North Star swan into a 1988 Fiero formula 5 speed (Page 1/3)
TheFieroKid OCT 16, 09:21 AM
Greetings!

Finally, after my long search for the right engine for me, I have discovered that the Northstar is the engine for me. I'm thinking I'm going to go with a early Y code, and I want to keep my 5 speed. thankfully I do not have the Isuzu transmission.
from what I've gathered from the internet and some searching, it appears I have the best case scenario in terms of the work I will have to do is minimal, because the engine bolts right up to my tranny.

now the big question for me is how do I mount this thing. are there any kits out there? do I have to cut a lot of stuff? What do you all recommend I do for the wiring harness?

The build is supposed to be for Endurance racing, so it needs to be very reliable. I plan on eventually running a standalone ECU like mega squirt or a Bosch Racing MS 6.3 standalone ecu, but this is in the future. for now I just want my car to run.

hopefully I remembered everything.

thanks.
olejoedad OCT 16, 10:10 AM
Why not the 300 horse version?
Dave E Bouy OCT 16, 09:27 PM
Congrats. I love the N*. I swapped a 2006 vin Y into an 85GT a few years ago. It was a beast. I chose to use the caddy transmission which may have been a mistake. I found it lacked low end torque. So much so that I could barely get the tires to squeal. The problem was in the stock convertor not the tyranny itself. However once you were at any sort of cruising speed and applied a lot of right foot that thing would darn near snap your neck. I also helped my son swap a 2002 vin 9 into an 86 quite a while back. He ran it on MSll but he never got the tune to where it should have been and chipped a piston before losing interest in Fieros in general. His was mated to the stock 4spd and it would absolutely sizzle the tires. T vin 9 makes a few more hps than than the vin Y but the vin Y has a wee bit more torque. Happy to answer any questions if you've gottem.

DF
Dave E Bouy OCT 16, 09:35 PM
Ok just read your post again. As I mentioned above mine was a 2006 vin Y. I chose this motor primarily because by this time GM had finally sorted out the head bolt issues that plagued the earlier Northstars. Also it was fairly cheap lol. What I wanted to mention is that I had Ryan from Sinister Performance tune a stock ECM to run it and it ran FLAWLESSLY, which I believe hadn't been done before. I'm not sure he can tune one to run without the TCM being present but you might want to talk to him.

DF
TheFieroKid OCT 17, 08:54 AM
I chose the Y vin engine because I’m getting them very cheaply (2 low mile ones for 60$). My main concern is not wiring for now, it’s just fabricating the right mounts and set up for the swap. If anyone also knows of any good build threads that cover this please link them because I can’t quite find what I’m looking for.

Thanks,
Dennis LaGrua OCT 20, 11:29 AM
IIRC, the N* engine is mounted in a Fiero using all custom made mounts. As for the tuning; if all inputs are not seen by the PCM the engine may not produce full power. I once considered this swap but the tuning aspect was discouraging. The N* (507lbs) engine with its transmission (about 204 lbs) will weight in at about 711 lbs. That is quite heavy for a Fiero.

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" THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, custom ZZP /Frozen Boost Intercooler setup, 3.4" Pulley, Northstar TB, LS1 MAF, 3" Spintech/Hedman Exhaust, P-log Manifold, Autolite 104's, MSD wires, Custom CAI, 4T65eHD w. custom axles, Champion Radiator, S10 Brake Booster, HP Tuners VCM Suite.
"THE COLUSSUS"
87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H
" ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "

Daryl M OCT 21, 02:18 AM

quote
Originally posted by Dennis LaGrua:

IIRC, the N* engine is mounted in a Fiero using all custom made mounts. As for the tuning; if all inputs are not seen by the PCM the engine may not produce full power. I once considered this swap but the tuning aspect was discouraging. The N* (507lbs) engine with its transmission (about 204 lbs) will weight in at about 711 lbs. That is quite heavy for a Fiero.




That is why I decided on the LFX motor. At 323 HP and 278 ft. Lbs, it is pretty comparable to the North star but is 150 pounds lighter.
Raydar OCT 21, 02:14 PM
Since nobody mentioned this, I will.
Aside from all the required custom made mounts, you will also have to relocate or replace the front rail of the cradle. It's right where the oil filter wants to be.
That is, unless things have changed, or someone has come up with a fix.
Enjoy your swap! It's gonna be a beast.
ericjon262 OCT 26, 08:22 PM
you should be able to run the engine using an LS1 0411 PCM, you just need to run the shelby series one programming. it will take some welding to make happen, but they make pretty awesome swaps. I think they are my favorite V8 swap for sure.

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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."

"The day I tried to live, I stole a thousand beggars' change and gave it to the rich."
http://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/119122.html

Will OCT 28, 10:21 AM

quote
Originally posted by TheFieroKid:

now the big question for me is how do I mount this thing. are there any kits out there? do I have to cut a lot of stuff? What do you all recommend I do for the wiring harness?

The build is supposed to be for Endurance racing, so it needs to be very reliable. I plan on eventually running a standalone ECU like mega squirt or a Bosch Racing MS 6.3 standalone ecu, but this is in the future. for now I just want my car to run.





quote
Originally posted by Raydar:

Since nobody mentioned this, I will.
Aside from all the required custom made mounts, you will also have to relocate or replace the front rail of the cradle. It's right where the oil filter wants to be.



Right. You'll need to build a new forward crossmember for the cradle. Use 2x3 rectangular tubing. Keep the section of the stock forward crossmember that carries the transmission mount. You can make a shelf bracket on the new crossmember that will accept the stock forward Cadillac engine mount. You'll also need to build a right rear corner mount from scratch.

What year is the recipient body? What years are the engines that are available?

Bosch ECU would be a nice piece.



quote
Originally posted by ericjon262:

you should be able to run the engine using an LS1 0411 PCM, you just need to run the shelby series one programming. it will take some welding to make happen, but they make pretty awesome swaps. I think they are my favorite V8 swap for sure.






quote
Originally posted by Dave E Bouy:

Ok just read your post again. As I mentioned above mine was a 2006 vin Y. I chose this motor primarily because by this time GM had finally sorted out the head bolt issues that plagued the earlier Northstars. Also it was fairly cheap lol. What I wanted to mention is that I had Ryan from Sinister Performance tune a stock ECM to run it and it ran FLAWLESSLY, which I believe hadn't been done before. I'm not sure he can tune one to run without the TCM being present but you might want to talk to him.

DF



For 2005 the Northstar went to the 58x control system, which means it's basically the same as an LS. The 0411 can run '99 and older engines. I advise '05 or newer as the controls are easier to work with and the head bolt thread corrosion problem was fixed.