World's slowest Fiero/Quad 4 Swap (Page 44/51)
Quadfather FEB 18, 07:30 PM
Not much. Been busy with work and other aspects of life.

I tried to make my own adapter to use the V6 slave cylinder. The first one I came up with was an abomination so I won’t even show it. The second is better but I don’t think it will work.

I cut the mounting flange off of my original Isuzu slave then used some pipe and plate to make the rest.







The challenge is making the adapter big enough so that the slave’s rubber boot fits inside but narrow enough to fit alongside the housing on the Getrag.



I couldn’t tell how long to make the adapter judging from the photo on Rodney Dickman’s website, but it had to be at least one inch in order to clear the studs on the Getrag. I don’t know why those studs are so long.



With this setup it’s practically impossible to make sure the rod is seated in the clutch lever. I also think the adapter is too long. All this is complicated by the fact that the engine doesn’t run yet so I have no sure way to check.

I finally got the fitting off the stock Quad Getrag slave. Years ago I saw pictures from someone who used a part from a BMW clutch system that had a bleeder. If memory serves it used the Quad Getrag slave, too. I can’t find those photos/build thread now.

[This message has been edited by Quadfather (edited 02-18-2023).]

Quadfather FEB 19, 08:34 AM
This might be the adapter I’m thinking of.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/rus-640281

The BMW part I mentioned is for F23/40 transmissions, so it’s not applicable here.
Quadfather FEB 19, 07:24 PM
While I ponder the clutch situation, I spent some time on other areas of the car.

I removed the driver’s side headlight assembly and discovered that the headlight isn’t a sealed beam headlight anymore.







I had both headlights on the work bench a decade ago and they looked fine. Oh well.

I also removed the torsion springs from the deck lid. I used the ratchet strap method, putting tension on the springs to pull the pins out. The straps pulled off of the springs as I released the tension, which was kind of exciting, but it didn’t cause any damage.

[This message has been edited by Quadfather (edited 02-19-2023).]

Quadfather MAR 19, 06:56 AM
Maybe I’ve got the clutch slave sorted out. Realized the second attempt at an adapter was way too big. It would space the slave piston so far away from the clutch fork lever that the lever would not move far enough to release the clutch.

On Sardonyx’s build, he used a machined spacer that looks like it’s a half inch thick. I cut mine up and started over. The mounting holes have to be clocked because of the studs on the transmission.





I was aiming for exactly a half an inch in depth, but it’s just a bit deeper than that.





The problem is the adapter has to be narrow enough to fit in the space next to the transmission case, but wide enough for the rubber boot on the slave cylinder rod. When I first mounted the setup, the adapter pinched the boot, so I used a die grinder to open up the hole even more.




zkhennings MAR 20, 12:53 PM
Nice work! What is still left to do before a test drive?
Quadfather MAR 20, 07:01 PM
Well, let’s see:

-Engine harness/battery cables
-Engine coolant hoses/expansion tank
-Ignition coils (not sure if the parts from my Beretta still work)
-Thermostat housing
-Rear hubs & brake pads
-Reassemble rear suspension
-Coolant/engine oil & filter/transmission oil

I’m probably missing something obvious.

That would be to try to get it running. Before driving it I really need to buy tires. The tires that are on it came from the salvage yard’s $11 tire sale eight or nine years ago just to be able to move it around.

I find it more difficult to stay focused these days. Maybe it’s a side effect of getting older, maybe it’s just being busy with work and other parts of life. Physically it’s much harder, too. Weekend before last I had to replace the oil cooler lines on my Silverado. Without access to a lift, getting up and down from the floor and lying on my back to work on something is just hard. Anyway, aging isn’t for wimps.

I will likely take a week of vacation in the next few weeks to get as much done on the car as possible. My son has decided not to take a job out of state and his new knowledge of circuitry and solder will be a big help.

[This message has been edited by Quadfather (edited 03-26-2023).]

Quadfather MAR 26, 07:33 PM
While removing the passenger headlight assembly last weekend, I dropped a 10mm socket into the front fascia. Didn't get back to the shop until today.

Decided to remove the fender liner so I could see into the fascia and find that socket.





Somehow the socket ended up way over underneath the radiator support. How the heck did overspray get all the way inside there?



The fender liners on this car are covered with tar and concrete dust, in addition to the regular dirt you'd expect to see on an old car. Must've been constant road construction where the original owner lived. To clean it up I tried using a wire brush and a scraper but neither did much good so I added some kerosene/Jet A. It seemed to help but it appears the liner would need to soak in the fluid for a while for the best result. Might try to some engine degreaser.

[This message has been edited by Quadfather (edited 03-26-2023).]

Quadfather APR 12, 08:18 PM
More progress, but few photos. Discovered a hole in the passenger fender liner so I used plastic from the original bottom support from the front fascia to make a patch and melted it on with a heat gun.



I’ve been working on the passenger headlight assembly, the other fender liner and repainting the underside of the deck lid. I’m waiting for new rear hubs to arrive to reassemble the rear suspension.

I’m hoping to modify the deck lid hinges this weekend to accept struts, then will remove the hood and repaint its underside. Lots of minor jobs to complete, then will be ready to pull the engine and cradle out and work on the wiring harness.
Quadfather APR 16, 09:21 PM
Repainted the underside of the deck lid. Also figured out how to mount struts. I noticed the deck lid struts on my wife’s 2014 Impala were just about the perfect length to fit from the bottom of the Fiero deck lid hing to the hole where the torsion spring used to mount on the flange that mounts to the lid. That meant a trip to the salvage.

Many GM cars have similar deck lid struts. I chose the hinges and struts from a 2002 Buick Century.





I bought the whole hinges, planning to cut them up to get the balls where I needed them. Here’s a rough draft.



For the upper mount, I’ll weld the ball to a flat plate that uses the outer hinge bolt as well as the torsion spring mount hole. That will keep the piece from turning. These struts are worn out, so the test will be if new ones are strong enough to push up the deck lid and wing.

I had a family commitment this afternoon and ran out of time.

[This message has been edited by Quadfather (edited 04-16-2023).]

82-T/A [At Work] APR 17, 02:27 PM
Coming along!!!

Honestly, the Quad-4 is one of my favorite swaps. One day, I'd like to do a TwinCam LD9 swap into a Fiero... but it's possible that time has come and gone (fewer Fieros, fewer LD9s available). I was thinking I could use an ECM / harness from a 1995 vehicle (pre-OBD2), just for the ease of it. Do the "secret cam swap" as they say, and enjoy the car. I know the performance of a relatively stock LD9 wouldn't be amazing, but I like the smoothness of the LD9 (with the counter-balance shafts), the fuel economy, and the better performance than the V6 with the ~100 less pounds using the 5-Speed than a V6/60 + automatic.