I guess from what I have gathered, when you do a engine swap or rebuild it is customary to get a pic of yourself in the engine compartment. So here it is!!
When I first bought the car it didn't have the gas tank in it. I loaded it the motor and the trans along with alot of misc. part in the bed of my truck. Whitch by the way has been interesting since I have never work on a Fiero before. After taking a close look at the gas tank I found out that it leaked through some small pin holes where the strap went across the tank. The metal there was thin but the rest of the tank is pretty solid, so I welded up the holes and streghtened the tank. I pressurized the tank with exhaust from a running car, so as not to BLOW UP. LOL. After making sure it didn't leak I cleaned and painted the tank. Here is a before and after pic of the gas tank.
[This message has been edited by BlownFiero86 (edited 05-15-2012).]
I got the cam in and everything put back together. I took some time putting the top end together, cleaning and painting what I could. Fixed the bypass valve that was stuck shut by dirt and black gunk. Replaced the bad PCV valve that caused all the problems. I added the new dog bone from WCF and laid the new spark plug wires over the motor for visual affect.
[This message has been edited by BlownFiero86 (edited 05-15-2012).]
Had to do some welding on the frame right above the left rear tire. Was missing about a foot of frame work, but after some cleaning, cutting, and welding it is ready for paint.
Next I had to do some reconstruction to the fender well where the battery box was. I guess this is a pretty common place to have problems with rust. After a piece of sheet metal, a hammer and anvil, and a welder. I finally have something can do some body work to and paint. The hole was pretty big, it was about 12 inches by 7 inches.
I cleaned up the rust with a wire brush and took the air hose and dusted everything off. I sprayed a metal primer/rust reformer and then a couple coats of gloss black. Now everything is looking sweet!!!! Here are a couple pics of where the whole used to be.
Here are some other pics of the paint job in the engine compartment.
Got the new struts ready to go in. KYB struts and eibach lowering springs. Also got the fuel filler tube restored and repainted. The filler tube was really thin in a few places where it had rusted really bad. I was able to clean it and use Klean Strip remover and then instead of trying to weld it and blow holes through it, I used JB weld putty. Which by the way worked a lot better than I thought it would. After that I painted it with cold galvanize paint, good as new!!!
I started on the wiring using the buick harness and putting the computer in the trunk, by way of the original fire wall plug that was in the buick. Putting the computer where the uselees blower motor was located at. Then going to tie the rest in at the c500 plug by where the battery box used to be.
I did used the factory location for the computer to set up an auxiliary power distribution panel by useing a few parts out of the buick. Going to set some fuses up for acc using the two coils in the bottom of the pic and some for all time power for certain reasons.
You may laugh at me but I went to wal-mart and bought the rustoleum rust reformer and bought rustoleum gloss black. Once it dried it seems alot like implement paint. It takes a hammer to beat it off there. I even beat on the control arms a little re- installing and it barly scuffed the paint. Thanks for the complements, Ben
I too am in the middle of my first 3800 swap. I must say things have been going slower than I had hoped but making some nice headway as of recent. Seems like I have been taking 2 steps forward and 3 steps back every time I work on the car. I live in western PA and we really don't have any emissions requirements. Can anyone explain what I can and cannot eliminate. I would like to strip as much off as I can. I had WCF make my wiring harness and reprogram the ECU. I told them up front that I wanted to eliminate everything I could but it appears as though they have left alot of plugs on the harness. Those guys have been great but I don't have any pictures to show how they planed to route the harness so I am kind of winging it there. Please keep in mind I am new to this so don't really know all the jargon yet.
Also, anyone that could shed some light on vac routing would really be hooking me up!
By the way BlownFiero86, I love they way your build looks and I have been using alot of the info that you have provided. I hope you don't mind, but I am assuming that's why you put the info out here.
First off, the best form of compliment is imitation. As far as eliminating things off the motor, the only things I have eliminated is the 2nd O2 sensor (after converter), EGR controls, and oil pressure sensor off the car the motor came out off (used fiero sensor). Some people are deleting the bypass valve controls, which I have thought about, but have decided to keep for economy for now.
I finished the cars wiring harness. The buick computer is in the trunk where the blower motor used to be, the harness goes through the trunk wall using the firewall gromet out of the buick, and I mounted the plug for the motor out of the buick on the trunk wall so installing and removing the motor will be as easy as loosing a bolt and unplugging the motor. I updated a few relays as you can see in the pic and tied everything back into the fiero harness going through the firewall and the C500 plug.
Looks like a nice clean install so far. I kind of like the idea of the ECM where the blower was at but does it get enough air circulation to keep it cooled off there?
"I know for a fact is uses a Crower Cam that John put in, no idea on specs - hell, the last time I rode in the car was something like June of '97 for the Knott's Berry farn show, picked up the car down at Fiero Motorsports which has been gone for years. Knowing John, it more than likely has headwork, port matching, etc... I do know that at one time ( possibly still does ) had true dual exhaust with no crossover, sounded like a Geo Metro on crack and I believe that we successfuly talked him into changing it."
The original ECM was under the dash where the heater would have blown on it in the winter and some of the other 3800sc cars have the ECM in engine compartment. I do not believe that the ECM is that vulnerable to heat but that is definitly something I should look into.
I should also mention that the mounting braket that I made for the ECM bolts to the duct bolts for the blowers intake (which pulls air from inside the fender area). The duct is sealed off by the the plate so no moisture can get in the trunk.
I decided to make my own lower alt mount because I coudn't see spending all the money to buy one when I have a welder and some scrap metal. It may not look professional, but it works and was a whole lot cheaper this way.
End result was a well boxed, painted and aptly engineered framework. Don't need to be ashamed of that!
Haven't posted for a few days because I have been a little busy. Got in my Magnaflow mufflers and just kind of set one up on milk crates to see what it will look like. Let me know what you think.
I also fixed the apholstery on the center console and painted and fixed the ash tray doors. I know this might be hard to believe but, the vinyl was pulling away from the plastic frame. You guys probably know what I am talking about.LOL
[This message has been edited by BlownFiero86 (edited 05-30-2012).]
How did you fix that? I just took the plastic out of mine, and used it for a frame to make a new console from fiberglass. I'd show a pic, but my phone wont do that anymore.
Sorry I forgot to say that I was putting one on each side. I have two of them a plan to because of the way my exhaust runs. I personally like a little bit of the "ricer" styling, plus I wanted to do something a little different because it seems like the duals like the factory exhaust have been done alot.
I took a heat gun and got warm and plyable. Then took a flat surface, put some loctite super glue between it and the frame and pressed it agaist the counter top until the super glue held. Then I took a hot glue gun and secured the ends of it from coming back loose. The back side looks a little messy with hot glue but you don't see it.
[This message has been edited by BlownFiero86 (edited 05-29-2012).]
I was also able to make my coil pack mount, I cleaned it up, cut off some of the extra metal for the mounting tabs, and painted it. I forgot to take pics of the finished product.
Those coils were on the motor when I pulled it, I just it on there to fabricate. I will replace it before I finish the build. Thanks for the comment about the exhaust, I'm kind of partial to it myself. LOL
Any clearance issues? Whats left until we can here this baby purrrrr. Boy i wish you were closer, id love to be apart of a swap before i decide to get my own started.
I actually had a clearance issue with the super charger belt and the deck lid hing bracket. With a little help from an anlge grinder the disaster was averted. Hoping to post video soon. I can not wiat to drive it, but I will have to have it aligned first.
I forgot to post pics of my brakes. I choose to go with R1 concept slotted rotors and ceramic pads. I got new calipers, the fiero store stainless steel lines, and APEX braided stainless steel PVC coated flexible hoses. I figure if I am planning on going fast, I better be able to stop just as good.lol
Had to do some welding on the frame right above the left rear tire. Was missing about a foot of frame work, but after some cleaning, cutting, and welding it is ready for paint.
Here are a couple pics of where the whole used to be.
Going to set some fuses up for acc using the two coils in the bottom of the pic and some for all time power for certain reasons.
As far as eliminating things off the motor, the only things I have eliminated is the 2nd O2 sensor (after converter), EGR controls, and oil pressure sensor off the car the motor came out off (used fiero sensor). Some people are deleting the bypass valve controls, which I have thought about, but have decided to keep for economy for now.
