Post by: TopNotch on September 29, 2019, 08:18:19 pm
Here's what the engine bay looked like when we got the car...
Here's what it looks like now...
Besides the obvious changes of the cleanup and new spark plug wires, you may notice that some if the wire loom has been changed. Some of the original wire loom was so brittle that it would crumble if you tried to move it a little. I replaced it with a braided high temp wire loom.
In the last test drive I told you about in the other thread about this car, the speedometer did not work. In the previous test drive, it did work. I basically spent this weekend trying to find the problem. I jacked up one rear wheel so I could idle the car in gear for testing. I finally found a bundle of taped up electronic components behind the center console (where the ECM would be in a normal Fiero) that, when wiggled, would make the speedometer work sometimes. This bundle had so much tape and heat shrink on it that it was difficult to tell what components were there. So I did a little research. It turns out that the Fiero speedometer needs the following circuit to work on a 3800:
So I went to Fry's and got the needed components, built the circuit, and soldered it in place of the old one, which I had cut out. The speedometer works perfectly now.
And BTW, after all the messing with wires I did, the gas gauge works now too. There might be something loose that i need to fix later, but I'll let it ride for now.
So with the gas gauge working, I put one of my other Fiero's tag on the back, and drove it to a gas station to fill it up. The gauge reads quite a bit above full, so I figure it will read quite a bit above empty when it is actually empty. So I'll refill it when it dips below half full.
And after returning from the gas station, the engine was quiet, with no loud tapping. I think it likes Mobile 1 oil.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on September 29, 2019, 08:28:36 pm
Post by: Raydar on September 29, 2019, 09:41:05 pm
Post by: NoMad on September 29, 2019, 09:58:36 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on September 29, 2019, 10:02:02 pm
Post by: TopNotch on October 07, 2019, 10:16:07 am
Post by: GTRS Fiero on October 07, 2019, 03:24:15 pm
Post by: TopNotch on October 07, 2019, 09:09:02 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on October 07, 2019, 09:18:40 pm
Post by: Fierofool on October 07, 2019, 09:22:14 pm
Sitting over dirt and gravel that couldn't drain or evaporate moisture would certainly have eaten at the underside.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on October 08, 2019, 06:18:25 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on October 25, 2019, 10:56:35 pm
Post by: TopNotch on October 25, 2019, 11:10:29 pm
Did the paperwork come through, yet?It's actually been a bit of a nightmare. If you ever want to leave something to an organization (such as a club) when you pass away, make sure your will is probated.
Leslie (Lee's daughter) and I are working on it.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on October 25, 2019, 11:14:17 pm
Post by: TopNotch on November 19, 2019, 09:52:45 am
Fierofool thought that the engine in the car was a Series 1 3800, but after a lot of checking, I find that it is a Series 2. This means 205 stock HP versus 170 stock HP.
Post by: Raydar on November 19, 2019, 11:41:27 am
I went to the tag office and registered the car this morning. It's now officially mine.
Fierofool thought that the engine in the car was a Series 1 3800, but after a lot of checking, I find that it is a Series 2. This means 205 stock HP versus 170 stock HP.
Good news! On both counts!
Post by: GTRS Fiero on November 19, 2019, 06:09:57 pm
I went to the tag office and registered the car this morning. It's now officially mine.
Fierofool thought that the engine in the car was a Series 1 3800, but after a lot of checking, I find that it is a Series 2. This means 205 stock HP versus 170 stock HP.
Great news. I'm glad for you.
Post by: TopNotch on November 21, 2019, 09:56:40 am
The brakes have a very light touch compared to my other Fieros, as if it had a big booster or some other change, but everything looks stock. So I'm wondering if that engine makes more vacuum than a stock Fiero engine.
Post by: Fierofool on November 21, 2019, 10:08:49 am
Post by: GTRS Fiero on November 21, 2019, 07:25:48 pm
The L4 and V6 both use the same booster, but I do not have an L4 to test.
My belief is that vacuum at idle should be about 18-22".
Post by: TopNotch on December 07, 2019, 01:40:41 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on December 07, 2019, 01:44:04 pm
If you find a good paint shop, let me know.
Post by: TopNotch on December 10, 2019, 11:27:08 am
Post by: NoMad on December 10, 2019, 11:32:20 am
Post by: Tha Driver on December 11, 2019, 04:55:52 am
I bought a quart can of Evercoat Vette Panel Adhesive/Filler years ago, and it looks like it's finally going to come in handy to repair the bad spot on the side scoop. So I popped off the top, and found that it had settled over the years -- liquid on the top and the resin on the bottom. I used one of those paint stirrers that you put on an electric drill to stir it up, and after much work, it seems to be reconstituted. But when I squeezed the little tube of cream hardener that came with it, the stuff inside crunched. Fortunately, you can buy the cream hardener separately, so I ordered one. I hope this stuff works after all these years (it's expensive). This Sunday it's supposed to be a nice day, so I'll try it then.Pat, can you post a pic (or email it to me) of the damage? If it's aftermarket fiberglass you don't need the Evercoat. If it's stock RRIM you need a special product made just for that.
~ Paul
aka "Tha Driver"
Custom Fiberglass Parts (http://angelonearth.net/customfiberglass/)
Post by: TopNotch on December 12, 2019, 10:56:08 am
Post by: Fierofool on December 12, 2019, 03:09:13 pm
Post by: scottb on December 12, 2019, 05:13:31 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on December 12, 2019, 06:18:01 pm
Post by: Tha Driver on December 12, 2019, 06:52:17 pm
~ Paul
aka "Tha Driver"
Custom Fiberglass Parts (http://angelonearth.net/customfiberglass/)
Post by: TopNotch on December 14, 2019, 09:44:55 am
Post by: Tha Driver on December 14, 2019, 05:22:17 pm
~ Paul
aka "Tha Driver"
Custom Fiberglass Parts (http://angelonearth.net/customfiberglass/)
Post by: TopNotch on December 14, 2019, 09:36:52 pm
If it's nice enough tomorrow, and I have the time, I'll use some to fill in the bad spot on the panel on my car..
Post by: GTRS Fiero on December 14, 2019, 09:42:47 pm
Post by: TopNotch on December 15, 2019, 06:04:49 pm
It kind of looks like the patch bulges in this picture, but it doesn't.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on December 21, 2019, 09:53:01 am
Post by: The Art Doctor on January 01, 2020, 09:15:22 pm
Post by: TopNotch on January 26, 2020, 07:10:01 pm
The other side is still mostly intact, though hardened and cracked. I'll do that one later.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on March 28, 2020, 09:11:10 pm
I'd like to know if you get a good paint job at this place. Mine needs the top painted.
Post by: TopNotch on March 28, 2020, 09:18:03 pm
I will work on suspension and brakes before I take it on RFTH.
Post by: TopNotch on April 11, 2020, 11:05:31 am
After all that's done, I'll take pictures.
Post by: Fierofool on April 11, 2020, 11:26:22 am
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 11, 2020, 11:39:46 am
Pgackerman would probably have a big $ figure for $4K in 2020 dollars. My point is, paint jobs seem to take longer than expected, if you want them done right.
Post by: The Art Doctor on April 11, 2020, 02:41:50 pm
Post by: TopNotch on April 13, 2020, 09:47:21 pm
To refresh your memory, I got the car looking like this:
And now it looks like this:
More pictures:
Now to do the interior.
Post by: The Art Doctor on April 13, 2020, 10:06:45 pm
Post by: Fierofool on April 13, 2020, 10:47:38 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 13, 2020, 11:25:51 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 13, 2020, 11:27:03 pm
Post by: NoMad on April 13, 2020, 11:50:20 pm
Post by: The Art Doctor on April 14, 2020, 08:20:06 am
You didn't have the black molding painted?
I have to say I think they look better with the molding black, it breaks up the monotone.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 14, 2020, 08:22:11 am
Post by: TopNotch on April 14, 2020, 09:03:28 am
You didn't have the black molding painted?I prefer to work on that myself. The bumper molding will definitely need to be painted (satin black, most likely). The phony baloney ground effects had been attached with screws and double-stick tape. There is still tape residue that needs to be removed.
Very nice. Any bubbling, overspray, clearcoat, or orange-peel issues?Only a little here and there. I am pleased with the job overall.
I hate to point out the obvious, but the tail lights are now not as nice as the paint job.Yes, I know. Still a lot of work to do.
Looking good. What did you end up doing with the old ground effects?I still have them. They're yours if you want them.
Post by: TopNotch on April 14, 2020, 09:18:37 am
Post by: Fierofool on April 14, 2020, 09:54:24 am
I had figured Fierofool meant painted black.
That's correct.
Pat, some of the PFF'ers have obtained some of the metal ones from other Pontiacs. They're a little larger but are factory and hold up well. They shaved off the ridge around the old arrowhead then placed the slightly larger emblems over that area. Pictures I remember seeing had a chrome trim. The G6 and G8 emblems on ebay motors is just 3.5 inches high. The Aztek and Vibe rear gate emblem is just 2.75 inches high and may be more flat than the front nose emblems.
At a distance, the black trim around the filler cap makes it look like it's too small.
Post by: TopNotch on April 14, 2020, 04:22:28 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 14, 2020, 05:23:15 pm
Post by: NoMad on April 14, 2020, 05:37:04 pm
Post by: TopNotch on April 16, 2020, 03:14:27 pm
It runs as smooth as glass on the new tires, but the handling feels just a bit loose, so I'll have to check everything. But I can tell that it's going to be a very nice highway car with that transmission that's in it.
Got to think of a name for the "new" car. How about White Lightning?
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 16, 2020, 04:39:12 pm
Post by: TopNotch on April 16, 2020, 07:14:58 pm
Out of curiosity, what is your highway RPM at 75 MPH?I have to fix the tach first. It read about twice the actual RPM. Or I could take my scanner on drive and see what it says.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 16, 2020, 07:16:14 pm
Post by: TopNotch on April 16, 2020, 07:28:18 pm
Wrong VSS?Or possibly a bad tach. The tach in my yellow car read 2x when I first got it. I put in another one and it's perfect. I have another one to try in this car.
Edit: The scanner reads the correct RPM, so the VSS must be OK. I can pretty much tell by the sound what the real RPM is, especially at idle speed.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 16, 2020, 07:32:39 pm
Post by: TopNotch on April 16, 2020, 07:33:42 pm
IIRC, this was originally an L4. Was the tach changed with the swap?Yes all gauges replaced with Formula-style gauges.
Post by: TopNotch on April 18, 2020, 03:16:20 pm
Out of curiosity, what is your highway RPM at 75 MPH?If the tach reads exacly 2x, then the RPM at 75 MPH is 2300.
Post by: TopNotch on April 22, 2020, 09:00:14 pm
But a new problem has cropped up. Every time I start the car, the SES light comes on a few seconds later. So I hooked up my scanner to see what the problem could be. It said "EGR pentle is not positioned correctly". I'll get another one soon. The one that's on there looks very old and rusty.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 22, 2020, 10:12:05 pm
Post by: TopNotch on April 24, 2020, 06:44:49 pm
Old EGR:
New EGR, on the engine:
It's prettier than the old one would be even if not rusted.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 24, 2020, 06:47:55 pm
Post by: TopNotch on April 24, 2020, 07:28:15 pm
Yes, better design. What goes in that hole in the shield?No idea. It might have been something required for the Buick the engine came out of, but not for a Fiero.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 24, 2020, 07:52:19 pm
Post by: TopNotch on April 25, 2020, 09:20:49 pm
I liked the burl wood that Lee had put on the various bezels in the car, but some of it was in bad shape, so I bought new burl appliques.
The "Fiero" floor mat you see is from Rock Auto. I couldn't get toe old burl wood off the dash bezel, so I started with another one I found in the barn. Also, the shift bezel was in bad shape, so I bought another one from Ebay
Here is a picture of the interior before any work:
It was pretty yucky, with plenty of mold and other crud on surfaces.
I managed to get one of my new seat covers on. I may be able to do the other tomorrow.
Notice how nice the center console and glove box door look. Before, they were warped, as in this picture:
Actually, the hardest part to fix was the shift surround, which doesn't look too bad in the above picture. The soft plastic was separated from the harad plastic, as usual, and repairs had been attempted with several kinds of glue, and even duct tape. I had to clean all that junk off and repair it properly with the proper glue:
All that was needed to restore the door panels, besides new burl wood, was cleaning (and cleaning and CLEANING!), because...
The door panels used to look like this:
Little touches include a new horn button, because the old one was cut from an emblem that was too big, and didn't look too good.
The Fiero Store had an emblem that was just the right size for the new horn button:
I got some for the new wheels, too, to use instead of the wheel logos.
And besides all this, I've been driving the car around with some of that Thermocure in it (and plain water). The directions say to drive it at least 3 hours and up to several days with the stuff in.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 25, 2020, 10:08:57 pm
Interested in how the Thermocure works out.
I had a black hand items in my brown interior Fiero, also.
That new sest cover looks awesome!
Post by: MikeMac on April 25, 2020, 10:55:06 pm
How do you like having the Automatic transmission? My '88 project car has the same trans and I'm just not up for all the work to put in a manual trans.
Post by: TopNotch on April 25, 2020, 11:36:58 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 25, 2020, 11:39:03 pm
Post by: TopNotch on April 28, 2020, 03:27:49 pm
Since the car used to be a 4-cylinder coupe, it wouldn't have had the extra gauges, and would have had a different console surround. So it was obviously replaced with a non-88 surround.
I found some paint at the hardware store that was fairly close to the 88 color, and painted it.
Unfortunately, the Fiero Store doesn't seem to sell exact match paint anymore, or I would have got some.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 28, 2020, 04:59:45 pm
I had thought that the shift surround overlaps the lower portion of the HVAC surround.
Post by: TopNotch on April 28, 2020, 05:17:22 pm
I had thought that the shift surround overlaps the lower portion of the HVAC surround.It actually does, but the overlapped part is stepped in.
Post by: TopNotch on April 28, 2020, 05:33:36 pm
It's a Pontiac Solstice side arrow.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 28, 2020, 05:43:24 pm
Post by: MikeMac on April 28, 2020, 09:30:22 pm
Post by: Raydar on April 28, 2020, 09:46:38 pm
I found some paint at the hardware store that was fairly close to the 88 color, and painted it.
It looks a lot better than what came with it. Not quite as "orange" as the regular beechwwod. (Not a bad thing.)
But I really like how the stereo and EQ look. Is that your install? Or did it come that way?
Post by: TopNotch on April 28, 2020, 10:58:43 pm
Did the decklid have to be modified to clear the alternator? The 3800sc Series 1 in my '88 required a pretty good slice and the decklid in now warped. This all was done way before my ownership.There's a notch cut in the brace to clear the alternator. I'll take a picture tomorrow.
But I really like how the stereo and EQ look. Is that your install? Or did it come that way?The equalizer doesn't do anything, and the radio doesn't sound all that good. I'll investigate that later. There's also a "performance sound" subwoofer housing in the car. The wires from it are not connected to anything.
Post by: Raydar on April 29, 2020, 09:04:40 am
...
The equalizer doesn't do anything, and the radio doesn't sound all that good. I'll investigate that later. There's also a "performance sound" subwoofer housing in the car. The wires from it are not connected to anything.
Understand. That's just a nicely done installation. Most single DIN radios don't look as "integrated" in a 1.5 DIN hole. Obviously the EQ helps.
OTOH, there's no telling WHAT was done behind it. :D
I'm sure you can improve on the sound.
Post by: TopNotch on April 29, 2020, 10:21:01 am
Did the decklid have to be modified to clear the alternator? The 3800sc Series 1 in my '88 required a pretty good slice and the decklid in now warped. This all was done way before my ownership.This view shows the notch cut in the decklid brace to clear the alternator.
Post by: Fierofool on April 29, 2020, 10:32:09 am
Post by: NoMad on April 29, 2020, 05:05:23 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 29, 2020, 05:15:38 pm
Did the decklid have to be modified to clear the alternator? The 3800sc Series 1 in my '88 required a pretty good slice and the decklid in now warped. This all was done way before my ownership.This view shows the notch cut in the decklid brace to clear the alternator.
Was the decklid re-enforced in any way, to be sure there isn't future damage?
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 29, 2020, 05:25:54 pm
...
The equalizer doesn't do anything, and the radio doesn't sound all that good. I'll investigate that later. There's also a "performance sound" subwoofer housing in the car. The wires from it are not connected to anything.
Understand. That's just a nicely done installation. Most single DIN radios don't look as "integrated" in a 1.5 DIN hole. Obviously the EQ helps.
OTOH, there's no telling WHAT was done behind it. :D
I'm sure you can improve on the sound.
There is an adapter to convert a single-DIN radio to a 1.5-DIN slot. It is nice, if installed correctly. Mine is backlit, with "Fiero" lit in red. The adapter looks as good as the aftermarket bezels look on any other car.
Post by: TopNotch on April 29, 2020, 05:30:11 pm
There is an adapter to convert a single-DIN radio to a 1.5-DIN slot. It is nice, if installed correctly. Mine is backlit, with "Fiero" lit in red. The adapter looks as good as the aftermarket bezels look on any other car.That's a "HuMount" (https://maptech-enterprises.myshopify.com/). I have one on my yellow car, and ordered one for this car.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 29, 2020, 05:32:14 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 29, 2020, 05:33:07 pm
There is an adapter to convert a single-DIN radio to a 1.5-DIN slot. It is nice, if installed correctly. Mine is backlit, with "Fiero" lit in red. The adapter looks as good as the aftermarket bezels look on any other car.That's a "HuMount". I have one on my yellow car, and ordered one for this car.
Where did you get it? I don't recall where I got mine.
Post by: TopNotch on April 29, 2020, 05:34:36 pm
Where did you get it? I don't recall where I got mine.Go back to my message. I just edited it to add a link.
Post by: TopNotch on April 29, 2020, 05:38:35 pm
Was the decklid rezenforced in any way, to be sure there isn't future damage?Not sure. The place with the cutout was filled in. But there is a crack in the brace, so I cut a piece of SMC from the deck of my parts car and glued it over the crack with Vette Panel Adhesive. And I'm careful in opening and closing it.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 29, 2020, 05:55:45 pm
Post by: Fierofool on April 29, 2020, 09:23:47 pm
Post by: TopNotch on April 30, 2020, 07:50:15 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 30, 2020, 08:13:03 pm
Post by: Fierofool on April 30, 2020, 08:37:41 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 30, 2020, 09:40:42 pm
Post by: Fierofool on April 30, 2020, 09:45:39 pm
I found a CD4 rpo for pulse wiper system. I haven't found a 2-speed rpo yet.
Post by: TopNotch on April 30, 2020, 10:04:58 pm
variable speeds can sometimes I have 2 or 3 motors and 5 or 6 boards. Problems withbe in the switch in the column, especially if the car has been converted from 2-speed wipers to variable speed and the column switch wasn't swapped out. My 86 has a similar problem.Electronically, it would be impossible for 2 speed column switch to work properly on a pulse board. The switch for the pulse board has a variable resistor in it to provide the variable voltage to the pulse board to control different pulse speeds.
Post by: TopNotch on May 01, 2020, 10:08:10 pm
I also drained the water and Thermocure, ran water through until it came out clear, and then put in good old fashioned green antifreeze. (Have you noticed that some of these new mix-with-anything antifreezes are pee colored? Who wants to put pee in their car?) I got the air out of the system and ran it till good and warm. I haven't seen any rust in the overflow now.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 01, 2020, 10:11:59 pm
Who wants to put pee in their car?
Dunno. Fierofool's Fiero didn't like it, and pee'd all over Scott's floor.
Post by: Fierofool on May 01, 2020, 10:12:52 pm
Post by: TopNotch on May 04, 2020, 10:49:08 am
Out of curiosity, what is your highway RPM at 75 MPH?The old tach was actually more than 2x high. I have verified the new one with my scanner. My highway RPM at 75 MPH is only 1900.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 04, 2020, 05:38:18 pm
Post by: TopNotch on May 04, 2020, 06:31:16 pm
Post by: TopNotch on May 11, 2020, 11:13:24 am
Post by: Fierofool on May 11, 2020, 11:47:30 am
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 11, 2020, 05:26:47 pm
I knew this car had the beefier Formula/GT front sway bar and a rear sway bar added to "Formula-ize" it, but I never looked closely at the rear sway bar until yesterday. It had no end links, but the ends were held up with zip ties to keep it from flopping down. So I got one of those generic end link sets with poly bushings you can find at parts stores and put them in. Now I'll have to take it out on the highway to see how it does.
The sway bar cannot possibly have helped. I'm surprised the zip ties held.
Post by: TopNotch on May 12, 2020, 06:37:34 pm
The sway bar cannot possibly have helped. I'm surprised the zip ties held.The zip ties were loosely tied to the body, not the suspension. No stress on them at all.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 12, 2020, 06:39:38 pm
Post by: TopNotch on May 12, 2020, 06:51:36 pm
1. When you push the GO pedal, it goes. I mean it goes more than I'm used to a Fiero going. You can find yourself breaking the law if you're not careful.
2. When you push the STOP pedal, it stops. I don't know what Lee did to the brakes because they look stock. But they stop better than either of my other Fieros (all 88's).
3. I haven't taken it on any hard curves, but with the rear sway bar connected, it feels nice and flat on what curves I have done.
4. With the cooling system cleaned up, it doesn't overheat. The fan hardly ever come on, unless you run the AC, which BTW, is working now. There's a switch wired up to manually turn on the fan if needed, and an LED which lights up when it comes on, either from the switch or automatically.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 12, 2020, 07:06:16 pm
Post by: TopNotch on May 12, 2020, 07:30:27 pm
I like the LED idea. I wonder if the LED is wired in series with the fan.The fan is turned on when a relay is energized. The PCM or the switch provides voltage to energize the relay, and that voltage also lights the LED.
Post by: Fierofool on May 12, 2020, 09:37:02 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 13, 2020, 01:33:19 am
I like the LED idea. I wonder if the LED is wired in series with the fan.The fan is turned on when a relay is energized. The PCM or the switch provides voltage to energize the relay, and that voltage also lights the LED.
Where is the LED located?
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 13, 2020, 01:33:58 am
Great job on that car, Pat. Just work your way into the twisties. I'm sure that one handles much differently than your other 88's.
Can probably get used to it on the RFTH scouting run.
Post by: TopNotch on May 13, 2020, 10:47:30 am
Where is the LED located?On the place where the trunk popper switch is, below it where there would normally be the rear window defroster switch, if equipped, are three pushbuttons, with a LED beside each button. The top one turns on the fan, and the LED beside is is the fan indicator. The next one down turns on the driving lights. I have no idea what the bottom one is supposed to do -- I'll have to trace out the wires later.
There's also a tiny slide switch in the area between the trunk popper switch and the push buttons. I don't know what that's supposed to do either. There's a lot of mystery wiring to trace out.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 13, 2020, 06:22:04 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 13, 2020, 06:29:40 pm
I have no idea what the bottom one is supposed to do -- I'll have to trace out the wires later.
There's a lot of mystery wiring to trace out.
At least you won't be bored.
Post by: TopNotch on May 13, 2020, 09:41:09 pm
If this keeps up, there will be a lot of new parts on this thing before too long.
Post by: TopNotch on May 14, 2020, 04:32:04 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 14, 2020, 05:55:22 pm
Post by: TopNotch on May 15, 2020, 09:13:27 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 15, 2020, 10:44:33 pm
Post by: TopNotch on May 16, 2020, 05:00:58 pm
Half a dog bone is better than none. The front dog bones are still attached, so this thing will not have to bear all of the engine's torque. I can't run the engine very much without a belt, but it does seem to quieten the cabin noise some. And that's the main goal.
This was cut from a Rodney Dickman duke dog bone that used to be on my yellow car. I had replaced it with one of Rodney's rubber dog bones a while back. Gear bounce seems to be better with the Rodney's rubber dog bone, which is softer than poly, but harder than stock rubber.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 16, 2020, 06:14:32 pm
Post by: TopNotch on May 16, 2020, 07:03:41 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 16, 2020, 08:43:50 pm
Post by: Fierofool on May 16, 2020, 08:48:21 pm
On most GM FWD motors, there are still threaded bosses on the lower sides of the block. One might be able to fashion a dogbone mount down there that could be attached direct to the cradle crossmembers. Just a thought. I'm not sure of how close the cross members are, but I know on the early cradle, they have the torque shock mounted to the cradle and the block, right beside the oil filter.
Post by: scottb on May 16, 2020, 10:09:43 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 16, 2020, 11:00:56 pm
Post by: TopNotch on May 16, 2020, 11:11:01 pm
Post by: TopNotch on May 23, 2020, 11:45:41 am
The stock tensioner pulley, which is a type 38015, is replaced with a larger type 38007 pulley. The belt is a Gates 5060663 or equivalent (metric size 6PK1685). The tensioner pulley is actually a little closer to the alternator and a little bigger than my crude drawing indicates, and the belt deflects a bit more than the drawing indicates. This routing seems to work OK.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 23, 2020, 01:49:04 pm
Post by: TopNotch on May 23, 2020, 09:13:07 pm
Those of you who looked at my engine compartment at the last club meeting may recall seeing the reflective stainless steel on the firewall, and what looked like a light below the bar that the forward torque struts are attached to. Well, today I removed that light. It's wires weren't connected to anything.
Here is what I removed:
This is a neon-type light, which means that high voltage would be required to light it. Notice that the plastic sheath around the light is melted. The writing on the leads indicates that their insulation is good for up to 16000 volts. Personally, I don't think I'd want high voltage that close to the gas tank.
Post by: Fierofool on May 23, 2020, 10:53:30 pm
I have a bunch of papers that go with your car. Part of them are for an Audiovox alarm system and there are other notes on things he did.
Post by: TopNotch on May 24, 2020, 08:04:50 am
We also made van de graaff generators, Wimshurst machines, and Tesla coils -- a regular Frankenstein laboratory.
Note: Coat hanger wire works perfectly fine for Jacob's ladders. You don't have to spend the bucks on copper tubing.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 24, 2020, 08:51:04 am
DANGER HIGH VOLTAGE!
Those of you who looked at my engine compartment at the last club meeting may recall seeing the reflective stainless steel on the firewall, and what looked like a light below the bar that the forward torque struts are attached to. Well, today I removed that light. It's wires weren't connected to anything.
Here is what I removed:
This is a neon-type light, which means that high voltage would be required to light it. Notice that the plastic sheath around the light is melted. The writing on the leads indicates that their insulation is good for up to 16000 volts. Personally, I don't think I'd want high voltage that close to the gas tank.
What held it in place?
Post by: TopNotch on May 24, 2020, 09:02:45 am
What held it in place?Zip ties.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 24, 2020, 09:04:21 am
Post by: TopNotch on May 24, 2020, 01:03:00 pm
Now you jinxed it!Could be, because another part bit the dust. I was driving around, testing the AC, when the get-up-and-go got up and went. I turned off the AC, and still no power. And it was worse the higher the RPM got. Felt like a clogged cat.
I originally wasn't sure whether the thing at the cat position was a cat or just a muffler, but since I had felt it get hotter than the rest of the exhaust system after a little running, that told me that it was a cat. So I cut it out. Inside was some very fine honeycomb structure, and the structure on the intake side was broken up. Fortunately, the structure on the output side was still intact, so no junk got blown into the muffler.
So I got an appropriately sized "test pipe" at the parts store and put it in. The get-up-and-go is restored, and the exhaust sounds better now.
Post by: Fierofool on May 24, 2020, 01:43:23 pm
Post by: TopNotch on May 24, 2020, 02:47:46 pm
Does it have a deeper rumble than with the cat?It has a deeper rumble with the test pipe. But the cat may have been partially clogged all along. The honey comb structure in it is much finer than the structure in Rodney's "high flow" cat. So it probably never was "high flow". The car seems to run better than ever without it.
Post by: Fierofool on May 24, 2020, 03:32:06 pm
Post by: TopNotch on May 24, 2020, 05:27:26 pm
It looks white in this picture, but it's actually purple.
(Powered by 12 KiloVolt neon sign transformer.)
Post by: Fierofool on May 24, 2020, 08:21:14 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 24, 2020, 09:09:30 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 24, 2020, 09:10:08 pm
What do you know? It works! But who wants to carry a 10 pound transformer in their car, just to power an engine light?
It looks white in this picture, but it's actually purple.
(Powered by 12 KiloVolt neon sign transformer.)
It looks purple, to me.
Post by: TopNotch on June 06, 2020, 08:15:04 pm
The mount is from Maptech Enterprises (https://maptech-enterprises.myshopify.com/), formerly known as "HuMount". I had them put the "Fiero" under the radio, to raise the radio up and make room under it for the keyless entry receiver. And since the radio rests on the keyless receiver, not all the weight is on the skeleton.
It says "RIVER" on the radio because I was listening to 97.1 "The River" (classic rock).
Post by: GTRS Fiero on June 06, 2020, 09:14:39 pm
Here, 97.1 is something else entirely.
Post by: TopNotch on June 17, 2020, 08:25:36 pm
The belt slipped off the tensioner pulley, and got chewed up by the cooling vanes on the alternator. Fortunately, this happened when I started the car to go somewhere, not while I was driving.
Stock routing:
Post by: Fierofool on June 17, 2020, 09:01:09 pm
Post by: TopNotch on June 17, 2020, 09:27:39 pm
So, a 3800 water pump runs counterclockwise. Everything else is clockwise. Driving it on the trial run?The water pump runs counterclockwise. I'm planning to take the car on the trial run. i have a little running around tomorrow, and if nothing bad happens to the belt, I'll the car on the run.
Post by: TopNotch on June 23, 2020, 08:30:33 pm
For now, I put some AT205 Re-Seal in the transmission, since I don't know when I'll change the seal.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on June 23, 2020, 09:21:11 pm
Post by: TopNotch on June 24, 2020, 01:19:34 pm
Still planning on taking it on RFTH?Yes. The brakes are thoroughly flushed out, so hopefully they will be OK. I removed all the bleeder screws and replaced them with Speed Bleeder screws for one man bleeding. I used a turkey baster remove all of the old fluid from the master and filled it with fresh fluid. Then I bled all wheels starting with the driver side rear, which is the farthest one from the master. I bled enough to flush the lines and the wheel cylinder on each wheel.
Post by: TopNotch on June 27, 2020, 03:12:51 pm
I also have a fixture for the slide hammer shaft for installing the new seal. You can't just hit the seal with a hammer -- you could damage it.
However, I didn't have a perfectly straight shot to the transmission with the shaft, so I had to use the installer off the shaft. But I got it installed perfectly
In undoing the suspension, I found that the infamous 1988 "long bolt" was not very tight. That could explain a slight bit of squirrelly handling I've noticed. So when I re-assembled things, I made sure it was tight. And while I had the rear of the car off the ground, I tightened the other side as well.
Now I'm ready to do some curves without slinging transmission fluid onto the exhaust.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on June 27, 2020, 03:23:43 pm
Post by: TopNotch on June 27, 2020, 03:31:49 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on June 27, 2020, 03:34:26 pm
Post by: TopNotch on July 03, 2020, 10:02:35 pm
And the bad cabin noise is gone also. Here's what the engine bay looks like now:
I had actually rigged up the support bar you see before the trial run, and drove the car that way. No problems with it. But I hadn't taken out the old support bar on the firewall yet -- just rotated it so that it's attachments weren't touching the engine.
Today, I took the bar out, and here it is:
This bar is solid iron, drilled and trapped at each end. The mounting screws went through holes that originally had deck torsion bars in them (which is why the deck is supported by struts now).
Post by: GTRS Fiero on July 03, 2020, 11:01:02 pm
Post by: TopNotch on July 10, 2020, 04:58:44 pm
Before the new one, there has always been a slight lag between gas pedal press and engine response, as if it was taking a little time to decide what to do. With the new one, response is much better, but the idle hunts just a little. Maybe the computer has to learn the new one for a bit.
Post by: TopNotch on July 10, 2020, 05:25:25 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on July 10, 2020, 06:48:26 pm
Post by: TopNotch on July 18, 2020, 06:30:03 pm
If you guessed that the front is lower, you're right. I didn't like that the rear fender was 3 fingers above the tire, while the front fender was 4 fingers above the tire. So I got some Rodney Dickman 1/2" lowering ball joints for the front. While I was doing that, I also replaced the steering rack boots. They were in pieces, so I cleaned and lubricated the rack and put new boots on (also from Rodney Dickman). I marked each tie rod and carefully counted the turns necessary to remove the ends, and after driving it, I think I got it back together right. But I should probably get an alignment anyway.
Rodney recommends tack welding his lowering ball joints, and I did it to mine with my el-cheapo Harbor Freight flux wire welder. I'm not going to show you pictures of the welds, because they're not pretty. But they'll hold. Years ago I welded a broken steel bed frame (day bed in a spare bedroom) with the same welder (also not pretty), and it has held up to several grand kid over-nights, and even one of my 200+ pound brothers sleeping on the bed.
BTW, while I had it apart, I descovered that the lower control arm bushings are poly. Not red poly but black, so not noticeable right away. Whoever put them in slathered a lot of grease on them, so they don't squeek.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on July 18, 2020, 07:44:09 pm
Post by: Raydar on July 18, 2020, 08:31:21 pm
An added benefit of lowering the front of a Fiero - particularly an 88 - is that it tends to tuck the wheel under the fender, or at least give that illusion.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on July 18, 2020, 09:20:21 pm
Post by: Raydar on July 18, 2020, 11:19:58 pm
No performance aspect?
From my perspective?
It can only help, if you're driving "at or near the limit". Lowers the center of gravity a bit.
With that said... In regular driving, it probably doesn't make much of a difference. Especially since he's using balljoints to lower the car. The spring rate is unchanged. (Of course, there IS that slightly better view of the road, directly in front of you. An inch drop ought to be worth a foot or two. :D )
If Pat noticed a difference, I hope he'll jump in.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on July 18, 2020, 11:37:29 pm
Post by: Fierofool on July 19, 2020, 08:35:38 am
Lowering the front or raising the rear, whether by tire size or other means will reduce understeer and increase oversteer to a degree, depending upon how much rake. The higher the rear in relation to the front, the quicker the rear will come around in extreme cornering.
I have always thought the 87 and 88 base coupe body appeared to have a nose-up attitude. Maybe because it felt it was superior in handling. :)
Post by: GTRS Fiero on July 19, 2020, 09:34:18 am
Post by: TopNotch on July 19, 2020, 10:38:38 am
I've often seen comments that the bump stops were shortened when lowering the front end.When the front is lowered with lowering ball joints, the travel to the bump stop actually increases, because the lower control arm is lowered with respect to the knuckle and upper control arm. My front shocks are so old (but still good) that the limit of compression is clearly marked by the clean and dirty parts of the shaft, and there's plenty of room for 1/2" more compression. But I think I'll replace them before too long anyway.
So far, I haven't driven the car faster than about 50 MPH, so I don't know if there's any change in handling.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on July 19, 2020, 10:57:29 am
Post by: Fierofool on July 19, 2020, 12:32:13 pm
That's not good.
Actually, on the Fiero it is good unless done to the extreme. The Fiero is recognized as having some serious understeer. I find it easier to control a loss of directional control in the rear than in the front.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on July 19, 2020, 12:36:14 pm
Post by: The Art Doctor on July 19, 2020, 02:22:29 pm
Post by: Raydar on July 19, 2020, 07:43:37 pm
... Anyone on here do the battery relocation mod?
Mine is in the front. And when I swap my coupe, its battery will be moved to the front as well.
But not so much for the handling, although I'm sure it makes a difference. It just makes stuff on the "front" of the engine so much more accessible. (The battery in my 4.9 car was this >-< close to the belt and pulleys.)
Post by: scottb on July 29, 2020, 08:34:55 pm
... Anyone on here do the battery relocation mod?(The battery in my 4.9 car was this >-< close to the belt and pulleys.)
Think mine has a bit less clearance
Post by: The Art Doctor on July 31, 2020, 07:05:33 pm
Post by: TopNotch on August 18, 2020, 04:58:27 pm
Edit: The replacement heater core checks out -- no bubbles. It's a used one I bought off Ebay, so I had to check it.
Post by: Raydar on August 18, 2020, 05:07:57 pm
...
I found some info on Youtube, and the job doesn't look too hard.
It's really not. It's one of the easiest things to do, on a Fiero.
The most difficult part is getting the hoses off the old heater core fittings, without trashing the hoses.
Put something in the floor to catch coolant. It's almost a certainty that some will be spilled.
Post by: Fierofool on August 18, 2020, 05:25:31 pm
While you're in there, try to find the weep hole for the condensate. When you do, let us know where it is. I've never found it.
Post by: TopNotch on August 18, 2020, 08:16:45 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on August 18, 2020, 08:27:31 pm
If you have the hose tool, its like an ice pick with the end bent at 90*, hoses come off fairly easy. The hardest part of the job is getting to the screw that's up on top of the heater box. I have a flexible driveshaft that I've used. At reassembly, if I have trouble getting that screw back in, I just skip it. Taking out the right speaker can sometimes be of help. Pad the rocker panel very well to keep from bruising your ribs.
While you're in there, try to find the weep hole for the condensate. When you do, let us know where it is. I've never found it.
I took a pic of that hole, and described the location for one of the newsletters.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on August 18, 2020, 09:10:14 pm
Post by: TopNotch on August 19, 2020, 02:44:20 pm
While you're in there, try to find the weep hole for the condensate. When you do, let us know where it is. I've never found it.I'll leave the actual location of the drip hole to GTRS. But I can show you how the water gets to it.
Water collects in this channel in the HVAC housing.
With the heater core removed, and the heater door open, you can see the channel running below the AC evaporator.
Edit: And yes, the heater core was leaking. It's a good thing I laid several paper towels underneath when I opened the housing up.
Post by: Fierofool on August 19, 2020, 05:55:12 pm
Post by: TopNotch on August 19, 2020, 06:42:43 pm
Is that some kind of filter mesh in the picture? What is it made of?Some kind aluminum screen. My guess is that it's to protect the evaporator.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on August 19, 2020, 06:57:10 pm
More worried about the condenser.
Post by: scottb on August 19, 2020, 06:57:38 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on August 19, 2020, 06:59:32 pm
Post by: scottb on August 19, 2020, 07:02:14 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on August 19, 2020, 07:03:27 pm
Post by: TopNotch on August 20, 2020, 06:17:18 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on August 20, 2020, 07:26:52 pm
Post by: TopNotch on August 20, 2020, 08:25:58 pm
Which top screw?There are 4 screws that hold on the HVAC housing cover that must be removed to change the heater core. The top screw is very difficult to get to. Getting it out wasn't too bad, but getting it back in would be a real pain, and it really isn't necessary.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on August 20, 2020, 08:52:07 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on September 27, 2020, 04:42:17 pm
If you've read the post about the trial run, you know my 'new" car has a leaking transmission. The output shaft seal on the passenger side leaks -- badly during hard curves. So I ordered new ones for each side. They came today, and I found out why the passenger side is more likely to leak than the driver side. The driver side seal is a dual seal, while the passenger side is a single seal. I have no idea why they are different.
For now, I put some AT205 Re-Seal in the transmission, since I don't know when I'll change the seal.
Was that a forewarning?
Post by: TopNotch on September 27, 2020, 04:50:42 pm
No doubt. Should of taken the yellow car.If you've read the post about the trial run, you know my 'new" car has a leaking transmission. The output shaft seal on the passenger side leaks -- badly during hard curves. So I ordered new ones for each side. They came today, and I found out why the passenger side is more likely to leak than the driver side. The driver side seal is a dual seal, while the passenger side is a single seal. I have no idea why they are different.
For now, I put some AT205 Re-Seal in the transmission, since I don't know when I'll change the seal.
Was that a forewarning?
I did change the seal, though.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on September 27, 2020, 04:52:42 pm
Post by: TopNotch on September 27, 2020, 06:17:39 pm
Do you have the 4T60? My output seal also nedds to be replaced.It's actually a 4T65E, and it's still in the car, and the car is in North Carolina.
Someone at the run with the same setup (3800 NA with auto trans) took a look at mine and said it's a 4T65E.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on September 27, 2020, 07:33:40 pm
Post by: TopNotch on October 04, 2020, 01:12:58 pm
Well, the exhaust hanger is fixed. The only thing that happened was that the screws that hold the hanger to the cradle were missing. I put replacements in, and made sure that they were tight.
As for the transmission, I checked the fluid this morning. It is black, like motor oil that has been in too long. The transmission is definitely toast. Someone looked at the oil dripping under my car on RFTH, and said that perhaps the engine was leaking as well as the transmission. I'm not so sure about that anymore. He may have just seen the black transmission oil.
The engine oil is brown, and probably needs to be changed, but it's not black.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on October 04, 2020, 01:20:05 pm
From the slipping description, I figured that the clutches in the transmission had gone bad. Since there are several clutches, sometimes shifting manually to other gears can limp you back home. Itxs been a while since the auto transmission was explained to me, so the details of that statement may be wrong, but the broad strokes should be good.
Does the fluid smell burnt? Since there is no combustion in the engine, I'm not sure how it would get black. I've seen brown transmission fluid.
If the engine was leaking oil, it may be low on the stick.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on October 04, 2020, 01:21:03 pm
Post by: TopNotch on October 04, 2020, 03:07:05 pm
The transmission oil doesn't smell burned, and seems to be black with micro particles, like something disintegrated. Only first and reverse seem to work now. It will not go into a higher gear. Before I pulled off at that little store, I was really revving my poor 3800 to maintain any speed at all.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on October 04, 2020, 03:51:44 pm
Post by: TopNotch on October 14, 2020, 09:29:01 am
I figured $450 isn't too much to gamble.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on October 14, 2020, 06:50:07 pm
Post by: TopNotch on October 14, 2020, 09:42:33 pm
Do you have the transmission, or is it on the way?On the way.
Post by: Wreck It Ralph on October 14, 2020, 10:55:01 pm
Well, after verifying that my transmission is a 4T60E, I bought a used one. It's out of a 1995 Oldsmobile with a 3800 engine, and has 118,000 on the clock. $450 including shipping, with a 90 day warranty. Includes torque converter.
I figured $450 isn't too much to gamble.
Save the old one then I can rebuild it as a spare eventually.
Post by: TopNotch on October 20, 2020, 08:54:32 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on November 08, 2020, 09:42:25 am
Today I installed a new transmission output shaft seal on the passenger (leaking) side. The job turned out to be easier than I thought it would be. I undid the two side supports, the trailing arm (this is an 88) and the rear sway bar from the knuckle, so that i could swing it out, with the axle, from the transmission. The hardest part was removing the old seal. Fortunately, I have a nice slide hammer that made that possible.
I also have a fixture for the slide hammer shaft for installing the new seal. You can't just hit the seal with a hammer -- you could damage it.
However, I didn't have a perfectly straight shot to the transmission with the shaft, so I had to use the installer off the shaft. But I got it installed perfectly
In undoing the suspension, I found that the infamous 1988 "long bolt" was not very tight. That could explain a slight bit of squirrelly handling I've noticed. So when I re-assembled things, I made sure it was tight. And while I had the rear of the car off the ground, I tightened the other side as well.
Now I'm ready to do some curves without slinging transmission fluid onto the exhaust.
I'm guessing you didn't get pictures of this. Do you recall if the shaft had splines on the outside?
Post by: TopNotch on November 08, 2020, 04:41:41 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on November 08, 2020, 06:55:21 pm
Post by: TopNotch on March 14, 2021, 05:01:32 pm
This is the passenger side axle boot. I wonder if I can just replace the boot with one of those split boot repair kits?
Post by: GTRS Fiero on March 14, 2021, 05:21:39 pm
Post by: PK on March 15, 2021, 01:31:56 am
Loike dis:
https://youtu.be/oEKY0uFlBpc
Post by: GTRS Fiero on March 15, 2021, 08:03:15 am
Post by: scottb on March 15, 2021, 03:27:18 pm
Post by: Fierofool on March 15, 2021, 04:22:55 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on March 15, 2021, 05:44:53 pm
Post by: TopNotch on March 15, 2021, 06:36:56 pm
Likely the same axle I used.Where did you get yours?
Post by: GTRS Fiero on March 15, 2021, 07:00:33 pm
60-1115 for passenger side
60-1078 for driver side
Post by: TopNotch on March 15, 2021, 10:05:45 pm
Carid.comOrdered one.
60-1115 for passenger side
60-1078 for driver side
Post by: GTRS Fiero on March 15, 2021, 10:09:50 pm
Post by: Fierofool on March 16, 2021, 08:54:34 am
Post by: GTRS Fiero on March 16, 2021, 06:37:45 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on March 21, 2021, 08:26:48 am
Post by: TopNotch on March 21, 2021, 09:49:34 am
Any progress with the transmission?It's been raining the last few days, and yesterday was too cold. But my axle came in -- looks like it will fit.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on March 21, 2021, 11:56:56 am
Post by: TopNotch on March 23, 2021, 05:44:37 pm
A few days of rain are coming, and I will wait for clear days to continue.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on March 23, 2021, 07:43:02 pm
IIRC, your exhaust was a little sleepy. Will you be fixing that, while the cradle is out?
Post by: Fierofool on March 23, 2021, 08:54:53 pm
Post by: TopNotch on March 23, 2021, 08:55:39 pm
What is hanging from your brake hose?
IIRC, your exhaust was a little sleepy. Will you be fixing that, while the cradle is out?
I was curious myself, so I went out with a flashlight and looked. It fell off when I touched it, so it was just miscellaneous debris.
I will check everything while the cradle is out.
Post by: TopNotch on March 23, 2021, 08:57:21 pm
Are you working out on the driveway extension or did you get it into the garage?Outside, under my home-made car port. It keeps direct rain off, but sideways rain is still a problem.
Post by: TopNotch on April 08, 2021, 12:28:43 pm
I removed the rear bumper cover and jacked up the car using the metal bumper. In my opinion, this is the safest way to do it. The plastic covers the trunk area to keep out any sideways rain and the huge amount of pollen that has been falling lately.
With the car lifted and on jack stands, I rolled out the cradle.
There are a lot of little things I am going to work on while the engine is out. In this picture you can see the plug that connects the engine wiring to the power train control module that is in the car. One thing that I didn't like is that wires that were too ling were just looped back, and the loops were gathered into bundles and combined with other wire bundles inside wire looms. I cut all of these looped wires, soldered the ends together, and protected the solder joints with heat shrink tubing. There were two of these loop bundles, but I had already fixed one when I took this picture.
I also replaced two of the firewall side spark plug cables. I had done them "blind" before, and made one too long and one too short. They're all a good length now.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 08, 2021, 05:52:39 pm
Post by: TopNotch on April 08, 2021, 08:48:20 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 08, 2021, 09:00:20 pm
Post by: Fierofool on April 08, 2021, 09:44:42 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 08, 2021, 09:49:04 pm
Post by: TopNotch on April 08, 2021, 10:04:11 pm
Post by: The Art Doctor on April 09, 2021, 09:26:58 am
Post by: Wreck It Ralph on April 09, 2021, 11:02:36 am
Post by: TopNotch on April 09, 2021, 08:00:10 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 09, 2021, 08:35:33 pm
Post by: TopNotch on April 09, 2021, 10:27:48 pm
Post by: TopNotch on April 12, 2021, 05:01:53 pm
Post by: Fierofool on April 12, 2021, 05:35:44 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 12, 2021, 06:03:28 pm
Post by: HarryT on April 13, 2021, 01:02:40 am
Harry
Post by: TopNotch on April 13, 2021, 07:04:46 pm
But I found a tag on it which says, "Replace front seal and index torque converter completely prior to installation." I have no idea what indexing a torque converter is, so I hope someone transmission savvy will explain it.
I took out the bad axle, and found that the new one is slightly longer. I hope it's OK, but there's always plan B. Clean out and re-pack the old one with the a split boot on it.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 13, 2021, 07:20:24 pm
Post by: TopNotch on April 20, 2021, 07:10:49 pm
This actually worked out very well, except for one problem. When I lifted the transmission with my cherry picker to set it on the creeper as you can see in the picture below, it tilted and smelly burnt trans oil spilled out, and I had a mess to clean up.
I still have to take a number of things off the old transmission and transfer them to the "new" one. For example, the dipstick tube that you can see part of in the picture below, is meant for a front wheel drive car, and curves over the transmission. The dipstick tube on my old one is shorter, and accessible from the back.
I installed new axle seals and a filter in the "new" transmission. The "new" transmission is very clean inside, so I'm hoping it runs as good as it looks.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 20, 2021, 07:52:25 pm
Post by: TopNotch on April 20, 2021, 08:57:55 pm
That covering on the exhaust looks nice.If you mean that heat protector on the manifold, I think all 3800's have it. My question is, for those familiar with the engines, is the heat protector only on one side of the engine (like mine), or should it be on the other side also?
Post by: Fierofool on April 20, 2021, 09:06:03 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 20, 2021, 09:27:47 pm
Post by: Fierofool on April 20, 2021, 10:39:28 pm
Post by: TopNotch on April 21, 2021, 08:54:24 am
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 21, 2021, 09:34:18 pm
Interesting. Are the manifolds interchangeable?
From the looks, no. (Answering my own question.)
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 21, 2021, 09:35:03 pm
Post by: TopNotch on April 21, 2021, 10:14:44 pm
Did the drivetrain feel loose?It felt just fine.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 21, 2021, 10:46:06 pm
Post by: TopNotch on April 22, 2021, 08:22:03 am
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 22, 2021, 08:25:45 am
Post by: TopNotch on April 22, 2021, 07:54:28 pm
Here's a tip for installing a transmission onto an engine. Get a couple of bolts of the right diameter, but too long, and use them as guides while moving the transmission into place. Then replace them with the proper bolts.
Post by: scottb on April 22, 2021, 07:58:09 pm
A variation of the long bolt trick is to cut the head off then cut a screwdriver slot in the shank. Those are handy to line up all sorts of things, especially if the parts have gasket between them.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 22, 2021, 08:04:50 pm
Will you treat the rust on the knuckles, replace the struts, and treat the rust on the strut hats, whole everything is out?
Post by: TopNotch on April 22, 2021, 08:40:54 pm
Will you treat the rust on the knuckles, replace the struts, and treat the rust on the strut hats, whole everything is out?No, no, and no. The struts are fine, and there's hardly any rust on those parts.
Post by: TopNotch on April 25, 2021, 08:19:00 pm
The new axle turned out to be too long. The difference is more than you see in the previous comparison picture. The tripot of the new one is almost completely compressed, while on the old one, it's not. I would have to shorten the shaft more than an inch to make it fit, so I put a split boot on the old one.
I may be able to put this thing back in the car tomorrow.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 25, 2021, 08:26:45 pm
Post by: TopNotch on April 26, 2021, 09:19:27 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 26, 2021, 09:25:03 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 26, 2021, 09:26:15 pm
Post by: TopNotch on April 26, 2021, 09:35:17 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 26, 2021, 09:38:05 pm
Post by: TopNotch on April 26, 2021, 10:14:25 pm
Would the car shake, if under load?It might.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 26, 2021, 10:32:42 pm
Post by: TopNotch on April 27, 2021, 09:38:16 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 27, 2021, 09:40:32 pm
Post by: TopNotch on April 27, 2021, 09:46:11 pm
Will you be taking this Fiero on RFTH 26?If it works ok.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 28, 2021, 08:17:09 pm
Post by: TopNotch on April 28, 2021, 08:33:39 pm
Well, I couldn't get that connector to go onto the firewall connector to save my life, and struggled with it all afternoon. first, the threaded part on the firewall connector came loose, and would spin with the screw on the other connector. I wound up super-gluing it. And the firewall connector was not mounted very well, and would move when I pressed the other connector onto it and tried to start the screw. I wound up using JBQuick to secure it.
It's back together now, so maybe I will finish tomorrow.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 28, 2021, 08:42:50 pm
Post by: TopNotch on April 29, 2021, 05:33:18 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 29, 2021, 05:56:55 pm
Post by: TopNotch on April 29, 2021, 07:13:23 pm
So far, I have put 2 gallons (8 quarts) of ATF in the transmission. I doubt that's enough for a completely empty transmission, but it does pull if I put it in gear.
I forgot to mention that I discovered that all of the rear suspension bushings have been replaced with poly. It's black poly, so not immediately obvious. They say poly makes for a harsher ride, but I never noticed anything harsh about it.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 29, 2021, 07:22:01 pm
Post by: TopNotch on April 30, 2021, 03:41:40 pm
But the scanner indicated another problem. There is a switch mounted on the transmission selector lever called the PRNDL (Park Reverse Neutral Drive Low) switch. For an electronically controlled transmission, it tells the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) what gear the transmission is in. My scanner shows the proper gear if you are in drive or neutral (drive shows up as 4th on the scanner), but if you are in park or reverse, the display alternates between ???? and 4th. Autozone, Advance Auto, and Napa don't have the switch, but Rock Auto does, so I ordered one.
I'm still checking out the car, and haven't actually driven it yet.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on April 30, 2021, 05:58:59 pm
Post by: TopNotch on April 30, 2021, 08:18:34 pm
Well, tonight I finished modifying my torque strut, so I'll try driving it tomorrow, after giving it a bath. There's so much pollen on the windows that you can't see out of them (and on the rest of the car, too).
Post by: TopNotch on May 01, 2021, 12:28:31 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 01, 2021, 12:47:07 pm
Post by: TopNotch on May 01, 2021, 01:05:11 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 01, 2021, 01:26:32 pm
Post by: Fierofool on May 01, 2021, 01:51:13 pm
Congratulations.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 01, 2021, 03:19:53 pm
Good job.
Post by: TopNotch on May 01, 2021, 04:24:07 pm
And I have been working on the car so much, I've neglected my yard work. Got to git 'er done.
Post by: TopNotch on May 01, 2021, 09:33:09 pm
The reason I am mentioning this is that I was originally thinking of rebuilding the old transmission to have a backup, but that mounting boss would somehow need to be rebuilt.
So maybe I won't rebuild it. Someone mentioned needing the oil pan for one of these transmissions. I'm not in any hurry to do anything with it right now, though, because I'm tired of smelling old trans fluid.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 01, 2021, 09:48:06 pm
Post by: TopNotch on May 02, 2021, 03:32:02 pm
The engine has trouble idling in park, but is OK in neutral or drive. I think it's because of that bad PRNDL switch (also called a Neutral Safety Switch). It's not giving the PCM proper info when the transmission is in park. I've got one coming from Rock Auto, but I think I'll try to clean the one I have. The switch has a cover on it held on with torx screws, so I can take it apart for cleaning.
I used the car to go to the store today, and it did just fine.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 02, 2021, 04:42:58 pm
Post by: TopNotch on May 02, 2021, 05:33:15 pm
Unfortunately, cleaning the switch didn't help. But at least, I saw how it works. The "cover" is actually part of the switch, and has curved circuit tracks on it. The other part of the switch has contacts that move as the gear selector moves.
The new switch should be here in a few days, and then we'll see what happens.
Post by: Fierofool on May 02, 2021, 10:32:47 pm
Post by: TopNotch on May 03, 2021, 11:02:05 am
There are different things that seem to control the idle speed on this system. One is the PRNDL switch. In neutral, the idle speed is constant. When you switch into drive, the idle speed briefly speeds up a little, because the PCM knows that there will be additional drag from the torque converter. If you let the car idle in park, the PCM doesn't got good info from the switch, and the idle speed gradually slows down, and after a few minutes, the engine may stall.
But the AC also seems to control idle speed. If the AC is on, and the car is in park, the idle speed doesn't slow down. The AC compressor is a V5 "always on" compressor, and the PCM knows that there will be additional drag on the system, and so keeps the idle speed up.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 03, 2021, 06:49:58 pm
Post by: TopNotch on May 04, 2021, 03:01:51 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 04, 2021, 07:20:15 pm
Post by: TopNotch on May 07, 2021, 08:26:19 am
So I ordered a Helms manual for a 1995 Buick Park Avenue from Ebay. I will study the circuit, and perhaps add a momentary push button that is pressed by the lever on the transmission when in park, wired to give the proper indication.
Currently, the scanner indicates "4th" with the console shift lever set to Drive, "Neutral" in neutral, and if you pull the shift lever all the way backwards, it indicates "Low". I'm pretty sure that much is normal.
Post by: Fierofool on May 07, 2021, 10:13:47 am
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 07, 2021, 05:58:05 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 07, 2021, 05:58:36 pm
Post by: TopNotch on May 07, 2021, 09:06:44 pm
Oh. There is an adjustment on my switch.If you mean the elonged mounting holes on the switch, they don't fix my problem, and 4th and neutral work best with the mount centered anyway.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 07, 2021, 09:22:06 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 07, 2021, 09:28:21 pm
https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Archives/Archive-000001/HTML/20160323-2-122706.html
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 07, 2021, 09:29:13 pm
Post by: TopNotch on May 07, 2021, 11:09:02 pm
1) the AC clutch relay (can't be that, because the AC works).
2) the low speed fan relay.
3) the high speed fan relay.
Since the car has no 2-speed fan, that could be the source of the problem. I will investigate when I get the manual.
All these outputs energize the appropriate relay by pulling to ground. The error is set if the voltage of any output is not what is expected (which should be near 12V if off, or near ground if on). So the fix may be as simple as adding a pull up resistor on whatever output is not used (for example, low speed fan).
BTW, the car has never overheated since I flushed the cooling system.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 07, 2021, 11:14:31 pm
Post by: TopNotch on May 08, 2021, 03:13:26 am
I was thinking you could just make either fan trigger activate the same fan.That may not work. If the low speed signal is pulled down, and the computer is still monitoring the high speed signal, expecting it to remain high, it may trigger the QDM4 error.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 08, 2021, 06:17:36 am
Post by: TopNotch on May 08, 2021, 02:40:02 pm
It shouldn't affect the high-speed signal. The low-speed should have its own relay, and connect to the fan on its own.But for both signals to work the same relay, they would have to be connected together. So if the low speed signal activated (was pulled low), it would of necessity pull the high speed signal low also. The computer would see it go low when it hadn't commanded it to go low, and that could be an error condition. I supposed I could alleviate that with diodes and pull up resistors.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 08, 2021, 02:42:52 pm
Post by: TopNotch on May 08, 2021, 02:45:17 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 08, 2021, 03:07:44 pm
Post by: Raydar on May 08, 2021, 03:37:44 pm
...
I finally ended up with the high-temp loom, which has a silver stripe.
The last batch I bought also had the silver stripe, but it feels thinner than I would have expected.
I haven't tried to melt any of it yet, however.
Pat, you've done wonders with that car. It looks great!
As I mentioned, I also like the "dog bar". :D
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 08, 2021, 03:43:30 pm
Pat, you've done wonders with that car. It looks great!
As I mentioned, I also like the "dog bar". :D
Of course, I haven't seen it in person, but it went from nasty to nice, in the pics.
"Dog bar", as opposed to "dog bone"?
Post by: TopNotch on May 08, 2021, 06:16:36 pm
"Dog bar", as opposed to "dog bone"?
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 08, 2021, 07:49:10 pm
Post by: TopNotch on May 13, 2021, 04:41:30 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 13, 2021, 06:34:32 pm
Post by: TopNotch on May 13, 2021, 06:58:38 pm
What is the light nlue stuff?Some kind of sealant, where the wire bundle enters the switch.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 13, 2021, 07:02:09 pm
Did you get the high-temp loom in?
Post by: TopNotch on May 13, 2021, 08:06:13 pm
Did you get the high-temp loom in?Yes
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 13, 2021, 08:12:20 pm
Post by: TopNotch on May 19, 2021, 03:04:06 pm
But when I removed the pulley, there was no oil on its back side, and the seal looked fine. I put a new seal in anyway and searched for the source of the oil. Finally, I found a bolt hole on the timing cover with no bolt in it. The hole was hidden by some wiring and not readily visible. The oil appeared to be weeping from that hole, and trickling down to where the crankshaft pulley attaches. I put a bolt in the hole and went on another test drive. The dripping appears to be fixed.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on May 19, 2021, 05:48:09 pm
Post by: TopNotch on June 12, 2021, 05:29:11 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on June 12, 2021, 05:32:18 pm
Mine started squealing and smoking the belt when engaged, so it will go back to the shop when I get the engine running right.
Post by: TopNotch on June 15, 2021, 05:36:23 pm
Post by: Fierofool on June 15, 2021, 05:53:40 pm
Post by: TopNotch on June 17, 2021, 02:04:27 pm
In any case, the 95 compressor is on it's way back, and the proper one is coming by 2-day express. It's supposed to be here Friday.
Post by: pgackerman on June 17, 2021, 02:44:20 pm
Paraphrasing Johnny Cash,
"It's a '94, '95. '96 automobile..."
Post by: GTRS Fiero on June 17, 2021, 06:46:33 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on June 17, 2021, 06:47:53 pm
My car is ready to receive new AC components. One of the things that makes installing the compressor easier on the 3800 is the fact that it uses studs, not bolts, for mounting. It's hard to line up a heavy compressor with bolt holes while lying under a car, but you just slide it on with studs.
Could a stock Fiero engine be fitted with studs?
Post by: Wreck It Ralph on June 17, 2021, 07:31:21 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on June 17, 2021, 07:33:49 pm
Post by: Wreck It Ralph on June 17, 2021, 08:02:38 pm
Post by: GTRS Fiero on June 17, 2021, 09:07:26 pm
Post by: Fierofool on June 18, 2021, 07:45:15 am
Post by: TopNotch on June 19, 2021, 03:04:23 pm
I managed to find and fix a potential problem while under the car, too. One of the transmission oil cooling lines was not clamped securely. Trans fluid was weeping out where it was clamped, so I tightened the hose clamps.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on June 19, 2021, 03:11:00 pm
Post by: TopNotch on June 24, 2021, 02:38:33 pm
Post by: Fierofool on June 24, 2021, 05:16:30 pm
Post by: TopNotch on June 30, 2021, 04:05:08 pm
Problem 1: If I stopped for a while when the engine was hot (i.e., to get gas), and then started the car again, the idle would "hunt" (go up and down).
Problem 2: If I tried to accelerate while going up hill, the transmission would downshift, and never go back into 4th gear after the climb, unless I put the car in neutral, shut the engine off, re-started it, and put the car back in gear. It was doing this occasionally on the drive home.
I read up online about problem 2, and the consensus was that the PCM will do this if it detects a lean mixture, and that a new fuel filter will usually fix it. My fuel filter is fairly new, but I was going to try changing it anyway. But after changing the FPR, the problem seems to have gone away, along with the hunting idle. I went on a bit of a test drive yesterday, and a longer one today. For today's test, I went up I-85 to exit 129, gassed up at Charlie's Race Track, and drove back home, being sure to accelerate up hills each way. Neither problem happened.
Now I think I can quit working on "White Lightning" for a while, and change the ball joints in my Ford Escape.
Post by: GTRS Fiero on June 30, 2021, 08:49:01 pm
Post by: Raydar on July 05, 2021, 09:45:59 pm
88s are difficult to do for most people, including me. But you seem to have a knack for getting it right.
Thanks.
Post by: TopNotch on July 05, 2021, 10:26:32 pm
Post by: Raydar on July 06, 2021, 06:34:36 am
Wheels are DDR Fusion 17x7.5, offset 38. Tires are 215-50R17 on all 4 wheels. (I like to be able to rotate.)
Excellent! Thank you.
Post by: TopNotch on August 18, 2021, 03:22:03 pm
But now I'm getting a SES light every time I drive a little while, and the code indicates a bad knock sensor. This engine has two of them, one for each bank. And I really wish I had thought to replace them when I had the engine out of the car.
I dove under the car and found both of them, and they are both rusty and look like they have been in there for ever. If the rear one is the bad one, be a real bear to replace it. It's in the block, between the oil pan and that long part of the automatic transmission that goes to the passenger side wheel. But I think I can get to it with a wobble extension and the appropriate size socket.
Here's a video on how to test these things, and the ones shown in the video look like the exact ones on my car. I have a couple on order.
Post by: TopNotch on August 18, 2021, 05:42:36 pm
Post by: Raydar on August 18, 2021, 07:24:35 pm
I had a knock sensor code on my truck (LM7 "LS" engine.)
There are two knock sensors that fit in two "wells" in the valley pan, on top of the engine.
Had to remove the intake manifold to replace the bad one. (Possibly it was okay, but the well was full of water. Already had the sensor. Easier to replace it, than do it over.)
Thanks for the video. I'm going to need it before too long.
Post by: TopNotch on August 18, 2021, 07:31:23 pm
Post by: TopNotch on August 19, 2021, 07:56:13 pm
My old knock sensors. May they rust in peace.
Post by: Fierofool on August 19, 2021, 09:17:39 pm
Post by: TopNotch on August 20, 2021, 08:05:27 pm
Aluminum tubing is very difficult to bend, even if you have a tubing bender. It tends to kink. But if you insert some flexible insulated wire of the proper diameter in the tubing, you can bend it without kinking.
Post by: Fierofool on August 20, 2021, 09:58:53 pm
Post by: TopNotch on August 20, 2021, 11:08:32 pm
Just hope that the bend doesn't crimp down on the wire so you can't get it out.I got it out, and it works. I will go on a longer test drive tomorrow to see how it holds up.
Post by: TopNotch on August 24, 2021, 01:16:44 pm
Now, I didn't get the errors until after installing the low mount alternator, and that caused the spark plug wires to take a slightly different path to the rear plugs. So I tried a simple re-routing of the wires, as shown in the picture below.
All I did was move the wires to the other side of the oil filler cap as shown. Then I went on the same test drive that had produced a knock sensor code. No code this time. Could it be that simple? The bundle that the spark plug wires pass over contains, among other things, the knock sensor wire.
On this engine, unlike on newer engines, there is only one wire to both sensors, and only one code set. Newer cars can tell you which sensor set the error.
One other interesting thing. The manual shows both the series 1 and series 2 3800's as possible engines for the 95 cars. That means that the change-over was done mid-year in 1995. And that explains why it is sometimes hard to get the right part for this engine. For example, when I tried to get a new throttle position sensor, the first one I got at the parts store was wrong. I had asked for the 1995 part. I then asked for the 1996 part, and it was correct.
Post by: Fierofool on August 24, 2021, 03:03:43 pm
You're so good at troubleshooting, I need to let you foster my two for a while.
Edit: Or all 3.
Post by: TopNotch on August 24, 2021, 03:56:05 pm
So can we assume you have a Series II engine?It's definitely a series II. The intake manifold is series II, and all parts that changed between series I and II are series II.
I went on a longer test drive, and then to the store. No knock sensor error. That's one error that always lights the SES light when it happens. Some errors don't, and the manual lists which do and which don't.
Post by: Fierofool on August 24, 2021, 03:59:38 pm
Post by: TopNotch on August 24, 2021, 04:12:53 pm
Post by: Raydar on August 24, 2021, 04:29:32 pm
...
So I tried a simple re-routing of the wires, as shown in the picture below.
All I did was move the wires to the other side of the oil filler cap as shown.
In their previous location, they would seem to have run parallel to that wire harness for some distance.
In their new location, they cross at nearly a right angle. A right angle crossing is just about always preferred, in the case where one signal can affect another.
Post by: TopNotch on August 24, 2021, 05:36:56 pm
Is it possible it could be outfitted with the more common OBD II ECM?The one that's in there works just fine, and, as they say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".
Post by: TopNotch on August 25, 2021, 06:42:55 pm
There was a frayed section of the wire going to the back knock sensor, and it was touching some grounded metal. So I had to make a new one and had to fish it through to where it connects to the front sensor wire. All better now (i hope).
Post by: Raydar on August 25, 2021, 08:40:51 pm
Post by: Wreck It Ralph on August 25, 2021, 09:13:34 pm
Does anyone make new harnesses? For stock motors that is.
Post by: TopNotch on August 29, 2021, 08:22:59 pm
After removing the heat shielding, I found that the crack doesn't go all the way around. I'll probably have to weld it, but for now, I decided to try something I found at AutoZone. It's called VersaChem Exhaust Seal Joint and Crack Sealer. It's supposed to dry in 4 hours, but I won't try running the car until tomorrow. We shall see.
Post by: Raydar on August 29, 2021, 08:55:11 pm
...I decided to try something I found at AutoZone. It's called VersaChem Exhaust Seal Joint and Crack Sealer. It's supposed to dry in 4 hours, but I won't try running the car until tomorrow. We shall see.
Good luck with the fix. Please let us know. I tried something similar - a JB Weld product, I think. It lasted for about an hour. But that was a long time ago. I hope the technology/chemistry has progressed some, in 15 years.
Post by: scottb on August 30, 2021, 01:19:55 am
Post by: Fierofool on August 30, 2021, 06:56:17 am
Post by: TopNotch on August 30, 2021, 01:57:27 pm
Because of the bar, I don't think the manifold would have to be mounted to be welded. And I don't think brazing with it on the car is a good idea. The work actually gets hotter with brazing than with welding, because the work must be heated enough to melt the brazing rod. With welding, just the immediate area of the weld is heated by the electric arc.
Edit: The blackened spark plug boot is right above where the crack was. It's just surface blackening.
Post by: TopNotch on August 30, 2021, 02:05:45 pm
Good luck with the fix. Please let us know. I tried something similar - a JB Weld product, I think. It lasted for about an hour. But that was a long time ago. I hope the technology/chemistry has progressed some, in 15 years.I went to the store in the car, and the fix held that long at least.
The VersaChem stuff is a water-based paste I think. It has no smell. I think it is some kind of ceramic, and the heat of the exhaust works like a kiln to harden the ceramic. The problem with that is that if there is vibration of the crack, that could work a ridged ceramic loose. I'll keep test driving it and see what happens.
Post by: TopNotch on August 31, 2021, 08:34:52 pm
Here's one I found on Rock Auto. Mine definitely doesn't have the big opening in the middle, but just the cross-over pipe connector. Otherwise, it looks the same, including the EGR tap-off on the left port connection.
Post by: TopNotch on September 01, 2021, 08:54:16 pm
It just so happened that a while back, I bought a new solid state "stick welder" (one that uses welding rods, not wire). I hadn't tried it yet, because it runs on 240V, so first I had to add a 240V outlet in my garage.
Because the welder is solid state, it is very small and light weight, compared to my old Harbor Freight wire welder. In this picture, it is tuned on with the current set to 41 amps.
I first did a little test weld on a piece of angle iron, and that worked pretty good
So now it was time to try it on the manifold. Unfortunately, I had the current set too high, and burned a couple of little holes in the manifold. So I turned it down (70 to 41), and was able to fill the holes and the main crack. It's awfully ugly, but a lot better than that VersaChem stuff.
Post by: TopNotch on September 02, 2021, 10:36:52 am
I let it harden overnight, and drove to the store today. The exhaust noise was quieter than it's ever been, indicating a good seal. While I was welding, the heat seemed to make the crack outside the welding area close, and the weld has held it closed. The engine is quiet enough now that I can hear things I hadn't noticed before, such as a slight valve train noise. So far, I'm happy with the result.
Post by: TopNotch on September 03, 2021, 09:51:30 am
Now the only leak I can hear is around on the engine side of the manifold, where I can't reach with a welding rod. I may yet have to take the thing off. But for now, I packed in some of that VersaChem stuff with my finger on that side. After it dries, I'll check for leaks again.
Post by: TopNotch on October 11, 2021, 04:01:38 pm
Post by: TopNotch on November 04, 2021, 11:08:03 pm
Post by: TopNotch on November 05, 2021, 05:55:11 pm
Post by: Raydar on November 05, 2021, 09:43:05 pm
It seem like that every time i take something apart on this car to work on it, I discover another "short cut" the original builder of the engine swap did. The exhaust manifold I took off was mounted with no gasket -- just metal to metal against the head. Now I'll have to check the other side to see if it was put on that way, too.
Are you certain that the manifolds have ever even been off the engine?
I've taken stock (cast iron) manifolds off of several engines over the years. They were always "metal to metal". Not even a steel shim gasket.
Of course, the reason they were coming off was so that I could install headers, so I always went back with gaskets.
Post by: TopNotch on November 05, 2021, 10:15:23 pm
Edit: In any case, it has a gasket on it now.
Post by: Raydar on November 06, 2021, 10:54:48 am
Didn't realize that it followed the stock path.
Post by: Fierofool on November 06, 2021, 02:20:43 pm
Post by: TopNotch on November 06, 2021, 07:35:57 pm
I thought stock 3800 exhausts crossed over to what is our trunk side. Their firewall side.My trunk side manifold looks like this, except that it doesn't have the big pipe outlet on it.