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"May the grins begin when you turn the key and hear the engine roar over your shoulder" ......Gall57 (slightly modified LOL)

Pete Matos
A&N Precision Machine
CNC Machining and prototyping
Port St.Lucie, Florida
A&N Precision Machine on Facebook!

I got a bit more done on assembling the engine after work today. I installed FieroRog's lower alternator bracket, and combination idler pulley/dog bone mount. The fit and alignment was perfect, and simply inserted the bolts into existing holes on the engine, was less than a 10 minute process for both brackets, with the supplied bolts!

As a bonus, my nephew drove down from South Carolina were he is stationed in the Marines, and surprised me. He supervised while I put some of the parts on the engine. I got to go over and take pictures of his 3800 SC installed in his Impala for reference on putting my engine back together :-)

On a side note, I made sure to remove the paint on the block, and on the mount where they touch each other....(Thanks Raydar!) Also on the alternator as well where it touches the mount in 3 places, to ensure a good solid ground at multiple points.

I also installed the belt tensioner on the mount, and the new water pump (with a metal impeller).

Here is where the engine stands as of now: (No Pun Intended!)


It is finally starting to resemble an engine again, as I was so used to see it stripped down to just a block while I was cleaning, painting and ordering and waiting for parts to arrive.

[This message has been edited by JohnWPB (edited 04-09-2016).]

Double post.... Forum is acting up BAD this evening.... took me 20 minutes to keep trying to make the above post.....

It seems PFF is still under a DOS attack

[This message has been edited by JohnWPB (edited 04-07-2016).]

quote Originally posted by rpro: It looks great John, but shouldn't you reverse the valve covers?

I have gotten 4 PM's, an email and even a phone call about the Valve covers already! Wow..... Even with the low post count of comments, I guess a lot of others are watching this thread

I am keeping the valve cover placement as shown in the photo. I will remove the extension tube, and put the cap directly onto the valve cover. I am doing this to keep the "solid blue" valve cover towards the rear of the car, as it is just about the first thing you see when you open the deck-lid. I want it to look as uncluttered as possible. Yes, it is a little tight getting to the oil cap near the firewall, but something that is definitely tolerable. When oil is required, I have an abundance of funnels that will aid in adding oil with no problem at all.

I had one person tell me I would not be able to do it this way, that I had to have the oil cap on the "front" valve cover. Here are a few examples showing that it can be done this way

[This message has been edited by JohnWPB (edited 04-09-2016).]

quote Originally posted by JohnWPB:

want to paint mine? ~

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87 Fiero GT- 98 L67 swap - (SOLD)
88 Fiero Formula- L67 swap in progress
T-Top 672 of 1252

quote Originally posted by ignorant prodigy: want to paint mine? ~

Sure, bring it over next weekend


You know, it's kinda funny..... Ever since I was young and would see cars at car shows, it always mystified me how they could make an engine look so nice. Since getting My Fiero 6 years ago, it has been the same thing here on the forum. I would see all of these engines being rebuilt, and installed into cars, and just imagine what it would be like to have an engine that looked like that in my car! I know it sounds kinda crazy, but it was something that just seemed beyond a normal persons means doing something like that.

It was not till I decided to do the swap, that I decided I would start with the rough engine, and mount it to a stand, and figure it out. I started by taking tons of pictures of the "before" state, so I could reference them when I went to put things back together. Then I slowly just started taking anything that I could unbolt, off of the engine. I intended to clean, prep, sand, paint and clear each of the parts. I had parts everywhere, and was doing some of them in blue, some in black, and the majority in silver. It was not till just a few days ago, when I started putting it back together, that I stepped back and went "WOW that looks like the engines I have seen OTHER people do!" hahaah.

I have a long way to go, and am just taking my time and plugging away at it.

Oh, and in my ignorance and haste, I even have a beautifully cleaned, sanded and painted and cleared power steering pulley! LOL! ! ! ! !

[This message has been edited by JohnWPB (edited 04-09-2016).]

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1988 GT
Medium Red Metallic
Manual, Gray Leather
K Beck LEDs & StuWipes
Frazee: 2011, 2014

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"May the grins begin when you turn the key and hear the engine roar over your shoulder" ......Gall57 (slightly modified LOL)

Pete Matos
A&N Precision Machine
CNC Machining and prototyping
Port St.Lucie, Florida
A&N Precision Machine on Facebook!