I know this topic has been gone over several times, however the search function did not turn up an answer for me. Could be I am not using the right terms.. On to my question. I think I need to replace a crushed pipe, drivers side. it is hard to see if it is crushed, not obvious on the underside but i had my hand up on top and it feels like it isnt round toward the rear about 1' from end. i know getting a take off from a parts car is one solution, However these parts are getting scarce in good condition. My thoughts were to replace the pipe with new material. The obvious option is to use 304 stainless piping. but 304 still rusts so this is going to be something to think about on making one from this. What about using aluminum pipe? is that feasible? PVC? i know it isnt pretty but it is readily available, easy to work with but i can see road debris being an issue on breaking PVC. What kind of solutions have you all found? I believe the OD needs to be 1.25" since all of the hoses that say from rad to pipe, pipe to pipe, pipe to engine all say they are 1.25 ID. if using 304 SS what wall thickness is needed? or same result different way to ask, What should the ID be on a replacement pipe?
Thanks Chuck
------------------ "HICCUPP" 1988 2.8 GT Ocelot SS exhaust
Check with Rodney Dickman. He is in the process of making custom stainless replacements . His website says that they should be ready for sale in late October.
It is hard to tell since the temp gauge doesnt work despite replacing the temp sensors. I am not boiling over but it does seem as if the engine bay is incredibly hot. I also seem to have had a coil go bad again, less than 200 miles on it. The dummy light comes on really dim and can only be seen at night. I have seen the light come on bright during the day on a full overheat, There is also a fan issue the fan switch will not work, I have to turn on the AC to keep it running. The PO did not tell me that so I learned the hard way. The motor was supposedly completely rebuilt before I purchased the car so I assumed the water pump and thermostat had been changed then. (there is evidence that the motor had in fact been removed so I believe it had been rebuilt and it is completely free of dirt and oil.) So I believe that it is either a damaged pipe or the radiator. This is why I asked if you had a radiator as part of your parts clean up sale. Either way I need to replace because I am doing a motor swap in the future and I want to make sure I do not overheat a motor with aluminum heads, 3.9L.
I just looked at Rodney's pipes and he says 150 per side and that is a fair price depending on shipping costs.
It still is worth the discussion of what to do if you want to fab your own since some will want to have that custom and others may have ability and not money.
If you do not have the 88 model, the Fiero Store sells replacement cooling pipes for the 85-87's w the 2.8L
------------------ " THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, custom ZZP /Frozen Boost Intercooler setup, 3.4" Pulley, Northstar TB, LS1 MAF, 3" Spintech/Hedman Exhaust, P-log Manifold, Autolite 104's, MSD wires, Custom CAI, 4T65eHD w. custom axles, Champion Radiator, S10 Brake Booster, HP Tuners VCM Suite. "THE COLUSSUS" 87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H " ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "
It is hard to tell since the temp gauge doesnt work despite replacing the temp sensors. I am not boiling over but it does seem as if the engine bay is incredibly hot. I also seem to have had a coil go bad again, less than 200 miles on it. The dummy light comes on really dim and can only be seen at night. I have seen the light come on bright during the day on a full overheat, There is also a fan issue the fan switch will not work, I have to turn on the AC to keep it running. The PO did not tell me that so I learned the hard way. The motor was supposedly completely rebuilt before I purchased the car so I assumed the water pump and thermostat had been changed then. (there is evidence that the motor had in fact been removed so I believe it had been rebuilt and it is completely free of dirt and oil.) So I believe that it is either a damaged pipe or the radiator. This is why I asked if you had a radiator as part of your parts clean up sale. Either way I need to replace because I am doing a motor swap in the future and I want to make sure I do not overheat a motor with aluminum heads, 3.9L.
I just looked at Rodney's pipes and he says 150 per side and that is a fair price depending on shipping costs.
It still is worth the discussion of what to do if you want to fab your own since some will want to have that custom and others may have ability and not money.
Thanks Chuck
I believe I have an uncrushed driver side 88 coolant pipe although I do not know if it's v6 or 4 cylinder. If we can confirm it's what you need you can take it for the price of shipping from PA. If interested pm or email.
I am not sure when next I will have the car off the ground to get under and take pics. Thank you for the offers on the coolant pipes. question though, since these are so long can the even be shipped via UPS? we all know freight shipping is expensive and they often do more damage then 30 years on a car will do. If they are under 8' then UPS will take them i think.
Where I think I saw damage is right after the drain bung toward the rear. Should the pipe kick up at an angle for the last foot of the run? The other reason I think this is not right is because the rubber hose between the 2 pipes was kinked. I thought the PO just had the wrong hose on there and I was getting restriction from that so I bought a new one and put it on. It has less kink than before but it still looks like there may be some restriction at that point as well. (yes I followed proper refill technique since it drained that entire line though it is the return line so not a lot of problem getting it filled. I used a long hose on a funnel and pushed it in the return line to make sure the coolant was filling there. once that was full I went up front and filled the radiator. then came back and filled the engine again, topped off the reservoir. Maybe when I take it off I get a solid bar of steel that is slightly undersized from the ID and use a vise to straighten? it is only about a foot in. I also need to think about replacing the radiator. since these two are the most likely cause of poor cooling. I will also as a precaution change the thermostat. The water pump was supposedly changed already.
Driver's side on a V6 engine pre-88 suspension - something like this.
88 2.8. My hose is shaped differently than that, but that is the upward kick i am talking about on the tube. I may not be overheating at all I do not have a reliable gauge and Olejoedad said my other symptoms sound like a ground issue. Thanks for the picture though that does set my mind at ease. even though mine is different since the suspension is set up differently.
