This is what I should have received on my car, anodized black top and all (I specified that, too):
Vs. what I did receive:
Here is the other part of what I found when I took off the wastegate... Poorly hogged out holes (and not even a simple hand de-burring with a larger drill bit) and lovely vice marks:
(washers must be evil, they weren't used very often on this build)
Vs. the right way (valve seat insert and all):
While we're at it, lets have a look at the great seal on the ghetto teflon-taped barb fitting. Another exhaust leak. Surprise, surprise...
I saved the best for last. As I previously mentioned, these were stripped in the mating flange and barely more than finger tight. Two simple bolts. Too big, used and in nasty condition, and completely different from each other in just about every way. Not even the heads are the same size. The different thread pitch? That takes the cake:
I can't take pics of the mating flange on the POS Y-pipe right now, but of course it looks just as bad. What this all means is that I can't even install the new wastegate without repairing the Y-pipe with M8 helicoils (if they'll even fit in the stripped M10 threads) or building a new one entirely which needs to happen anyway because it doesn't line up to the manifolds. Thanks.
Again, HOW DO YOU SCREW THAT UP?
[This message has been edited by ALLTRBO (edited 12-16-2011).]
Alltrbo.... Jeez man I am very sorry you are having this trouble with your car. I can see from the pics that things were not done well and I do not see how anyone can look at those pics and think any of that will fly. Specifically the proximity of high heat elements and things that can burn. I do not know what you paid for this work but from the threads I have read about Haus of Guru and his builds I was quite amazed it can reach well into the many thousands of dollars. It is also troubling that despite any disagreements between yourself and him about what you are building and how, that he seems to be blaming you for a lot of this. I am sure that pisses you off as it would really unhinge me. I honestly do not care what you intended to build or how , this man comes on here and quite often touts how amazing his skills are and how high quality his builds are and apparently charges a premium for them. If you are going to conduct yourself and try to present yourself as an expert in this sort of thing, you had better make damn sure you can back it up. The fact that he apparently received a FULL and DETAILED description of your build plans and you went back and forth with it and he ACCEPTED the responsibility to do this work negates to me any argument about what he WANTED to do with the car. If he thought your design sucked as he said then he should have never taken your money and accepted the vehicle into his shop. The resultant work and condition of the car does not match what you intended nor does the quality meet with yours (or anyone else's) standards for a professional level build. I am sure seeing these pictures plastered on here really pisses him off and will not do much to further his reputation as a fiero professional but to see his responses quite honestly makes this all look very bad in my opinion.
I read where he said that he does not NEED to do Fiero work.... well quite honestly I cannot imagine why someone would want to do this type of work unless they really loved Fiero's. These cars are not your typical mustangs, camaros, or vette's where everyone seems to have one and there is a large aftermarket for them. So to take on custom work for these cars takes a level of commitment you probably will not see in other makes. To come on here and say that he really does not make any money on them and that he is not gonna do certain builds is kind of a cop out if you ask me. If you are a professional car builder and you are gonna take on work of this type and talk about all the different swaps and whatnot you have done then why would you make these statements? You are either in fiero's or out....
To be honest with you if I towed my car to some PRO's shop and paid a bunch of money for them to BUILD my car and now I am finishing the build thread MYSELF on the same car I would be awfully pissed off about it. I do not blame you one bit for posting this here and quite honestly the responses he has made about it does not show me that he is a true professional regardless of the issues with this car. A true pro would take care of it even if it cost him money. Anyone who is willing to put up their sign and take in work doing custom engine swaps in these cars take note here. You are either all in or all out... If you take someone's money to work on their swap, you better have the skills, know how, integrity, and professionalism to not only build it right and pretty the way the customer wants but you need to have the integrity to back up your work no matter what. If a build is too crazy or unorthodox for you have the nads to say no thanks and stick to what you truly know how to do. It is just that simple.... Honestly I don't care if your customer gets on a forum and calls you and your momma everything nasty under the sun, have the professionalism to stand behind your work and make it right regardless. It is after all your name and work that is under the magnifying glass here. If you do not have the courage and integrity to do that then find some other line of work.... It really is just that simple.....
Well said Pete. Thanks for your willingness to post your opinion here, a lot of others won't. I don't mind hearing opinions either way as long as they're posted in a reasonable manner.
No updates yet, Friday before last a girl ran a red light and T-boned my DD Camaro so I've been dealing with that and working out details for trading that in on a 2012 SS since I don't want to keep the 2010 anymore.
No updates yet, Friday before last a girl ran a red light and T-boned my DD Camaro so I've been dealing with that and working out details for trading that in on a 2012 SS since I don't want to keep the 2010 anymore.
I am hoping to get out of this ICCU tomorrow, though. A nasty virus attacked me early Monday and on Tuesday I started having severe chest pains especially while breathing which turned out to be Pericarditis and I also had some indications of Myocarditis, but today it let up a bit. I've had two sets of chest x-rays, five EKG's and an Echo. They are going to do a TEE tomorrow to figure out why my right ventricle looked partially collapsed in the Echo. (Don't worry, I don't follow all of that either, but hopefully they'll let me go soon anyway. )
Well it might not be the one you were looking for, but it is an update!
I am hoping to get out of this ICCU tomorrow, though. A nasty virus attacked me early Monday and on Tuesday I started having severe chest pains especially while breathing which turned out to be Pericarditis and I also had some indications of Myocarditis, but today it let up a bit. I've had two sets of chest x-rays, five EKG's and an Echo. They are going to do a TEE tomorrow to figure out why my right ventricle looked partially collapsed in the Echo. (Don't worry, I don't follow all of that either, but hopefully they'll let me go soon anyway. )
Well it might not be the one you were looking for, but it is an update!
DAMN dude, that's a hell of a list! get well soon, hope things turn around.
------------------ there's a Group on 60degreeV6.com for us 660 Fiero owners!
Thanks man. I forgot to mention that they took at least 20 vials of blood through a total of 6 different holes in my arms and hands. Some of those vials were sent out and the results won't be back for up to a couple weeks, but hopefully they'll tell me what exactly I had/have.
I'm home! The TEE showed that the ventricle was okay. I do apparently have a small hole between two of the chambers, but they say that's normal for 15-20% of the population. That wall also moves around more loosely than it's supposed to, but that's apparently okay as well. That test sucked. They sprayed a strong numbing spray down my throat before putting me out so they could ram a tube down to get an ultrasound through my esophagus (something like that) which gives them a clearer picture, but when I woke up I couldn't talk because it felt like someone ran a hone through my throat. Gah.
I'm still sick but it's letting up, the fever is gone and I can breathe without pain now, mostly. The inflammation has subsided, thanks in part to the Prednisone that I'm now tapering off of. I'll be fine, but that was too close for comfort in my eyes!
[This message has been edited by ALLTRBO (edited 01-28-2012).]
No updates yet, Friday before last a girl ran a red light and T-boned my DD Camaro so I've been dealing with that and working out details for trading that in on a 2012 SS since I don't want to keep the 2010 anymore.
Originally posted by katore8105: Ah Man, that sucks! I liked your Camaro!
Yeah, it does suck, but I like my new one better. The old one was actually totaled out and I got full trade-in value for it, so it could have been worse.
quote
Originally posted by ericjon262: you finally put down that 2012 for a minute to get some work done?!?!
Yes, I got lots of work done. Just not to any of the cars. :/
You're going to have to haul that heap over to Sterling with your new Silverado SS so that I can get it on the road for you before I get a high falutin' exec job.
You're going to have to haul that heap over to Sterling with your new Silverado SS so that I can get it on the road for you before I get a high falutin' exec job.
I still think he should just donate all the turbo parts to a good cause... aka me
You're not fit to tune a lawn mower and I wouldn't take your shop an RC car.
ALLTRBO's having some health issues, so I'm helping him unscrew your work.
In order to use the pushrod length checker, I have to remove the lower intake manifold. I pulled everything down to the point of being ready to lift the manifold off, but stopped because we hadn't drained the coolant, and it was late.
NOTHING I TOUCHED HAD GOOD WORKMANSHIP.
- The fuel pressure regulator was connected to the PCV system. There's a big part of why it ran rough.
- The fuel return line was hacksawed, NOT EVEN DRESSED, much less beaded/flared, in the middle of a bend and the return hose slipped on over it.
- The charge pipe I took apart to remove the throttle had the same treatment... rough sawed edges in the middle of a bend with no attempt made to dress the cut. IN THE MIDDLE OF A BEND, so there's no straight tube for the hose to clamp to, much less a bead to hold high boost.
- The throttle cable housing bracket is screwed to the strut tower. DO YOU REALIZE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THAT WHEN THE ENGINE MOVES ON ITS MOUNTS?!?! This defect is actually dangerous to drive.
- The throttle cable bracket didn't fit the end clip on the cable housing, but the plastic clip was pounded into the bracket anyway.
- The pin and sping clip GM used to secure the throttle cable to the throttle cam had been replaced with a random screw with a mangled phillips head and an odd size nut.
- The lower manifold bolts had varying numbers of marcel washers on them. Obviously you mixed up the washers and couldn't even be bothered to count how many washers you had to put on each bolt.
- Odd and mismatched bolts everywhere, as if you took all the bolts off, tossed them in a bucket, kicked the bucket over and lost half the bolts, then picked up replacements at Home Depot Racing.
- Upper intake manifold bolts poorly torqued.
- Used a 3/8" wide pulley on the tensioner, causing the serpentine belt to shred within about 20 minutes of IDLE time following delivery.
Some of those vials were sent out and the results won't be back for up to a couple weeks, but hopefully they'll tell me what exactly I had/have.
That wall also moves around more loosely than it's supposed to, but that's apparently okay as well. 
The old one was actually totaled out and I got full trade-in value for it, so it could have been worse.
