- #1741 of 1889
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Re: Increase Gas Mileage? [flintlockdave]
by dlm1954
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Apr 02, 2008 (7:30 pm)
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Replying to: flintlockdave (Apr 02, 2008 5:24 pm)
These 4.3 multi port vortecs get crapy milage all of them,I tried every thing to inprove mine and it wasn't until I replaced the injectors and nut kit myself to stop what was mostly fuel leaking I believe that I went from 13 to 14 to 19 to 20.When it was still under waranty I took it back time and time again over the milage and rough idle and they kept telling me that was the design. The nut kit which is the internal fuel lines under the plenum which are made of plastic with rubber o-rings start leaking fairly soon after you put a few thousand miles on them. Why their called a nut kit I have no idea, my theory the designer was a nut. After I redone mine it ran better than it did when I bought it. These vortecs run great but was a poor design because of the EGR valve problems and injector problems but they run like a 350. I've had very good luck with mine,I've pulled a bass boat all through the mountains in Tennesee with no problem whatsoever. DLM1954
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- #1742 of 1889
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Re: GMC Safari wont start after intake job, cleaned poppets. [dlm1954]
by rene007
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Apr 03, 2008 (8:46 am)
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Replying to: dlm1954 (Apr 02, 2008 12:30 pm)
Thanks for responding, you are the second person that suggests that it is a connector that is not plugged in, but I checked all of the connectors that I took off, I double checked and triple checked they were all plugged in. I checked the spark plugs to see if they were full of gas or at least smelled like gas and no nothing, my next step was to take the injector assembly out and plug it in to the connector and crank the engine to see if they are actually moving or clicking or at least doing something. Nothing happened, I checked power to the injetor at the connecto while cranking, and yes there is signal. My next guess was that since I cleaned the injectors by spraying that throttle body and intake cleaner at the poppets and then left the spider looking thing with the legs up over night, the carbon that dissolved went right into the injector and seized them. I am going to take a really expensive chance and replace the injectors and see what happens. Thanks for your help.
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- #1743 of 1889
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Re: GMC Safari wont start after intake job, cleaned poppets. [rene007]
by dlm1954
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Apr 03, 2008 (2:44 pm)
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Replying to: rene007 (Apr 03, 2008 8:46 am)
I think I would check the injectors to, because most of those cleaners are fine for throttle body injectors but they have a metal jacket around them and I know those multi port poppets are made of plastic.there's actually not much to an injector in the first place it's just a solinoid type unit.,that opens and shuts with electrical current but I'm like you they probaly seized from the cleaner. dlm1954
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- #1744 of 1889
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Re: Distributor Timing [dlm1954]
by keeshond2
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Apr 04, 2008 (9:39 am)
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Replying to: dlm1954 (Apr 02, 2008 10:47 am)
I finally got the van running. It turns out that my 2000 Safari has two timing marks on the timing cover, 90 degrees apart. When both timing marks on the harmonic balancer and the the timing marks on the cover line up piston one is TDC. The interest part was the distributor. There is an arrow on the distributor with a number 6, meaning six cylinder, located around 2 to 3 o'clock. The rotor has to be pointing at this mark when cylinder one is TDC. In order to make the rotor alien with this mark the rotor has to be pointing just clock wise of the hole were the bolt for the distibutor cap is located. When you drop the distributor in the gears will cause the rotor to rotate to the arrow with the 6 which is the alignment mark. I had my wife's friend who come to find out is part owner of a repair shop fax me the instructions. Runs good, have to stop one small oil leak, get it smogged, and it will be back on the road. Thanks for the help.
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- #1745 of 1889
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Emergency Brake
by keeshond2
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Apr 05, 2008 (10:49 pm)
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I just finished getting my 2000 Safari running after putting in a rebuilt motor and transmission. I drove the van around the block, it runs great now, and then I put on the emergency brake. The pedal went straight to the floor. No resistance. I don't remember if the emergency brake pedal was always like this or not. The van sat in my garage for over a year. If it is a problem what could it be? I believe the van has self adjusting rear brakes, so how would you make an adjustment to the emergency brake?
It is amazing how much difference a new motor and transmission make. The van runs good and STRONG!!! When I had the smog test done on the van it barely registered. It is nice to have a good running van that is paid for.
If you have any advice on the emergency brake I would appreciate it.
Thanks,
Keeshond2
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- #1746 of 1889
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Re: Emergency Brake [keeshond2]
by dlm1954
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Apr 06, 2008 (8:49 am)
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Replying to: keeshond2 (Apr 05, 2008 10:49 pm)
Sounds like a broken cable or the back brakes are so far out of ajustment the brake doesn't work. The back brakes on these Astros was always a major problem the self ajusters are useless, I always ajust mine manually every 3 to 6 months or your using the front brakes all the time. I've never had any luck trusting the self ajusters, and I have to back out of my driveway every day so if they work at all the back brakes would stay tight. DLM1954
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- #1747 of 1889
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EMERGENCY BRAKE
by dlm1954
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Apr 06, 2008 (12:02 pm)
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Also if ajusting the rear brakes manually does'nt cure your brake problem check cable if it's not broken there should be an adjustment by the rear wheels where it y's off to the wheels. I've always had to ajust mine manually or the rear brakes didn't work and I pull a bass boat through Tennesee and it can get pretty hairy trying to stop with just front brakes working coming down one of those hills; and most astros have not all I've seen have this problem. If you don't adjust the rear brakes manually they will not work properly. GOOD LUCK DLM1954
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- #1748 of 1889
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Re: EMERGENCY BRAKE [dlm1954]
by keeshond2
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Apr 07, 2008 (2:10 am)
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Replying to: dlm1954 (Apr 06, 2008 12:02 pm)
I checked the cable and all looks good, so I went to adjust the rear brakes manually. I jacked the rear end up, put the rear on jack stands, crawled under the van and there were no openings for me to get to the self adjuster. I was thinking about making my own opening. Looks like a screw driver would work pretty good. I think the cover GM used is just pop riveted in place. I think you are right about the back brakes not really doing much work. I have a 2002 camry that has over a 100K and original brakes. My Excursion has 80K with original brakes, but I go through front brakes on this Safari in about 30K.
I also tried backing up and pumping the brakes as I go, everyone on my street thinks I am an idiot because I went almost the whole length of the street doing this and no results. So do I break out the covers to get to the adjusters or do I have to take off the wheel and drum and adjust for the inside. I don't think that makes any sense but like I said earlier, I am limited on mechanical skills.
I would appreciate an advice.
Thanks,
Keeshond2
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- #1749 of 1889
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EMERGENCY BRAKES
by dlm1954
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Apr 07, 2008 (9:57 am)
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I usally use an air chisel to knock out the factory ajusting plugs but a screw driver would probaly work fine and I've used screw drivers several times to ajust brakes when I couldn't find my ajuster. I've got several for differant kinds of vehicals but when I need one I can't find it so sometime I'll just grab a screw driver. Just make sure you put the vehicle in neutral and turn wheel while ajusting so you don't lock it up; unajusting is alittle harder than ajusting. But other than that it's a fairly simple procedure. You can buy a pack of ajuster hole plugs at about any auto supply to keep debris from getting in the drum. You said you go through front brakes real often and like I said before these astros usally always are stopping with only the front brakes unless you keep the rear ones manually adjusted. DLM1954
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- #1750 of 1889
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turning radius...
by the_big_al
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Jun 27, 2008 (3:16 pm)
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I have noticed something over the past several weeks that I have had my van and that is it has a fairly large turning radius. Just as large as the full size van I replaced. I thought it a bit unusual that this van has such a large turning radius and I don't remember the Astro that my family had several years ago having a large turning radius (although I don't think I paid much attention, but I used it to deliver papers and had to get it into tight spots and don't remember it be overly difficult to do...
So my question is, do the later model year Astros have a larger turning radius than the earlier years???
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