Here's the intake coupler. It's just a 3" rubber plumbing coupler from the hardware store:

[This message has been edited by GT (edited 04-25-2006).]

quote Originally posted by GT: I used what Rockcrawl recommends on his site. The upper hose was from a 4 cylinder Fiero that goes to a T and a screw on cap, then I went from that to the t-stat housing with a straight piece of hose. The lower hose is the lower hose from a 4 cylinder Fiero. Heater hose on the back of the engine I just used a 3 foot length of 5/8 heater hose and on the front side I used the original heater hose. I used the Allante water pump outlet which puts the heater hose in a slightly different location than the stock 4.9, but it may work on yours as well. If not, a length of regular heater hose should do the trick nicely. Instead of trying to make a dirict route from outlet to inlet, you can use a longer piece and loop it to go the direction you need. Just don't loop it too tight or it'll crimp. Hope that helps. OBTW, Rockcrawl's site is http://www.fieroaddiction.com/caddy49e.html Rick

for the lower hose what year 4 cylinder fiero hose did you use? thanks again for your help.

'87

thank you again

What's new?

and a bump.

Here's a brief update.

I had installed the TO bearing backwards so that all had to come out and be replaced... ooops... he he

I went through 2 alternators before I came to the conclusion that the Allante CS-144 alternator needs to see the body control module (BCM) to work correctly. Darth Fiero helped out a great deal with troubleshooting over e-mail but we couldn't get it to charge. I finally spoke to a friend who owns a local garage and he suggested a single wire self regulating alternator. So I had one built and BLAM - 14.2 volts. They built it in less than a day. It bypasses all the electronic BS and has only one wire that goes to your battery. So I'm charging finally and can start driving it around more. The downside is that I have no idiot light so I'll have to install an aftermarket alternator guage.

PBJ's front mount system works pretty well but I'd feel better with a dogbone to steady the beast in it's hole.

I had it 4-wheel aligned today and the tech that gave it back to me had a pretty big smile on his face when he got out of the car. Why does everyone that sees it tell me to "just be careful with that thing?"

It's got a slight miss at idle that sort of sounds like a sporadic 'spit'. It smooths out under load. It runs really rich at idle. Rockcrawl's going to be able to fix that I reckon. But on the bright side it means that the stock injectors can handle the added airflow.

My mailman, who just got back from Iraq last year, has been asking me since he got back when's it going to be done?? Well today I drove past him and he smiled and gave the thumbs up. Later I asked him how it sounded. He smiled and said, "Man that thing sounds like a tank!" That's the best compliment so far!

It's looking like I'll be at Carlisle with it. Hope to see you all there.

quote Originally posted by GT: My mailman, who just got back from Iraq last year, has been asking me since he got back when's it going to be done?? Well today I drove past him and he smiled and gave the thumbs up. Later I asked him how it sounded. He smiled and said, "Man that thing sounds like a tank!" That's the best compliment so far! .

Thats what diesals sound like I guess. Can't wait to see dynos and see if all the work was worth it. Keep the forum posted when you hit the dyno or track.

Glad to hear you've been driving it. Have fun.

I've been driving mine daily for the last 2 weeks because a friend is useing my other vehicle. I've averaged 14.5mpg which is mostly city and me not being so nice to it. I ended up adding a heated 02 sensor so the engine goes into closed loop quicker and that helped both my rich idle and my fuel mileage. I had a problem with my car running really rich at idle when I had first put it in. Turns out I didnt give the computer +12V at the power steering pressure line. With no power to that the engine will run really rich. Maybe thats your problem with rich idle? Mine's still a little rich at idle on cold start but not bad.

Cant wait to see what you put down on a dyno. Should be getting mine there sometime in the next couple weeks now that the trans has been replaced.

James

quote Originally posted by Chris Dusome: Thats what diesals sound like I guess. Can't wait to see dynos and see if all the work was worth it. Keep the forum posted when you hit the dyno or track.

keep pumpin g nos in your formula... RFT man

quote Originally posted by GT: Here's a brief update. PBJ's front mount system works pretty well but I'd feel better with a dogbone to steady the beast in it's hole.

Any diagrams of that front mount? .... That is all I need to get my 4.9 mounted to the cradle....

Thanks ...

Bubba

Also shout out to PBJ ..... pete is doing my wiring!

Here's a picture from page four of this thread that shows pretty much all there is to it:



You take a 2.8 Fiero V6 mount bracket and cut the top down to fit, drill new holes to match the block, and weld a little square 1/4" tab of steel to the bottom where it bolts to the mount. Then you use a generic Energy Suspensions 3.1108G poly tranny mount (available at any speed shop or Summit or Jeg's) to connect the bracket to the cradle. You'll have to grind or cut a corner from the mount to get it to fit squarely in the cradle.

-Rick

Sweet ,,,, the second pic helps alot. Is the bottom engine bolt drilled at the bend in the bracket? How long is the bottom tab that is welded to the bracket..... just so I can get an ideal of how it is supposed to be.

Thanks again for the great thread.

Bubba

You'll have to eye it up on your engine but I think yeah the hole is at about the bend. The rectangle on the bottom is roughly 2-2.5" long

Nice #'s .... how wide is the bottom bracket.... how far is the hole from the inside?

Sorry for bothering you but hopefully will have the engine mounted to the cradle in an hour or two.

Thanks again.

Bubba

Sorry Bubba, I didn't measure before I made the parts, I just made the square big enough to cover the top of the poly mount and then drilled the holes where I thought they would position the engine in the most straight and level place.

-Rick

Congrats on the dyno #S. I wish I could start on my new engine, but have to many things to finish first. Joe

quote Originally posted by aaronrus: i thought if you packed the cylinder in ice that the liners could be removed?!

Nope. The Northstar liners are inserted into the empty die and the aluminum is cast around them. They are not removable, nor are they intended to be.

Also:
In addition to ACC ( http://www.accmats.com/ ) for carpet, there's also http://www.stockinteriors.com/

You only had the heads gasket matched, right? No real port work?

quote You only had the heads gasket matched, right? No real port work?

No, I had a full bowl port done and had the chambers unshrouded, along with 1.94 intake valves and dual springs.

Good to see you got that thing on the road, and you are already thrashing it! Need to get it down to MIR and see what you can do down the 1/4 mile. We'll keep you posted the next time we go. Just for comparison, I dynoed mine at Carlisle a few years back with a smaller pulley and 1.9 rockers and I got 246HP/316lb/ft of torque. It was pretty hot and humid that day( rare for Carlisle) and i toasted a piston on it(long story, the piston was hurt long before the pull). I was getting low 13's then, and mine is a auto GT, so your car being lighter, manual trans, better gear ratios, you should have a high 12 second car. That is if the driver is up to it

------------------

1988 Purple Fiero GTw/SC3800 conversion
Best ET with 3.0 pulley,XPHOT cam, SS I/C and 105lb Valve springs: 12.38@110mph
Best 60 Foot ever: 1.699

Hi Bill. Yeah, missed you and Earl this year. A lot of the regulars weren't there. Still a pretty good turn out.

quote Just for comparison, I dynoed mine at Carlisle a few years back with a smaller pulley and 1.9 rockers and I got 246HP/316lb/ft of torque.

Good to know. Weren't you also using a different transaxle than Earl that slowed you down a little? I think if I could tune this computer or use a SBC computer or a Megasquirt and tune this thing I could get better numbers. Right now I'm more concerned about the huge vibration in the front end over 50mph and all the clacking sounds coming from the upper end of my engine. Did you notice more valvetrain noise when you went to heavier valve springs?

quote you should have a high 12 second car. That is if the driver is up to it

He he, probably not but I'd like to see what it will do once I work the bugs out of it.

-RIck

Yeah, I did see a noticeable amount of noise from the valvetrain after the heavier springs were installed, but either I have gotten used to it, or it has faded away.
I use the 4T60E HD (it was the standard 4T60E on the dyno) and my brother uses the 4T65EHD.
We decided to head out to Ocean City for the Hot Rod Cruise out there and had a BLAST! We were without our fieros though because we thought it was only from 1976 and older cars. But turns out that was just for the judged shows. there was a TON of late model stuff cruising up and down the streets. DEFINITELY going with the fro's next year.

Alright lads...

heavy sigh...

I actually have more valvetrain noise in my engine than I feel comfortable with. I called Bud, and in his usual laid back manner he gently reminded me that he had asked me last year if I had used longer pushrods. I had told him no several times because Delta insists that my cam is a drop in. Bud laughed at me (in a nice way) and gave me a Competition Cams part number for pushrods that are .060" longer and won't flex (7823-16) and told me to give them a try. So I ordered a set. They're less than $50.00 from Summit.

So then I called Delta and asked if the "drop-in" cam ever needs longer pushrods. Now he says,"yeah on some engines you'll need longer pushrods depending on different factors. Usually about .060" longer." And I asked him if they knew about this. He said they knew it, but that not all 4.9's require longer pushrods.

Sheesh...

So I'm waiting for my longer pushrods. Delta and Bud think it'll give me a little bit more power because the valves will be following the cam better.

I'll let you guys know what happens when I put in my new pushrods.

------------------
-Rick Stewart
85GT 5.0CaddyV8/Getrag 5-spd
234HP and 304lb/ft at the wheels
www.V8Fiero.com

[This message has been edited by GT (edited 05-24-2006).]

How did you route your fuel lines... any pic's?

Bubba

Unless you're using an Allante intake and don't have a crossover pipe, my setup won't apply. But you can see in the picture at the top of this page that the fuel lines go from the fuel rail down the back of the engine and under the oil filter. Then they just go down the front side of the tranny and into the existing lines. I rebent the steel line coming from the fuel filter and redirected it to the driver's side where I connected the new braided line. I used an '87 Corvette fuel pump.

-Rick

quote Originally posted by GT: So then I called Delta and asked if the "drop-in" cam ever needs longer pushrods. Now he says,"yeah on some engines you'll need longer pushrods depending on different factors. Usually about .060" longer." And I asked him if they knew about this. He said they knew it, but that not all 4.9's require longer pushrods. Sheesh...

doh - figures --- you gonna retune and dyno it after that? should gain some power back

Yep, I'd like to get it back on the dyno and see if the HP increases.

quote Originally posted by GT: Yep, I'd like to get it back on the dyno and see if the HP increases.

oh and what about the larger ratio roller rockers from bud's outback.. are you gonna swap those in? might as well do it at the same time if yoru gonna replace the pushrods..

Hi all-

Just an update on the pushrods. I installed the new pushrods last Saturday and it definitely made the valvetrain much quieter. I'd recommend them to anyone whose doing the cam swap. Bud said he puts them on all the 4.9's that he modifies the valvetrain on.

I'm not sure if Bud has the rocker assemblies for sale yet.

I do know I'm going to need windshield wipers on the inside of my front window... DAYUM this engine sounds good!!

-Rick

What belt did you use that works... I've got a Gates K060798 and it is too short. I tried the gates K060806 and it fit but the tensioner did not put any tension on it..... I need something inbetween but they dont make it that I am aware of. What idler pully next to the water pump did you use??

Thanks,

Bubba

quote Originally posted by Bubba G 1987 FieroGT: What belt did you use that works... I've got a Gates K060798 and it is too short. I tried the gates K060806 and it fit but the tensioner did not put any tension on it..... I need something inbetween but they dont make it that I am aware of. What idler pully next to the water pump did you use?? Thanks, Bubba

BUMP

Just a post to put in some wishfull thinking. I always wondered why they went backwards with this engine. aluminum block and iron heads instead of the other way around. Since there are so many of these around and the bottom seems fairly strong, someone should manufacture an aluminum free breathing head. Then it would have some top end along with its loww rpm grunt, along with the weight savings.

I used Carquest belt number K060790. I'm sorry I don't recall the pulley number but I used one of the pulleys that Mickey_Moose listed in his thread on how to make this tensioner setup. A search in the archives should show you the correct number. I do remember having to try two different pulleys because I couldn't get a belt that fit.

-Rick

quote Originally posted by GT: Yeah, aluminum heads with much larger ports and valves and an adjustable valvetrain... wait... Chevy makes a little sump'm like that already... ARCHIE!!!

quote Originally posted by aaronrus:

bump mofo's

man, I miss my 4.5, im back to stock now and it sucks. oh ya, BUMP

------------------

Low Original Miles at 37,575!!!
19x8.5(f) and 19x9.5(r) Drifz 520b's
235/35 & 245/35 Nitto NT555s
Otherwise stock for now ;)

quote Originally posted by 1fastcaddy: man, I miss my 4.5, im back to stock now and it sucks. oh ya, BUMP

bizzlizump

Not much to say. I haven't driven it much this summer as the alternator keeps going bad. I sent the last one back to the manufacturer and they said it checks out fine. Suggested I make sure it's getting over 12.5 volts from the battery. If the battery doesn't have over 12.2-12.5 volts it won't turn on the alternator. I was never able to charge my battery above 12.1 volts on a full charge. So I bought a new battery which had 13.2 volts fresh without a charge. But now for some reason since I reinstalled my alternator the belt squeals like crazy and I 'm tired of messing with it. So I just ordered a power steering pump and tensioner from a '91 Allante so the whole belt system will be Cadillac designed and I can just get belts and other parts easily, trouble free. Hopefully I'll get the Caddy pump on in the next few weeks. Not really concerned with how the belt setup looks at this point, I just really want it to be reliable.

-Rick