Northstar rebuild: Will style (Page 62/119)
Will OCT 24, 10:53 AM
After typing out the big block of text above, I decided that a picture was worth a thousand words and explained it graphically.
The recirculating nature of the thermostat balances flow from all these inputs to keep water temp constant.
Will OCT 24, 11:08 AM
Here's a pic of my engine compartment with the shiny SS fuel rail, orange top injectors and F@#$ING RED, BITCHES!!!1! plug wires:


Here's a pic of my FREE Mr. Mike's seats. They're not pristine, but they're awesome for the price! There's a tiny bit of wear on the driver's outer bolster, but other than that they just need a tiny bit of cleaning.
Bloozberry OCT 24, 06:39 PM
Hmmm... now I'll have to go and double check my thermostat to see if I installed it right. I'm still not 100% clear on the orientation of the Tstat though. It might help if you could describe where the semi-circular notch in the lowest part of the Tstat goes in relation to some part of the housing.

Edit: Nice score on the seats!

[This message has been edited by Bloozberry (edited 10-24-2010).]

Will OCT 24, 09:32 PM
The half-circle notches in the bottom flange of the thermostat don't care where they go. That flange is the recirculation valve.
The only things that establish the preferential orientation are the two features I circled above.
You can't assemble it wrong, as the hose connection won't screw all the way down if it's not installed the right way. HOWEVER, installing it the right way when it's on the car and pointing away from you is difficult.
Will NOV 20, 11:21 PM
If it's too LOUD, you're too OLD.

Got the car back on the road today. I probably covered about 60 miles. It still freaking loud. It's still freaking visceral. My memories from back in the day don't have it coming up on the cam quite as aggressively as it does now, but it has been a while since I drove it regularly.

I wouldn't have expected the increase in compression, improvement in quench, or other tweaks to the short block to have a significant effect on the shape of the power curve.

The trumpeting exhaust note is fantastic.

I did quite a few more break-in runs on the highway on the way out past the next town.
The temperature stayed MUCH more stable his time than it did the first time around. This is classic Northstar Fiero behavior, as it usually takes two thermal cycles to fully purge the cooling sytem.

I turned around at the foot of the mountain as before and headed back, driving like a sane person. I turned off the highway and went the drop by one of my dad's coworkers. He lives about 3/8 mile off the highway on the other side from where I'd been doing my break in runs. After a couple of hard revs in his driveway, he came out to look. I asked him if he'd heard anything in the last few minutes. He said that he'd heard someone who sounded like they were on the speedway (on the gas, off the gas, on the gas, etc) and he said it kinda sounded like a sportbike. He liked the car, is a machinist and has built quite a few really hard running engines and a few drag cars in his time.

I drove over the mountain to my friend's gas station. I forgot how sticky the tires I have on this car are. It has tremendous grip and with the stiff suspension handles very well. Of course New Market mountain isn't a very demanding road, but still amusing.

I left the rear sway-bar off when I put the car back together. I felt that it oversteered too much with the sway-bar on the rear. I'm going to see if I can get it to work well without. Based on just this initial drive, I think it's better without the rear bar.

Pulling out of my dad's coworker's drive, I nailed it in first. It felt like it broke loose in 1st, which would be the first time it's EVER done that. I grabbed 2nd pretty quickly, but not as hard as I could. The Spec Stage 3 did NOT come down very hard. I shifted to third and ran that gear out, then shifted to fifth and slowed for normal driving. I smelled clutch, about which I was not pleased. Grrr....

There's still a LONG way to go in terms of TLC to make the car a nice daily driver, but I can take care of all that if I get to drive it every day and work on the small things.

It needs all four marker light lenses, which I have.
It needs new fenders and nose, which I have.
It has a front main seal leak, which will be a PITA to fix.
It needs catalysts in the exhaust. I have the cats and will have a shop build up a quick/dirty catalyzed 2.5" dual exhaust to use to get the car inspected.
It needs a cold air intake, for which I have the parts, including a 3.5" exhaust donut.
It needs a rack bushing, which I have.
It currently has an RCC bump steer kit. I need to either go back to stock tie rods or completely re-engineer this kit, as it is utter crap.
Will NOV 25, 12:45 PM
Now having traction problems in 1st gear for the first time.

It *is* cold here this time of year and the tires are eight years old, but still... I haven't had traction issues before.

It'll break 255 Firehawk SZ50-EP's (not crappy tires) loose from a roll in 1st on all but the best pavement.
Erik NOV 25, 02:42 PM
Need video
Joseph Upson NOV 26, 07:24 AM

quote
Originally posted by Will:
If it's too LOUD, you're too OLD.



Nope, if it's too loud you're smart enough to realize it and listen to your body say fix the exhaust or loose your hearing as if you're an old person.
IXSLR8 NOV 26, 03:26 PM
I guess I'm old. Mine is too loud as well.

I have headers, an 80 series flow master (which was fine on a 3800SC; but we have two more cylinders), and two tips that I made out of a cherry bomb cut in half and welded to two muffler tips. The N* auto swap I'm working on now with my son is going to get the trunk cut out with a big high flow truck muffler.
Russ544 NOV 26, 06:06 PM
Congrats Will!! glad to see you finally got that thing back on the road. it sounds like it was worth all the trials and tribulations you went through to get there however .

I saw where you mentioned that Cometic recomended to you that their headgaskets be re-torqued after a few heat cycles. were they sugesting that you do that with the standard head bolts as well???? or just when using studs? also, did you use the .061 gaskets or the thinner ones? I recently became aware that they make them in several different thickness, for what reason I do not know.

keep the shiny side up,
Russ