Rick just drove it up and down the street after bleeding the brakes. A neighbor taking the trash out at the same time told him it sounded good. You hear it coming for sure!
[This message has been edited by JenzGT2 (edited 07-02-2009).]
You don't know how much restraint it took to just idle up and down the street a few times. I wanted to see if it could chirp the tires The first few drives are going to be slow and easy just in case?
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[This message has been edited by Rickady88GT (edited 07-02-2009).]
Rick, great thread. You remind me of my brother, who is both patient and thorough. I wish I had either one of those qualities. . . Looking at your pics gives me a faint glimmer of hope in making my old GT work better (but it will NEVER be up to your standards). Outstanding job. Keep up the good work. -Tom
I drove it to the gas station to get some gas. I only put in 5 gallons over what was in it. The gas station was unusually busy but I didn't mind, I had the attention on everybody there. This Ls4 really has a muscle car sound to it that really seems out of place for this car. It was pretty cool to drive up to the pump and have everyone in the place looking at you. lol I will try to have video of the car soon.
I actually started taking the car apart in March and then spending all of my weekends and home time getting as much done as I could, once I knew I was getting close I started the thread. There is still a lot of finish work to be done, I need to make custom door panels and center console. Work continues, but it is very nice to be able to drive it.
I am VERY happy that I was able to use the stock lid springs on this swap. They are not exactly stock, but they did come on the car from the factory. I moved the dick lid hinge mount and bent the right side spring to fit between the coil and water fill cap. And I relocated the one coil that was under the spring, down to the water pump housing so the spring would have room to sit in the closed position.
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[This message has been edited by Rickady88GT (edited 07-03-2009).]
Great Job! That dash swap is crazy. I'd have to say it's probably the most difficult dash swap that I've seen on Pennocks. Do you do engine swaps for other people?...like in Washington.
[This message has been edited by Amida (edited 07-03-2009).]
The seats are GREAT. I just sit and nearly fall asleep. My GT seats must be worn out because they seem like milk crates compared to the SRT4 seats. The lay out of the interior is really nice. It feels like a 2008 Fiero. All little things really add up, like the exit lighting. I can adjust how long the dome lights stay on after I take out the key. The head lights stay on for 30 seconds after I get out of the car as a security/convenience measure. The drive information center has several settings that I can adjust. There are so many new and cool little tricks to the car now.
[This message has been edited by Rickady88GT (edited 07-03-2009).]
Well a MUCH better test drive today and just one more thing to add to the list of to-do's. The car runs good and does brake the 255's loose on the role. But at a dead stop a heavy foot will cause the electronic throttle to let off all the way? It just falls on it's face. I think the ECM TCM needs a tune? This thing makes the 3.5 Twin Cam Short Star feel like the stock 2.8 V6 :O
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[This message has been edited by Rickady88GT (edited 07-04-2009).]
But at a dead stop a heavy foot will cause the electronic throttle to let off all the way? It just falls on it's face. I think the ECM TCM needs a tune? This thing makes the 3.5 Twin Cam Short Star feel like the stock 2.8 V6 :O
Yeah, some work on the torque management settings will really help. You may be experiencing the same issue that BLKCOFY had. Without the ABS sensors, the ECM may be kicking in "differential score protection" when it's not needed. When that happens the throttle closes so quickly it almost feels like something broke. I think Ryan ended up disabling that function.
I've left it active (it's an on/off switch in the tune), as it doesn't seem to kick in on the GP when accelerating in a straight line, only when being too agressive around a corner, which is probably the only time it needs to be active.
I need to rewire the rear tail light harness. The Monte uses the brake lights as turn signals. The Fiero uses a dedicated turn and a duel park and brake light. The Monte also has a left and right side marker and brake circuit. So the tail lights need to come off again and do a little surgery under there.
Yeah, some work on the torque management settings will really help. You may be experiencing the same issue that BLKCOFY had. Without the ABS sensors, the ECM may be kicking in "differential score protection" when it's not needed. When that happens the throttle closes so quickly it almost feels like something broke. I think Ryan ended up disabling that function.
I've left it active (it's an on/off switch in the tune), as it doesn't seem to kick in on the GP when accelerating in a straight line, only when being too agressive around a corner, which is probably the only time it needs to be active.
Cheers
YEAH, I had the same problem with mine. ( also would not do a CASE learn) Ryan retuned the ECU and turned off the CASE learn code for me, and after a few start-ups the problem went away. WIERD! Been driving it for a year now and i must say, it's the best swap i have ever done. BTW, Your next problem will be trying to get traction from a stop. Enjoy, RON
The throttle does close so fast that it feels like it broke.
doesn't GM have the programming to offset this with the IAC, or on later cars, the DBW, for emissions reasons? Abrupt lift-throttle is known to cause a sudden but brief spike of emissions, so the programming allows the rpm to come down more gradually, which might help smooth things out for you, maybe?
I don't like the DOD so much? At least not with the poly mounts. When the DOD kicks in the engine vibrates noticeably. A push on the throttle and V8 kicks in and smooths out. The DOD might be fine with rubber mounts, but the poly will take some getting used to. If I don't see some good economy numbers I will have to do a DOD delete and a better intake manifold swap.
Your best bet if you want to go that route is to swap to the LS2 valley cover and plug the oil passages to the DOD lifters. With the LS2 valley cover, you'll be able to modify the OPSU mounting boss to fit an intake that accommodates the 90mm DBW throttle body. The LS4 can't be modified to fit a 90mm intake because the oil feed to the DOD lifters comes from the valley cover.
Thanks for the tip. I have a technical article somewhere in my files detailing the deletion of DOD, I'll dig it out tonight and see if it has any more useful info that might help Rickady88GT and everyone following this thread. So far, none of my LSX-owning customers have wanted me to perform this mod.
Thanks for the tip. I have a technical article somewhere in my files detailing the deletion of DOD, I'll dig it out tonight and see if it has any more useful info that might help Rickady88GT and everyone following this thread. So far, none of my LSX-owning customers have wanted me to perform this mod.
Disabling DOD is simple in the tune - there's an on/off switch, I think it's located in the Engine-->Torque Management screen (at work now, can't see the tune).
Bolted to the bottom of the LS4 valley cover are four solenoids that control oil flow to the eight DOD lifters. When the solenoids engage, they let oil pressure push in a pin in the lifter that causes it to collapse rather than opening the valve. The interesting thing is that it's timed to trap an expended charge in the cylinder, so the deactivated cylinders act like "air springs".
The solenoids are normally "off", so if they fail, DOD is disabled. I suppose you could just unplug the connector under the throttle body to deactivate DOD, but this might throw a code.
I think what I will do is look at the diagrams and figure out which one ( 1 ) wire will disable the lifters and run that wire to a switch. That way it can be turned on and off at will. In town when it bugs me the most, I can turn it off. On the freeway I can turn it back on. It seems to turn on at speeds over 25 or so. The problem is that in 4th at 25-40 the RPMs are so low that a 4 banger just vibrates too much with hard mounts.
[This message has been edited by Rickady88GT (edited 07-08-2009).]
I build plenty of LSXs, I just don't do the tuning, as my shop doesn't have a chassis dyno. I do give my customers printouts to give to whomever does their tune, but this info about turning it off in the programming won't help, especially since my ecm or ecu is a pre-DOD version. Much easier to change a later 58x reluctor wheel to an older 24x if necessary. Rickady88GT, I sure hope you'll now revisit AV8Fiero's thread on LS4/F40, I added some info there you may find helpful.
Rickady, If you don't mind me asking, I happened to run across the same rims you have on the tire rack, and it looks tempting. I saw that they offer the rims in both a 7" and 8" width. My car in an '88, and I was going to run a 255/40R17 (on 8" rims) in back and 215/45R17 (on 7" rims) in front. What size are your tires and rims, and are yours the 38mm as well? Also, I'm plannig on using struts, not coilovers, any fitment issues?
If you wouldn't mind, can you post the tire sizes you went with? I love the stance of your car.
** edited to include my plans for wheel width stagger ***
[This message has been edited by aaronkoch (edited 07-16-2009).]
Aaronkoch, I know you weren't asking me, but I'd suggest a 205/50 on a 7" front and a 225/45 on an 8" rear would be a better match. A guy in my Fiero club runs that exact setup on his '88. I'm not sure what offsets.
Rickady, If you don't mind me asking, I happened to run across the same rims you have on the tire rack, and it looks tempting. I saw that they offer the rims in both a 7" and 8" width. My car in an '88, and I was going to run a 255/40R17 (on 8" rims) in back and 215/45R17 (on 7" rims) in front. What size are your tires and rims, and are yours the 38mm as well? Also, I'm plannig on using struts, not coilovers, any fitment issues?
If you wouldn't mind, can you post the tire sizes you went with? I love the stance of your car.
** edited to include my plans for wheel width stagger ***
It sounds like those are the exact size rims I have on my 88 front off set is 38mm and rear is 35mm. The only difference in tire size is my rears are 255 45 17. I needed the diameter to be the same as the Intrigue so my speedo would be correct for the Short Star. I lowered my front over 2" and the rear .5". I do rub a little on the front in hard turns. But it is not rubbing the fender, it rubs the black plastic inner fender well. I have stock Fiero springs cut down.
Aaronkoch, I know you weren't asking me, but I'd suggest a 205/50 on a 7" front and a 225/45 on an 8" rear would be a better match. A guy in my Fiero club runs that exact setup on his '88. I'm not sure what offsets.
I love the looks of my combo. I would like to get a stiffer aftermarket front spring then it will just right.
Aaronkoch, I know you weren't asking me, but I'd suggest a 205/50 on a 7" front and a 225/45 on an 8" rear would be a better match. A guy in my Fiero club runs that exact setup on his '88. I'm not sure what offsets.
Personally, I prefer when the tire is slightly wider than the rim, as Rickady's is. a 205 tire is about 8" wide, and a 7" rim (measured at bead seat, whereas section width is measured at tread) is only just under 8". I like the tires to be wider for looks, as well as curb protection, in case of flat, etc.
Come on! They're 80's cars, I don't have a mullet, so how else am I gonna look badass??
Fiero West Fest was cool. I had to trailer the car for the first time I had a cooling issue. When I put the LS4 in I took out a custom restricting orifice in the heater hose. I wrongly figured that the LS4 had a built in orifice in the water pump heater circuit. The missing restricter caused the water to cycle thru the heater core more than the radiator. The car would seem fine for a few miles but would heat up quickly after the water in the heater core and engine block got worm. The engine would be over heated but the radiator would barely be worm. So I made a new orifice when I got back and installed it in the heater line. Now it runs great.
This is three years of West Fest and the first year with the LS4.
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I had a cooling issue. When I put the LS4 in I took out a custom restricting orifice in the heater hose. I wrongly figured that the LS4 had a built in orifice in the water pump heater circuit. The missing restricter caused the water to cycle thru the heater core more than the radiator. The car would seem fine for a few miles but would heat up quickly after the water in the heater core and engine block got worm. The engine would be over heated but the radiator would barely be worm. So I made a new orifice when I got back and installed it in the heater line. Now it runs great..JPG)
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