Went to a cruise in in Lake Mary. The 88 died on I-95. Dragon stopped by. Tried a different coil, no start, replaced ignition module, no start. Something not fun in 90+ heat/humidity along I-95 with traffic whizzing by @70+ mph. AAA called a flat bed truck came and carried the car to the shop.
I suspect the car was just out of gas because once the car was at the shop, I added more gas and the car started. It ran like crap. Monday the car went onto his computer and we found a bad mat sensor. One spark plug wire was cooked, the wires, cap and rotor were replaced and the car got its Amsoil change (7200 miles and two years).
Good for a few more years.
[This message has been edited by Old Lar (edited 06-29-2009).]
i worked with my tailight mod goodies today for a little bit...more looking at it from different angles and scratching my head than working ,my original plan was to glass over some gt broken tailight covers i have and sink some zr1 style lenses from a mini truck roll pan i had in my stash. after cutting the roll pan apart i started toying with the idea of placement inside the covers. what do you think ? inside or outside ? of course inside will require replacement of cover http://i242.photobucket.com...obinson/b7e5a077.jpg http://i242.photobucket.com...obinson/964ae5f7.jpg http://i242.photobucket.com...obinson/c3a49990.jpg
Not today, but Friday, 6/26/09, my Fiero got towed back home from Phillipsburg NJ to my home in North Jersey. I was on my way out to the GM Nationals at Carlisle PA.
I got caught in a long stretch of stop and go traffic. The "Check Engine" light came on and Temp gauge was almost pegged. I'm estimating 240-250 degrees Fahrenheit. So the new LS3 engine overheated on the way out to Carlisle. We stopped at a Dunkin Doughnuts to take a break and to let the engine cool down. But, I couldn't get the car to restart or idle properly.
So I got a 2 hour ride in a tow truck back to my local repair shop.
Here's the kicker, after we got the Fiero parked in the back of the repair shop we decided to take one last shot at starting the car. Low and behold not only did the engine start, but it started and ran like a charm. Go figure.
As best I can figure, the electric water pump blew a fuse and caused the engine to overheat, and the ECU saw that the temp reading was out of range and malfunctioned. After the 2 hour ride home, the engine had cooled off and the temp reading was within normal operating range and every thing went back to normal.
So my trip to Carlisle was cancelled this year. Bah Hum Bug. Oh well, there's always next year.
~Bob
P.S. Didn't some one once write that, "The best laid plans of mice and men so often go astray". Ah, so painfully true.
------------------ "Its nice to be important. Its more important to be nice."
Sanded down and painted the deck vents, touched up the side mirror housing, and the girlfriend recovered the front speakers with burgundy fabric which look sweet as hell. Photos soon?
Today I finally replaced my dogbone with the polybushings. Last summer I got an old worn out GT dogbone at the boneyard, removed the rubber bushings, wire brushed the dogbone, painted it black, put in the poly bushings from the FS. Went to replace it on my engine and the bolt was larger than orginal, didn't fit in the strut holes, and I didn't have time to fool with it so I put the old dog bone back on. I'm on vacation this week and now have some time to play with it. I also replaced the dogbone access cover with a repainted boneyard find. Tomorrow I replace the door and trunk locks. Larry
------------------ Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will sit in a boat & drink beer all day.
Installed new hook-type wiper arms, Motormite 42580 and 42579, and a couple Bosch Icon wiper blades, 20" on the driver's side, and 18" on the passenger side.
Installed new Donnelly Compass/Temp/Auto Dim mirror and recovered the headliner. While I was at it I replaced all of the bulbs in the overhead light panel.
I replaced the 3 locks on her today. Now I know why I was procastinating so long. I vaguely remember changing the locks on my son's 85 2M4 back in 1997 and it wasn't a lot of fun then either. Today it took me about 5 hrs to accomplish it. The trunk lid lock is a piece of cake but the darn door locks are a pain. First I attacked the driver side door. Got the horseshoe shaped clip off the lock cylinder pretty quick. Hmmm, this isn't so bad. Destroyed the small clip holding the rod to the back of the lock cylinder. No problem, 2 new small clips came with the locks. Go over the the driver side. I find out the PO or some other person put the horseshoe shaped clip on facing the wrong way. There was no way to grab it to slide it away from the cylinder. Messed around awhile (actually quite awhile) and finally drilled a small hole in the metal I could see. Then I was able to put a sharp pointed tool in the hole to slid the clip to the side and get the clip off. Then removed the lock cylinder and put the new cylinder in. Getting that horseshoe clip back in is interesting. Keep dropping it, lose it in the door. No problem, I have 2 spares, end up dropping and losing them for a time too. Head off to harbor freight for another magnet pickup tool after breaking mine fishing after the clips time after time. But 5 hrs later the new locks are in. And I found all the clips that were dropped in the door.
did some tuning last night. mostly just played with my idle set screw. now my BLMs and INTs stay at 128 when in closed loop at idle. but the IAC still plays around. when i blip the throttle, the IAC counts slowly go to about 80 somethin and jemp to 160 and the car stalls out. i think it was because i was blipping hte throttle with a cam. well now i need to start playing with throttle tuning
EDIT: oh yea, i put my HIDs in. bad connection kept them from staying on. looks like i get to buy some new headlight connectors!
I looked at her as I walked by. I think she is feeling abandoned with me being gone a week or so, and parking her at my Moms house (long story) so that nothing happens to her.
Tomorrow I think we are going to spend some "alone time".
One day the wife will make me happy enough to want to spend alone time with her. Kidding kidding, especially if Rachel reads this.
Put in the recall decklid weatherstrip. It is not hard to do once you figure out how to do it. I even put the weatherstrip in backwards the first time, just so I could take it back off, out, reverse it, and put it back in.
Replaced the starter on the XTC - what a treat that was - had to cut out the cat - it needed to go anyway. Starter installed and works, added some "heat" shields cause the exhaust manifold was cooking the main cable form the battery to the starter. I also found that the wires to the AC compressor are cooked too. One was completely severed and making no contact. Found this after I ordered a new compressor..... I have to order new connectors for the AC switches now.
Also been working on some lo pro headlights - not done yet but working on it.
I will get the exhaust back together this evening when it cools off a little outside. Onward and upward......
yesterday i dropped cradle assembly removed old POS duke that pukes oil for another POS duke that doesn't...hopefully today assemble and maybe fire up...tim
Whenever I am frustrated, worried, angry, happy, sad, broke........I give my car a wash and a new coat of wax. And I have to say it is one shiny SOB. Last night I took my 16 year old granddaughter to the fireworks show in Grand Rapids. She lives in Texas , so this was her first ride. She said " your car is a head turner" I said ' No.....it's the cute little blond sitting next to me."
I had to rebuild the left headlight motor assembly, wouldn't come up. So I ordered two kits from Rodney and rebuilt both. I decided to follow the directions since I had not done this before and wouldn't you know it, I should have went with my gut feeling and not followed the first part and just pulled the side plate on the drivers side. Ended up breaking the screws on the motor cover / field magnet. I didn't need to take that apart.
Live and learn.
Took the new LeBaron rotors off my GT and painted and installed the cross drilled ones so I can get the extra 11.26" brake set shipped to Keith Wagner aka kwagner.
I am also lining up all four wheels. I made marks on the concrete using a square and level off the rotors and measured distances between front rotors and rear rotors so I could compensate for the difference. Then used a chauk line to get the reference down each side of the car. It may not be perfect but it is a heck of a lot better than it was until I get it in the shop for a better alignment.
Earl
------------------ 87 Fiero GT Yellow / Grey Interior T-Top, 11.26" Cross Drilled brakes, Lowered 2" Whaletail, Mecham Scoops, ZR2 Scoop HHP Custom Sway Bars T/A Fender Vents, Mr. Mikes, Much Much More
2007 Dodge Charger R/T Hemi powered 5 spd
2008 Dodge 2500HD 6.7 CTD 6 spd
Formerly FieroGT87 Member since 2001
[This message has been edited by Earl-R (edited 07-07-2009).]
I drove it around town buying parts for my Vette thats broke down on the car port. Go figure. If I had to choose one or the other to be broken down I would rather it be the Vette but my wallet would rather it be the Fiero.
Well over the 4th I painted my replacement bumper and fender needed from my Fieros unmaned drive into the barn while unloading from a trailer. Today I made a couple brackets for the dual battery install under headlights, powder coated them high gloss wet black... looks sweet... This week put all back together wet sand and buff. Then on to final finish on the custom center console for the 7/18 show.
Vince
------------------ Hop Till You Drop!! www.worldwidefieros.com 86 GT.. Lambo Doors, V8, 5sp, Blue 88 Formula.. Stock, White... Wife Ride 85 Gt Black, 2.8, 4sp 85 Black, 2.8, Auto 99 K2500 Suburban, 454, 4X4 04 Trailblazer, Green, Wife Ride
I drove it around town buying parts for my Vette thats broke down on the car port. Go figure. If I had to choose one or the other to be broken down I would rather it be the Vette but my wallet would rather it be the Fiero.
I hear you on that... The love for my past vette was a love hate.........
crashed it *lucky no damage that i know of*... sweeper stopped in left lane of street no hazards, night time... wet mettle bridge...... skidded to a stop 4 feet from the thing, rubbing on the curb and maybe a little guard rail... dude was standing behind it when i slammed the breaks about 20 feet away...... he was up the fence when i stopped
because once the car was at the shop, I added more gas and the car started. It ran like crap. Monday the car went onto his computer and we found a bad mat sensor. One spark plug wire was cooked, the wires, cap and rotor were replaced and the car got its Amsoil change (7200 miles and two years).
Bah Hum Bug. Oh well, there's always next year.
