how hard to work on van engine, etc?

[doublegregg]

hi all

i'm thinking of getting a van, but i'm worried about the limited space there is to work in the engine compartment. i'm very average at working on my car, and the engine is right there in front of you. seems like plenty of space to get at anything. with vans, i've noticed there's only a small amount of space showing the engine, compared to a passenger car.

is this a big problem, or do you get uh... used to it... i know there's sometimes, or i guess always, always a 'doghouse' inside the passenger compartment.... does this provide good access to the engine?

thinking of getting a 2005 to 2015 chevy.......... cargo van.......... but worried about whether limited access to engine makes DIY a lot harder!

thank you!

 

[highdesertranger]

removing the dog house gives excellent access to the engine. on some vans you must remove the passenger seat to completely remove the dog house. generally most people here don't work on their vans. highdesertranger

 

[Trebor English]

Sometimes people get a knee replacement.  When working on my minivan there have been times when it would have been helpful to have a knee implanted half way between the original elbow and original wrist.  Better yet, a ball/socket shoulder style joint would be excellent.  A 3 foot tall 5 year old child sized helper would be good too.  

I had an 85 Dodge van, slant 6.  Removing the right front wheel gave excellent access to the distributor and plugs.  Removing the doghouse even though it was still inside in the passenger area gave good access to the top of the engine.  The water pump and other front of the engine stuff was hard to get to but then it was the really long inline 6 cylinder not the shorter V8.  The 85 Dodge van was no harder to work on than the 76 Plymouth Volare that I had before it.

 

[johnny b]

Vans definitely add a little 'complexity' to doing work on the engine. Of course each brand has its own quirks.
My 99 Ford E250 is a PIA to work on any part of the motor not located at the front or rear...ie dead center under the dash/windshield.
Of course being old & fat don't help much either.
Last part I replaced was an EGR DPFE sensor...2 small nuts, 1 wiring plug, 2 small pressure hoses.
If it had been located in a more reachable spot....10 minutes, tops.
But since I had to squeeze my rotund self under the steering wheel, laying across the driver's seat and only being able to snake my left hand in to where the sensor was, it took about 45 painful minutes all the while making sure I didn't drop one of the tiny 10mm nuts.
Gotta be both ambidextrous and able to work one handed when workin on vans...hell when workin on any vehicle these days!

 

[WalkaboutTed]

I don't know what type exactly you're looking for, but the engine compartment of the Nissan NV 1500/2500/3500 is huge and very easily accessible. Between the large cab and the pickup type nose, it does cut into the size of the cargo compartment, but it's worth it to us. And they are super dependable, so hopefully we won't have to do much with it. The same exact body, engine and transmissision (5 speed) from 2012-2016, so Nissan has had plenty of time to perfect them. Hubby has a 2017. They changed the transmission and engine a little so it has more torque and a little more towing capacity. I don't like the gear changing on the new 7 speed transmission, though.
Ted

 

[doublegregg]

i was(?) looking for the standard cargo van...... they seem ubiquitous, and i guess there's a good reason for that!  however, i'm glad i asked about the access to the engine, etc......... i have a little vespa, and i'm probably going to sell it cause it is so hard just getting at things - like air filters, plugs, oil. for some, i guess that's fine, but for me it's just infuriating.

i've looked at the nv's -- they seem so big, although they seem similar in length to a cargo van. they also seem quite wide. i'm used to driving honda accords, now a mid-size car. maybe i need to rent one of those transits/nvs/promasters........ but their general size seems daunting. plus, i don't want windows. i live in a city, and people bust windows just to take a peek inside vehicles.

 

[doublegregg]

removing the dog house gives excellent access to the engine.  on some vans you must remove the passenger seat to completely remove the dog house.  generally most people here don't work on their vans.  highdesertranger

i would have thought most would do their own work, esp. tune ups, etc... for me, removing the passenger seat to get to the dog house, which only accesses part of the engine...... and i guess you're crawling through the vehicle to work on the engine........ are vans generally hard to work on and are they more expensive to get worked on due to this? sounds....... difficult?

i can't say i'm new to this, or am i? i've been on the fence for a couple years now. ouch.......... thank you

 

[highdesertranger]

yes vans are harder to work on and the time on the labor book is more which means you are going to pay more for labor.

technology is making newer vehicles harder and harder to work on for the do it yourself type. the specialized tools needed for diagnosing problem is getting very expensive. I know there are cheap code readers but you must have the training to know what to do with information and not just replace parts willy nilly. that can get very expensive.

I to am amazed that more people that live in there vehicles have no idea how to work on them. this is almost a trap to having to sell your vehicle when it becomes unreliable and having to buy a new one which is harder(more expensive) to work on then the one that was just sold.

I can almost understand not knowing when first starting out but many people refuse to learn leaving them venerable to being taken. but to each their own. highdesertranger

 

[doublegregg]

thanks for the reply, hds... well, i'd LIKE to work on my van, if possible.  i've got to really think about the cargo van and how - i guess - hard it might be to get access. i think i'd hate that. so, if i got a cv, i'd have to figure in the cost of a mechanic..... 

i just kind of know i'd hate having to wrestle a lot with getting access to parts......... i'm kind of considering the nv type, which i'd kind of avoided because they look bigger and wider than the typical cv.

 

[user 2252]

If you break down in the middle of nowhere and you know what to repair, are you gonna throw up your hands and exclaim "I got to take the seat and doghouse off!?
Just sayin

 

[Cammalu]

HDR are you giving mechanics lessons at the rtr?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Doubleone]

Yes, working on a van it more difficult than a car or truck because the access is limited.  First you will generally need to remove the dog house, but this is pretty straight forward.  Vans have the same engines as the trucks, just tighter quarters to work in.  You tend to lay on you stomach with your hands reaching far forward past your head, or reaching deep into the engine compartment way past the hood.  You will tend to find creative ways to wrench on things, like using a long 3/8"drive extension with a wobbly socket to take off a screw clamp to the intake ducting at the throttle body...  On the plus side... most parts stores across the nation stock parts for ford/chevy/dodge vans.

 

[Weight]

grief. I remove four nuts under the passenger seat and remove the seat. Two clips and two anchors removes the 'dog-house' engine cover. And there it all is. Air filter, distributor, carburetor, vacuum hoses, and all four spark-plugs. Also the thermostat housing. Jack and remove the right front wheel, and I find a quick-clip cover that exposes the fuel pump and filter. As well as better access to the alternator belt adjustment. I did take off grill, condenser, radiator, and hood-latch support bracket in order to get to water pump. With that, I got new fuel pump, and replaced the rusty front brake hydraulic line. The joy of a 25 year old van.

 

[doublegregg]

thanks - do you prefer a 25 yo van to a say... 5 yo? i mean, in terms of the older van is simpler and so that much easier to work on.... so, from your post, i'd say you're a pretty experienced diy'er or mechanic, and are pretty comfortable working on your van... for me, i'm not nearly that comfortable working on cars, and doing work that you're describing --- such as to replace the water pump (a rare event) --- would be probably too much....  also, i've only done sporadic work on my 1999 accord for the past many years... is it also harder to work on a van just cause it's so much heavier, bigger?

not sure if the grief in your post is the lol kind, or the grief kind......

 

[doublegregg]

Yes, working on a van it more difficult than a car or truck because the access is limited.  First you will generally need to remove the dog house, but this is pretty straight forward.  Vans have the same engines as the trucks, just tighter quarters to work in.  You tend to lay on you stomach with your hands reaching far forward past your head, or reaching deep into the engine compartment way past the hood.  You will tend to find creative ways to wrench on things, like using a long 3/8"drive extension with a wobbly socket to take off a screw clamp to the intake ducting at the throttle body...  On the plus side... most parts stores across the nation stock parts for ford/chevy/dodge vans.

thanks, doubleone............ sounds kind of difficult, at least from where i'm sitting....  but i'll keep it in mind. nice that parts are readily available!

 

[Weight]

I have a 2006 Ford Expedition. I have done some minor stuff, but rather it went to a shop and I pick it up when finished. Not designed for this retired engineer to repair.

 

[wagoneer]

When I had my 1 ton Ford van with the 7.3 diesel it was difficult the motor is much heavier and bigger than the gas counterpart while the engine compartment is the same for both.

 

[skellr]

You will be lucky if all you need to do is pull off th dog house to fix something. Water pump, power steering pump, alternator, AC line.. even the washer fluid pump needs a long skinny arm.

It's the price to pay for having a short hood. Might as well replace something else going bad while you are in there.

 

[Wanderer]

yes vans are harder to work on and the time on the labor book is more which means you are going to pay more for labor.  

technology is making newer vehicles harder and harder to work on for the do it yourself type.  the specialized tools needed for diagnosing problem is getting very expensive.  I know there are cheap code readers but you must have the training to know what to do with information and not just replace parts willy nilly.  that can get very expensive.

I to am amazed that more people that live in there vehicles have no idea how to work on them.  this is almost a trap to having to sell your vehicle when it becomes unreliable and having to buy a new one which is harder(more expensive) to work on then the one that was just sold.

I can almost understand not knowing when first starting out but many people refuse to learn leaving them venerable to being taken.  but to each their own.  highdesertranger

 What would you suggest those owners should know? What to change or repair and when to say "Call the mechanic"?

 

[QinReno]

Last part I replaced was an EGR DPFE sensor...2 small nuts, 1 wiring plug, 2 small pressure hoses.
If it had been located in a more reachable spot....10 minutes, tops.
... it took about 45 painful minutes ....

Given how complicated the newer cars are, I'm wondering how you even had a clue as to the EGR DPFE sensor needed replacing. OBDII reader ??? I'm surprised OBD on a '99 would even tell you that.