Rescuing my dads old Fiero GT 1987 (Page 9/23)
Repulsiv OCT 29, 11:55 AM
Hmm, just to be sure, I cannot use my GM tech2 for this ? ..no backwards compatiblity ? ..I know I got a bunch of adapters for it that I never used..

(..I have had a lot of SAAB's, therefore its very handy to have a Tech2..)

[This message has been edited by Repulsiv (edited 10-29-2017).]

fierofool OCT 29, 12:48 PM
The cables can't be oiled though I know of one person who connected a shop vac to the shifter end and taped the opening very well. He then inserted the transmission end into some oil and turned on the vacuum. It did pull some oil in and helped for a short while, but the cable eventually had to be replaced. Usually the wires splinter inside and hang on the inside of the cover.

You could drain oil into a 1 liter container then pour back the appropriate amount. Oil contamination comes from the combustion blow-by around the rings. If your engine is in good condition, it will take a while before it begins to get dark.

On the bottom of the thermostat, in the middle is a small bulb. it's usually stamped with the temperature. That's the temperature that the thermostat opens. Running a lower temp thermostat, like the 180 f thermostat can cause the engine to run cold, thus requiring more fuel. That may be the thermostat that came with the chip. If you are having overheating issues, Rodney Dickman's 210 f fan switch will allow the engine to operate within it's specified range, but will turn on the cooling fan before the engine really starts to overheat.

The fan switch is on the passenger end of the engine, near the base of the thermostat housing. It has a single wire harness. Unplug that and insert a wire into the harness. With ignition on, ground the wire to the engine block. The cooling fan should come on if the circuit, relay and fan motor are good. If it doesn't come on, press one of the AC buttons. If the fan doesn't come on at that point, your problem will be either the fan relay or the fan motor.


Before you decide to rebuild the calipers, be sure you can obtain the rebuild kits. I think the front kits are still available. The phenolic pistons should be replaced with metal pistons. I think there's one seal in the rear calipers that isn't available on the retail market, so it's best to get rebuilt calipers. However, the rear calipers are seldom a problem. They are just easy to damage when replacing rear brake pads if the wrong procedure is followed.

Repulsiv OCT 31, 10:58 AM
Yes, similar to my exprerience from parking brake cables, as soon as they start to rust inside they cannot really be fixed, maybe oiled so they work a bit better but never really good.

Anyway, i was out in the cold and put a charger on the battery, and was going to try to earth the fan temp switch, but I couldn't get down to it, I probably can when its not as dark and cold..

I tried to turn on the AC however, and then the radiator fan started, so that part is good.

It was a great "map" where the sensors are, is it possible to measure (ohm ?) the other sensors ? is there a map of temp-resistance ? ..I'm curious if the engine is really cold, or if its just the meter..

But I think I replace the thermostat anyway to be sure.. I know they can be tested (in hot water) but..


..The brakes, well I start with just removing the calipers and pads and clean everything, I think the calipers is the floating type ? if the pins on those rust it cannot float and doesnt work very well.

By the way my dad had a LOT of problems with the brakes when he bought the car he told me, the brakes where on all the time, several shops failed to find the problem but then finally one found the problem - the hoses.. they acted as checkvalves.. Its pretty strange that the first shops did not find that problem because its not all unknown.. but then they said they replaced all hoses, however three is rubber and one is a steelbraided teflon.. they also changed the pads and cleaned everything, probably even machined the rotors, so at least the pads should be like new..

[This message has been edited by Repulsiv (edited 10-31-2017).]

2.5 OCT 31, 01:01 PM

quote
Originally posted by fierofool:

The cables can't be oiled though I know of one person who connected a shop vac to the shifter end and taped the opening very well. He then inserted the transmission end into some oil and turned on the vacuum. It did pull some oil in and helped for a short while, but the cable eventually had to be replaced. Usually the wires splinter inside and hang on the inside of the cover.




If I were to try that I would use something non petroleum based. Silicone lube probably.
Repulsiv OCT 31, 01:05 PM
Why not petroleum ? is the inside of the wire shield coated with some plastics or similar ?
fierofool OCT 31, 01:38 PM
Repulsiv: When working on the brake calipers, you can press the pistons in with a C-clamp on the front ones, but to do that on the rear without following the proper procedure can destroy them.

I know from experience what you speak of as the inside of the hose acting as a check valve. My 86, with brand new calipers on the rear, caught fire in August due to just that situation. When the right rear caliper couldn't relieve the pressure, it overheated, boiled the fluid and blew the hose off the caliper. The resulting fluid on the red hot rotor caught fire. For various reasons, I just finished putting it back on the road about an hour and a half ago. New brake lines, rotor, caliper and pads.

If you have a pair of needle nose pliers with a 45 or 90 degree tip, you can squeeze the fan switch harness and lift it right off. Here's a chart for checking GM temperature sensors.

http://www.gafiero.org/bbs/...=641.msg4633#msg4633
fierofool OCT 31, 01:45 PM

quote
Originally posted by Repulsiv:

Why not petroleum ? is the inside of the wire shield coated with some plastics or similar ?



If it were me, I wouldn't worry about the inside since the cable is probably already damaged. But Silicone based lubricants may be beneficial. Dexron II. Silicone sprays ingested into the intake can play havoc with O-2 sensors and catalytic converters, especially if prolonged or if the sensor is weak. For that reason, it's not wise to use the old pre-converter method of cleaning the carbon from inside an engine by pouring transmission fluid into the intake,

Repulsiv OCT 31, 02:55 PM
I will take a look at the fan switch when the weather is a bit better (..that would be like in june or so if I am un lucky..) But great with the temp chart!

..So what is the correct procedure to push the pistons back in the rear ? ..is it because of the parking brake ? ..I know I had to screw back the pistons on my old SAAB 9000CDE that also had a parkingbrake working on the rear calipers (different from most fwd cars that have a separate drum just for the parking brake..) and it's self-adjusting mechanism had to be screwed back..

Btw i never heard of the method to put ATF in the intake to clean out carbon, dounds a bit dangerous ..I know some people have done it with wather but I wouldnt do that either ..but ATF is often great to lubricate wires with..
fierofool OCT 31, 06:49 PM
See CarQuest Rear Caliper Adjustment Procedure.
http://www.gafiero.org/docs.shtml

We used to pour a small stream of ATF down the carburetor while holding the throttle at a little higher rpm. If you did it just right and there was no wind blowing, you could camouflage the vehicle in a cloud of smoke. Usually when you were about to deplete your ATF, one would dump the remaining amount into the carb enough to choke the engine to a stop. Let it sit for a half hour or so, then start it up to burn the residual out.

I used water to break the carbon loose when I was building kit cars and working mostly on VW Beetles. On built engines, I learned to ask if the engine had sodium filled valves after I saw what had happened to a water cooled engine that dropped a sodium valve. A minor car bomb.
2.5 NOV 01, 01:21 PM

quote
Originally posted by Repulsiv:

..but ATF is often great to lubricate wires with..



I would think motor oil would be better than ATF, due to it having more lube and less detergents than ATF.
I still would use a synthetic silicone lube though instead. I am actually not sure if there is plastic directly inside a wire cable setup that would swell or deteriorate with petroleum lubes. Since there is so much plastic and rubber in areas on cars it seems safer. I would rather not take the chance, and I have just had better longer lasting luck with synthetic silicone based lubes.

[This message has been edited by 2.5 (edited 11-01-2017).]