v6 into astra van MK3

[novaboz]

how hard will it be if i buy a doner cav or calibra to fit the engine into my van...

iv converted corsas and novas befor (redtops,1.6 16v etc) but iv never put a v6 into anything

basically im just wondering if i can use most of the parts off the doner car? also my van is diesel so wil i have to put a tank off an petrol estate on the van?

just wondering if you guys have any tips or info that will be helpfull like..

what shafts do i use? (can i used the doner car ones)
mounts (can i use the doner car ones)
will the wirering be hard or is it just like putting a redtop into a corsa

just after usefull info really.. quiet a confident mechanic i have tools engine lifts etc and a workshop so thats not a worry

cheers :)

[mowgli]

gm south africa fitted the 2.5 v6 into a mk3 astra as a standard factory car. it can't be too difficult.

[Ben]

piece of piss, just drop the whole front subframe out the donor with engine and box attached then reattach to the astra, just use everything from the donor engine bay!

[Ben]

wiring is no big issues with the full donor car there, even if its a later one with the transponder key you have everything needed from the cav/calibra.

[novaboz]

cheers buddy.. i thought it was easy enough but alyway better to do some research :)

[Ben]

as for the tank i never bothered when converted one from diesel to petrol just fitted the donor in line gsi style pump. But if you find an estate one for peanuts it is worth doing if you are going to tune the engine a lot.

As said before literally drop out the complete subfram with struts, wiring, rad, shafts etc and then just lift into the astra, tbh there isnt much easier lol

[novaboz]

how about the wirering into the van? and cheers so far dude proper helpfull :)

[claire6069]

go on mk3oc.com and look for a guy called rc, he built a white mk3 astra van that had a 2.5 v6 in it, my other half bought it earlier this year and sold it not so long ago, good for sleeping in the back and it did go well!!

[DAN-F]

im in the middle of v6 into my mk3 van i just gonna finish up the wiring tomorow.
didnt have to change the subframe just used a cav/calibra offside mount, astra gsi gearbox mounts, xe fly and clutch and an f20, i have an x25xe out of a vectra but its exactly the same conversion as the c25xe,
wiring is same as any xe

[Ben]

You dont need to change the subframe but if you drop the whole lot complete out the calibra it makes it much easier rather than lifting the engine off of the donor one and onto the diesel one. If you drop the entire drivetrain it makes it about 10 bolts to undo/redo.

[Ben]

And yes the wiring is no issue the wiring colours are exactly the same as the xe iirc.

[DAN-F]

engine doesnt mount onto the subframe on a calibra. it mounts under the offside chassis leg.
i only had to undo the mounts lift it out then drop it into the astra and bolt the mounts back up, by taking the subframe out it would have meant undoing an extra 6 bolts

[Ben]

So does the rear mount on the gearbox not mount to the subframe? Did you not have to undo the hubnuts to remove the shafts? Did you not have to undo all the hose clips and power steering pipes?

If you drop everything out of the donor including the rack, shafts etc and then bolt it straight in. it is MUCH quicker and easier!

[DAN-F]

just saying it was quicker for me the way i did it, i dont have pas so i cut the ppes out of the cav only cracked the ball joints off an undid the shafts and just lifted it out, from experience ive found subframe bolts a nightmare to get out always seem seized in place and take a lot to shift them so i didnt bother trying just did it the way i did

[Ben]

if you had done it the way i said you would had pas fitted to your van, thats why i done it this way when i done mine. As PAS is a completely sealed system and completely contained within the subframe, not saying how you did it is wrong just more time consuming and more messing around.

I have probably stripped 100 vauxhalls with these subframes and always drop them out complete and never struggled with any of the subframe bolts, but did a 2 year old vectra and the subframe nuts were seized solid lol.

[DAN-F]

Ive always been th other way round lol, never have trouble dropping a veccy subframe but have trouble with the cav's/cally's, didnt want the hassle of sourcing another pas pumpfor the va the one on the cav was rumbling really bad and the steering was really jerky like the pas was pulsing on and off.

[Ben]

I have done loads of vec's too but they were ones i was breaking and the one i was repairing wouldnt come out, typical!

[novaboz]

cheers for all the advice.. this thread has bin very helpfull :) just need to source a cheap cav/cally or vec now :)...

and where is the fuel pump on a standard astra gsi?

cheers

[Damo]

cheers for all the advice.. this thread has bin very helpfull :) just need to source a cheap cav/cally or vec now :)...

and where is the fuel pump on a standard astra gsi?

cheers
Should be under the backseat mate.

[Ben]

i thought they were attached to rear chassis leg like the cavaliers and novas?

[DAN-F]

i have a gsi tank in mine and the pump is in the tank. it is off a later madel eco gsi though so, i dont know for sure if the early xe ones are different