Suspension all hooked up. Need to rent a torque wrench that goes to 220lb for the new spindle nuts.. mine only goes to 130 or so . . .
I initially installed my sway bar backwards.. opps.. just for reference the stock sway bar has a "pointy" end and a round end.. the pointy end is the driver's side. . . .
Once that was all set I installed the new calipers, pads, rotors and hoses. Also hooked up the e-brake.. but snapped the little adjuster thing.. i'll need a new one now.. ugh . . .
After all that.. i was excited to get wheels on it and see what it looks like in daylight.. it's been in my garage for 5 years! Was a good feeling.. it's actually starting to look like a car again
I removed the torsion springs to clear room. I'm making this post because it's intimidating to do for the first time.. so if you're reading this and are thinking about doing it, hopefully this will be helpful. I followed the process from the service manual.. others use straps or cut them off.. but i dont have small enough straps and didnt want to cut them.
You need both of your hands for this.. so if you only have 1 arm get some help.
Step 1 is place a "block" between the bar and the hood bracket. Get a block that fits the gap entirely.. you dont want any play..I actually tapped mine in with a mallet.. it was good and tight Also grab a board to protect the glass in case something goes haywire. It recommends plywood.. but i just used what i had lying around Then remove the screw(1) circled in the pic.. my drivers side was just a torx bit.. but the passengers side was a security torx bit.. dunno why. This was the scariest part.. the screw looks like it's going to come flying out.. I just went super slow and wore safety glasses.. yea i was being a pussy but i like having eyes . . . Next step is to place a hollow bar that's 1" or so in diameter on top of the torsion bar. I used the top half of my hydraulic jack handle.. it worked perfect . . . After that, you can un-bolt the number 2 bolt in the picture w/o pulling down the bar. The last bolt(3) you need to pull down the bar while loosening it. This is where you need 2 arms. Holding the bar down the whole time you just back the bolt out and slide the bracket away. I used a 13mm ratcheting wrench.. ezpz . . . Then slowly rest the bar against the wood board that is protecting the glass. I went back and grabbed a smaller piece of wood at this point.. because the other huge one was overkill. . . . Lastly go to the opposite side of the bar.. you can now easily pull the bar out of the way with your hand and pull out the pin. . . . Now just rinse and repeat for the other side. Once you do it.. you'll feel kind of silly for being scared.. there's so many horror stories i think I psyched myself out.
now that the bars are out of the way.. i can test fit the trunk.. hopefully with the IC i don't run into clearance issues.
I did some cutting to clear the SC snout . . . then it was onto the IC heat exchanger setup. I got most of these hoses from buying a friend partially done swap. hoses.. hoses everywhere . . . picture speak for themselves really
Got the rear bumper back on. . . . time to move that battery off the roof of the car. Problem is the battery I have (which I bought brand new last year) is slightly too large for the box I bought.. :sigh:.. . . . . . .
On to the front brakes! The rotors were seized on there pretty good. It took a whole lot of banging on both sides to break them free. I still have a bunch of suspension parts to install, so I didn't go crazy cleaning at this stage.. just want to get it stopping . . . I managed to get the passenger side brake hose free with no issues at all. but the drivers side stripped on both sides. I only have a single set of lock pliers so I used a pipe wrench on the other side. eventually I'll have to replace the hard-line.. but for now I'm going to see if it holds.
Have some springs and struts for the front, I'll probably have a shop install those for me though.
When you get this mean machine on the road, meet me around Littleton, I will bring our Formula, and buy you lunch.
sounds like a plan although.. at the rate i work it may be a few years lol
Haven't had much time to work on the car the last few days. Here's an image of what the spoiler looks like with the trunk up. . . .
Also got my Sage IMSA side scoop in the mail. So I figured it was time to build my CAI side by side . . . Here's the TB side. The additional grommet I had on the shelf. I just used two PVC pipe elbows to pass through the hole to the fender . . . Then I just slapped a big ass cone to it using a rubber adapter . . . If you look closely, you can see the filter through the grill
Up next is wrapping up the IC install. I had to wire in the pump. i got all of the components used, and wiring is by far the area in which i have the least knowledge and experience with.
After lots of googling, and a facebook post, I managed to figure it out. First, the pump. I just used a couple big zip ties, the same ones I used for the spoiler. I mounted it below the intake.. the lowest point of the system to aid in priming. . . . I ran the ground to a random un-used hole in the engine bay wall above the intake, and also grounded the relay ground to the same spot. I think this was originally to mount the vapor canister? . . . Then I ran the power wire from the pump and the ground wire through a pre-existing hole in the trunk wall and attached them to the relay. . . . For those wondering, this is how I ran the relay Pin 30 = Pump power wire Pin 85 = ground Pin 86 = ignition power (I used E3 on the C500) Pin 87 = power junction in batter tray area (not pictured is a fuse I ran in the trunk wall) . . . Then I ran the wires right through the trunk wall and into the engine bay through an existing hole on the other side. Then I just tied into the C500 ignition wire, and put an eye-hole on the other side for the power junction. . . I still need to clean up some of these red wires
. . . It works! Then it was onto filling it. I used one of these guys, worked out ok.. still leaked out on the sides though
. . . Getting it to bleed will take some time. I still have some big air bubbles to work out, but no leaks!
[This message has been edited by ignorant prodigy (edited 07-26-2018).]
I moved Dec 21st. Just before that I had it towed to the exhaust shop to have the build the exhaust. It's been sitting there since. I didn't give him a time table.. so it's basically free storage at this point. I emailed the guy last week to make sure it was indoors.
so at this point.. all my tools and spare parts are packed in totes in my new garage. I'm not in any real rush to get the car back.. I wouldn't be working on it till it gets warmer anyways
It's still sitting at the exhaust shop. I've asked him a couple times at this point if he has a plan of attack.. but he doesnt I'm not putting too much pressure on him. I only have a 1 car garage at the new house and right now it's holding another toy.
Over the last few years i've come close to just selling the fiero and all the parts.. its hard keeping motivation. I still want to finish it at this point and actually race it.. but having it for 6 years and never driving it can be very discouraging.
So after years of complaining to the wife she finally just said to go ahead and buy a fast car.
Back in Nov 2018 I dropped it off at the Exhaust shop. I asked him if he'd be interested in doing a few other small things to it in addition to the exhaust. He pulled in into his shop to protect it from weather.. and there it sat.. That's where it sat.. collecting dust for a year and a half.
Then on March 9th I stopped by his shop to get an oil change... in my Viper. He had never met me face to face.. so I thought it'd be a good introduction.
Then 2 weeks later, he had my exhaust done! lol. He's a good guy.
Can't wait to get back into it. Downside is I don't have space for it. Going to have to leave it outdoors for now, until I figure something out.
Have my battery on a trickle charger, i'm going to drain the oil and put in new stuff. Also the gas is 3 years old at this point.. i may just try to start it with the old gas? still deciding
hit a set back yesterday. did an oil change and went to start it. first time since late 2018 that I've tried turning it on.
I turned the key (with jumper cables on) and i heard the IC pump come on, but not the fuel pump. Tried cranking and nothing happened. So I checked the fuses for the fuel pump, then the relay. Then I crawled under and checked the harness from the pump... all looked good.
That sucks. But at least the damage appears to be all in one spot so it shouldn't be too hard to fix. I usually have a chunk of mouse poison in my front trunk to prevent damage.
------------------ 86 GT built 2.2 ecotec turbo rear SLA suspension QA1 coilovers on tube arms
glad to see you're still at it, it's a bummer that the wiring got trashed. especially considering the location is hard to do a good permanent fix, a high stress point with lots of motion is the last place I want a joint.
That sucks. But at least the damage appears to be all in one spot so it shouldn't be too hard to fix. I usually have a chunk of mouse poison in my front trunk to prevent damage.
yea. i had traps in it when it was in my garage, but when it was at the exhaust shop it didnt have anything
quote
Originally posted by ericjon262:
glad to see you're still at it, it's a bummer that the wiring got trashed. especially considering the location is hard to do a good permanent fix, a high stress point with lots of motion is the last place I want a joint.
Agreed. good as time as any to learn how to solder i guess
Agreed. good as time as any to learn how to solder i guess
it's worth mentioning that the heat can cause stresses in the wire which can degrade the strength, a well done crimp might actually be a better fix, because it allows for more flex, but not with autozone butt connectors.
------------------ "I am not what you so glibly call to be a civilized man. I have broken with society for reasons which I alone am able to appreciate. I am therefore not subject to it's stupid laws, and I ask you to never allude to them in my presence again."
it's worth mentioning that the heat can cause stresses in the wire which can degrade the strength, a well done crimp might actually be a better fix, because it allows for more flex, but not with autozone butt connectors.
Sounds like a bit of a rattle has started. hard to tell where it's coming from. I took off the sc belt to eliminate the coupler... best i can tell is it sounds like it's coming from the back valve cover areas.. no beuno
So the rattle goes away when I push in the clutch. clutch chatter? The flywheel has quite a bit of surface rust on it from sitting. I know the spec's have a break in period so I'm debating on what I should do.
Speaking of surface rust, my never used rotors and rebuilt calipers are also orange. I took off the rotors and put them in a vinegar bath. While doing that I noticed my new hoses are leaking at the banjo bolt. It's been so long I can't remember using new copper washers, so I ordered a few. I guess I'll paint the calipers too?
Originally posted by ignorant prodigy: So the rattle goes away when I push in the clutch. clutch chatter? The flywheel has quite a bit of surface rust on it from sitting. I know the spec's have a break in period so I'm debating on what I should do.
It likely is the gears on the input shaft rattling then. Check for transmission fluid, then take it for a drive to see if it get better. Some transmissions (like the F40) just rattle at idle.
It likely is the gears on the input shaft rattling then. Check for transmission fluid, then take it for a drive to see if it get better. Some transmissions (like the F40) just rattle at idle.
ok sounds good. checking/adding tranny fluid is on the list of things I have left to do. From the little research i've done it looks like Dexron VI is the stuff I need. Still need to bleed the clutch too. Owned the car for 8 years and I've never driven it lol.
Rain and no garage has a way of killing my momentum.
This is white vinegar did to my rotors after sitting in it for 3-4 days . . I'll paint the calipers at some point. . . The copper washers in the front were leaking. So I got some new ones. Might be a bit of a noob questions.. but I'm guessing a washer goes on both the hose and caliper side of the banjo bolt? These ones don't appear to be leaking. . . looks like the MC was empty on one side. Removing it was easier than I anticipated. I just went slow and made sure I didnt strip the nuts on the lines. . . Bench bleeding the new master for the first time. I tried to make sure it was level, and I waited 20 seconds between each compression. This sucked.. literally and figuratively. . . Eventually the bubbles stopped... and I moved on the bleeding at the calipers. I have never bled calipers before. I started in the right rear, left rear, right front, left front. All this according to The Ogre's site. I used a harbor freight hand pressure pump. I watched some youtube videos.. but for the life of me couldn't get the stupid thing to get a steady stream of fluid to come out of it. By the time I was done I was getting clear fluid.. so I think all the old had come out. I kept adding more to the MC. I pumped the breaks a couple times with everything closed up and the pedal got stiff ..so I guess I did it right??? . . On to the clutch. This seemed to like the hand pump more more. The bleeder valve was more friendly.
. . . So, I need to buy some transmission fluid and top that off. the Red fill cap is underneath the crossover pipe, but I was reading and it looks like I could potentially use the allen nut next to it? Also my reverse lights are on.. I have two connections on the transmission not hooked up. 1 I think is the speedo? I have 2 connections not connected to anything on my harness but they don't come anywhere close to reaching these.. so I cant tell if they're the ones I need? I'll need to look into it.
wish the weekends were longer. The weather has sucked.
the trans can be filled from the allen bolt, I just checked on one of my F23's.
There are two electrical connections on the F23, the VSS, which is on top of the differential, and the reverse light switch, which is on the driver's side about the axle.
Edit:
you should definitely have copper washers on BOTH sides of the brake lines as well.
------------------ "I am not what you so glibly call to be a civilized man. I have broken with society for reasons which I alone am able to appreciate. I am therefore not subject to it's stupid laws, and I ask you to never allude to them in my presence again."
the trans can be filled from the allen bolt, I just checked on one of my F23's.
There are two electrical connections on the F23, the VSS, which is on top of the differential, and the reverse light switch, which is on the driver's side about the axle.
Edit:
you should definitely have copper washers on BOTH sides of the brake lines as well.
for those requiring a visual of the proposed F23 fill location:
------------------ "I am not what you so glibly call to be a civilized man. I have broken with society for reasons which I alone am able to appreciate. I am therefore not subject to it's stupid laws, and I ask you to never allude to them in my presence again."
Here's the remaining harness connectors not currently plugged into anything. the small blue one looks like it could be for the VSS or reverse, but the other pink/purple one doesn't quite look like it's for the transmission. I was thinking AC? I don't have one so I just assumed it was for that. Neither come close to physical sensors, so if they're meant for it I'll need to extend them.
The one on the right is the vss, the one on the left is the reverse lights.
------------------ "I am not what you so glibly call to be a civilized man. I have broken with society for reasons which I alone am able to appreciate. I am therefore not subject to it's stupid laws, and I ask you to never allude to them in my presence again."
No prob, but I would highly recommend doing a continuity check between the connectors and PCM/ C500, before cutting anything, I was going off of just connector shape.
------------------ "I am not what you so glibly call to be a civilized man. I have broken with society for reasons which I alone am able to appreciate. I am therefore not subject to it's stupid laws, and I ask you to never allude to them in my presence again."
so, I think I have it all figured out. I still need to do some continuity tests to confirm.
my previous photo was a couple years ago. Actually the 2 plugs not connected to anything where:
This one was actually plugged into the oil level sensor:
The 2 Ericjon told me were for the transmission are on the same section of harness... and when I disconnected the one in the oil level sensor they easily reach the VSS and Reverse light sensors on the transmission.. no splicing required.
That leaves me with this rogue sensor (I think is the AC connector - which I don't have AC so...) Here is Rock Auto's AC connector: . . It also leaves me with no connector for the oil level sensor. I looked it up on Rock Auto and here's what the photo they use for the oil level sensor: Look familiar?:
And finally.. just to confirm I wasn't crazy... here is Rock Auto's F23 reverse light connector. They actually use the exact same stock image.
what does it all mean? Well until I do the continuity test i can't be 100% certain... The one wrench in the whole thing (and the reason I still want to test the continuity) is that my clear PCM harness pin 6 is there.. and the wire is brown. My schematic says Pin 6 should be bwn/wht and is for the low oil lamp control....well the connector I had originally going to the low oil sensor (and now the reverse lights) is brown.. The missing piece to the puzzle for me is where should the reverse light wire be going? I think it's E1 from the C500? Need to confirm that.
but I think I just made the innocent mistake of plugging the reverse light sensor into the oil level sensor. Since I don't have an AC I don't need this loose connector.. but I might as well leave it there zip tied.. doesn't hurt anything.
Also.. now my reverse lights went off once I plugged in that connector.. so that means it has to be right.. right?
yeah, GM reuses some connectors on different parts, sounds like your oil level switch was passing power for the reverse lights. the connector used for the VSS also interchanges with some ECT and IAT connectors,. the random connector is almost definitely for AC, it's the only application I have every seen for that one. sounds like you're on the right track.
------------------ "I am not what you so glibly call to be a civilized man. I have broken with society for reasons which I alone am able to appreciate. I am therefore not subject to it's stupid laws, and I ask you to never allude to them in my presence again."
So apparently the drain plug on the transmission was stripped. Being the man I am.. I made it worse of course.
Because of the precarious position of this plug, I was limited to the tools I could use. I wound up getting an alan wrench in it and used a screw driver like a pry bar to wedge it in as far as I could, then used the back end of a wrench to give myself leverage. Once my muscle got weak.. I used a mallet to whack the stupid thing.. and it cracked loose.
That wasn't the first thing I tried.. probably spent an hour trying to get it out.
Luckily I have a spare F23 because of all the mount issues I was having... so I just poached a good one from that. I'll let you guess which was bad.
Pretty much all that's left before a test drive is torquing down the axel nuts. Just a quick cold start video. Going to rain and drop back down into the 40's the next few days so probably not going to be wrenching.
went to put on my centerlines and discovered they barely fit over the studs. not enough threads for the lug nuts to use.
This is the stock wheel. My scientific measurement of 1 index knuckle shows small the distance between the wheel and the lugnut is . . This is the centerline, which is roughly 2 index knuckles
So I stole my wife little ruler thing from her sewing box to try and get more official measurements. With the rotor on, there's roughly 22mm of stud available . . The centerlines have these long lug nuts with washers. I fully threaded them to see how much stud length I have available They come just shy of the rotor.. so roughly 20mm . . The inside of the centerline had a lip, which is how far the lugnuts can travel into the wheel. the distance between that lip at the back of the wheel that hits the rotor is roughly 21mm . . So what does all this mean? With 22mm stud available minus 20mm width of the wheel.. I'm left with roughly 2mm of threads for my lug nuts That leaves about 18mm of empty space left for my lug nuts to thread.
The question is.. do I try and shoot for the full 18.. or come shy of that? If I shoot for shy of that.. how much shy is safe?
The stock stud I believe is 41.5mm long. I think the next size up is 54mm. That's 12.5mm more. That brings a total of 14.5mm of stud to thread. Is that enough? My stud allows for 20mm, so I would have roughly 5.5mm left.
I should mention I only measured the front studs.. not sure if there's a difference between the front and the rear.
