which should i get Aluminum Bell Housing Adaptor or Steel Bell Housing Adaptor? i will have a Isuzu 5 speed and a small block with around 300 to 375 hp

Where are you going to find a steel one? The only one I know of is a rip off of Archie's kit from Ron's Mechanical in Canada. I know this because I was dumb enough to buy one. He no longer sells them.

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"Its a Fiero thing... Heck, even I don't understand!"

Timothy E. Smith
1986 SE V6 BACK ON THE ROAD AGAIN!!!!
1984 Coupe
1996 Ford Probe GT
1999 Chevrolet Silverado Z71
1975 Chevrolet ElCamino SS

you can find it here http://www.iserv.net/~strdream/pricing.html

quote Originally posted by tesmith66: Where are you going to find a steel one? The only one I know of is a rip off of Archie's kit from Ron's Mechanical in Canada. I know this because I was dumb enough to buy one. He no longer sells them.

It's either crap, or a V8Archie ripoff. Get it from Archie. Do yourself a favor.

Archies used to be steel.....mine is.

tstroud

Hello everyone.

MODIFIE, I'd suggest calling the vendor directly and ask his opinion.

I believe your question was in regards to steel versus aluminum (as opposed to who's kit should you buy, or if the pieces you're interested in are crap). I'll respond by saying that steel is quite strong but comes at a heavy price (quite literally...it weighs a lot more than aluminum). I've used and seen numerous adapter plates that have been made out of aluminum and have had no problems.

All things being equal, (lets pretend that the aluminum and steel plates you mentioned were designed correctly), and given a choice, I'd choose aluminum over the steel.

Cheers, dman.

My steel stick shift adapter plates used to weigh 18.5 lbs. the Alum ones I use now are 6.5 lbs. The alum. is quite expensive to save only 12 pounds but Alum. is what everybody wanted.

The Adapter plate you refer to are Zumwalt copies.

As far as Alum vs Steel, there is no real side load or pulling load on an adapter plate. So provided proper design, I don't think there is any difference between the 2 materials other than weight.

Archie

BTW, my stick adapter plate is $395 and the F/W is $250 so you can have the good stuff for about the same price as the copies.

A

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[This message has been edited by Archie (edited 04-26-2002).]

Archie,
Does that $395 include the starter mounting block?

Do you use helicoils in the transaxle mount holes?

I'm not here to disc anyone but way do yea say they are crap if its not Archie's (nothing againest you Archie) I am just a budget kind of person but if any one can tell me way the others are not as good as Archie's I will buy it from Archie but then agan its just adapter plate a plate of metal with holes in it. Archie's is $300+ and the other is $170+ thats a big price diff to me.

( and again not trying to make no one made just wanting to know way the other is crap)

The Zumalt adapter is too thin (1/2 inch) and does not allow the proper spacing between the flexplate / flywheel and the clutch. To counter this: the flywheel has to be re machined or the crank bolts that hold the flexplate have to be ground down to clear the converter. Also the Zumalt kit relocates the engine so that the driver’s side axle has to be shortened and the passenger’s side has to be lengthened. There have been many v8 Fieros done with the Zumalt kit as it was the first v8 kit available for the Fiero. The end result is dependant on the installer and his mechanical expertise. If you buy Archie’s kit you will have a system that is proven and support is only a call away. As far a s the Zumalt kit you are your own. The adapter plate is the easiest part to bolt on; however problems arise when you have to custom manufacture or re engineer everything else to fit around it. I believe that in the end you will spend the same amount of money by piecing the kit together and it will take you longer to finish the conversion providing that you can work the bugs out.

quote Originally posted by lou: The Zumalt adapter is too thin (1/2 inch) and does not allow the proper spacing between the flexplate / flywheel and the clutch. To counter this: the flywheel has to be re machined or the crank bolts that hold the flexplate have to be ground down to clear the converter. Also the Zumalt kit relocates the engine so that the driver’s side axle has to be shortened and the passenger’s side has to be lengthened. There have been many v8 Fieros done with the Zumalt kit as it was the first v8 kit available for the Fiero. The end result is dependant on the installer and his mechanical expertise. If you buy Archie’s kit you will have a system that is proven and support is only a call away. As far a s the Zumalt kit you are your own. The adapter plate is the easiest part to bolt on; however problems arise when you have to custom manufacture or re engineer everything else to fit around it. I believe that in the end you will spend the same amount of money by piecing the kit together and it will take you longer to finish the conversion providing that you can work the bugs out.

thanks Lou well said Archie’s kit it will be