88 Coupe 4.9 Swap Thread (Page 49/69)
josef644 JUN 25, 04:12 PM
Looks like I own Page 13 also. On with the show.

After a nice cool down I went back outside and removed the passenger side parking brake cable. I don't even know why I put it back in as it was in wasted condition. I raised the fronts and removed the front wheels so I can access the front calipers. It appears that there are new shocks, pads and hoses on the fronts already. I'll just keep these pads for spares or put them back on after installing new piston seals and save the new RayBestos ones on the way here.

I shot some PB Blaster on the bleeders so I can see if they will open up before removing them from the car. I'll get the front pads and bridges off this evening

I discovered that there is a loud clunk sound in the passenger side steering rack. Looks like I am gonna need the Rodney Dickman's 1988 steering rack bushings. Driver side seems fine, but if I have to fix it, I'll do it right the first time.

Sometimes it seems that I am fighting a loosing battle here. I repair one thing, and find two or three more in need or repair. Fix those , and its something else is right down the trail.

Enough already !!

When I was watching those throttle plates moving just a bit, it was while the engine was idling, and trying to stay around 800 RPM in Park I have never put this in gear yet as the CV Axles are extended and I don't want to trash a boot or joint.

Just got the driver side bridge and pads off. Rotor is stuck on the hub flange.

Both front rotors are .770 thick, The rears were about the same. I'm not sure what a new one measures out at, but of it was any thicker , I would never been able to insert the rear pads

[This message has been edited by josef644 (edited 06-25-2010).]

josef644 JUN 26, 12:12 PM
I put some PB Blaster on the two bleeder bolt threads several times in the past 12 hours. I removed the front pads and bridges this morning, and painted the bridges red like the rears last week. I sat them out on my front porch so they can get two days of Texas sunshine to 'bake' the paint good. Sliders on the calipers were movable on both sides of the car.

I guess the PB Blaster did its job. I was able to open both bleeders.

I used PB Blaster on the hubs of both rotors a couple of times today. This afternoon I used a large 3 Jaw Puller and was able to get both rotors off for a good cleaning. No real scratches on either side. I have stopped for the weekend. I am gonna take the day off tomorrow.

My brake parts and injectors should be here Tuesday, so I am about out of things to do till then. Might drop the coolant pipe from the drivers side to get the nipple welded up Monday. Tuesday I have plans to go pick up a non sunroof top section and headboard about 3 hours away from home each way.

[This message has been edited by josef644 (edited 06-26-2010).]

Fieroseverywhere JUN 28, 10:29 AM

quote
Originally posted by josef644:

Sometimes it seems that I am fighting a loosing battle here. I repair one thing, and find two or three more in need or repair. Fix those , and its something else is right down the trail.

Enough already !!




Eventually it gets a little bit better. It never stops completely though. Just took the front fashia off last night to reattach the honey comb support. Whoever tried to fix the fashia last time never put bolts back in the support. It was flopping around and driving me crazy, and the bumper was starting to sag down. Got that all taken care of. Leave for work this morning and my VSS/wiring is not working right. No speedo, lowered power output, and bad idle. I know what you mean!! It gets really frusterating at times.
josef644 JUN 28, 12:14 PM
I had to mow this morning, so now it's to hot in the garage to try to get anything done. 60% chance of rain, you can guess how humid it is outside. I will be going to Greenville, Tx in the AM to get a non sunroof top and a headliner board for my Coupe. I'll get a few pictures.

My RayBestos passenger side parking brake cable arrived today. So I will have that here for installation Wednesday. I also plan to put the new seals in the front calipers if they arrive here tomorrow.

[This message has been edited by josef644 (edited 06-28-2010).]

katatak JUN 28, 11:58 PM
Keep after it Joe! It will turn out great and you will be very proud of all the hard work you have done. I have the same types of issues with the XTC. Fortunately, before I did the 4.9 swap, I had rebuilt most the mechanical stuff on the car. It's just a Fiero thing. I have pretty much had to "tinker" with the XTC every night since the swap was completed. Some were my fualt - bolts not tight, hoses run in the wrong place, some wiring stuff - but (knock on wood), I have not touched the car in over a week. The boy is driving the heck out of it everyday and all seems to be well for now. You will get there.

Pat
josef644 JUN 29, 07:03 AM
What did you finally do to the transmission shifter to keep it from melting ? And does the parking brake front cable go above or below the drivers side trailing arm?
katatak JUN 29, 03:00 PM

quote
Originally posted by josef644:

What did you finally do to the transmission shifter to keep it from melting ? And does the parking brake front cable go above or below the drivers side trailing arm?



Well for the shift cable, I ended up using a bolt with some washers and a nut instead of the ball mount. The heat from the crossover melted the rubber inside the cable end so it would not "clip" onto the ball. I also redrilled the cable mount bracket to change the angle of the cable going o the shift arm. It's not really right and I am planning on getting the shifter cable mount setup from WCF to permanently cure the problem. Right now, when it's in drive, the shift cable end is nearly touching the crossover - I wrapped some extra insulation around the crossover and so far so good. I just don't like not being able to select all the gears.

Just went and looked at my 88 Formula - front cable goes under the trailing arm.

Pat

[This message has been edited by katatak (edited 06-29-2010).]

josef644 JUN 29, 09:21 PM

quote
Originally posted by katatak:

Just went and looked at my 88 Formula - front cable goes under the trailing arm.




Thanks Pat I will be connecting all of the cables pretty quick, maybe tomorrow. I will be putting kits into my two front calipers first thing in the AM.

Made it home with my new non sunroof top from MstangsBware's house:

quote
Originally posted by MstangsBware:

Just got thru doing this with josef644....Took maybe 45 minutes to get it off but most the interior was already out of the car. Was easier than what I thought but does require some patience...



Thanks to Stephen's help this wasn't to bad at all. Here it is in the bed of my S-10 truck before we tied it down for the ride 225 mile back home:




Made it home safely, with no damage to the new roof. Scored a bunch of parts I was in need of from Stephen. Non sunroof headboard, and some real nice beachwood dash parts. Just cost me a burger meal for him at Mickey D's.

Thanks for all the help.

Joe Crawford

Cleaned all of my plunder from Poe's place , and my tools out my truck this morning. Hung the top in the garage. I was gonna do the 88's front calipers this morning, but it is 100% humidity. 9 am and it is already nasty outside.
Before:

and after:

[This message has been edited by josef644 (edited 06-30-2010).]

josef644 JUN 30, 02:04 PM
Got these today: Bosche III's


Got both front calipers off of the car cleaned up and and ready to rebuild tomorrow. I'll do them in the house after my wife has gone to work. What she don't know won't hurt her !

[This message has been edited by josef644 (edited 06-30-2010).]

josef644 JUL 01, 02:28 PM
Put kits in the two front calipers. Ordered a set of The Fiero Store slider boots.