[harryevan]

200 Astro AWD LS, 212K gotta rebuild the engine.

I've been reading (Haynes and Chilton's excepted - they don't have anything for AWD Astros) and slowly removing parts in preparation for pulling the engine. I'm going the "drop the subframe" route as I have a friend with taller stands, an engine stand and a Skidsteer (Bobcat on steroids) to lift the body. I've been removing everything in the front end; shroud, fan clutch, radiator, water pump, alternator and bracket, power steering pump and bracket. I'll pull the engine cover next, looking for electrical connections to disconnect and maybe the plenum. Then I'll go underneath for the drive train and oil and fuel lines. A couple of HowTo listings go into detail, but their lists seem to be overkill. I've seen some video on youtube about Astro/Safaris and "snub-nose vans", but I have a few questions, of course:

Can I do this without disconnecting any of the A/C lines? I've got the compressor hanging from wire on the firewall, and the condenser is still in place. It seems like it would be a better way to go, especially with the rear A/C lines. If not, what's the best way to relieve any residual coolant, which connection is best to start with?

I read that there are six bolts that hold the subframe to the body, but no one has illustrated them, so I'm wondering where they all are, exactly?

Someone spoke of a "pinch-weld" that's supposed to be the best support point for jack stands once the body is up. I don't see what they are referring to, so I'm wondering about safe stand placement, as it will be up on stands for a week or two.

Then there's the question of the best points to lift the body from. We'll be lifting from the front, but without the subframe, where might be the best two points to lift with? We can spread the forks on the skidsteer quite a bit, and it has enough lift capacity and height to get it up for clearance. I've read that it's a good idea to elevate the rear axle, but most photos I've seen have the rear wheels on the ground.

Still wondering about a manual, like I said, Haynes doesn't cover AWD and the Chilton's I looked through was missing quite a bit of detail.

Thanks for the help so far.