Things just got a whole lot better. I was looking in the mall at wanted ads when I stumbled across the ad that Archie put up for 4spd V6 shifters. I took the one out of the parts car thinking it was a 4spd. I compared them to the examples in the ad, but mine was totally different.
I thought: WTH? Mine doesn't look anything like either the 4cyl or V6 4 spd shifter. Looking into it a little more, I found that it's actually a Getrag 5 spd shifter. I double checked the parts ID sticker and found that it does indeed have the MG2 code. Looks like she'll be turned into a 5 speed until I do the 3800 swap! I wanted a 5 spd anyway. Plus, it saves me a whole ton of money over changing it to the 4T60 just to replace it with the 4T65-E HD when I go with the 3800.
Lame! After further investigation, the transmission turned out to be an Isuzu. Yuck! Someone must have replaced the Getrag with it. No wonder the front mount doesn't line up! Finding a Getrag locally will cost me an arm and a leg. We'll see what happens.
[This message has been edited by fierolover87 (edited 02-03-2013).]
Looks like this is going to turn in to my build thread. I thought I'd just swap in a used Getrag, but they just turned out to be too expensive for 27 year old transmission. I studied up and decided to go with the F23 transmission. Headed over to the wrecking yard where they had a few Cavaliers to choose from, and I found one in a 2001 Cavalier that was just sitting there in the engine bay all alone, holding on by just the axles. I don't care for the 3.94 FD, so I decided that I would just take the bell housing.
I didn't have the tool to hold the input shaft, so I had to make due with what I brought.
That wasn't working, so I thought I'd try from the other side. Well, that didn't work either, and I broke my hex key.
Off to my favorite store...
...for a new hex key socket.
$6 later, and an unwanted trip home, I returned with backup.
Air compressor didn't work either! Thank goodness I brought my breaker bar.
20 minutes and $29.50 later, I walked out with the proper bell housing with HTOB.
They wanted $300 for an F23 out of a Saturn Ion, and they didn't have any from a Cobalt. Another yard wanted $450 for one out a Cobalt. I'll just keep checking back to see what they have in the yard, as they are only $180.
the f23 gm tools are still available to set up the ring and pinion lash. you can assemble it without it but likely will have some gear wine and wear. my .02 cents
Buy 2 Bushmasters from Walmart for about $600 each. Then wait until after the election, keep one and sell the other one of them for about $2000 and use that money to buy a fiero!
Buy 2 Bushmasters from Walmart for about $600 each. Then wait until after the election, keep one and sell the other one of them for about $2000 and use that money to buy a fiero!
Oh wait. Hind sight is 20-20.
Right? My brother in law calls me up at a gun show to tell me that he found a Sig M400 for $3000. I saw one in Walmart for $900 before all this crap!
I assumed a rusty cylinders from a blown head gasket may have been the reason why it wouldn't turn over. Turns out I was right. I don't know how long this car has been sitting, but it's gross inside all of the cylinders.
On a more positive note, I'll be heading to the wrecking yard to pick up an F23 trans out of a 2003 Pontiac Sunfire. I've decided that I will do that along with a 3.4 from a Camaro, so I'm not too worried about the 3.94 final drive. I've always wanted to rebuild an engine, so I'm going to pick up a short block from the wrecking yard also and have it machined. There are plenty of them from which to choose.
Really makes me mad when I go back to the wrecking yard not even a week later, and someone took the shifting assembly off the transmission I was going to pull, rendering it totally useless to me! The only reason I'm upset is because transmissions that I pull from the yard are only $180. If it was more like $400 I wouldn't care, there are plenty of those floating around.
Ended up finding a shift assembly, so I went ahead an pulled this baby anyway. Trans, HTOB, and mount cost $191 out the door. Sweet deal! I'll be hitting them up again for a short block 3.4 out of a Camaro to rebuild, as they are only $55.
Put the remainder of the parts car up on craigslist. Some guy ended up passing my house and seeing the sign on the back window, and we loaded it into the back of his early 80's Toyota pickup. With a floor jack and some long wood boards none the less! I was pissed when I realized that I forgot to take the fuel pump connector from it. The one in the red car is melted from the exhaust manifold.
Built a dolly for the engine cradle. I was sick of straining myself trying to scoot it along the garage floor. Works pretty well. Cost about $40 to make. Much easier to move around now!
Thought I had scored on CL this morning. Yard sale ad had a 1986 GT driver's side tail light listed, so I headed on down. Poor guy doesn't know his parts. It was a passenger side notchie tail light. Oh well. Better luck next time!
Picked up a couple steering wheels from the Pick-A-Part to add some variety to the build. I really like the Trans Am GTA wheel, but I have to find a 6000 horn button to make it work.
I couldn't wait around any longer. I haven't driven a Fiero in 10 years. With a good 2.8 in the garage, I decided that the 3.4 and F23 can wait for now, I just want to drive it!