Let me start off by saying i live in a 2br apartment so large projects are out of the question. I can get away with a little glassing but i prefer not to do any of my personal work at my job.

So... I sit here almost every night bored out of my mind and i started thinking. "Why not try to fix/re-engineer some of the common issues of the fiero." Then went looking for parts... none to be had. Not 100% sure if this belongs in the mall cause once i do figure these problems out i will post the repair free for all to use at their own free will.

So far i'm looking for things that are common to break or fail and might be too expensive to replace, or not able to replace at all.

I'm a very hands on kind of guy so i'm ready for a challenge. My nickname from most people i know is "Macgyver". Yeah, i'm not proud of it but eh... what can ya do? I will not try to do the dew wipes as that is done by DIY-Stu and i'm not out to damage anybody here's income. I'll eventually do my own but that's it if at all. I've done a writeup of the interior warping issue already. Not sure if the pictures stuck or not but it's out there somewhere. I can redo it if i get more warped parts. I'm not looking to make or lose money here, just need something constructive to do.

Right now i'm in the market for a wiper switch for the effected "Ghost wiper" problem. Feel i have a good chance at this.
Also want a severely damaged dash. Want to try to restore one on the cheap with durability. got a few ideas that might work.
Soon i will replace my oil pressure switch (GT) and try something new that might fix the constant replacement problem.

Any other suggestions? Do you have one effected that you would be willing to send? If i'm able to figure out a good solution I'll send it back repaired. I'm Just starting to pick up airbrushing so if it's the dash i might be able to colorize it for ya too instead of stock colors.

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"And remember: amateurs built the ark ....
professionals built the Titanic."

There is a solution to the oil pressure sender issue, upgrade the the 88 one, its a lot better design, and smaller to boot.

Not from what i have seen. I guess from what i've seen on here it only lasts a little longer then the first design.

And if I said Matt's on the money?

quote Originally posted by Finally_Mine_86_GT: Not from what i have seen. I guess from what i've seen on here it only lasts a little longer then the first design.

Only if you have A/C on the 2.8. The location of it on the Duke SUCKS.

I am a true hands on guy myself, but I have enough projects going on here and college, so no time is left really for me at this point in time. I really would like someone to create an inexpensive center console skeleton out of aluminum or something.

Yikes... really? I'll have to look and see if we have a few tools i would need in the metal shop. Not exactly a stock item but i'll look into the possibility first before i run off to find a broken one to mimic.

how far away are ya. i have a dash thats really bad cracked and chunks missing.

I believe that there is already someone attempting to create something that simply plugs into to fix the "phantom wiper" syndrome. I forgot who it is though...

On repairing a dash, the most commonly affected areas are below the openings for the HVAC system on each side. I seem to recall at one point there was a product that acted as a "cap" that could be installed over these areas. Something like this that were to be made available in the different dash colors will eventually be a good product to have, as Fieros begin to age and people will want to remedy these affected areas without paying a lot of money for a non-cracked dash. I've been saying it and I'll continue to say it - if you want to know what will be a VERY hot used product to hang onto in the next five years, it will be a non-cracked OEM dash. They'll be hot products soon.

yeah thats whats wrong with mine and its cracked badly

Yeah... i want to make a "At home" repair for everybody here. Those darned dash corners... the caps look like crap IMHO. need a fix that wont re-crack when nudged.

Not looking to make a profit off of this. Only to give to the community and cure my boredom in one fell swoop.

L67: I've read too many posts saying it's not a cure. Still same problem just not nearly as bad. old:a few months new:1-2 years. Again this is from what i've read in the tech section so i could be wrong. I'll probably end up testing these two units in a 85/85 chamber before I make a final ruling. (85^oC @ 85% humidity.) Yes it's excessive, but it'll be able to prove it to me. eventually i'll buy both and find out.

why don't you mfg. new center console skeletons...

quote Originally posted by KurtAKX: why don't you mfg. new center console skeletons...

Because that involves way too much. Best way would be to reproduce it in fiberglass and i don't really have the facilities to do it. If i had a garage or a basement i would be all for building custom fiberglass parts at cost. But... right now i don't have that commodity. I'm going to look into the possibility of doing it out of sheet but i don't think we have a bender at work.

Ok... looked into the possibility of a skeleton out of sheet. Don't have the tooling needed. Next?

Found the reason for the "ghost wiper" effect. Thank you mattwa for the part!

There are three "rest" pads for the off position allowing the three tongs to not touch any of the circuit. one of these resting pads is pitted really deep into the plastic. allowing the tong that touches it to sink in the hole and touch the surrounding metal. So... i'm trying to use crazy glue to fill the gap left behind. Once dried it is not conductive and is hard as stone. Not sure of reliability but... we shall see. Waiting for the glue to dry now. tomorrow afternoon will probably be when i try it. If that doesn't work then I'll scrape that away and try a few other ideas.

IF this works as i believe it will. I will post a write up for all to use. Again... as promised.

So i received the oil pressure sending unit that has the infamous failure problem. I think i know what needs to be done to a new part to force a far superior lifetime. The bottom and top need to have high temp silicon attached to it. around where the wire plug meets and the rubber "plug hole". There is a ton of rust inside and i did get good results with forcing pb blaster into it and leaving it for a little. then drain. It lasted about an hour so... might be a preventative thing as opposed to a repair thing. It's now sitting in vat of coca-cola for the next two days. Then will be rinsed with IPA, dried and try it again.

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"And remember: amateurs built the ark ....
professionals built the Titanic."

what about the stock temp gauge? the one on my duke starts at about a quarter the way up (that spot working as a 0 mark) and once it gets heated past that point then it starts to move. not a reall big deal. im thinking it may be a spring or something wrong behind

quote Originally posted by mattwa: I really would like someone to create an inexpensive center console skeleton out of aluminum or something.

The person that does this has just built a better mouse trap and the (Fiero) world will beat a path to his door.

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Ron

[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 01-31-2011).]

quote Originally posted by blackrams: The person that does this has just built a better mouse trap and the (Fiero) world will beat a path to his door.

I have the know how... but not the facility to do so. so... doing what i can with what i have. If somebody has a cad drawing with measurements of it i might be able to get my father in law to do it. He's fantastic with sheet steel.

The temp gauge? There is something on the forum about that already. Using a certain resister in place of the sensor and adjusting the gauge accordingly.

quote Originally posted by Finally_Mine_86_GT: I have the know how... but not the facility to do so. so... doing what i can with what i have. If somebody has a cad drawing with measurements of it i might be able to get my father in law to do it. He's fantastic with sheet steel. The temp gauge? There is something on the forum about that already. Using a certain resister in place of the sensor and adjusting the gauge accordingly.

ok maybe ill check that out thanks lol it was just a suggestion