I had tried a 180*, a thermo without the center, and no thermostat. I got best performance and fuel mileage with the factory reccommended 192* The ECM is programmed to work best at 192. If you run the 180, cooler thermostat, you are costing yourself bucks every mile you drive. The differance between 180 and a 192 was 4 MPG. Ya only gotta 10 gal tank. You just lost 40 + miles range. Also you are running the fan more than is needed at 185 cool down temp. Putting a strain on the altenator and the fan. This also puts demand on the altenator, causing resistance, and more $ per driven mile.
Dont get me wrong. I love what you are doing to the car and applaud you for all of your efforts. But this one change I don't recommend. They had good reasons to use the 192*. Joe Crawford
Now mind you I am way ahead then what I am showing you and posting here. I am actually about 6 months ahead. Let me jump ahead for a post...
All posts above were wrote some time ago to a text file and I added them yesterday.Thats how I posted so much in a very short time. I will post it up to date soon including some pretty impressive dyno pull videos. Some pulls before tuning and after tuning. The end result is shocking but that will come soon. I have taken over 2500 pictures and the car looks very different now then it does in these pictures above. The car is at this point 75% done and I am actually in the process of having the tuning done professionally with a Apexi AFC NEO (Air Fuel Controller) and some chip tuning. The shop feels they have brought the 4.9 to its limits with tuning the prom and now are relying on the SAFC to pull a few more HP out of this motor. To be honest I dont think the stock prom can have much done to it to really pull anything out of it. My dyno tech and chip tuner is named "Cracker" and he isn't white LOL but he cracks most barriers when people say they cant pull anymore HP out of your motor, he can. With the 192* and a small tune the first dyno pull was 197 hp and 271 lb·ft on 91 octane. With the 180* and a "lot" of tuning time with the prom and the SAFC and my custom CAI, the last pull was 219 hp 298 lb·ft on 97 Octane. Now mind you everything above is now installed on the motor so I would think all this together has help achieve these numbers. All the MSD and upgraded ignition parts, a custom made and "dyno" tuned aluminum mandrill bent cold air intake. It looks like the one for the new Camaro. It kind of looks like this one below. Its 4" inlet and 4" outlet and has two chambered sizes. It goes up to 5" and then to 4' again back to 5" on the bend and back to 4" This is the 7th one made. Now this doesn't mean there is 7 CAI's laying around for the 4.9. They all been cut up and reused in someway or another to make the final one. Its a time consuming bit of work. Each one had to be cut, welded and reshaped then dyno'ed again to get the most HP out of the tune.
When I say tuning time i am talking about weeks of trial and error. Not a day or two...
Again I am jumping WAY WAY WAY ahead so I am going to now roll it back 5 months.
[This message has been edited by TEXASGT (edited 09-24-2009).]
While I am waiting for the headliner to be finished I decided to refinish my tail lights. So I pulled out the lights and right away I knew I was going to have another project on my hands. The covers were epoxy'd on the the tail light housings. Again I have to think what the hell was the PO thinking. So after a hour per side of removing epoxy It was time to clean and polish the tail lights. There was lots of blemishes on the covers (See the before photo) so I picked up some PlastX clear plastic polish from Meguiars. You need to put some serious elbow grease in and polish them about 4 times over on the inside and outside. When they are done they will look almost like new. also get a Q-Tip and do the inside of the PONTIAC. It will look like new
Do not use a polishing wheel! You will burn the covers.
Here is a before and after
Before
After
Before
After
[This message has been edited by TEXASGT (edited 09-28-2009).]
Again a little out of order but my headliner guys were here today and here is what the before and after.
I decided to eliminate the coat hooks and third brake light. Bla Bla Bla I know I know but I just don't like the third brake light... These guys are just awesome. They have done 2 of my Supras and now my Fiero. This is their 10th Fiero they have worked on. They can also change any carpet and door carpet to any color. The headliner and carpet installed with a 1 year warranty and was only $197. Thats cheaper than any other place I've checked. He is a mobile guy and comes to me. Here is the Fiero store as a price comparison. http://fierostore.com/Produ...rowse.aspx?d=264&p=1 and keep in mind that mine is installed for $197
Did you ever buy a used car or someone else's project car that was suppose to be complete and you find so much wrong. Its very trying and hard to stay focused. Again I have to ask myself, WTF was the PO thinking! What a ****ing tool! This has got me so pissed off... Another day of fixing lazy people syndrome!
Vacuum hose for fuel line? ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME AND HE RAN IT RIGHT NEXT TO THE PULLEY SYSTEM AND THEN AROUND BY THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD! Its also laying on a jagged part of the old battery tray so its just digging away at the fuel line!!!
Eating away at the fuel line!
A plastic fuel filter and vacuum line for fuel line!!! MORON!
[This message has been edited by TEXASGT (edited 09-28-2009).]
ive bought a bunch of stuff from norwood and have not had a problem with any of it .....but ........i have not bought these .i would not take a chance on those ,i would spring for a better brand maybe stronger ,i am a firm believer in autoloc stuff ,you arent skimping on the other cool stuff you bought .
ive bought a bunch of stuff from norwood and have not had a problem with any of it .....but ........i have not bought these .i would not take a chance on those ,i would spring for a better brand maybe stronger ,i am a firm believer in autoloc stuff ,you arent skimping on the other cool stuff you bought .
What???
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03:19 PM
mid engine monsters Member
Posts: 754 From: south alabama Registered: May 2009
Started painting my interior to match the new carpets and headliner. Carpets will be in Monday and he says the carpets will be 90% close to original except for color. Door carpet will match the floor and headliner and the door skins will be back to factory gray... Having the Dash repaired and dyed black on the top and sides and the factory gray will also get redyed to factory color.
He are a few before and after. i am not painter but I am happy with the results.
Before
After
[This message has been edited by TEXASGT (edited 09-30-2009).]
Been rebuilding my interior for two weeks now. I cant stand how the vinyl pulls away from the plastic skeleton. I got some plastic weld from Auto Zone today and rigged up a clamping system. Here are the before and after. The interior is coming together nicely.
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12:36 AM
Oct 18th, 2009
stickpony Member
Posts: 1187 From: Pompano Beach, FL Registered: Jan 2008
I had tried a 180*, a thermo without the center, and no thermostat. I got best performance and fuel mileage with the factory reccommended 192* The ECM is programmed to work best at 192. If you run the 180, cooler thermostat, you are costing yourself bucks every mile you drive. The differance between 180 and a 192 was 4 MPG. Ya only gotta 10 gal tank. You just lost 40 + miles range. Also you are running the fan more than is needed at 185 cool down temp. Putting a strain on the altenator and the fan. This also puts demand on the altenator, causing resistance, and more $ per driven mile.
Dont get me wrong. I love what you are doing to the car and applaud you for all of your efforts. But this one change I dont reccommend. They had good reasons to use the 192*. Joe Crawford
thats funny, because my MPGs IMPROVED with a 180 thermostat on the 4.9L. i also adjusted the fan temps to come on earlier. the 4.9L enters closed loop at around 170 degrees and stays there till the engine cools down to about 120 degrees. a 180 thermostat will keep engine temps around 185 realistically with the car in motion, so i dont see how running hotter just for emissions purposes improves mpgs, as long as the car is running in closed loop......you sure you didnt have anything else wrong that got fixed at the same time ??
