I bought an 88 formula. It had an exhaust leak on the front manifold, not too bad, so I thought no big deal. I got my extra manifolds in this week and I decided to change my manifold gaskets and take care of the leak. I did the easy one first today, then stuck my hand back to the front one and AAAAAAAHHHHHH ! Someone has broken two of the bolts on the same mount, that's why it has a leak.
So, what to do now......do I really have to pull the engine to repair this?
So, what to do now......do I really have to pull the engine to repair this?
Now we'll see just how devoted you are to your Fiero.
I had the same problem with my '86 GT. I ended up pivoting the cradle down at the back so as to give me more room between the engine and the firewall to get at the broken manifold bolts. I won't pretend it wasn't a helluva job... it was a complete b!tch. Having an A/C compressor in the way makes the job even worse, which of course I have on that GT.
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Originally posted by Patrick:
KENT MOORE J-38782 FIERO 2.8L EXHAUST EXTRACTOR KIT. It bolts to the head and guides the drill bits so that the broken studs can be drilled out straight. I snagged one on eBay a few months ago because I knew I'd need it. Here's a couple of images I picked up from the 'net.
* Make sure any used kit you buy online has at least the plate and the drill bit "bushing". I notice a lot of the kits listed on eBay are incomplete.
You'll also need some good quality drill bits and either a close quarter drill... or a right angle drill attachment.
Your other option is to remove the head before dealing with the broken bolts.
[This message has been edited by Patrick (edited 11-15-2015).]
Your in for a real treat that you'll never forget!! Perhaps someone in the audience can offer up a prayer.
Spoon
------------------ "Kilgore Trout once wrote a short story which was a dialogue between two pieces of yeast. They were discussing the possible purposes of life as they ate sugar and suffocated in their own excrement. Because of their limited intelligence, they never came close to guessing that they were making champagne." - Kurt Vonnegut
Since it's an 88 you have an option for some extra work clearance. Unbolt the dog bone and the top of the strut towers, then jack the car up and unbolt the rear cradle bolts and the cradle will pivot down on the front mounting bolts. There's enough play in the wiring and hoses to lower it quite a bit to get a lot more room to work. Watch for wires and hoses to make sure they don't snag on anything and make sure nothing hits the trunk wall (it shouldn't, but it could be close).
You'll obviously have to support the car in front of the forward cradle mounting bolts. That's very close to the center of gravity of the car, so be careful.
