Chrysler 3.5 HO V6 swap (Page 21/33)
seajai JUN 05, 10:58 PM
Got my NOS front calipers from calipersonline.com today. These were assembly line pieces and never boxed as replacement parts, they are in great condition and still look brand new.





I had to eliminate my e-brake because of my cradle mods so it's no big deal putting front calipers on the rear.

I am dropping the car off Thursday morning for exhaust work, I will post pics of the finished system.

Edit: Wow! I get page 6 too....what are the odds!

[This message has been edited by seajai (edited 10-02-2023).]

David Hambleton JUN 06, 02:43 PM
Amazing thread - kudos to the genius that can make this kind of transplant successfully! I'm dragging my heels on an '87 Duke swap into an '86 Duke. Shame on me!

I wonder what percentage of E brakes are actually functional. I prefer to have them even on auto trans vehicles. The E brake has to work to pass the safety certificate for ownership transfer. I've seen some cars with separate parking brake calipers. I guess if you wanted to sell it, you could sell uncertified...

[This message has been edited by David Hambleton (edited 06-06-2013).]

TXOPIE JUN 06, 02:50 PM
Just ordered me the same front & rear set from same location...thanks for the post!
I am using them with my e-brake and they are going on an 86GT with BMWGuru's adaptors!
seajai JUN 06, 04:47 PM

quote
Originally posted by David Hambleton:

Amazing thread - kudos to the genius that can make this kind of transplant successfully! I'm dragging my heels on an '87 Duke swap into an '86 Duke. Shame on me!

I wonder what percentage of E brakes are actually functional. I prefer to have them even on auto trans vehicles. The E brake has to work to pass the safety certificate for ownership transfer. I've seen some cars with separate parking brake calipers. I guess if you wanted to sell it, you could sell uncertified...




My cables were all in pretty good shape, but mine isn't a rust belt car. Among the many nice things about living in Minnesota is no emissions testing (thanks Jessie Ventura), and no vehicle safety inspections ( except for commercial vehicles), so the lack of an e-brake isn't an issue.

[This message has been edited by seajai (edited 06-06-2013).]

David Hambleton JUN 06, 08:08 PM
I'm surprised there is anyplace in North America that you can get license plates for a vehicle without a safety inspection certificate. I'd be a little concerned about used vehicle sales to unsuspecting purchasers...

A little internet research revealed there are 30 states not requiring safety certificates to get license plates. Hmmmm......

Do the insurance companies charge more for the 'uncertified' vehicles?

[This message has been edited by David Hambleton (edited 06-06-2013).]

seajai JUN 07, 12:17 AM

quote
Originally posted by David Hambleton:

Do the insurance companies charge more for the 'uncertified' vehicles?




There a few dealerships offering "certified" used cars, but that is purely an in-house inspection to make sure what they sell is in good shape. Plus it's a good sales gimmick. As far as I know, insurance rates in MN are based mainly upon a persons driving record and the type of vehicle insured and not the mechanical quality of said vehicle.
carbon JUN 07, 08:51 AM

quote
Originally posted by David Hambleton:

I'm surprised there is anyplace in North America that you can get license plates for a vehicle without a safety inspection certificate. I'd be a little concerned about used vehicle sales to unsuspecting purchasers...




Rust kills them so fast here that some are off the road before they hit 100,000 miles. We haven't had testing in MN since the mid 90s... we do have a 'lemon law' however, so its in the best interest of sellers to make sure the car is in decent shape before the sale.
seajai JUN 08, 11:52 PM
Update: It's been a week now since I got her back on the road. The 3.5HO engine revs to 6500 rpm and has a manifold tuning valve and a short runner valve that changes the airflow through the intake above 5000 rpm. The result is this engine just pulls hard and smooth all the way from idle to redline, making it a helluva lot of fun to drive. Filled the tank today, 7.3 gallons for 139 miles driven, so just under 20 mpg. Pretty good considering there has been more than a handful of full throttle runs, and plenty of idling while I worked out a few bugs. TorquePro indicates instant fuel economy around 25 while cruising on the highway. The engine is turning about 2100 rpm at 65 mph so I anticipate decent highway mileage if I can keep my foot out of it.

Been dealing with a cooling system issue, the SAAB coolant tank has a 20lb cap and the cap on the radiator was only 15lbs. When the front cap would try and vent, it would leak out around the cap because I had plugged the overflow port. I ended up plugging the radiator opening with a Dorman rubber expansion plug which so far has cured my leak problem. I can't find a 15lb threaded cap to fit the SAAB tank so I may go back to the pick n pull to look for a different coolant tank that uses a standard cap. I'm not sure what the long term effects would be of running a system at a higher pressure than stock.

Got my exhaust done by Tim's Custom Exhaust in Anoka. They did a great job of fitting it all in, it's amazing how little room there is. The twin MagnaFlow mufflers sound sweet with a nice mellow tone when driving normally and a good bark when the loud pedal hits the carpet. Stay tuned for an updated video...

[This message has been edited by seajai (edited 10-02-2023).]

donnie072003 JUN 09, 12:18 AM
At 65mph in my 300M I'm right at 2100rpm too. My car gets 25mpg on the highway all day long so I expect you will fare a bit better than that. I was expecting more in the 30 range for you. I'm very impressed with this build and have been following it since the start. I would love to see this beast in person. I know how well this motor pulls my 300 and can't even imagine what it does for a fiero! Good job can't wait for the video with the exhaust on it.
seajai JUN 09, 09:33 PM
Swapped out the SAAB coolant tank for a Saturn one with a 16# cap instead of the 20 pounder.



Took this pic, thought it looked cool. Think it may become my new avatar.

[This message has been edited by seajai (edited 10-02-2023).]