I may want an IDI van, but I don’t think I want to working on an IDI van. When I see pictures of turbo’d vans with the doghouse off, I’m like, oh hell no, how’d they fit that in there, or is it there, cuz all I see is some pipes and the turbo! And then from the front you can see the batteries, alternator, power steering pump, and IP gear cover. To hell with working on that, all y’all IDI van guys must be some kind of magicians to get anything done on them!
Timing is an awful ordeal, but how often do you do that?
It's not too bad to do return o-rings. You have to work from both sides depending on which injector.
If anything it's easier to work on stuff from the back side.
Also, it's possible to remove and install the oil cooler without unbolting and jacking up the engine. I've never had to (yet).
The power steering pump is very difficult if you don't remove the fan shroud, but it's doable.
Mechanical fuel pump is pretty bad to access.
If you want to do major work or pull the motor? yeah it's not fun. But routine repairs aren't a big deal.