Dave "forgot" to post "these" pictures.

Dave's serious side......


Dave's more serious side......


Love ya, Honey!
Joey

dave, your domain linky no worky

quote Originally posted by hookdonspeed: dave, your domain linky no worky

I purchased the domain name, but the website won't be up for a week or two. My shop's site is in transition from one hosting to another due to my shop getting a whole new site, so that should take a day according to my web guy.
Dave

quote Originally posted by bmwguru: Fieros are my hobby. BMW's are my living. Dave

Dave,

I cannot get enough of your words. My mind begins to swim in ectacy. Now, any thought of something really extreme?, a BMW engined Fiero! Be the first, you obvioulsy have the skills!

Cordially,
Kevin

[This message has been edited by kevin (edited 04-03-2009).]

quote Originally posted by kevin: Dave, I cannot get ecough of your words. Now, any thought of something really extreme?, a BMW engined Fiero! Be the first, you obvioulsy have the skills! Cordially, Kevin

i dont think it would be the first, wasnt there just a thread on someone having the bmw V8 in one?

and dave, if u need any help in that new shop, im willing to relocate :P

Good to hear someone in the area will be doing this type of stuff! Maybe sometime when I'm home in PA for a long weekend or something, I'll drive by if it's alright with you.

Keep up the sweet work, oh and don't forget pictures pictures pictures

Matt

Anyone is welcome to stop by as long as we are at the shop. I'm having a Tech Day on April 25th for the Garden State Fieros at the shop. The shop has been a bit messy, though. It is all the road salt that the customer's cars bring in.
I wanted to give a sneak peak on the harness. I will post up detailed pics soon. Basically, I removed the pins from the ecm. Cut the wires to the desired length. Then put new pins (or ecm terminals) and reinstalled them into the connector for the ecm. I also wasn't to fond of how close the vss connector is to the exhaust. I see that causing issues in the future, so I added a heat sleeve to that section of the harness.

Here is a pic of the "Haus".


(yes, that is a 1973 VW Thing in our shop. A restoration project we are working on)

I just wanted to update this thread. Here is a "near completion" pic. The wiring harness was done a little differently than the common place method I have seen here. I'm not saying that the other methods of cutting, changing the length, and resoldering are bad, but personally, I'd prefer a complete wire. To do this, I ran the ends of the wires to the components. Then I pulled the excess to the ecm. At that point, I added all the loom, Fiero bulkhead connector and cut the wires to the proper length. (If longer wires were needed, I replaced the single wire end to end using the matching factory color to aid in future wiring diagnosis). The new terminal pins were installed making a factory connection.
This is the only way I will do my harnesses. I did solder a few wires at the C500, but I did my best to keep it to a minimum.
Here are some pics. I'll post up pics of the ecm install and the wiring later.
Dave

Dave,

It's really good to see that you're finally doing this. Seeing this thread has prompted me to put my Sierra RS Cosworth up for sale in order to acquire another Fiero. I'm actually thinking about dropping by the shop on Friday to see your progress.

Tommy

That's a clean and neat looking swap and I thought that mine was clean!!! I agree quality harnesses are made using one piece wires. If you believe that your harnesses are different I'm a member of this club as well. My setup uses the Grand Prix fuse box and power center so there are many ways to construct a working harness.
Now that you are no longer a 3800 swap virgin ; this kind of work is sure to attract much of the NE crowd that wants a turn key swap. I've read that the supercharged version of the 3800 was only sold on 1% of the vehicles that came with those engines. As such, the supply is probably limited but there are still many out there.
What are you doing for the tune? If you don't have HP Tuners VCM suite as yet , I can run you through the program on my laptop at the open house.
I would also suggest taking a look at the LS4 if the supply of 3800SC engines starts to dry up or if someone wants a FWD V8. Its a more difficult swap but anyone who has a Fiero with a Volkswagen engine in it; it should be a cake walk.

------------------
" THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, 3.4" Pulley, N* TB, LS1 MAF, Flotech Exhaust Autolite 104's Custom CAI 4T65eHD w. custom axles, HP Tuners VCM Suite.
"THE COLUSSUS"
87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H
" ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "

Eww, why the breather?

Stock throttle body, stock PCV = sealed crankcase. You want the PCV to put the correct vacuum on the crankcase, so you keep your windage down.

And dennis, about 35% of all 3800s put into cars that had the option of L36 or L67, were L67's.

[This message has been edited by darkhorizon (edited 04-10-2009).]

I wanted to do a "base line" swap....a typical everyday swap that you would most likely see. I do have plans to swap out to a X-P or NIC camshaft, heads, bigger throttle body etc.
I want the swaps I will be doing for the public to be the highest quality. My VR6 swap and this 3800s/c swap is in my opinion a clean, reliable, high quality swap.
Dave

Is the website functional yet?

I'm going to start putting it together this weekend. Should be mostly up and running by Sunday evening.
Dave

Is it possible to do it without the breather? CA emissions make breathers a big no-no.

quote Originally posted by Austrian Import: Is it possible to do it without the breather? CA emissions make breathers a big no-no.

Its a bad idea in any state to use a breather. With a stock throttle body, a breather significantly retracts from oiling performance and high vacuum maf sensor accuracy. For people doing northstar swaps that are too lazy to make the proper fresh air draw, a METERED breather can be used, but idle issues are common, and oiling windage reduction is not as effective.

.

[This message has been edited by anonymity (edited 04-10-2009).]

From my research for the 3800s/c swap, I've read that if a s/c overdrive pulley is used, it is a good idea to use a crankcase breather. I know with the German cars, when we add superchargers, we need to reroute the crankcase breather system. But then again, when I remove the oil cap from a running German car, it will idle rough. An American and Asian car will not do that. The reason is the crankcase breather system design. German cars don't have a pcv valve.
Personally, I like the look of the breather. There are a few things I would suggest to change on my next swap, but it will be the owner of the car that will decide what they want the swap to look like.
I'm planning on itemizing the parts list this weekend to come up with a set price.
Dave

quote And dennis, about 35% of all 3800s put into cars that had the option of L36 or L67, were L67's.

Hmmm. Our figures are so far apart that I'll do some additional research on this. I find it hard to believe that one out of every three 3800's was supercharged. As far as I know the supercharged engine was only an option on Grand Prixs, Bonnevilles, Park Avenues and Impalas. Anyone have the production figures?

------------------
" THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, 3.4" Pulley, N* TB, LS1 MAF, Flotech Exhaust Autolite 104's Custom CAI 4T65eHD w. custom axles, HP Tuners VCM Suite.
"THE COLUSSUS"
87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H
" ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "

What exactly is a breather?

the "rough idle" is relative, the simple fact is you are letting air into the motor that the MAF is not seeing.. although it is just a small amount, and the o2 sensor can usually compensate quickly for it.

Oil windage on the other hand, is not fixed by the o2 sensor.

.

[This message has been edited by anonymity (edited 04-11-2009).]

I have no plans to race this car....or push it to the redline a lot. It is going to be my daily driver. As for oil windage, the oil pan gasket looks to me to be a windage tray as well as the gasket.
Dave

ps...sorry about that, I didn't see that my wife was signed in on my laptop when I posted

As a recipient of Dave's automotive talent, I feel it is necessary to share my experience and thoughts about his work. Dave and his team recently performed a complete tear-down and rebuild of the front and rear suspension on my 1986 SE in addition to an upgrade from OEM cradle mounts to solid ones.

From the beginning of the project, Dave was easy to communicate with and flexible with a drop-off time.

Once his shop had the car, it was completed in a very reasonable time frame and pickup was also very flexible. He took the time to show me what was done and also solved a few problems that came up at the time.

I am hoping that i will be ready for a 3800 SC swap sometime next year and at that time the car will be back in Dave's hands.

I have been dealing with Dave for mostly two years now through the Garden State Fiero Club. From the beginning he has also shown drive and urgency to complete a task on time and with 100% results. This man takes failure personally. From reading many of his postings, you can agree that he does not like failure.

I have been one of the few luck ones to have a ride in the VR6 powered Fiero early on, and unexpectedly I was speechless. That car magically put a huge grin on my face. :-)) It was hard to describe the rush I got from the ride. Dave truly mastered the VR6 swap.



Abe

Abe, Thanks for the kind words. I give 110% to my work because I need to know that it is perfect. When I opened my shop in 2002, I told myself that every car I repaired would be seen and judged by my competitors. A few years of that will make you a perfectionist.
Anyway, I spent this weekend making the Haus website and should have it online by tomorrow or Tuesday.
Dave

I'm not much of a web designer, but I put together a simple website for the Haus.
Here is the link.

www.hausofguru.com

Here is a quick header I made for the site, feel free to use it.



The header itself is located here in a PNG file (to preserve transparency).

------------------

Arizona Fiero Club
Check out your local clubs!
If they take away our guns, can we use swords?

[This message has been edited by HC (edited 04-14-2009).]

Thanks! That looks great. I'll definitely make the change later today. A + for you.
Dave

I've seen Daves work and it's top notch. I would not hessitate to recommend him for an engine swap. Dave is a proficient mechanic and one who works with honesty and integrity. It is good that the NE now has a Fiero shop capable of doing custom work and we wish him luck in this new venture. I believe that the 3800 swap that he just did will be popular but the Volkswagon engine swap on his very own Fiero may remain the one an only oddity. Just tell Dave what you want and I'm certain that he will consider it and do the job correctly and in a timely manner.
As for the name all I can say is Achtung!!!

------------------
" THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, 3.4" Pulley, N* TB, LS1 MAF, Flotech Exhaust Autolite 104's Custom CAI 4T65eHD w. custom axles, HP Tuners VCM Suite.
"THE COLUSSUS"
87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H
" ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "

quote Originally posted by bmwguru: I'm not much of a web designer, but I put together a simple website for the Haus. Here is the link. www.hausofguru.com

Too often people go overboard trying to jazz up their website. Yours is straight, simple, and to the point. I like it.

quote Originally posted by HC: Here is a quick header I made for the site, feel free to use it.

I made the change. Thank you.
Dave

I wanted to go more into detail about the wiring. Not trying to beat a dead horse, but I just can't justify cutting and splicing wires, changing the color of the wires (I keep all the wires the original colors to help in future diagnostic issues). Here we brought all the excess back to the computer.

Piece by piece, Joey sorted all the wires out so that the wires near the top of the connector would not cross with the bottom. She has patience!

Removed each wire from the connector and shortened the wire and added a new terminal end to the wire



We even used a new OBDII connector and pins. We did not cut one out of the donor car...especially when the connector was $10.00

Finished product...


I have to hand it to Joey who spent two days situating the wires, double checking the pins, making sure the wiring was perfectly loomed and cut to exact length and making my job easier. The ecm was mounted in a fixed location without modding the rear glovebox or door. Also, we ran it through the drive cycles and no check engine light or codes.
Dave

Nice work, both of you! It's that attention to detail that really separates the backyard jobs from the professionals.
Outstanding work.

I'd go blind, and insane going through all that wiring.

quote Originally posted by Formula88: Nice work, both of you! It's that attention to detail that really separates the backyard jobs from the professionals. Outstanding work. I'd go blind, and insane going through all that wiring.

I actually found going through the wiring to be relaxing. Once Dave told me what he wanted the wiring to look like, I took it one step further. Dave was telling me it looks fine, but I wasn't happy with it until it was perfect.... or at least as perfect as I could get it. That's what ya get for letting a girl work on your car!!

I ready to take on another wiring job whenever someone is ready to volunteer to be our first victim....

Joey

I like it when people focus on making the wiring tidy and organized.... this is an area that most people choose not to focus on. It goes a long way in making the swap a dependable daily driver and greatly lessens the chances for wiring issues/gremlins.

Thanks for the compliments.
One of my goals with my cars is to be able to obtain very high mileage and also be able to drive across the country at a moments notice (my wife has done that a few times in the past). Rumor has it that this summer the VR6 Fiero will be making its way across the country on a long road trip.
Dave

quote Originally posted by bmwguru: Thanks for the compliments. Rumor has it that this summer the VR6 Fiero will be making its way across the country on a long road trip. Dave

Heck I can't go away for more than an overnight trip in my Fiero. My wife has a habit of taking 10 pieces of luggage for an overnight trip and when I tell her that we only have room for one small wheeled carry on, she still brings another soft carry bag that she stuffs in the front. She says I need several changes as you never know what the weather will be like or what occasion I will need to dress for. Its a losing battle. No Fieros on more than two overnights and you want to go cross country???? You are a brave man but since you are now a swap shop perhaps you can develop a bigger front trunk insert made especially for women who like to travel. However several years ago in an old FOCOA magazine there was a story about a 71 yr old woman who drove solo going cross country in a 2M4. I guess that its possible but she may have used the passenger side for luggage space.


------------------
" THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, 3.4" Pulley, N* TB, LS1 MAF, Flotech Exhaust Autolite 104's Custom CAI 4T65eHD w. custom axles, HP Tuners VCM Suite.
"THE COLUSSUS"
87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H
" ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "

[This message has been edited by Dennis LaGrua (edited 04-19-2009).]

I say we plan a day for a couple Fiero folk to come check out the shop up close. Would be awesome.

quote Originally posted by bmwguru: Rumor has it that this summer the VR6 Fiero will be making its way across the country on a long road trip. Dave

Let me know if that trip crosses, Monterey, CA, San Francisco, CA, or anywhere near Cali. Maybe you can even time it around WestFest, or one of our (West) Coast runs.

-M