Don't get me wrong 'cause I love long tube headers, however, the point about heat is a good one. I kind of doubt ceramic will be a cure-all. Your pipes being high will lend heat to your intake.
It looks very cool, however, there is plenty of good reason to keep the pipes low. I also think that 36" is plenty long for a street machine, but hey, I'm no expert. I think if you are planning those pipes in the Fiero, you will want a pretty big scoop with a power vent. Just trying to be helpful
Not much actual fabrication progress to show due to mission creep. I convinced myself that the SBC Fiero needs a G6 6 speed and started saving up to get one. I stopped the mockup of the headers until I had the tranny to make sure they would clear the new tranny.
Good news is that during this delay I purchased the G6 6 speed tranny, all the 1 5/8 and 1 3/4 tubing, header flanges and the necessary parts to make my own slip fit collectors. In addition, I got my mig welded converted from flux core to gas which will make welding up the headers much easier. I will try to atleast get some pics of the new collection of parts...
The next stage in this process is fabricating the new slip fit collectors... but that probably won't happen till after thanksgiving at the earliest.
The next stage in this process is fabricating the new slip fit collectors...
What was wrong with the collectors you were using?
Sounds like you are ready to get these headers cranked out. I bet once you get back at it they are done in no time. You were moving at a really good pace before you got sidetracked.
I thought I might shake some pictures of those hinges you hinted at with a bump You doing all of that fabrication with a 110 buzz box? Looking forward to seeing your tranny install.
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06:13 PM
fieroguru Member
Posts: 12128 From: Champaign, IL Registered: Aug 2003
What was wrong with the collectors you were using?
Sounds like you are ready to get these headers cranked out. I bet once you get back at it they are done in no time. You were moving at a really good pace before you got sidetracked.
The original slip fit collectors were for 1 5/8 and I had them enlarged to 1 3/4 but they were not uniform and did not fit tightly around the primary tubes.
So then I decided to just make my own using some 1 7/8 16ga (the 1 3/4 tube fits snugly inside it) and some 1 7/8 weld on collectors. I also want to make a central bolt to hold all 4 primaries vs the bolt tabs on the sides.
I think the collector project will be quite fun, but I have to find the time to get to it.
With daughter #2 a few months old, my evenings are currently booked. Other conflicting projects are the 4.9 install for a friend, building a frame rack, the 180 headers, G6 6 speed install and more engine bay upgrades.... The 4.9 and frame rack are the highest on the list right now.
Here are some pics of the parts and tranny:
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09:38 PM
fieroguru Member
Posts: 12128 From: Champaign, IL Registered: Aug 2003
I thought I might shake some pictures of those hinges you hinted at with a bump You doing all of that fabrication with a 110 buzz box? Looking forward to seeing your tranny install.
The hinge mod is Jefrysuko's idea... we discussed it in depth at the 25th, but I need to pull the engine and remove the aluminum firewall before I can even start on it. Till then it is a secret!
A year and a half ago I stepped up from a craftsman 120v mig w/ flux core to a Lincoln 240v mig and used flux core till a few weeks ago...
My tranny install will most likely include reworking cradle crossmembers for the over tranny exhaust, reworking all mounts, converting to a serpentine belt drive with my current waterpump setup, new SBC adapter plate of my design, and a full list of parts for the tranny install. While the engine is out, the hinge mod and a new firewall will be installed... It will be quite an extensive upgrade session once it starts. I need to get the 4.9 done...
The hinge mod is Jefrysuko's idea... we discussed it in depth at the 25th, but I need to pull the engine and remove the aluminum firewall before I can even start on it.
Yeah, I just wish that I had the time to get some of my ideas done on my own cars. Part of the reason I shared the idea with you though was because I knew that you would not only get it done faster than I ever would but it would get done right. Hopefully it will work out as well as we think it will. I don't think I have told anyone else besides you unless someone overheard us at the 25th
This year has actually been a good one for me. I have been granted patent applications on two concepts of mine at work. Maybe we should patent this idea and make it three
Wouldn't it help if you went to a crankfire ignition and get the distributor out of the way? Your work on the headers is terrific.
Dick
Thanks for the compliment!
I have thought about DIS setups and would like to get to it some day, but my list of upgrades at the moment is already too long, so it will stay on the back burner. My current dist on the actual engine is the small cap w/remote coil, so there is plenty of room for it currently, but I do want to make sure and leave enough room for the Vortec Crab dist for a potential upgrade to the 411 ecm at a later date (this will probably happpen before the DIS).
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08:24 AM
PFF
System Bot
Will Member
Posts: 14226 From: Where you least expect me Registered: Jun 2000
You can run the 0411 with a program that uses the coil per cylinder ignition. You'd need the special crank reluctor ring with the Vortec crank sensor and an MSD dist plug with cam synch (MUCH more compact than the Vortec dizzy), but in theory it's not hard.
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02:05 PM
CTFieroGT87 Member
Posts: 2520 From: Royal Oak, MI Registered: Oct 2002
You can run the 0411 with a program that uses the coil per cylinder ignition. You'd need the special crank reluctor ring with the Vortec crank sensor and an MSD dist plug with cam synch (MUCH more compact than the Vortec dizzy), but in theory it's not hard.
Yes... it would look very similar to this:
I like the idea of coil per cylinder, but really do not like the look of all the crap on the valve cover and the header tubes do not leave much room for the wires. Now mounting the coils below the heads would look much better, but would need to find room for the #1 cylinder coil (alternator curently in the way).
The only significant downside of the 180 headers and the 411 ecm is you will no longer have individual bank O2 sensors since the collectors will have primaries from both banks. Maybe it is possible to redefine cylinders for each bank and change them to the cylinders feeding each collector.
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05:46 PM
Patrick Member
Posts: 36401 From: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Registered: Apr 99
The routing of the collectors leaves you with a lot of options for an equalizer pipe. I think that'd be a lot better of a plan than merging them together, say it ain't so!
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01:10 PM
fieroguru Member
Posts: 12128 From: Champaign, IL Registered: Aug 2003
Please try to fabricate/run a true dual exhaust system. It would sound fantastic with your custom headers!
quote
Originally posted by CTFieroGT87:
The routing of the collectors leaves you with a lot of options for an equalizer pipe. I think that'd be a lot better of a plan than merging them together, say it ain't so!
I will not be cutting into the truck for any exhaust routing at this time, so that provides some contrainsts. I am planning to redo the cradle cross members to make them as low and towards the front as possible since the exhaust will no longer have to go under them. This should give me more room for exhaust options. To make it perfect, both sides post collector must be equal length... then the exhaust pulses will oscilate from side to side at equal intervals. If I went with a merged setup, the pulsing would still be equal, but you would would lose the "stereo".
I am pretty sure the collector back pipes can be equal, the challange will be getting some mufflers in there that actually does something. Think the 30-40 inches of dual 3" exhast post collectors will be loud....
I need to keep it within reason since I drive this car to work daily in the summer and Sara would kill me if I woke the two girls at 6:30am every morning...
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06:17 PM
vortecfiero Member
Posts: 996 From: Toronto Area, Canada Registered: Feb 2002
i hope you realize that if you plan on running a muffler or cat the header effect will not work and all you have created is a beautiful free flowing exhaust system
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87 Fiero GT 5sp with Vortec L35 4300 Turbocharged V6 Bully Stage 2 clutch Syclone intake manifold and engine management with Moates adapter and chip burner Air/water intercooler and Devil's Own progressive water/alky injection 50lb injectors, 3 bar map sensor, Walboro fuel pump and Jabasco Intercooler pump LM1 wideband on custom manifolds and 3" stainless exhaust system T31/T04B H3 turbo and a S10 caliper conversion. Murphy's Constant Matter will be damaged in direct proportion to its value Murphy's Law of Thermodynamics Things get worse under pressure. Arthur C. Clarke "Any significantly advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic"
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06:31 PM
Nov 24th, 2008
Patrick Member
Posts: 36401 From: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Registered: Apr 99
