hi all

I just got me-self a cheap 88GT.

two major things that need to be changed:
brakes & water pump.

anything special I should know about the w.pump for an 88 ?

brakes ....
ok, here we go, I was thinking of a 'bigger brakes' upgrade, but the Ogre's article on the Grand Am upgrade got me worried.
Then there's the 15" wheels prob.
I'm thinking of sticking w. the 15" on my 88 so that cuts down on the options. (can't afford 16" wheels for a while anyways !)

I'm thinking of just freshening up the stock 88 setup & adding (street) performance pads.

How good would that be ? anyone can give me a reference to a known modern sports car ? 60-0 numbers would be the best obviously.

If I change, discs, calipers, pads, stell braided lines, would that be enough ?
would a master cylinder be needed ?

thank you very much
Philippe

Kwez,
Congrats on your acquisition!

Nothing really special about the water pump, other than there are several different size bolts holding it on. Some of them will be Torx head. Two different sizes of Torx. Be sure not to get their locations confused.
Several of the bolts actually penetrate the coolant passages. You should be able to recognize these when you remove them. Be sure to use sealer on them when you reinstall the pump.
Don't use a pump with a plastic impeller. I've heard several people say that the shaft stripped out of the impeller, and the pump required replacement again.

As for brakes... Most of the upgrade kits are made for 84-87, only. You really don't need a brake upgrade. They were redesigned, along with the suspension, for 88. Just make sure there are no leaks. Replace the pads and have the rotors resurfaced if they need it. Some folks recommend having the rotors resurfaced anyway. Don't replace 'em unless they are too thin or warped. You can replace your lines with steel braided or stock. Your preference. Many people find that just replacing with stock hoses makes a big improvement.
I wouldn't recommend CarboMet pads for the street, unless you are going to drive hard. They have to get hot before they work well.
Raybestos brand seem to work well for a lot of folks.
I wouldn't change calipers unless you need to.

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Raydar - aka Steve

Black 88 Formula.
Red 88 Duke coupe. "The Project"
88 Formula parts car. "The Donor"

[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 07-16-2001).]

ok, thx.

yeah, I need to change the brakes 'cause of warped rotors, so rotors go on the shopping list.

So just rotors, Raybestos pads & lines.
I'm thinking steel b. lines since I might do some SoloII.

[This message has been edited by Kwez (edited 07-16-2001).]

Fierostore has cross drilled roters with carbomet pads for the 88's for $220 a pair.

That's only about $75 more than new stock stuff and should be plenty worth the added expense.

I was just looking at those a few mins ago ;-)
but
Raydar "wouldn't recommend CarboMet pads for the street" (cf above)
&
Slammed Fiero has had bad experience w. crossed drilled rotors on a 911 ...
(also read somewhere else that it's not really needed w. street pads)

so I think I'll go for just normal rotors & Raybestos pads.

thanks for the tip though.

(hey, if you're "Right Next Door", why don't you come over for a beer, just knock ;-)

[This message has been edited by Kwez (edited 07-16-2001).]

WHAT EVER YOU DO DO NOT GET A NEW WATERPUMP!

Get a remanufactured waterpump. New ones have a plastic impeller that can't stand up to the pressure of the Fiero Engine. They are OK for FWD cars with small radiators and circulatory tracks but they melt like butter in the Fiero. Remanufactured ones have steel impellers. Open the box at the parts store before leaving with it to make sure the impeller is steel.

toddster- yes sire,
actually I was planning on a used one since the 2.8 will go away eventually.

I'm kinda new to the world of 'older cars', always went to the dealer for repairs & parts before.

I depends on the price for a rebuilt one, might be safer, wouldn't want to have to change it again !

Kwez, you can get stock replacement rotors from Canadian Tire for $84 each. Stay away from cross drilled unless you really need the look. They will do nothing for your braking peformance. Your best deal for pads is KVR. They are in the Ottawa area and can supply excellent street pads for $57 per axle. I have used this exact setup on the race track (Shannonville and Mosport's DDT) with excellent results. The stock '88 brakes work very well with good fade resistance. Just make sure everything is working well and you will have great braking.

Or for the rear of your 88 you can use 96 Cavalier front rotors which are $13 each. A good savings over $75 each or more for 88 Fiero rotors. However, you can't do the same thing on the front unless you have access to a machine to mill a little bit out of the front section. The Cav rotors are just a tad tight on the inside...

I got them on the rear of my 88 though and they are just fine! And I loved saving $120 on rear rotors!

For 88, all four rotors are the same. If you can come up with two good ones out of your four and then put the Cav rotors on the rear you will be in good shape!

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Tennessee Fiero Owners

[This message has been edited by Songman (edited 07-16-2001).]

Hey Songman,

Where do the rotors interfer on the front? Do you need to machine the rotor or the hub?

Thanks.

Sound like you are thinking of putting a diferent engine in your 88 GT. Which one? what color is it? We love 88 GTs and have two of them.

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• Red 88 GT T-TOP
  
• Red 86 GT
  

quote Originally posted by DRH: Hey Songman, Where do the rotors interfer on the front? Do you need to machine the rotor or the hub? Thanks.

I am not sure exactly what to call it... It is not the rotor itself but the area inside the hub part of the rotor... inside where the lugs go... basically, if you tried to put one of these on the front of your 88, the rotor would not fit over the lugs. Does that explain it?

I have been told that certain brake turning machines can go small enough to let you get in there and turn some of the inside of the hub out and you can make them work all the way around, but I have no proof of this... Supposedly, you wouldn't have to turn too much of it out..

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Tennessee Fiero Owners

[This message has been edited by Songman (edited 07-17-2001).]

What I don't understand is the 88 Fiero rotors are the same all the way around, yet the Cav rotors work on the back, but not the front. I'm confused.

Have you physically tried to put the Cav rotors on the front? Even if it doesn't work, it still almost cuts your cost of 4 rotors in half.

Question: Are the Cav rotors the same size as the 88 Fiero rear? Same thickness, diameter of the friction area? I'd love to save money, but I want it to basically look and perform at least as good as stock.

Wannabe- hehe, and me that was going nuts over 'where to get rotors' ;-)

do you have a phone # for KVR please ?
what pads should I ask for ?

How did you like Shannonville ? I went last summer w. my s/c Subaru and had a blast.

-----
Songman- ?? dagn, I have to update my info, I thought that 88s had ventilated rotord fronts & solid back !! ... lots to learn ;-)

----
skitime- the car is white, beige interior.
engine ? I would've liked an Aurora 4L V8 'on a stick' (hi-rev, lo weight), or 3800SC, also considered aluminium SBC ... but I'm broke, so I think it's going to be a 4.1/4.5/4.9 Caddy V8

----

thanks everybody !

[This message has been edited by Kwez (edited 07-17-2001).]

Kewz - You can get their number at www.kvrperfomance.com I don't have it handy. Just ask for their standard carbon/kevlar KVR pads. They are usually in stock.

perfect, thank you

quote Originally posted by Formula88: What I don't understand is the 88 Fiero rotors are the same all the way around, yet the Cav rotors work on the back, but not the front. I'm confused. Have you physically tried to put the Cav rotors on the front? Even if it doesn't work, it still almost cuts your cost of 4 rotors in half. Question: Are the Cav rotors the same size as the 88 Fiero rear? Same thickness, diameter of the friction area? I'd love to save money, but I want it to basically look and perform at least as good as stock.

The rotors are the same except for the inside diameter of the hub part. The difference in fitment is not the rotors, it is the car.... The front of an 88 Fiero has a larger diameter part that the hub must slide over. The rear is small enough that it is not a problem...

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Tennessee Fiero Owners

Here's an interesting question though...does this mean that some of the aftermarket big brake kits for the Cavalier might fit the '88 Fiero? Possibly only requirng a custom bracket to mount the caliper? If the Cavy rotors work, then the relaticve positioning of the "disc" would be the same. If the caliper mounting bolt locations are the same (dream on) you are home free. If not, a fabricated mount would be all that is required. !????????