What's In Your Bay - Part IV

[Bruce Amacker]

I remember working on them in the 80's and thought they were quite a risk for GM/Pontiac to bring out.  I'm 6'5" and don't fit in them very well.    They do drive like a slot car- super tight to the ground.  I have a friend right now with a V6 he's trying to restore, I've seem them modded with a supercharger that would really wake them up.....

 

Sidebar- Trent Reznor of NIN was in my close group of friends in the 80's, he had a Fiero I worked on several times. I took a week's vacation with Trent in '86.......

 

[BigWalt]

 Would be better if you put V8 in Fiero. 

[Chase]

I know a guy that has one with a Supercharged 3800 v6.  Neat car.

[Matt Saunoras]

Yeah the supercharged V6 guys were all over the message boards when I had my Grand Prix. They were dropping entire fwd drive trains in them

[mchan68]

My best friend's dad owned one, and I remembered how ridiculously small the fuel tanks were in them. Less than 200 kms. from a full tank and it would be time to re-fuel again. BTW, isn't the firing order on that engine the easiest to remember? I recall it is literally 1-2-3-4-5-6.

[ktmlew]

My best friend's dad owned one, and I remembered how ridiculously small the fuel tanks were in them. Less than 200 kms. from a full tank and it would be time to re-fuel again. BTW, isn't the firing order on that engine the easiest to remember? I recall it is literally 1-2-3-4-5-6.

 

The SC 3800 is a common swap, next would be the Camaro 3.4. The 84-86 fuel tank is 10 gallons, 87-88 twelve. I actually am tempted to find an 87-88 V-6 auto to resurrect. The Apple Cider Vinegar worked great to clean the rust out of the tank. I will recommend he run a tank or two of fuel through it and then drop the tank and change the filter sock. 

 

Yep...1-2-3-4-5-6

 

The SC 3.8 would be fun...

[Matt Saunoras]

The 3800 supercharged engines are down low torque monsters.  In my car 1st gear was useless and I could burn tire on the 4-2 downshift going like 30mph.  The only thing that kept the drivetrain together was never putting DRs on it.  It broke loose so easily it couldn't hurt anything.  Peoples reactions to that car were priceless. 

 

Also on an unrelated note I am getting quite irritated at work. I am currently sitting on 6 trucks. They come in and nothing happens.  1, 2 and 6 are three of my top fleet customers. 

 

1 - 08 F-550 rollback, needs a shortblock, rockers and recommended a HPFP, customer pay waiting to hear if Ford will assist, stuck in my first bay. 

2 - 06 F-550 dump, needs atleast one head for fuel in the coolant and 8 injectors, inductive heat FICM calibration did not help this truck. Not authorized yet.

3 - 08 F-250 regular cab 2wd.  No compression #2 cylinder. Glow plug tip damaged, estimate for 6007 written, not authorized.

4 - 05 F-350 gasser.  Steering binds while turning.  Found right side balljoints frozen, installed to find out someone also tried to tighten the box, needs box now.  Came from a GM dealer who has thrown mostly everything at it already. 

5 - 06 F-350 gasser, needs balljoints, front axle u-joints, and front brakes, has aftermarket warranty, not called in yet.

6 - 08 F-350 6.4.  Just came in today, contribution codes for 4 and 7. STFTs all over the place, suspect metal in the fuel.  I dropped a complete in this thing 45k miles ago under powertrain which has now expired 

 

So what did I do tonight?  Working on my setup for remote programming a FICM with IDS.  I desperately need a 6.0 PCM body connector, I have everything else and I'm worried my PCM pin fit is questionable without a hardshell. 

[Steve Mutter]

I remember working on them in the 80's and thought they were quite a risk for GM/Pontiac to bring out.  I'm 6'5" and don't fit in them very well.    They do drive like a slot car- super tight to the ground.  I have a friend right now with a V6 he's trying to restore, I've seem them modded with a supercharger that would really wake them up..... Sidebar- Trent Reznor of NIN was in my close group of friends in the 80's, he had a Fiero I worked on several times. I took a week's vacation with Trent in '86....... 

Big fan of Trent's music, that's cool you use hang out with him.

[mchan68]

Brainfart. If I remember correctly, these cars use quite literally the same manual steering rack as the Chevette. I'm sure most of you remember those gems.

[Buddy_M]

Ah yes the Chevettes, I got 2 friends with them, one I went to college with and he was working next bay from me when I was still in the dealer scene, he had 2, both diesels, one was an auto, other a manual. Another friend just bought one about 2 weeks ago, also a diesel/manual. Took them out ice fishing those things were awesome on the ice, could really get em spinning around, also doubled as a nice non conspicuous hunting/fishing/trapping vehicle, ever try and stuff a deer in the back? Nobody believed that it would fit but we proved them wrong lol.

 

Tryin to find a flexplate for the one now since it cracked, I kinda attribute that to pushing it at high speeds, and messing with the pump probably didnt help it any, and he sold the manual one a few years ago, so we're going to get it running again someday and have our old hunting rig back.

[Aaron]

I'm actually looking for a chevette that's not rotten. 2 door would be preferred but a 4 door will suffice I guess.

[lmorris]

Brainfart. If I remember correctly, these cars use quite literally the same manual steering rack as the Chevette. I'm sure most of you remember those gems.

From what I recall from my Midas Muffler days, the entire front end was the same as the Chevette, except for the struts. We built exhaust for one that was being turned into a Ferrari Testorossa kit car with twin turbos. We never got to drive it, but the guy claimed it would reach over 150 MPH.

[lmorris]

I'm actually looking for a chevette that's not rotten. 2 door would be preferred but a 4 door will suffice I guess.

I got to ride in a Chevette with a 350 in it back in the early 90's. Can you say HOLY CRAP THAT'S FUN!!!!

[Aaron]

Google "bad seed chevette"

[Fredsvt]

Oh the nightmares are returning!

 

A Fiero is a chevette front end, basically dropped right in, the rear is a Citation turned around backwards.  Parts bin engineering at its worst.

 

I worked at Pontiac when those fine things were out, burning and blowing up all the time.

 

I can't count the number of 2.5 drop and reseals, thrown rods and burns, and belts thrown from poorly made accessory brackets.  The 2.8s would eat rod bearings and dropping them to do rods and mains as well as fix the broken exhaust bolts was fun. 

 

Bleeding the cooling system sucked, no airlift back then. 

 

Brakes sucked, alignmnents never held.  They were a joy when the rear toe would end up "out" and the things felt as if they'd spin around in a circle in the middle of the road at 40mph. 

 

In 1988, they finally gave it its own suspension front and rear, and the handling issues were finally fixed, as well as getting a 5 speed manual.  The car was almost right, and as typical GM, they dumped it.  The '88 formula fiero with a 5 speed was actually a fun little car.

 

I also can't count the number of 305 and 350 TBI and TPI motors we had to change due to the mexican made blocks cracking in the lifter valley, leading to mystery coolant loss and spun bearings.

[Aaron]

Citation. That was the other car they bastardized parts from. I couldn't remember. Lol

[Buddy_M]

OK, On a side note of fun little fast cars, how about the General Wee? Small block 350, unsure what model auto trans, thinkin the 350 transmission  tho. Not much driveshaft to it, or room inside either.

 

[Buddy_M]

And found the video from the guy he bought it from.

 

http://youtu.be/CYDp6lrTnCA

[mchan68]

.... and funny enough, the very next video in line is a Geo Metro with a 600cc bike engine stuffed into the engine bay. Talk about one extreme to the other. Hold on a minute. Did I actually see the doors open? I thought they were supposed to be welded shut.

[YukonTyler]

Today I got pulled off of a nice job to install a GEM in a beaten '99 F150 with 340 000 km. The customer diag'd his lack of wipers to the module.

 

I attempted to do a PMI using a VCM I and the latest version of IDS. It failed. Repeatedly. No option for as built data. The WSM says 'if no original module is available then program with WDS or NGS. Here we go!

 

I ripped through the dark corners of the tool room and found an NGS, some random memory cards, an OBD II cable and a broken 12v cigar lighter adapter. I rigged power and got the old girl to fire up, only to find it quickly spat out a message along the lines of 'internal fatal error'. Bummer. I now have an NGS coming from our sister store. Oh the joys.

[mchan68]

NGS and WDS?? How about SBDS??? Wasn't that THE high tech diagnostic system for the very short time it was around, that only a select few techs were allowed to touch in any Ford store?

[YukonTyler]

NGS and WDS?? How about SBDS??? Wasn't that THE high tech diagnostic system for the very short time it was around, that only a select few techs were allowed to touch in any Ford store?

 

I have no idea. I got my NGS today and it programmed perfectly. To tell you the truth this was my first time even touching one of the things - I started with Ford in 2011 and I've been in the trade since 2006.

[Matt Saunoras]

I got a lesson in 6.0 front cover differences today. A while ago I ordered the wrong lower rad hose for an 04 (as I found out when I tried to install it). Didnt have a clue why there were 2 choices. So I'm putting a used front cover(backorder) from an 06 on this 04 and until now I never noticed the lower hose inlet clocking differences from 04 to 05+. Lucky I had this mystery hose stored away because it really saved my ass today.Oh yeah and this isn't in my bay, it's in the drive thru service lane, hopefully done tomorrow. You don't wanna know what's in my bays.

 

edit - It starts and runs.  I'll drive it tomorrow. 

[amailloux]

Not much for ford work, but the advisors feel they need to give me all the gm trans work. I have 1 extended warranty Acadia trans overhaul apart on the bench, another Acadia trans waiting to be torn down for an extended warranty company. A Buick enclave waiting for customer approval, no reverse, and 1 more Acadia with a leaking oil pan, so that engine is coming out for leak repairs. It is getting a steering gear and struts as well. Then a 2011 dmax for a complete fuel system and head gasket leaking coolant externally waiting for authorization. Some gravy axle seals and trans lines. A 2012 dmax for a turbo and fuel pressure control valve, and a friend of the owner dropped off his 2013 dmax with def issues. I have an 18k lift, and a 9 k, and I really need a 3rd bay to pull transmissions and teardown if they decide I am going to be doing all of those. It gets to be a real bottle neck.

[Matt Saunoras]

Our whole shop is a bottleneck, very inefficient as I'm coming to find out.