NOT TO FLAME YOU you do great work Archie but where is the crankcase breather oil filler and why did you cheepen you great install with cheep galvanized fitting and not clean brass ones and a nice piece of braded hose
[This message has been edited by bubbajoexxx (edited 08-02-2006).]
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11:50 AM
Archie Member
Posts: 9436 From: Las Vegas, NV Registered: Dec 1999
NOT TO FLAME YOU you do great work Archie but where is the crankcase breather oil filler and why did you cheepen you great install with cheep galvanized fitting and not clean brass ones and a nice piece of braded hose
Actually the chrome breather was in the trunk when that pic was taken.
I don't like braided hose covers, they hold heat into the hose too much for me, & they hide the hose so you cannot tell if it's collapsing or soft underneath the braided cover.
And It's a cheap galvanized fitting.
Archie
RiceCooker; I've not been able to find a replacement lug nut for that one that was damaged taking it off when you were here, so I haven't put the cover back on yet.
why does everyone always have that weird pose in the delivery pic when they pick there car up from archie?
It's called the Curley pose. It was 1st discovered & named by Dowdian when he picked up his Chop Top at my place in March of 05. At that time Curley only had 2 chop tops & Dowdian had noticed that everytime Curley had picked up a car at my place it was Winter & Curley looked pretty cold in the pictures we had taken. Well when I was taking pics of Dowdian with his car, he had me take some pics of him in the Curley Pose & it's become a tradition since then. You can read some of the posts on this topic on this page https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum1/HTML/047387-3.html
Imagine all the funny poses you're going to see at the Chop Top Reunion.
Archie
BTW: did someone ask what's the next project we'll be talking about here?
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11:29 AM
Archie Member
Posts: 9436 From: Las Vegas, NV Registered: Dec 1999
Hey, Arch.....what's the next project you are going to be talking about here???
Inquiring minds want to know...................
Well, I thought you'd never ask.
About 5 years ago, We installed a ZZ4 crate engine for rgeeinc (Bob Rutz) out of CA.
Since then Bob has made about 4 trips back to the midwest & done several engine upgrades, including heads, Cam & Accel DFI system & a paint job. Bob always coordinates these trips around Fiero shows in the Mid-West.
This year Bob attended the Dells Run in June & dropped off his car at my place for a 6 speed transmission swap.
I thought that maybe some people would like me to document that swap here.
Archie
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10:12 PM
Songman Member
Posts: 12496 From: Nashville, TN Registered: Aug 2000
That is going to be a huge improvement over the 4-speed that he did have in there. That thing bound up so much with all that horsepower in so few gears that it was almost impossible to drive. I look forward to seeing the outcome.
Archie, you should come out in one of your hotties and do the Coast Run with us in October. That way you can answer all of the questions about the 6-speed in person!
------------------ 4th Annual California Coast Run October 27-29, 2006 San Simeon, California
Nice to see pics of Bob's car again - haven't seen it since I wore out my V8 Archie videotape.
Ryan
That's right, I forgot to mention that anyone who has a Video instruction tape from the last 4 years or so will be familliar with this car.
We are also videotaping the 6 speed instruction tape during this 6 speed swap. So Bob's car will be the subject car in 2 of my Video Instruction tapes.
Archie
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08:47 AM
Alex4mula Member
Posts: 7403 From: Canton, MI US Registered: Dec 1999
The drive went great, had lots of fun and met some nice people along the way. The cooling system passed the ultimate test....and so did my body. Yesterday I drove from Moorehead Minnesota to Great Falls Montana....it was in the high 90's most of the day and even crept up over 100. I averaged about 80-85 mph during the middle of the day and the temp kept down aroun d 180-195 the whole way Another warm day today and It's probably been 3 or 4 waters per hour going through my system (no a/c can be fun )
All in all it was a great trip back but I am bagged. Had to take a few people for test drives as soon as i got home too!
I will post tomorrow about my driving impressions.......It may be a lengthy post.....this car has most definately exceeded my expectations...It still is sinking in that I am driving a V8 Fiero in what feels like a brand new car!
Todd
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10:08 PM
Alex4mula Member
Posts: 7403 From: Canton, MI US Registered: Dec 1999
There are 2 things that made Bob's car the subject for the V-8 Video instruction tape & now the instruction tape for the 6 speed.
#1) The car just happened to be here when I was ready & in need of Instruction tapes.
#2) It has a tilt rear clip, so when it's removed you have good access to video tape.
Here we are removing the Rear Clip.
When you order a kit for the 6 speed conversion on ANY Fiero, the 1st thing I'm going to ask you to do is take a measurement for me.
We need the dimension from the Shock tower..... (place your tape measure just like it is in this pic)
Over to the bellhousing face of the transmission........ (in this pic we are measuring to the face of the adapter plate which the transmission is bolted to) You MUST use a straight edge like we did.
The dimension you get will tell me how long to have your axles made. Be very carefull to get an accurate measurement.
The engine in your Fiero doesn't have to move either left or right to install a 6 speed into it. I need this dimension, so that I know exactly where your new transmission is going to end up & I can have your axles sized appropriately.
Archie
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11:12 PM
Archie Member
Posts: 9436 From: Las Vegas, NV Registered: Dec 1999
Once you have that measurement, you can Take the engine/trans/cradle assembly out of the car.
As with any other Fiero project, you have to be ready to fix little problems you find as you take it apart. Like this header crack that needs to be welded up.
Archie
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11:30 PM
Aug 13th, 2006
madcurl Member
Posts: 21401 From: In a Van down by the Kern River Registered: Jul 2003
Here we see the engine & transmission bolted back together and set back down on the cradle.
We are doing a Video Instruction tape on this conversion & you'll see all the extreme details on that video.
The front of the engine/trans assembly bolts to the original V-8 Front Engine Mount. We haven't changed anything at that end of the engine & we don't want to change the position of the driveline. So that mount locates the front of the engine in the correct location. All we have to do is measure to ensure that the engine/trans assembly is square & level to the engine cradle & we can tack weld the transmission mounts in place.
Now it's time for a test fit. We get the cradle up in the car with the front 2 horizontal bolts in and piviot the rear of the cradle up into position. Here is a view thru the wheel well with the cradle about 2" from being all the way up in position.
The transmission is close to the frame rail as seen in this picture. Although the transmission is only about 1/4" longer than the Fiero Getrag, the end of the transmission is bigger in profile & sometimes needs a little more clearance.
Once we've marked the frame rail & removed the engine/trans/cradle assembly, we cut 2 verticle lines on the inside of the rail & remove about 1/2" from the underside of the rail. Then we will bend that in at the bottom & weld it in place.
Archie
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07:08 PM
KissMySSFiero Member
Posts: 5542 From: Tarpon Springs, FL USA Registered: Nov 2000
Hey, where you been? Haven't seen you much on here for some time.
Archie
Since I moved to a state surrounded by water, I bought a boat. I do still read the forums from time to time. And I'll try to make it to daytona with my car next Spring. heck, I've thought about selling the Fiero and getting a solstice to do an LS swap. But custom fieros just aren't bringing enough cash to part with it these days.
Sometime in the future (To be honest, it may never happen, but I'd like to) I would love to make mine a 'vert. I remember your thread on how you braced up the frame for the roadster, and I like that better than the X-brace that is typically used.
Would you be willing to at the minimum, perform the same frame bracing for me (for your going shop rate of course)?
I'm not very skilled at welding the thinner materials of the Fiero Unibody, as I currently only have an electric arc welder available to me (stick type).
I'm thinking of the BBspyder 'vert kit, http://b-bspyder.com/FieroConvertibles.html Suggestions and opinions are also welcome if there are other options. Experience with the X-brace would be good to hear about also, maybe I'm just being paranoid.
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11:53 AM
Formula88 Member
Posts: 53788 From: Raleigh NC Registered: Jan 2001
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