• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Best way to swap KaryVan engine

alpentolic

Member
Local time
9:03 AM
Joined
May 20, 2020
Messages
15
Reaction score
7
Location
Olympia, WA
Soon as the weather clears up I'm going to be putting a rebuilt engine in my '73 Kary Van. I've heard a few preferred methods; straight out through the doghouse, out front after removing grill etc, or having a buddy with a big lift put the nose in the air and drop out the bottom.

I have one of those buddies, but I can only take up his shop space for a day or two. I have all the time to do it myself, but all I have is a driveway and a cherry picker. Anyone with experience chime in and save me some headache. Other tips or things to replace are extra appreciated too.

qM0oNud.jpg
 
I've done out the front a few times, not to bad if its a small block, Big block is tight.... But out the side is worse... I don't think out the bottom works on a van.... Pretty sure the frame is welded solid...

If it's a big block out the front the intake has to come off & the front of the van has to be about a foot off the ground so the hoist boom clears the firewall..
 
pull the pass side seat and door,drop the trans and crossmember and use a cherry picker to bring it/the motor out the door.
make sure you remove the exhaust out of the way.
also,wild is right you have to be extremely careful using the cherrypicker setup,because of the limited boom space.
 
Me and a bunch of Mopar and truck/van friends tried to pull a 400 out the side door of a "regular" van.

No way.

No way to position the engine hoist and not enough clearance to lift, plus bad angles.

Came out through the front after taking off everything that was in the way.

VERY tight.
 
Just a small block, and I was planning on removing the manifold & carb beforehand because it's going on the new motor.

Plenty of room out the backdoor if I had a cherry picker with a 12' neck....

Sounding like out the front is the leader, especially since the smaller 318 will have an easier time clearing the walls?

If so I guess I'd be dumb not to replace the 50 year old radiator while at it.
 
Van engine replacement sucks any way you slice it. I personally done about a hundred or so engines in vans. Out the front is the way
 
Van engine replacement sucks any way you slice it. I personally done about a hundred or so engines in vans. Out the front is the way

Who'd you piss off? :lol:

I've done more than a dozen but less than twenty... Always try to avoid them cause they suck... Did a 7.3 Powerstroke in a E350....
The freaking body has to come off the frame.... Honestly it sounds worse than it is, just nuts & bolts... Once the body is gone you have plenty of room... Actually easier than pulling a big block Dodge out of the front...
 
I did an 01 GMC (front) and considered a new trade promptly after.
 
Auto Transport Service
Back
Top