerant to the ethanol In todays gas better. I also cut a access hole in the floor so when the pump fails at the most inopportune time I can swap in a new pump quickly..

 

[zerskier]

On to the lift, the van came with helper spings in the rear so I just needed to lift the front. I used some 3" aluminum round stock cut to 2" pieces and drilled bolt holes in the center to make the front subframe spacers.. I reused factory parking brake cable bracket, just drilled new hole to avoid the subframe

the front bumper is relocated using a piece of 1.25x.375" steel flat stock, I plan on buying new bumper brackets but these will do for now

while I was down there I replaced the fuel filter, this doesn't sound like much but in Wisconsin replacing a gm fuel filter can be a process with the rust.. To my amazement both ends of the original fuel filter unthreaded and didn't twist the ends off the lines

new stance, also tore all the body cladding off

 

[zerskier]

awd out in with 4wd, bought a junkyard np233c from a 2002 s-10 blazer. I replaced the output seals and extension housing bushing before install

The transfer case came with the decoder, but I like simple so researched manual shift conversions for quite awhile. A push pull cable seemed the most popular but I wanted even simpler so I did this

2wd hi range

4wd hi range

4wd lo range

to address the transmission not receiving the correct VSS in lo range I pushed a pin into the ecm connector 2 pin 16.

To apply ground to the ecm pin I used a simple toggle switch. I had removed the rear heat so I gutted the rear heat fan switch and put a toggle in its place.. I used a protected switch so It wouldn't get accidently armed

 

[wanderer-rrorc]

Ive done the simple shifter such as that on several diffrent jobs..sometimes it will bind so if it wont shift in or out for you put the vehicle in neutral and shut off the ignition to remove the rotating tension (it will still spin a little in neutral and can risk damage..)


If I didnt have 5 kiddos I would do an astro!!! love how these turn out!!!

 

[zerskier]

the snow and cold slowed my progress, but I did get a transmission cooler installed. Its a Tru-Cool 4590 plate style cooler, plumbed inline to the existing cooler in the radiator.

some split loom to protect hoses

 

[hobovan]

Rock on, man! Very cool looking Astro

 

[tequilasunset]

First step was some maintenance. 120,000 miles I figured a fuel pump and filter were due. Since I don't want to deal with a pump failure to soon I bought a Delco pump and stepped up and bought the pump for the robust/E85 fuel system, figured it would be more tolerant to the ethanol In todays gas better. I also cut a access hole in the floor so when the pump fails at the most inopportune time I can swap in a new pump quickly..

I assume you had the added extra plate for crash protection covering the fuel pump location... what did you use to cut it away, and how much clearance did you have between it and the fuel tank? I am about to do my 2005 so all the info will help...

 

[zerskier]

I cut the access hole with a 4.5" cutoff wheel, probably a little risky when your sitting on top of 20 gallons of gas. I first drilled a hole to get a idea where the pump was, sniffed for fuel and started cutting. the center of the pump is 24.5" from the drivers side wall, and 8" forward of the front edge of the wheel wells. I just used the new pump to eyeball how big a hole I needed. I would say there's a inch of room between the pump and floor, just enough room to get fuel lines off without cutting fingers to bad.

 

[zerskier]

did a quick seat mod to make it easier to get from drivers seat to back of van and vice versa.

moved the seat back 2" on the seat tracks by welded some tabs to the front of the seat and drilling the rear mounting holes 2" forward of the factory holes.


front

rear

 

[zerskier]

So this happened today

I really had been avoiding this job, not only did I not want to cut a hole in my roof, I just don't like the way roof vents look.. But im sure I will be happy I did it on a warm summer night.. I cut the hole with a 4.5" cutoff wheel, I would recommend a different method as it put some heat into the paint along the cut.

I will have to wait till its warm out to prime the bare steel, screw vent in, and seal it up. I also installed my roof rack tracks, they are 79" rhino rack tracks. I went with these tracks because my garage door is only 7' tall so the rack will need to be easily removed when the van needs to get in the garage for service, its a chevy so you know it will need service..

 

[jdreier]

Looking good man. Good to know a fantastic fan fits on that flat square part on the back of the astro. I'd been thinking about putting one in that spot as well.

 

[Stroverlander]

Van is looking good and it does seem like that roof panel is meant for a fan. If you have a van with rear a/c then the ducting is in the way if you mount it that far rearward.

 

[zerskier]

Van is looking good and it does seem like that roof panel is meant for a fan. If you have a van with rear a/c then the ducting is in the way if you mount it that far rearward.

First off Stroverlander your build is one of my go to references, so good.. My plan is to leave out that small rear section of headliner and make or modify the a/c duct. I decided to mount vent as far back as I could so I could cut the least roof braces and mount roof rack cross bar in front of vent. If it doesn't work out I guess ill be patching a big hole.