spdygon

iTrader: (1)

Have a 96 E250 work van. The inline 6 is about to go out with 250K. Van is in great shape so i would like to keep it but do not want to keep the inline 6.
Was thinking about do a swap with a truck or car engine.
Has anyone here have done or have an idea what it would take.
engine,trans auto,harness,???????
Thanks,

Earl Filter

iTrader: (1)

By the time you're done, you could have bought a newer, lower-mileage van. Replace the engine as-is, or sell and start over, in my opinion.

bmxmon

iTrader: (5)

I bet someone who has done a couple swaps/has the experience could do it on the cheap, but for the first timer it's going to nickel and dime you to death. Plus all the extra down time. I agree with him^^^

spdygon

iTrader: (1)

Right, a used chevy or gmc with atleast 100k miles sell for little over 8 grand.
Thinking about 4 grand for a complete motor,trans,harness.
What would be the hardest thing to get it running.
Will existing full pump and lines work?

Earl Filter

iTrader: (1)

These are the operative terms. You'll be up to 6 or 7 grand before you know it with 4k in the eng/trans/factory harness. Then you still have a van with 250k on the body, interior, suspension, steering, etc.

gofastwclass

iTrader: (2)

I hate to agree with the nay-sayers but it isn't a job for the faint of heart. I'm not saying it can't be done on a shoestring budget, but that is for someone with years of fabrication and engine swapping experience. If you're asking "what would it take..." I guarantee you are not taking a lot of important or expensive things into account.

For the good news, the sticky at the top of the forum labeled "budget LS Engine swap guide..." by MeanYellowZ is a very good place to start. Randy gives a quick rundown of expected costs, pitfalls and what to purchase that is fairly close to realistic. His guide is written on the assumption that you have successfully done engine swaps before so prices don't include time, tools you may need, wiring diagrams or the occasional odd bolt, hose or clamp. Again, this is written with the idea of you doing ALL the work yourself and only farming out something like PCM programming.

HTH

futureuser

iTrader: (1)

What? Did somebody say van!?

spdygon

iTrader: (1)

Yes one of the reasons I wanted to keep it is because its been well maintain.
Looks like i will be looking for a good used chevy van. Will park my existing one and start working little at a time.
Thanks to all who replied.

Earl Filter

iTrader: (1)

Sorry to be a party pooper, but I'd rather be that than see someone have a frustrating mess on their hands. I see these swaps - and I'm talking daily drivers or weekend warriors, not necessarily the sky-is-the-limit show cars and such, as either a) someone that wants power in a car that didn't originally come with much, and have plenty of time to work out the logistics, and the bugs that come along with it, b) someone that wants to re-power a classic to enjoy modern power, driveability and reliability, or c) someone with a lot of know-how and resources to get things done on the cheap. I'm personally a combination of a and c.

nodrok

I agree with the first 10 people. Take their advice. Even if you swapped the whole power train. You still need the all the sensors to talk to your gages. Thats the most work of all.