I bought my 86 SE fiero 2 days ago with a few noticeable problems. And I am quite fresh to auto tech in general. 1) misfiring cylinder 2) leaking coolant 3) suspension is worn I want to fix it in that order and intermittently fix smaller issues like gauges that aren't working Also oil is leaking from somewhere. Can only see it from under the car around the oil pan and no oil looks fresh so I don't want to touch it til I have money. And the paint loks shitty. I dont care, but I wonder about the different colors. I assume either it was sanded or an attempt to paint it was made.
I want to keep it stock or atleast get it to stock running condition. I am willing to take my time and put money away for it. Any advice for getting started?
You didn't include you picture link properly. You need it bracketed with 'img' as below.
this is the link: [url=]https://imgur.com/a/tyUzwaX[/url]
Can't see much. Wish I had pictures of when it was on a lift, but I'll get it on stands soon. Itll be a slow process and I will figure stuff out. Its my first project car and its older than me. I went to see it to make sure itd make a 50 mile trip home and it did and then put it on a lift to see the structural integrity. It is a success, but I have to slowly restore it.
Originally posted by tricktickler: I bought my 86 SE fiero 2 days ago with a few noticeable problems. And I am quite fresh to auto tech in general.
1) misfiring cylinder 2) leaking coolant I want to fix it in that order ...
OK. Let's do that.
1) Is it misfiring, or just plain not firing ? [/QUOTE] Pull your spark plugs ... and replace them. Look at them first and keep them in order. Each tells a story about the home it came from. Some might be oil foiled.
Just replace them. Next inspect the spark plug wires for obvious damage. Hook them back up. I hope you put the wired back exactly where they came from.
Take your time and good luck on your ( new to you ) Fiero. As far as the misfiring issue.... Replace your plugs, and if the wires are old, even though they may appear fine, replace them. I did this on both my Fieros and had a very noticeable improvement in engine performance. I was ver yimpressed and satisfied in the Fiero Stores product. A real heavy duty American made plug wire. Fiero suspensions are easy to work on. Find your weak and worn out points and replace them with new parts. Between the Fiero Store and the many parts suppliers on here, you should have no problem finding anything you may need. I prefere "handymanpat" when I'm not dealing with FS. You didn't mention exactly where your coolant leak appears to be. With the radiator up front and the full system in mind, there are many points when the leak may be. A close inspection should reveal your problem. If your stumped by this problem, get back to us on here. I've resorted to this forum countless times, and all my issues have been fixed. The oil leak sounds like a tricky one. Wipe down the entire area of where you think your leak is. Oil can be leaking at one place, run along the part a bit, then drip off at another place. You didn't mention the mileage or overall condition of your Fiero, so these are just general ideas about what issues you may have. And remember, your gonna need tools....lots of good tools. that and a lot of patience... Best to you ! Keep us posted.
Take your time and good luck on your ( new to you ) Fiero. As far as the misfiring issue.... Replace your plugs, and if the wires are old, even though they may appear fine, replace them. I did this on both my Fieros and had a very noticeable improvement in engine performance. I was ver yimpressed and satisfied in the Fiero Stores product. A real heavy duty American made plug wire. Fiero suspensions are easy to work on. Find your weak and worn out points and replace them with new parts. Between the Fiero Store and the many parts suppliers on here, you should have no problem finding anything you may need. I prefere "handymanpat" when I'm not dealing with FS. You didn't mention exactly where your coolant leak appears to be. With the radiator up front and the full system in mind, there are many points when the leak may be. A close inspection should reveal your problem. If your stumped by this problem, get back to us on here. I've resorted to this forum countless times, and all my issues have been fixed. The oil leak sounds like a tricky one. Wipe down the entire area of where you think your leak is. Oil can be leaking at one place, run along the part a bit, then drip off at another place. You didn't mention the mileage or overall condition of your Fiero, so these are just general ideas about what issues you may have. And remember, your gonna need tools....lots of good tools. that and a lot of patience... Best to you ! Keep us posted.
Definitely going to replace the spark plug wires, they're old and I see one with tape on it. If that fixes the misfire I want to drive it a bit then I'll get it on stands to check out the leaks. Coolant is coming somewhere from the radiator. As for the oil leak, It might be a small leak in the transmission and I know the oil pan is completely caked over, but I didn't see fresh oil. Its got 111,000 miles on the body, but supposedly 70,000 on the engine. I've got a modest set of tools. Mostly need money for parts and might invest in an air compressor at some point. thanks.
Where in NJ are you? Fiero Jon's is in Little Egg Harbor and he is a great resource if you are close by. There are some other experienced Fiero owners in NJ too that could also be of help.
We'd love to have you join MAFOA (Mid Atlantic Fiero Owner's Association) www.mafoa.com and join us at Carlisle in June! We're hoping for 100 Fieros for our 25th Anniversary event. You can learn more on the website or shoot me any questions.
I bought my 86 SE fiero 2 days ago with a few noticeable problems...
It's imperative to mention what engine and transmission your car has when asking for advice.
If your engine is the 2.8 V6, oil leakage often occurs at the base of the distributor (high oil pressure area) when the O-ring located there becomes brittle with age.
Where in NJ are you? Fiero Jon's is in Little Egg Harbor and he is a great resource if you are close by. There are some other experienced Fiero owners in NJ too that could also be of help.
We'd love to have you join MAFOA (Mid Atlantic Fiero Owner's Association) www.mafoa.com and join us at Carlisle in June! We're hoping for 100 Fieros for our 25th Anniversary event. You can learn more on the website or shoot me any questions.
Welcome to the madness!
I'm close to philly. Going to go to hoopticon on june 8th if the misfire is fixed. I did realize the radiator is actually at a 45 degree angle. No idea why it detached at the bottom. Still havnt gotten it on stands.
It's imperative to mention what engine and transmission your car has when asking for advice.
If your engine is the 2.8 V6, oil leakage often occurs at the base of the distributor (high oil pressure area) when the O-ring located there becomes brittle with age.
Ah it is a 2.8 V6. I can only see the leak from the bottom. also the axle seal is leaking.
Don't be fooled by where you see the evidence of oil, as often the actual leak is somewhere up above. A lot of people have been fooled over the years by a leaking distributor O-ring, as usually the oil is seen on the bottom of the engine first. But sure... the valve covers, timing cover, oil pan, oil filter gasket, front and rear seals etc could be leaking as well.
[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 05-06-2019).]
Is there actually a problem with the original distributor... other than the fact the O-ring may need replacing?
I mean not that I can tell, but it is 33 years old. I figure if I replace it, spark plugs and spark plug wires it would surely fix the misfire and let me be done with that and move on to the leaking coolant and lastly the suspension.
Originally posted by tricktickler: I mean not that I can tell, but it is 33 years old.
That's expensive logic right there. Everything on your Fiero is 33 years old. Put your money where it is needed.
A better way to determine the condition of parts would be the miles on them.There are of course other factors from which you can determine an opinion. 1) The type of part. -- Rubber parts age with time (and other factors). These should always be high on the list to replace to assure a road worthy vehicle. -- Mechanical parts age with use, and abuse. Look for evidence of overall vehicle maintenance. Does it seem like it was well cared for, or, is everything hacked ? Oil leaks not fixed ? Rust, corrosion, and other such issues are clues.
There are others thoughts of which I am not thinking about.
That said, I did buy a new distributor. It is not unheard of that some, more then just some, ignition modules inside the distributor fail. You will see many advising to bring along a spare, (an easy on the side of the road minimal tools fix). I had a good one, used. I wanted a new one. A lifetime warranty on a distributor with the module was, to me, affordable enough to spend the money on. I did keep my old one.
Finally got the damn thing running good. Didnt touch the distributor, it was just the wires and 1 was broken causing a misfire, but decided to replace spark plugs too. Had a hell of a time getting them all out, particularly this one(let me see if I can link an image.) [img]Imgurhttps://imgur.com/a/zmGRY86[/img]
Now I can just ride it around a bit before moving on. Needs gauges to work, needs new radiator, needs the suspension renewed, needs like every fluid known to a car, though the oil still looks really good.
One thing I am not sure how to go about is securing the battery, its just sitting in the engine bay. Had to test it cause my gauge was bouncing off the red. It went back to 14 volts and I tested it at 14 so thats ok, but its not secured.
Originally posted by tricktickler: It went back to 14 volts and I tested it at 14 so thats ok, but its not secured.
On your battery picture, notice the hex bolt at the bottom center. That is a clamp for the battery. It might take a while to loosen it up, but you can secure the battery with that in it's proper place (if you have the right battery).
[This message has been edited by Gall757 (edited 06-08-2019).]
Service engine light comes on intermittently. I'll search the forum for how to read codes. The engine RPMS take a few seconds to come down to idle after coming to a stop (though I don't have a working tach I hear it) Worst problem is my brake pedal went soft. I don't see leaks.
All I know is I probably can't enjoy riding it around much and it will have to go full project mode til I restore it lol. Its going on stands sadly. Only got to drive it a couple times so far. But man it can accelerate and sounds amazing. Something to work towards.
Wrt the distributor O-ring, note that replacing it with another Fiero-era one is pointless and it will just leak again. You want a later one, which IIRC is made of Viton (more oil-resistant.) The AC Delco number is 10477565; if you search using that number you'll find lots of posts here about it. While you have the dizzy out to replace the O-ring, replace the ignition module inside (also with AC Delco), or at least remove yours, clean the metal surface and re-goop it on with heat sink grease you get from a computer store. This will keep it performing properly as they're famous for heat-related failures.
Wrt the distributor O-ring, note that replacing it with another Fiero-era one is pointless and it will just leak again. You want a later one, which IIRC is made of Viton (more oil-resistant.) The AC Delco number is 10477565; if you search using that number you'll find lots of posts here about it. While you have the dizzy out to replace the O-ring, replace the ignition module inside (also with AC Delco), or at least remove yours, clean the metal surface and re-goop it on with heat sink grease you get from a computer store. This will keep it performing properly as they're famous for heat-related failures.
-- A
Interesting and thanks. At least see no fresh oil, just caked over **** , but in time my goal is to get it running stock as good as possible. Also the axle seal is leaking, but again its not that fresh.
I checked on the fiero again. the brake is back to normal so I suppose it needs a brake flush pretty bad. I know the fluid looks terrible, it probably is creating air when it gets hot. Going to work on that first and foremost and I did find a lot of information about getting engine codes.
I see a light that says service engine soon, is this the same as check engine?
So I read the engine codes. Its only giving me 35 Idle Speed Error and 42 Electronic Spark Timing. Which I guess could be worse. I expected more than 2 codes.
If I fixed the spark timing, cause it was misfiring, is the code still there from before or is it still a problem? I wonder if the spark plug wires aren't making a good connection.
I went about looking for vacuum leaks with the engine off ( kind of a mistake ). I looked at the air filter and the entire housing is rusty and brittle. In moving it around decent sized chunks of the housing fell off or are falling off. Might be salvageable, but if I can find a replacement part that would be ideal. I think the car was running rich (less so after replacing spark plug wires) but also idling high, especially when I came to a stop in traffic. It would seemingly go to a normal idle after a few seconds. Is that normal?
I found a piece of dry rotted hose. This is just below the air filter housing. What is this supposed to lead to?
also found this plug connected to nothing.
What does my diagnostic port connect to to get some analytical data? Most of my gauges don't work. speedo and voltage work.
Finally, Is there a more appropriate place on the forum for me to be asking these questions?
It would also be helpful if you could post your images properly. You cannot put IMG tags on a URL (web address) and expect it to post an image correctly. It needs to be a JPG that you're linking to.... preferably no wider than 1024 pixels, and a file size no larger than 300 kb.
