Thread: Bad Ast Astro Van Build

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great progress and again nice work

Good work as always, the tubs being put together so well will add a lot of strength to the whole floor!

Got a few parts back from the fab shop at work. They have been super busy out there also so it took a few weeks for them to get to this "govment" work.
My friend Daryyl in the shop bent this up for the fuel tank. He also runs the laser cutter.
http://images53.fotki.com/v666/photo...MVC003F-vi.jpg
This is just sitting on the frame but you can see what it will look like.
http://images59.fotki.com/v255/photo...MVC002F-vi.jpg
He also cut out the alternator brackets.
http://images109.fotki.com/v786/phot...MVC005F-vi.jpg
The little one is 3/8ths steel and the adjuster bracket is 1/4".
Very nice clean cuts.
http://images51.fotki.com/v102/photo...MVC007F-vi.jpg
A little work with the sander/grinder and these will be ready for paint.
http://images51.fotki.com/v102/photo...MVC009F-vi.jpg
I hope to get started assembling the tank in a week or so.

Thanks guys! Dave, you hit it right on the nailhead. Read on.
This is the first full weekend I've had off in a while. Been busy at work, but I won't complain. The work is pretty easy and the money is good, upper management just wants thing done yesterday...
Mel came out this morning and we got started on the drivers side rear tub. He made the little mud skirt at the back.
http://images51.fotki.com/v628/photo...MVC012F-vi.jpg
http://images53.fotki.com/v666/photo...MVC010F-vi.jpg
I have to admit these pieces look pretty cool down there. Kind of finishes off the back of the tubs.
We also made some angle plates to spot weld in over the floor and tub joint.
http://images112.fotki.com/v682/phot...MVC013F-vi.jpg
These will add a LOT of strength to the tub joints, I could have left the joints as a single weld but it just made sense to do this to reinforce these joints.
http://images42.fotki.com/v664/photo...MVC015F-vi.jpg
After we got all of the little things taken care of we got the driver side tub re-installed FOR THE LAST TIME!!!!. We got that welded in along with one of the reinforcements.
http://images60.fotki.com/v662/photo...MVC004F-vi.jpg
http://images112.fotki.com/v685/phot...MVC010F-vi.jpg
Do you see anything missing?
http://images55.fotki.com/v648/photo...MVC015F-vi.jpg
The "bridgework" is gone... The tubs are welded solid and the supporting structure is no longer needed...
Tomorrow we will finish up some of the welding and install the rest of the reinforcements.
Finally! Some real progress!
Thanks for looking.
Mark

The shot from behind really shows the benefit of the countless hours spent fabbing up the tubs, Mark! When they're cleaned up and finished it will look like the factory put them there! That fuel tank is superb, some really nice fab work on it!

What's next on the build schedule???

Great looking work

Thanks Charlie, it has been almost a year since we started this project and there haven't been too many weekends where NO work was done to it...
Looking at the photos the welds show up very prominently. This is not the case with all of the reinforcements. I used the mig on "spot" and all of the welds are very low profile and deep penetrating. It just doesn't show up like that in the pics for some reason.
The last two weekends have seen some actual progress. I guess it is all progress but when you are welding things back together it just seems like you got more done, know what I mean?
Sunday was another good day. We made up a bunch of reinforcement plates. Most of these were not straight and flat fits. A lot of shrinker/stretcher work and a ton of hole punching!
This is in the passenger side dogleg area at the back of the slider door. Lots of jigs and jogs...
http://images109.fotki.com/v786/phot...MVC002F-vi.jpg
After punching a few holes.
http://images61.fotki.com/v219/photo...MVC009F-vi.jpg
This is at the front of the pass side tub.
http://images60.fotki.com/v367/photo...MVC006F-vi.jpg
This is the strip at the rear of the drivers side during fitting. Made a few trips back and forth to the shinker/stretcher for this one.
http://images16.fotki.com/v387/photo...MVC003F-vi.jpg
Decent fitup with all of the spot welding holes punched. We got the floor side welded down then used a little pressure to push the top flange tight to the tub.
http://images109.fotki.com/v786/phot...MVC007F-vi.jpg
Here it is all welded in and primed.
http://images53.fotki.com/v665/photo...MVC013F-vi.jpg
As well as the right side front
http://images53.fotki.com/v666/photo...MVC011F-vi.jpg
Left side front
http://images61.fotki.com/v380/photo...MVC010F-vi.jpg
And right side rear.
http://images61.fotki.com/v390/photo...MVC015F-vi.jpg
All of these seams will get sealed with Eastwoods grey seam sealer and then top coated black.
These guys are in there plenty solid. The whole van rings when I tap on them with a hammer...
Thanks for looking
Mark

Due to all of the hole punching we were doing (my hands were aching Saturday night after all of the holes I punched) we designed and built a little fixture to bolt my hand held hole puncher into. This clamps to the grinding table or the jig tables and sure does make 18ga. an easy job...
http://images54.fotki.com/v104/photo...MVC017F-vi.jpg
http://images53.fotki.com/v666/photo...MVC018F-vi.jpg
It's just some scrap 1/4" angle and plate and a 4 x 4 drop. The verticle plate under the handle keeps the punch from rotating.
http://images55.fotki.com/v586/photo...MVC023F-vi.jpg
Set on the base
http://images51.fotki.com/v628/photo...MVC025F-vi.jpg
Welded up and primed with the Eastwood self-etching primer.
http://images109.fotki.com/v786/phot...MVC005F-vi.jpg
I sprayed the base with some of my "signature" Hammered Black from Rustoleum.
http://images51.fotki.com/v628/photo...MVC014F-vi.jpg
The handle is a left-over chunk of 1 1/4 tube (with a bend on it). I painted it red (for effect).
http://images61.fotki.com/v384/photo...MVC001F-vi.jpg
All set up and ready to go! This makes punching holes FUN!
http://images58.fotki.com/v510/photo...MVC0011-vi.jpg

Saturday we did some running. We loaded up the 509 into my Astro and hauled it up to Pat in Kawkawlin. He is going to crack it open and check all of the bearings and re-torque everything just so I know what AND where is before I fire it up.
We are also discussing hydraulic roller cams. I really don't know if I want to hassle with the solid roller that's stabbed in there right now...
We did most of the tank work after we got back from Kawkawlin yesterday. I laid out and drilled the holes this morning but we also hit the tinwork hard today.
Mel worked on cutting out the left front wheel well. It's all cut out here and you can see we already have the left front suspension assembled.
http://images53.fotki.com/v666/photo...MVC015F-vi.jpg
This is on the front side of the firewall.
http://images53.fotki.com/v666/photo...MVC010F-vi.jpg
While Mel picked away at that I worked my way around and seam sealed all of the COMPLETED wheel houses... Seam sealed AND primed mind you..
A few pics of the tubs after priming.
The right front
http://images61.fotki.com/v373/photo...MVC004F-vi.jpg
The left rear.
http://images15.fotki.com/v587/photo...MVC002F-vi.jpg
The front of the left rear
http://images51.fotki.com/v103/photo...MVC010F-vi.jpg
The right rear
http://images112.fotki.com/v682/phot...MVC003F-vi.jpg
http://images15.fotki.com/v587/photo...MVC012F-vi.jpg
Got a lot done this weekend. I also have all of the new steering parts coming from Borgeson and I am working on power steering pump and brackets.
Thanks for looking
Mark

Last week was pretty busy for the van. Lots of things coming together. The fuel tank is all tacked up (and it looks pretty cool...). I wish I could take some pictures but cameras are not allowed in the fab shop.
I brought the bottom home to add some holes for the fuel pickup sump and build the inner baffles for the fuel sump and fuel level sender.
We bent the sump up using pieces of scrap leftover from cutting out the tank. Lots of aluminum to play with.
We cut an angle on the front side of the sump. We had to clamp some steel angles to the bent sides to support them during cutting.
http://images53.fotki.com/v666/photo...MVC002F-vi.jpg
Here is the hole pattern laid out and I have drilled one hole. You can see the internal baffles mocked into position. These will be welded inside the bottom of the tank.
http://images112.fotki.com/v681/phot...MVC009F-vi.jpg
And all of the holes drilled and deburred. I used one of those step drills. I should have waited for the Rotobroaches I ordered last week to come in but I wanted to get this done.
http://images109.fotki.com/v786/phot...MVC004F-vi.jpg
What you see here is the pick up sump set on the bottom of the tank. This will collect fuel thru all of those drain holes I drilled and should be very effective as an anti-starvation device. The pick up fittings will be welded into the left hand verticle wall of the sump. This will be at the very rear of the van.
http://images16.fotki.com/v368/photo...MVC005F-vi.jpg
Another angle. This is the "front" of the sump looking at the angled face we cut in the bandsaw pic.
http://images55.fotki.com/v586/photo...MVC006F-vi.jpg
This pic shows the sump and tank bottom mocked up as they will be in the van. The two small holes are where the weld bungs will be. I'll drill those out after I get the bungs I ordered from Summit this morning.
http://images109.fotki.com/v786/phot...MVC006F-vi.jpg
With this stuff done I will haul it all into work tomorrow and let the fab shop have their way with it. The tank is going to look very nice. I just hope it works...
Mark

The tubs and front suspension look great in there Mark!!!! Good to hear somebody got some work done this weekend, I sure didn't!!!!!!!

Hey Dave!
LOTS of work done! I even did a butt-load of honey-do stuff during the day...
Right now I am pulling all of the stuff together for the van's steering system.
Last week I ordered all of the universal joints and DD shaft I need to build the intermediate shaft from the column to the gear.
It's all Borgeson stuff. Excellant pieces! Very beefy.
This is the lower single. 3/4 DD to 17mm DD (Corvette)
http://images42.fotki.com/v663/photo...MVC014F-vi.jpg
This is the upper double joint 1"DD to 3/4" DD with the shaft and support bearing
http://images53.fotki.com/v665/photo...MVC018F-vi.jpg
Here is the upper and lower "kinda" mocked into position
http://images15.fotki.com/v792/photo...MVC016F-vi.jpg

I picked up an '86 Chevy 1 ton hydroboost power steering pump and it is hanging on the front of the mock up block.
http://images61.fotki.com/v373/photo...MVC001F-vi.jpg
Tuff Stuff brackets. Bolted right up. I just need to get a pulley and a pressure fitting.
http://images112.fotki.com/v685/phot...MVC003F-vi.jpg
I have two Astro van boost units. One from a '95.
You can see it sticks straight out from the fire wall.
http://images15.fotki.com/v588/photo...MVC007F-vi.jpg
And one from a '98 which angles down at quite a steep pitch.
http://images42.fotki.com/v663/photo...MVC008F-vi.jpg
Is either one better then the other? I don't care either way as far as looks or fitment goes, they are both off Astro's so I know they fit, just wondering if, operationally, one is better than the other.
I like this shot.
http://images50.fotki.com/v1570/phot...MVC004F-vi.jpg
You can see just how far back the front of the motor is from the wheel centerline.... God! This thing had better handle as well as it says it will on paper...

Well I hauled the tank home tonight for a trial fit. It is all tacked together except for the bottom panel. That was intentional so I could test fit the fuel sender. I wasn't sure if the sender arm would clear the baffles and it didn't. I had to put a bit of a notch in the right hand wall of the baffle. The tank plugged the hole just fine though and there are no fitment issues.
http://images42.fotki.com/v663/photo...MVC003F-vi.jpg
Looking at the fuel pickup underneath. The plate with the fuel bungs needs to be welded up yet.
http://images15.fotki.com/v792/photo...MVC013F-vi.jpg
Looking inside the tank at the baffles and fuel drain holes to the pick up sump. The baffle closest to us is the one I had to put a small notch into.
http://images53.fotki.com/v666/photo...MVC016F-vi.jpg
Here you can see the cover panel with the fuel sender in place.
http://images61.fotki.com/v384/photo...MVC018F-vi.jpg
http://images60.fotki.com/v224/photo...MVC020F-vi.jpg
The tank fits so Jesse can finish the welding. I will make the filler panels at the back of the floor and hopefully get the left front wheel well rebuilt next week. I took next week off so I plan to hit the van hard.
Thanks for looking
Mark

moving right along looks good....One of these days when I have nothing to do I may show up at your shop.

Originally Posted by cffisher

moving right along looks good....One of these days when I have nothing to do I may show up at your shop.

More then welcome Charlie! In fact, we are having a big cookout Sunday afternoon and you are invited!