1988GT LF3 / F40 Build (Page 3/4)
msweldon MAR 27, 01:20 PM

quote
Originally posted by Daryl M:


Great! I am following your build with great interest. I'm curious to see how the turn is fit.



Turn?
Joseph Upson MAR 27, 01:49 PM

quote
Originally posted by msweldon:

Axle update... It looks like I'll be able to use the Cobalt SS Turbo axles after all... The Cobalt axles should be able to be resplined to fit the manual G6 outboard inner race as the G6 circlip is on the end of the axle like the Cobalt axles. OD and ID of the Cobal axle outboard end vs the G6 inner race work out with 1 mm to spare. Cobalt axles sent off to Hudlow Axle in North Georgia for resplining.


Ok... Vendor woes...

First, I know several PFF members have utilized California Clutch / Clutchnet over the years, including myself for a stage 1 clutch on a Mazda 6 restore I completed last year. However for my LF3/F40 build I ordered a saab 9-3 2.8T V6 billet solid flywheel, pressure plate, and 6 puck sprung clutch back at the beginning of January. I was initially told 10 business days for delivery and after 3 conversations where each time I was told 'next friday' or 'just waiting on the flywheel' during February, Oleg at Clutchnet has gone radio silent on me. Will not return calls/messages.. no status updates... nothing... I know he's there as one Friday after I left a message around mid afternoon I had a friend immediately call him up and leave a message about how he was interested in a new clutch/pp/fw and he immediately returned his call.

I noticed on the web that a few others have had similar experiences online recently and a few similar posts at the BBB.

Anyone else had this type of experience with ClutchNet recently?

On another Vendor issue..
I had been dealing with AlphaFabIndustries/Motorsports out of MI as they advertised a complete stand alone harness for the LF3 retuned E92 ECU, including all sensors for 1.5K$, spendy but that's a ton of time I could save on this build. Last fall I looked up their reviews, contacted them, asked them as many questions as I could about their business, turnaround time, etc.. and paid them in full last October for the harness and DBW throttle pedal. Then located and shipped them an XTS LF3 ECU to speed up their process. They do answer their phone, "IF" you know the extension and I called them every Friday to every other Friday since the end of January inquiring as to the status of the Harness.. Every time I got answer of, We'll get right back to you and call you back today, it'll be ready next Wednesday for shipment, etc..etc...

I contacted them to see if they'd be will to just back out of the deal, refund me my payment, and return my ECU. They jumped at the opportunity, apologized, took my card # for the refund and stated that the ECU would be shipped by that Friday. That was 10 business days ago......aaannnnnddddd you guessed it.......nothing... Called yesterday, asked to send in an email to get a response by the end of the day by the owner....nothing... emailed this morning... nothing.... They are alive and well as per their facebook page, doing quite well from what it seems...even moved to a larger shop.

I've got every email correspondence between us that backs up the story with AlphaFab.

Has anyone ever gone through the credit card charge back scenario with a vendor? Advice, pointers, etc?




Really sorry to hear of such horrible experience with vendors. It seems the risks of dealing with alleged professionals regarding custom work is beginning to skyrocket. I had no idea one of the icons of custom performance John Hennessy, the goto for 1000 hp Vipers and Vettes is quickly re establishing himself as the scum of the performance aftermarket if what's being said can be believed (do a search), following some forum member's investigating a Hennessy CTS-V package on what is actually a V6 CTS that looks the look on the outside but, was about 400 hp and a few other items short underneath and on the inside.

My strong advice to you would be to send your desired inboard and outboard CV joints along with an axle that matches both spline patterns (if different) to Moser Racing and have a brand new pair of hardened axles made. Years back when I started with the F40, I had them make a pair of dual splined shaft nubs that fit the transmission splines and the Fiero female inboard joint cup. What I was not aware of at the time, is that two full length axles that would have connected the inboard F40 joint to the outboard Fiero joint would have cost the same. I realized that when later on I sent them a shaft to be cut and reground. It was ~$300 for the pair back in 2006.

Give it some thought because when you have a problem with a custom part, which I did, you can end up in a bind by having to shell out a lot more cash and deal with a wait time. You can easily replace a production joint, attached to a strong custom axle shaft, but if you damage a reground shaft, you have to start over. My reground shaft broke in the threaded area of the nut after it loosened, resulting in a terrible effort to locate a suitable replacement short shaft, because by then the parts stores had started importing new, low cost axles made in China that could not be disassembled for a chance at modification. A local transmission shop was not able to remove the outboard bearing hub with a 10k press, after I removed the joint cup with a plasma cutter.

If you decide to go with new axle shafts from Moser, be sure to tell them not to cut the snap ring groove to deep, they cut mine just like that found on the rear wheel drive axles which was too deep, so when I unwittingly assembled the axle, the outboard joint was locked on permanently from the ring moving away from centric, or the bordering spline edges not being chamfered, or both. I needed another G6 axle and Fiero passenger side manual axle which was stronger than the auto axles and fit the G6 outboard joint hub to combine into one.

You may also want to contact Nick Taliaferro https://www.genuinesaab.com/psi/index.htm He's the Saab Specialist that told me what my clutch and flywheel combo was just by looking at the pictures of the internals of the F40 that I crunched. He should have info you can use and would probably be far more reputable than what you appear to be experiencing now.

[This message has been edited by Joseph Upson (edited 03-27-2019).]

msweldon MAR 27, 07:30 PM
Joseph,

I read through your F40 axle saga many many times... and gave hudlow axle specific instructions and measurements about what I wanted...

My problems and woes are not with my axles, as hudlow axles knows their stuff and can also cut custom axles as well, but rather clutchnet for my clutch/pp/fw as well as the other vendor, Alpha Fab Industries, with the harness...

Thanks for the information about Hennessy....wow...just wow...
Daryl M MAR 27, 09:45 PM

quote
Originally posted by msweldon:


Turn?



Turbos. I hate autocorrect.
msweldon MAR 28, 09:16 AM

quote
Originally posted by Daryl M:


Turbos. I hate autocorrect.




Oh...they won't fit...going with single turbo over transmission like the LP9 hfv6 gm made for Saab on the 9-3 turbo
Daryl M MAR 28, 04:03 PM
That's a shame. The twins work well.
msweldon MAR 19, 03:39 PM
Just some updates..

LF3/LF4 and F40 reattached with lower 3.09 FD from European F40 diesel, Quaife LSD, ARPs, and F40 bearing kit.

LF4 wiring harness and ECU wired and turned to accessory through fuse block and scanned and read with HP tuners.

Engine 4 point mounted to cradle with oil drain plug level with bottom of cradle. Going in for test fitting and measurements for single EFR turbo..



[This message has been edited by msweldon (edited 03-19-2020).]

La fiera MAR 19, 09:14 PM
Sorry for my ignorance but is this the same twin turbo in the Cadillac? That's going to be a nice project!
cam-a-lot MAR 19, 10:05 PM
I am so impressed with people that have the knowledge, skills, and guts to take on projects like this. To take a totally different engine, trans, wiring, and make it work in a 33 year old car is just incredible. Good luck with your swap!
msweldon MAR 20, 10:09 AM

quote
Originally posted by La fiera:

Sorry for my ignorance but is this the same twin turbo in the Cadillac? That's going to be a nice project!



Yes, this is the twin turbo LF3 out of the CTS and XTS, the transverse XTS in this case specifically, however the longitudinal would have been slightly more advantageous as I've converted almost all of the accessory and intercooler layouts to match the longitudinal version. The LF3 is 98% the same as the LF4 and at a MUCH lower price point, especially out of the XTS. All wiring and ECU/FPMU are from a manual LF4. The twin turbos 'might' fit into the bay and I will test fit shortly but engine bay dimensions at the top theoretically show otherwise. Even if they fit well I will look at going with LF4 turbos as they are more midrange oriented vs the XTS LF3 turbos are mostly low end... still eyeballing an BorgWarner EFR 8374