Hello fierosound, your car looks amazing, i just wanted to say, once the cold/snow moves off the prairies, which has been surprisingly little in Sk, i think we are all dying for a video of it running, or atleast a sound clip of the exhaust tune, i know i am atleast. It will help me get through the cost of my SD4 build, because you of all people know what i mean. Anyways i was just wondering if your using a SuperDuty water pump or a Duke water pump, and which alternator you are using. I am leaning towards proform hei, but still considering a kinsler fuel inj. set-up with a sprint magneto or other.
So what is the chance you still have the weber setup that came on your SD4 and want to sell it.?? I would drive the 5 hours just to pick it up.
Weber setup was sold on eBay years ago.
Proform disributors come with a red cap. The thing is BIG and a pain to do anything to it with engine in car. I don't think MSD has caps for 4-cyl, but you could get 8-cyl HEI cap and knock 4 posts out. If I were "doing over", I'd use Small HEI external coil distributor from carb'd Duke Jeep engine.
As I've said before, all my SD4 "parts" are on my car and have no SD4 stuff laying around.
Just a Tilton starter. Once I got a new header, I had clearance issues with solenoid and switched to a factory 3800 one.
[This message has been edited by fierosound (edited 03-24-2012).]
Car looks great, and here I thought Mister was OCD, no wonder he had a gleam in his eye when he first mentioned your Indy a few years ago. You did beautiful work to it.
Question: How did all the paint on all the engine and suspension parts hold up? When I restored my first 86 I did powdercoating, POR 15, and tremclad (all after sandblasting the parts) and drove my car in everything but snow and salt. I found some of the results slightly dissapointing after a while compared to the reputation POR 15 and powdercoating sometimes get.
Question: How did all the paint on all the engine and suspension parts hold up? When I restored my first 86 I did powdercoating, POR 15, and tremclad (all after sandblasting the parts) and drove my car in everything but snow and salt. I found some of the results slightly dissapointing after a while compared to the reputation POR 15 and powdercoating sometimes get.
Tremclad on the cradle/supension parts seems to be holding up very well. Also used Duplicolor Caliper Paints on engine parts with good success. Like this stuff!
[This message has been edited by fierosound (edited 04-06-2012).]
Ab-SO-lutely po-SO-tively by far the best close to stock Fiero I have ever seen PERIOD!! Just read the whole thread.. 2 hrs later I am trying to clean the drool of of my keyboard. I am a duke fan and someday after my children grow up lol I will have an SD until then I will keep being the idiot who dumps $$ here and there on trying to get my 96 h.p. go-cart motor to put out 1/2 a h.p. at a time! It is the little engine that could...........not lmao. Great thread sweet friggen ride and keep up the amazing meticulous work you are an artist!!
------------------ If it works take it apart and find out why
Thank you! Just find yourself a BIG (more than I expected) bucket of money.
Well I found some and have purchased a Super Duty block, parts and head. Any advice on building the engine or a good carb to use? I have a double barrel edelbrock intake or I could pick up a set of Weber carbs...I don't know which way to go. Oh, and I want to swap mine to a Getrag 5 speed also.
Sent you a PM.
[This message has been edited by FieroMaster88 (edited 02-22-2013).]
This Indy originally came with this Hooker 4-tube race header that would not clear the Tilton starter solenoid. On this style it hits the primary pipe from cylinder #4. Solenoid of stock starter just tucks behind. This header also hangs below the cradle low enough that you can't install a rear anti-sway bar.
I originally reworked the header to "shorty" style to clear the solenoid and ran without a catalytic convertor. You can see where the solenoid kicks out here.
The exhaust was damn loud so I need to get a cat. convertor or resonator into the system. In addition, a Duke header DOESN'T really match the SD4 head's exhaust ports (see below).
The Hooker Tri-Y header style has better scavenging and routes like the stock system for a cat. convertor. Whodeanie built me a header like this to match my SD4 head. Again, it clears the stock starter, but not the Tilton.
I installed a newer OEM 3800 compact starter which is a tight fit but just clears and wrapped a starter blanket around it. (not my engine, just using photo to show Tri-Y style header and stock starter solenoid location)
[This message has been edited by fierosound (edited 05-15-2013).]
The SD4 head's exhaust ports are quite different from the stock Iron Duke head.
Header gaskets - there are two listed for the 2.5L (sometimes).
Here's a pic of the exhaust ports on my SD4 aluminum cylinder head GM PN 10038433 Fel-Pro SD4 header gasket PN FPP-1441 is what matches the ports.
Here's a comparison of the difference in exhaust gaskets. The top one matches my SD4 head's exhaust ports, the lower is a stock Duke gasket.
While it will bolt on, a header built for the Iron Duke head partially blocks the SD4's exhaust port. You can see how by how much when the SD4 gasket is matched to the Duke gasket underneath. The already smaller SD4 exhaust port has it's flow blocked by a fair bit.
[This message has been edited by fierosound (edited 05-15-2013).]
Whodeanie (before Fiero business problems started) built me a header with flanges to match the SD4 head and gasket.
Unfortunately, it's was still sized for the Duke engine and had only 2" pipe for the system after the header. Keep in mind, the SD4 head flows 80% MORE air out of the box than a stock Duke header. It became apparent that I really needed 2-1/2" pipe as the 2" may have been choking the system.
We reworked the header and it is now 2-1/2" from the Y-pipe from O2 sensor back. Newly ceramic coated here. Looks kok-eyed, but cat. convertor sits level under the car.
It's hard to see the thing installed in the engine bay.
I haven't had a chance to drive it much. Dealing with replacing the clutch in the GT right now.
[This message has been edited by fierosound (edited 09-01-2023).]
Have you been able to tell any differene between the two.
Can't really make any comparisons. Never ran the car with the long tube header. Never did any 1/4 mile/times etc. Right now, will have to check setting of carb secondaries (not opening properly) so engine not pulling as hard as it should.
[This message has been edited by fierosound (edited 05-22-2013).]
Worked on fixing the header leak. In the past I had used Ultra Copper with success - but this time it didn't hold and blew out in the "thin" areas.
This header was a copy of the Hooker header made for the Duke, but with alterations to match the ports on the SD4 head. You can see in posts above in matching the gaskets how much difference there is in the port size and locations. The SD4 ports are smaller and higher up toward the top mounting bolts.
Unfortunately, the header builder did not increase the size of the outer flange, so there is only about 1/8" to seal the header against the head. These are the problem areas.
I've reinstalled the header with a gasket AND a thin smear of Ultra Copper. Hopefully that will do the trick. Haven't started it yet - exhaust is off to solve a problem of pipe banging on cradle.
[This message has been edited by fierosound (edited 09-02-2023).]
I installed a new stainless steel hydraulic clutch line purchased from Fiero Store.
To get the old clutch line out intact OR to install a factory clutch line, unbolting the steering rack (from the beam only) and separating it from the column makes it MUCH easier to get the clutch line out. If you're throwing it away, just cut the line apart.
Once you have the old line on the floor, you'll need to straighten out the shipping bends of the new SS line and make any other adjustments as necessary to match the factory hydraulic line.
You'll also need to transfer the brackets from the old line to the new line as the line will reinstall in all the original locations.
The new SS line has fittings on both sides of the braided flex hoses. This is very useful at the front end, because you can separate the section of line that connects to the master cylinder and get that into place by itself.
Once that's in place, its easy to get the main section in place and connect the two at the flex connector. Reinstall the steering rack.
Again, at the slave cylinder end, there's fittings on either end of the braided flex connection. It should not be necessary to separate these when installing, but at least you could if you needed to.
[This message has been edited by fierosound (edited 09-02-2023).]
I remember reading through this thread when I had fieros but wasn't a member, I just read the entire thing again. you really inspire me to do quality work rather than just bolting in a 350. when im done with school and I start making decent money I have tons of ideas. great thread and beautiful car.
I remember reading through this thread when I had fieros but wasn't a member, I just read the entire thing again. you really inspire me to do quality work rather than just bolting in a 350. when im done with school and I start making decent money I have tons of ideas. great thread and beautiful car.
If you think about it, it's about the same amount of work to do it right vs half-assed.
At cars shows you can see the difference between workmanship (good) and craftsmanship (better).
some day I will build a super duty indy, between you and "the turbo super duty build" and all of my other research on the s10 forums and such. this is something I really want to do. I don't mean to copy you but it just wouldn't seems right putting a super duty in anything else. that's in the future though,
As many of you remember, this SD4 engine originally ran dual Weber side-draft carbs in race trim before being transplanted into the Indy (but was never run in the car - final installation work was never completed by previous owners).
When I got the car, the engine was rebuilt and detuned (C.R. was 13.5:1 - now 10.5:1 and other stuff) and we went with a 4-bbl carb on Edelbrock 4-bbl manifold. I never could get it working quite right. Transitions from cruise to WOT always had a bog in there we couldn't tune out. Cold starts were OK, but you couldn't drive until it warmed up a bit and it also got horrible gas mileage.
I installed a FAST EZ-EFI - a "self tuning" fuel only system designed to replace a 4-bbl carb (you retain your weights/springs/vacuum distributor for ignition). While the hardware seemed to work great, the "self-tuning" fell flat on its face with this engine. It definitely did not live up to expectations in the long run. It was over-fueling the engine for some reason.
I wasted the entire LAST summer following up the diagnosis from FAST's technicians:
1. must be installed wrong 2. must have an exhaust leak 3. there's something wrong with the engine 4. must be "interference" (your car is haunted)
After eliminating all possible problems and an ocilloscope diagnosis of all signals came up clean, the conclusion was I had a case of "there's nothing wrong - but it just won't work right". Whole story here: http://www.cpgnation.com/fo...day-not-today.22587/
I gave up on their "self tuning" ECU and went the DIY route. I kept only the FAST EZ-EFI 2-injector throttle body and built a new factory style wiring harness to connect it to a Delco 1227165 ECM. I have the secondary throttle plates disconnected and running as a 2-throat TBI.
To run it, I installed a 8192 baud Delco 1227165 ECM (90's Camaro TPI 350) . The regular MEMCAL is replaced with an NVRAM module from pcmhackers.net and running their $12P BIN. See here: https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/119333.html
This slick combination gives you the ability to Flash BINs, Real-Time Emulation (run directly off the laptop making as-you-drive changes) and record Datalogs of all engine parameters for later playback/review directly through the ALDL port. I also added a WideBand O2, knock sensor and switched back to an ECM controlled distributor/ignition system (85/86 Duke) on the engine. (NOTE: I just retuned this same setup to run the MPFI system I later built for this engine https://www.fiero.nl/forum/...L/000077-6.html#p226 )
I started with a modded $12P BIN for Camaro 350 TPI w/SD - changed parameters to 4-cylinders and fuel to suit the 2-injector setup. It started on the second crank - and ran not bad! Proof of concept confirmed!
I was able to put this together, but the TunerPro RT learning curve is like a steep vertical cliff for me. Right now I'm working with Dave at Old School EFI in Vancouver Washington (a TunerPro expert) to get this working right.
We have a ways to go, but so far it's getting better with every BIN I flash to the ECM
I've been fighting ongoing steering issues on my Indy since I got it. I'm totally gobsmacked that I had any steering issues at all since the car only had 18,000 something original miles on. BUT it had a rattle due to a worn passenger side bushing that I replaced along with both the inner and outer tie-rod ends. Better, but not great.
I gave up and got a rebuilt Cardone rack, figuring I screwed something up. Not any better with that either!!
But I had problems with a "rebuilt" rack I got for my GT last year (they just cleaned it up and replaced the boots - not the worn out inner tie-rod ends) https://www.fiero.nl/forum/F...2/HTML/128897-2.html That POS rack came from CarSteering.com
Lately, the steering was getting loose and sloppy. Even adjustment of the pinion preload didn't help with the center looseness. I was looking to dig into this annoying problem and fix it once and for all.
But I was stumped! The intermediate shaft is good, solid, and tight as well as the U-joints. I put vice-grips in the bottom shaft of the steering column to check for looseness in the column itself. Seemed good. All the tie-rod ends on the rack seemed tight and checking the rack's pinion with a wrench seemed OK. At first.
I had to recheck everything AGAIN. The problem finally surfaced when I cranked the rack from end to end. I was working the pinion with a wrench and found it moves in and out about a 1/2 inch! That would be the "slop" I was feeling as the pinion rode up and down the rack's teeth. I haven't taken it apart, but I'd say this "rebuilt" Cardone rack is missing (or broke) the snap ring that holds the pinion gear bearing down.
The parts car rack I bought was tight in the rack/pinion, so I rebuilt it by replacing the passenger side bushing and inner/outer tie-rod ends. I also had new MOOG rubber bushings installed in the front upper and lower control arms. BIG improvement. So I also installed the coil-over kit I got last year for the car.
These are 275# 12" long springs and require that the strut's spring perches be cut off.
After clean up and some paint, it's time to assemble the coil-overs.
They look pretty good installed on the car. Adjustment is needed after seeing how it sits on the ground.
Got an alignment yesterday and FINALLY the car rides and handles properly.
The rack I took off the car is on a shelf right now. If all it needs is the snap ring, it should be useable in the future.
Once you get a suspension together, there are still ways to fine tune the understeer/oversteer handling. The easiest is to adjust tire pressures (2lbs at a time) to achieve the desired change. You can also make the sway bars "stiffer/softer" by changing the bushings (poly=stiffer, rubber=softer).
[This message has been edited by fierosound (edited 09-02-2023).]
We've been fighting with it for almost 2 months and just couldn't get it right. It was finally pointed out that the jumper settings to configure the NVRAM board to run the TBI probably weren't right. (didn't get a PDF with the thing)
So once I get that corrected, it may be "start from scratch" again.
BUT... it may be better and faster progress.
[This message has been edited by fierosound (edited 10-17-2014).]
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If you think about it, it's about the same amount of work to do it right vs half-assed. 
