WAWUZAT Northstar build thread (lots of pix) (Page 12/16)
Will DEC 09, 10:32 AM
Have you looked at www.fieroaddiction.com ?

Jon Lagler fit the 4T80E to a Fiero cradle without cutting the rear X-member. It was real tight, but it fit.
WAWUZAT DEC 09, 12:17 PM

quote
Originally posted by Will:Jon Lagler fit the 4T80E to a Fiero cradle without cutting the rear X-member. It was real tight, but it fit.


Will -- Thanks. Yes, I have seen that website. The reason I decided to re-fab mine was not due to the size of the 4T80E, but for gaining additional space beneath the crossmember for a second exhaust pipe. The OEM cradle had one "hump" on the passenger side to clear a pipe, and I wanted room to pass two pipes underneath. I also wanted to "box in" that crossmember in lieu of it being open on its forward side. Think of inaccessible voids on ships. Since they're air-tight, once the oxygen has been consumed via surface oxidation, no more corrosion can occur.
motoracer838 DEC 09, 03:00 PM
Lookin' good, keep up the good work.

Joe

[This message has been edited by motoracer838 (edited 12-09-2007).]

WAWUZAT DEC 11, 08:30 PM
Thanks, Joe! I finished making and installing the new rear crossmember. I removed only one of the temporary braces ... removed the one that spanned the top faces of the rear mounting points. I tack-welded two more angle-bars beneath the cradle to make a platform I'll using for holding the engine "up" versus leaving it hang from the engine hoist. The aft face of the one angle-bar which protrudes outboard of the cradle's side-rails is in alignment with the axle centers. I'll use that face for positioning the drivetrain longitudinally. And since the axles will be of equal length, I merely need to center the drivetrain using the axle tripots as measurement guides. Vertical positioning requires that the axle centers at the transaxle be 6-inches above the bottom of the cradle.



If all goes well, I will position the drivetrain atop the cradle tomorrow evening, and then I can start fabricating the motor mounts.
AJxtcman DEC 12, 01:44 PM


No
Yours looks nice. I put my rear crossmember low to mount the trans to. It is in the way of the exhaust.
WAWUZAT DEC 13, 09:25 PM
AJ - I thought you "hung" your engine from the chassis. So, you still had to have at least one mount on the cradle, huh? BTW, nice looking work!

I had to work late yesterday, but I did get to lift the N* tonight, and position the cradle beneath it atop a pair of steel sawhorses. I've only "roughed" it into postion so I could spend some time and study several aspects before I final position it.

One thing that bothers me a bit is the location of the Cadillac alternator. Mine is in the original location as it came out of the Seville, but from just looking at it ... and looking at the cradle's front mounting points ... I'm wondering if it will foul with the rear bulkhead of the passenger compartment. It was raining tonight, so I didn't bother to go outside to look at the engine compartment again. I searched several threads here, and I couldn't find anything about having to relocate the alternator. So, if any of you other N*-swappers are reading this, can you tell me if the Cadillac alternator must be relocated, or am I concerned over nothing. Thanks!

[This message has been edited by WAWUZAT (edited 12-13-2007).]

IXSLR8 DEC 14, 01:21 AM
The stock N* alternator will fit in there. I'm doing the swap as well and have fit it twice and it clears everything. I've got my motor sitting about an inch lower than the stock fiero 5 speed tranny mounts but I don't think that will affect the alternator clearance issues much.
Zac88GT DEC 14, 02:09 AM
Yeah, it'll fit in the stock location fine. There is actually a large recess in the firewall right where it sits, like it was meant to be.
WAWUZAT DEC 14, 08:56 AM
Thanks guys! I appreciate the replies. My drivetrain (at the axle-centers) sits 2-1/2" higher than a stock Fiero, but it's also 5/8" further aft. That drivetrain relocation was done 10 years ago when I lowered the car by raising the drivetrain. If push comes to shove, I can notch the bulkhead, fabricate a clearance hump, and weld it in ... but it would be nice to avoid that extra work. Here are a couple photos of it sitting next to my wife's '05 Mustang ... gives an idea of how low the car sits. Thanks again.


[This message has been edited by WAWUZAT (edited 12-14-2007).]

HC DEC 14, 03:08 PM
Cant wait to see this mounted!

Thats a very nice car... Are you going to do any mods to the outside? Like a stretch, a widebody, paint job? Or all three?