World's slowest Fiero/Quad 4 Swap (Page 15/48)
Quadfather NOV 24, 10:58 AM
Spent some time in the shop yesterday trying to sort out the shift linkage. I used a spare FWD Getrag to test removing the pin from the shift collar, then decided to try it on the transmission that's in the Fiero. The roll pin is a tight fit.



I had to move stuff out of the way to be able to swing the hammer to hit the punch, but it worked. When I installed the select linkage, I discovered a problem.



The loop on the engine side of the shift select lever hits the tranmission case, preventing the lever from moving the rod in.


I'm considering cutting off the loop, where the tape is in this photo, and welding in a piece of metal where the piece of wood is, or maybe on the other side of the hinge, closer to the shift rod.

Quadfather NOV 24, 11:03 AM
The other issue to address is mounting the bracket for the select cable. The GTZ Getrag only has one boss and bolt hole where the Fiero Getrag has two. These photos are from a spare Quad 4 transmission sitting on the floor in the shop.




I know I've seen photos of how others have solved this, but I'll have to look around the internet to refresh my memory. IIRC, the process involves welding a flange onto the bracket that will allow it to use one of the bolts for the inspection cover on the end of the transmission.

SIDE NOTE: This transmission came from a Quad 4 enthusiast in New Mexico. Five or six years ago I saw a post on the Quad 4 forum from him, saying he didn't need this transmission anymore and wanted it to go to a good home, for free. One of my brothers was about to take a trip out west, including a drive through New Mexico, so we worked it out for him to bring it back for me. Unfortunately, we made all the arrangements via the Quad 4 forum, which is no longer accessible, so I don't remember what vehicle the transmission came out of or even his name. I'm pretty sure it came out of a 442. I'm not planning to use it in this swap, but that may change. In the very least, it's helpful to have a second transmission that's out of a car to use as a model.

[This message has been edited by Quadfather (edited 11-24-2019).]

Quadfather NOV 24, 11:09 AM
I also scraped the foam from my first attempt at upholstering my Frankenstein headliner backer board. What a mess.



As I mentioned, I pieced this backer board together from parts of three salvage yard boards. I didn't get the dimensions just right, but I also didn't get the shape and curvature right, either. You can see one of the problems in this photo.



I'll be working on this today. I'm on vacation this week and the weather looks good, so I'm hoping to make good progress on the interior.
Quadfather NOV 27, 10:28 AM
Progress. I cut then welded the select lever.




When I checked the fit, I found a new problem. The lever hit the mounting flange, so I cut out a section of the flange then welded a small piece of metal down its length to reinforce what was left.



Quadfather NOV 27, 10:41 AM
I modified the select cable bracket to fit the GTZ Getrag.



When I installed everything on the transmission, I discovered a problem. The mount put the select cable end about 2" too short of the select lever.



The reason for this was something very obvious that I'd just missed. The GTZ transmission only has one boss for a bracket. Years ago I'd seen how Sardonyx had handled this in his thread. His Quad Getrag has the same two bosses as the Fiero, they just needed to be tapped:


quote
Originally posted by sardonyx247:




For the side bracket the holes are there, but not tapped out, They have to be drilled out a little and then tapped.
Make sure to use a good quality tap, like Craftsman, the cheap Harbor Freight taps make the hole a bit bigger and then the bolts are loose.





The lower side bracket on.



[This message has been edited by Quadfather (edited 11-27-2019).]

Quadfather NOV 27, 10:51 AM
I guess GM used some different Getrag cases with Quad engines over the years. To fix this, I changed the size and shape of the extra metal I welded to the bracket.
To get the right mounting position, I moved the linkage from the engine side while watching the shifter through the back window.





With everything installed, I sat in the seat and shifted the transmission. The select cable side of it felt pretty stiff so I will likely replace it with a Rodney Dickman cable. The shift cable side worked perfectly.
Quadfather NOV 27, 11:03 AM
Then I moved back to the headliner. After careful consideration, I decided the best way to fix it was to cut the side pieces off.



I mounted the front and rear pieces in the car, then trimmed the side pieces to fit. I discovered the right side was about a half-inch longer than the driver's side, which was also about an eighth of an inch too long. To put them back together I used some duct tape that I found at work. Somehow it's even stickier than regular duct tape.

I also ground down the joints I'd fiberglassed together, and added some curvature.





When I get over to the shop this morning, I will either duct tape the whole backer board or get out the fiberglass resin again. Either way, I want to reupholster it and get it back in the car today.
FIERO JOHN-WI NOV 27, 01:55 PM
FYI if you want more info on quad fours, here is a lot of 4 manuals 2 of them on Quad four.. cheap..
https://www.ebay.com/itm/174108780902
Quadfather DEC 01, 10:10 PM
I fiberglassed the joints of the backer board. A couple hammers and a jack helped hold it in place.



Quadfather DEC 01, 10:15 PM
I sanded and shaped the backer board to get it ready for the fabric. While attaching the fabric I made a big wrinkle, so I just ripped it all off and will have to get more tomorrow.

On the shift linkage front, here's what it looks like installed.



[This message has been edited by Quadfather (edited 12-01-2019).]