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"I am not what you so glibly call to be a civilized man. I have broken with society for reasons which I alone am able to appreciate. I am therefore not subject to it's stupid laws, and I ask you to never allude to them in my presence again."

cognita semper

Got a bunch done to the engine today, took off all the extra bits, labelled everything and organized all the fasteners. Spun the motor over by hand and the compression is great. I do want to get a starter and hook up a battery and compression test each cylinder before I possibly pull the heads.

MicroSquirt came in



Throttle body comparison, not exactly a good comparison as the N* throttle body is closer to the camera



Motor stripped of bits and LZ4 intake in place. Nothing broke except 1 exhaust bolt, it spun with 0 resistance and the head came right off. The rest I took it slow and went in and out a little bit until they came out nice and easy. Plenty of stud is sticking out, I will screw a nut onto it and weld the nut to the broken bolt and it should come right out.



The valvetrain looks very clean





And the lifter galley area looks great too




So I planned to pull the heads off to do the headgaskets, but are these the Cometic gaskets? They have the gold rivets at the corners. I may keep them together for now if the compression test checks out good. Let me know if these look like the Cometic gaskets or if this is not an indication that they are anything special. Edit to say that looking at pics of the head gaskets on RockAuto, multiple of them have these gold rivets, so I doubt they are anything special. I will most likely pull the heads but still check the compression before hand to make sure the cylinders are all ok.





Going to get a new crank puller tomorrow as I guess I threw mine out, the threads were a little messed up and I must have gotten sick of it. Then I can pull the timing cover and oil pan off and check out the bottom end.

I may stick with this timing cover as I realized that I could create a nice access panel where the VVT actuator is, and I could inspect the timing chain periodically since I will not be running a double roller. It also takes up less space that I originally thought. Time will tell.

[This message has been edited by zkhennings (edited 03-06-2021).]

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"I am not what you so glibly call to be a civilized man. I have broken with society for reasons which I alone am able to appreciate. I am therefore not subject to it's stupid laws, and I ask you to never allude to them in my presence again."

cognita semper

More progress today

Got some 3 jaw pullers and one worked for the crank pulley



The oil pan was very dirty so I cleaned it before removing it



The oil pump on this thing is a beast



Bottom end looks good



Oil pan looks acceptable, it cleaned up really easily



Could possibly use this opening to inspect the 3400 timing chain



Timing cover removed



So then I decided to just take everything apart, I couldn't tell how good the crosshatching looked from the bottom so time for the heads to come off.

Head looks good



Half cleaned with a razor blade



Checking flatness with this nice tool I have and a .0015" feeler gauge





They were flat almost everywhere but I found a couple spots it could slip through so I will bring the heads to get skimmed.

Crosshatching exists but is not great, bores are decently shiny. I guess I will hone the cylinders.





All the lifters and the cam look perfect





How the motor currently sits



Parts laid out



Till next time



Next steps are to pull the pistons and rods out, I will pull the crank too and hone the cylinders. I am not going to replace the crank or rod bearings, just do ARP rod bolts for now, as I intend to get some stronger and lighter rods and pistons down the line, and I will do all the machine work and whatnot then.

I also want to get going on the cam as they take some time to make, I think I am going to order the Strip Cam from WOT Tech. Need to figure out what valve springs I am ordering too.

I brought both LZ9 and LZ4 intakes and N* TB with me to work, and I will begin machining the throttle adapter soon.

[This message has been edited by zkhennings (edited 03-29-2021).]

Just put in a big order from WOT Tech, I ordered:

• Strip Performance Cam with cam bearing spacers for the 3900, it is only $99 to get them included instead of $150 separately
  
  
  "The WOT-Tech NA Stage 2 cam, also known as the Strip cam. It has a mild lope to it and suffers a slight torque loss in exchange for more RPM and HP. Shift points anywhere from 6500-7000 should consider this one, racing or street use. Tuning won't be too difficult for this one either.
  
  276 / 264 Duration @ .006"
  224 / 212 Duration @ .050"
  .335" / ..325" Lobe Lift
  .536"/.520" 1.6 Rocker
  109 ICL
  111 LSA"
  
  
• The Performance Timing Set for a 3400/3500, worked out to be a couple dollars cheaper than sourcing the same parts from GM directly
  
  
• PAC 1218 Valve Springs
  
  Specs
  
  130# @ 1.800"
  318# @ 1.200"
  Coil Bind @ 1.100
  313 lb/in spring rate
  
  
• Performance SBC Cam bearings, and I opted for the teflon coating for added protection, for $30 extra it can't hurt!
  
  
• ARP Connecting Rod Bolts for Powdered Metal Rods - These I have questions about, I have to do more research because I want to make sure I am not going to oval the journal if the ARP bolts get torqued higher than stock.
  
  
• Adjustable Pushrod to figure out what length pushrods I need - Another area I need to do more research, I tried to see how many turns it took to seat the stock rockers from the point that the lash was taken out of the pushrod, and it seemed like 1.25 turns, which is what the Fiero called for as well. Need to double check that
  
  

I did not order new lifters, mine seem pretty mint, I will take them apart and throw them in the ultrasonic parts cleaner and inspect them to make sure all the needles are nice and round. If I need new lifters I will order them when I order pushrods.

I also ordered a bottle brush hone from Summit, it seems like a really nice one, and it should fit mine and my brother's Subarus as well as the LZ9, and some of the LS motors.


Next on the list is figuring out what connectors I need to order from Ballenger, and figure out and buy the crimping tool that I will need. I will order a depinning kit as well to save myself the headache.

I need connectors for:

• LZ9 Crank position sensor
  
  
• Fiero Coolant Temp sensor, I need to get the 3 pin one so I can run the gauge too
  
  
• Fiero or LZ9? Oil pressure sensor
  
  
• LZ9 MAP sensor
  
  
• LZ9 IAT sensor
  
  
• N* TPS
  
  
• Bosch EV14 Injector Connectors
  
  
• LZ9 Coil Pack Connector
  
  
• Fiero Alternator Connector
  
  
• Fiero VSS Connector

At some point I may get the connector for the N* IAC, I have not decided whether I will be using it or not yet.

I already have an Innovate LC-2 Wideband sensor and gauge so I don't think I need a connector for it.

Also I called around to some machine shops and it seems like the going rate for resurfacing heads is $125 each, it includes a cleaning in the bath. So I am going to pay more than half the cost of the motor to get the heads resurfaced but it is what it is. If anyone knows a shop in the Boston area that has better prices let me know, because I called like 5 machine shops and they all quoted me the same price. I doubt I would need the heads resurfaced again though until I put some serious miles on this thing, so it is acceptable.

Excited to be making progress

[This message has been edited by zkhennings (edited 03-12-2021).]

[This message has been edited by zkhennings (edited 03-09-2021).]

Few updates, mostly research.

I wanted to confirm the bolt sizes that I will need for my motor mount/alternator bracket. Here are the bolts in place, and on the side I may or may not need to reinforce with that one. On the even side bank of the motor there are two holes in the same plane where the AC compressor normally bolts, I think that if I make the steel in this area thick enough I may not need to support the alternator from the backside (it will be in single shear)



Side bolt hole I may need



The sizes are M10x1.5 and M12x1.75, I double checked with some taps





I may order some fresh bolts for these. Here is what the G6 engine mount looks like, and the two oil pan bolt holes I plan to attach to



Next I needed to figure out what flywheel bolts to get, I planned to get 23mm ones like stock Fiero, but could only find 23.5mm ones, and I wanted to make sure they would fit.



Here is around how deep it threaded in, so I will be fine it has a lot of leeway. I ordered these ARP bolts for the flywheel and these ones for the pressure plate.



Flywheel - ARP102-2803 for Nissan 2.0L SR20DE/DET - M10x1.0 - 23.5mm

Pressure Plate - ARP 108-2201 for Honda D series engines - M8x1.25 - 25mm (stock is 22mm but these were closest they had and I think they will be fine, if not I'll shorten them)

I also talked to PAC today about retainers and locks for the 1218 springs and my application. They suggested these 311 retainers and these -.050" locks to increase my seat and open pressure. I ordered one set of both just to make sure they will fit before ordering the rest.

Part numbers:

PAC-R311

PAC-L8116

LS valves are 8mm in diameter, LZ9 are 7.95, close enough



The locks use a rounded cutout 5mm from the valve tip, I will compare the height to stock to make sure they are at the correct install height.



And finally, parts came in, nice.

[This message has been edited by zkhennings (edited 03-12-2021).]

------------------
"I am not what you so glibly call to be a civilized man. I have broken with society for reasons which I alone am able to appreciate. I am therefore not subject to it's stupid laws, and I ask you to never allude to them in my presence again."

cognita semper

Interesting stuff and good to consider, here is a diagram for the MicroSquirt, I have to do more research to figure out which of the remaining outputs could be used to drive the coolant temp and oil pressure gauges.



Weekend updates. I found my Fiero's keys which was a relief, and checked it out. It was dirty and the engine bay had accumulated some leaves, but nothing too bad for sitting for 6 years.





Mounted the starter with the new starter bolts I bought to make sure everything was good, it is a slightly newer starter than what was on the 2007 Uplander, it was for a 2011 Lucerne. It is incredibly light, multiple times lighter than the original Fiero starter.



Also checked alternator placement, and I have a tap cleaning out an unused hole on the block. That hole plus the one above it could mount a small bracket to support the rear of the alternator, and it would turn the alternator into a semi load bearing member for the motor mount which would be cool, it is done all the time in motorcycles where their engines complete the frame.



I stripped the heads fully and removed all the valves.



Here is a comparison to the 2.8 valves, note the 2.8 stem diameter is much larger, and the valve head is much thicker. Interesting how some parts evolve to be beefier and some get slimmer.





Here is a pic of the wear on the valve tips, should I get these and the rocker tips resurfaced or as long as a I reinstall in the original position will they be fine? I will get new valves and rockers eventually but I have already spent much more than I want to and they are 20-25$ per valve for the stock stuff and 25$ per rocker arm. I COULD BE CONVINCED THOUGH. Maybe.



Cylinder heads were totally stripped, but I still had a broken exhaust stud on one. The castings on these 3900 heads are amazing, very impressive.



I needed to weld a nut to the stud to take it out and I could have broken out the Mig, but since I have a bunch of stuff to Tig and my Tig was not set up, I dedicated some time to getting it set up and I built this portable wooden Tig welding zone that I can also bring to my apartment.



I used a Subaru turbo flange nut which slipped over the broken stud. I hit them both with the wire wheel to get them clean.



Welded.



Removed. Easy.



Heads are now ready for porting and going to the machine shop. And the Tig welding zone turns into a speaker enhancer lol.



I turned my focus to the block and removed all of the pistons and rods and then all the main caps.



The main and rod journals on the crank look perfect. The rod bearings look perfect. The bearings in the block look decent, but the rear bearing looks not amazing.



Front.



Middle.





And the suspect rear bearing.



The rear journal of the crank looks great.



Here are the main caps. I circled some damage in the rear bearing.



In light of this I will get new main bearings and probably rod bearings too. Since I will be using ARP rods I may need to get the rods honed if the ARP bolts oval them out. I will bring them to the machine shop to check.

Here is the bare block. I am going to put it in a big tub full of degreaser from the dollar store to clean it up. I may bring it to the machine shop for a hot tanking depending on the cost.



And I stored and organized all the stuff that was on the bench to make room for how it currently sits.



Now it is time to clean things and wait for more parts and tools to come in, as well as port the heads and get the heads resurfaced. I will start painting some components, and I am going to do some major trimming on the coolant crossover.

[This message has been edited by zkhennings (edited 03-15-2021).]