LSJ Supercharged Ecotec Swap (Page 39/45)
Austrian Import APR 25, 04:52 PM
coppertop_01, any more progress with your build?

CCFiero, anything new with your build, mechanics wise, or are you concentrating on the body atm?
zkhennings MAY 01, 04:43 PM
Any Updates?
coppertop_01 MAY 02, 07:04 AM
I didn't really get anything done this weekend.......Friday had to stay late at work to finish month end, it was UFC 129 this weekend so Saturday was finished and didn't get home till almost 3 on sunday morning and then on Sunday at 8am I had to hit the wreckers for a "all you can haul day" basically pay $50 and you can take whatever you can walk out with. I did get a few parts for the project car, I got a master cylinder from a 90's Firebird with a 3.4L in it (and ABS), it will work great with a ABS unit from a ION/cobalt because it only has the 2 output, but it will bolt to the brake booster from a Fiero, so I think it will be a perfect fit between the old school brakes of the Fiero and the more modern brakes from the ABS units of the cobalt/ion's. I also grabbed some 4 piston brakes from a mid 90's Mercedes, they are smaller than the Brembo's that I have for the front, so they should balance well with the bigger units from the front......although I still have to grab some mechanical brakes from willwood for my E-brake, best part is that with a balancing valve and the ABS I should be able to get the brakes working well.

Give me a day or two (got 4000'ish photo's to go through from the UFC) and I will update the blog and my thread on the board here.

Jer

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86 GT daily driver w/mods
85 GT project car "Fierion"

Follow the buildup blog at http://coppertopautosports.blogspot.com

Austrian Import MAY 02, 04:15 PM
Sounds cool. Can't wait to see pics and the loot you brought.


quote
Originally posted by coppertop_01:
Sunday at 8am I had to hit the wreckers for a "all you can haul day" basically pay $50 and you can take whatever you can walk out with.



Is there a limit to this? Does that mean you could rip out an engine/drivetrain, etc. for that much? In that case I could do a Subie swap, or my own Ecotec swap, or anything really. It would leave a lot of money over for the fabrication budget.
Wish we had those here.
coppertop_01 MAY 02, 05:08 PM
There isn't really a limit except what you can carry, keep in mind you can't drag it out, there is two lines on the ground about 30 feet apart and the parts must be off the ground strapped to your body/in your arms/on your head for that 30 feet.......also you have to take out the tools that you use at the same time, its a careful balance, bring what tools you need to keep weight in to a min to maximize the amount you can bring out. As well having an idea of what exactly you are looking for and what tools you need to bring those parts out is a must, after doing these hauls for over 7 years I've become a bit used to planning it all out, and yes I have taken engines and transmissions (separately) out for $50 before. Also if you have another person (wife, g/f, friend, street hobo etc) that can take your tools they will get a credit because they weren't carrying anything which is good for another trip later in the year.......

Jer
ccfiero350 JUN 11, 11:06 PM
It's been awhile since the last post. Work has picked up and was not able to spend too much time on the knuckles. So here is were we left it.

The horizontal links are tied into the knuckle by a 1" bar thats goes through the knuckle and is threaded at both ends for 1/2-20 bolt.



Here it is prior to being welded in.


One of the through bolt holes had to have the welds clearances for the bolt head.


I bolted the knuckle to a flat surface and welded on the brake bracket.


The bracket completes the box that holds the bearing.
Later I found a better method to ensure good caliper alignment. I will assemble the whole unit and use the brake assembly as a fixture to tack the bracket on first.


I had a pair of corvette rotor around that had been drilled for 100x5, so I slotted the oem holes to fit the 4 1/2" Ford pattern since the rotor is still hub centric. Look Ma, no adapter rings!


I did have to drill out the strut mount holes to get the right fit and to smooth out the lamination offsets in the bolt hole.


Here is the number one reason I've gone through all the trouble and making new knuckles.

Cheap fat rims for cheap wide tires! 285/40x17! I can also fit a 315/34-17!



Here is an important shot. On top, stock 2006 cobalt SS axle, Bottom, replacement axle for a 06 Chevy Equinox. The inboard spline fits the F35 and F40 tranny. The cobalt SS outboard spline fits the stock fiero hub, also is the correct length for a cool ecotec swap.. The Equinox has the same bolt pattern and hub diameter of the late model mustang and the hub diameter is the same as the c4 vette and is just a tad longer then the cobalt SS axle.

No custom axles.


It is bigger then the fiero version and it's 100% STAINLESS STEEL


Bolted it in with the stock fiero length horizontal end links. These are not the right length for this knuckle, they need to be about an inch longer, and the oem trailing has too much diagonal offset to bolt on.


With the too short links the strut is too close to the frame rail to fit the sway bar fittings, But you can see how much space is at the top of the tire for more camber.


Its at about the right ride hight now, with out the trailing arm in place the wheel needs a little centering in the wheel well.


The new horizontal links will both be adjustable so I can move the wheel to flush with the fender lip.


The 285/40-17 tire gives me a nearly flat side wall, I'm going to try a 315/35-17 on the other rim to see how it looks.

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yellow 88 GT, not stock
white 88 notchie, 4 banger

doublec4 JUN 12, 03:00 AM
This is turning out great! keep it up. Those custom uprights are intense. Not many guys can say they've been this thorough in customizing their cars!
coppertop_01 JUN 12, 08:14 AM
Damn those came out really nice CC, and those fat rims look great on the backside of a fiero, thats a lot of progress keep up the great work.

Jer

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86 GT daily driver w/mods
85 GT project car "Fierion"

Follow the buildup blog at http://coppertopautosports.blogspot.com

ccfiero350 JUN 26, 07:51 PM
I finished up welding my driver side knuckle with a better procedure then the passenger side. I was a little impatient the last time and it needed a little tweaking afterward.


This time I bolted the caliper bracket to the caliper and clamped it in place.


There is a machined surface on the inside of the OEM bracket that I was able to register off of with a steel ruler that was the right thickness. This set the bracket in the right plane and I tacked welded to the rest of the knuckle before fully welding it.


This ended up being much more accurate then the 1st method I used. With the bearing bolted in place, I had to stop and let it cool down between welds or I would melt the grease out.


With the caliper in place, it did look like it was a little more out board then I thought it was going to be.


But you can see the outside brake pad edge is about a 1/16" inside the outer diameter of the rotor. So it will maximize the mechanical aspects of the 12" rotor.


With these calipers, I have a choice of running the cable over the top of the axle or under it.


They fit pretty nice in a 17" wheel. There is a Wilwood 2 piece rotor that's a direct bolt on.

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yellow 88 GT, not stock
white 88 notchie, 4 banger

Austrian Import JUL 28, 11:52 PM
Any updates on your builds?