1996 CHEVEROLET ASTRO ENGINE REPLACEMENT

no you can pull that thing through the front , you have to pull everything except the fenders off , but thats not much , bumper grill, rad and support, it can be done on the ground,

I replaced my own engine in a 92 astro. Surprising simple. Take your time. First see if you can remove the top cross bar of the rad support. (the part i am refereing to is what the hood latch is attached to). The bolts are located on the under side of the bar on each side. If yours is a one-piece then you must strip the engine down. Everything off except intake manifold and oil pan. Using a hoist, disengage engine and pull forward to rad support. This is where the fun begins. You have to thread it through the rad support opening. Make sure you have a helper and use thin but wider pieces of wood on the bottom so you don't destroy your rad support and it also helps with pulling it through. It does fit just be patient and methodical. Install is the reverse.
Good luck, let us know how it goes.
Ps with this amount of work, do not cheap out. Install a new water pump, have your alternator rebuilt or buy a new one. Buy or replace all your emission hoses with new. Replace all your water hoses with new. Make sure your clutch fan is operating properly.The added cost and hassel may seem too much, but it is all 100% worth it for trouble free operation.
Ken