TurtleTamer

iTrader: (1)

Not sure if you guys can see this, but these valves are trash, victims to rust pits. It doesn't go for ALL of them, just ones that were wet with standing (evidently) rain water. I shake my head at the previous owner. I would say "no big deal" since I've still got the B-body valves, only I don't think they're compatible. Looks like I'm going for aftermarkets.

TurtleTamer

iTrader: (1)

Just got my head dropped of to the machine shop. I say "head" vice "heads" because one had a broken off exhaust bolt in that the PO had broken two drill bits and an easy out off in. ***** said the labor would be more than the alternative: buying a bare brand-new LT1 head he had laying around for $75. Haha, the luck.

He ordered me some lightweight 2.02/1.6 valves as well as some seats so he can do the 5-angle and machine the stud bases for the guide plates. He'll also be decking them for some CR gain.

I got a glimpse of my block, all pretty and clean and bored and honed, but didn't have the foresight to get even a cell pic. I had some strange news from him as well...crank was perfect, no machining needed. I asked how this could be, and he said "well it IS forged steel." Again I asked how that could be, like, if it was a cop car thing or something and he said that no, sometimes they run out of iron ones on the assembly line and throw a forged one in there. I dunno, I'll take that news!

TurtleTamer

iTrader: (1)

So purty...



Here's the crank. ***** didn't lie. It's somehow forged.

Strick1

As far as the engine goes, you just surged ahead of me. My engine hasn't even been cleaned yet. The heads are in the shop. I told him not to hurry until after the holidays. What color are you going to paint it? Nows the time.

TurtleTamer

iTrader: (1)

I wouldn't say I surged ahead at all, because it's still at the shop and I won't be picking it up until after the holidays at the earliest. Even then, I may have to wait until the 15th so I'll have enough cash. Even when I assemble the bottom end, it'll be without lifters because I haven't bought any, and it'll be another long wait on paying for the heads and then porting them once the valve job is complete. BUT, ***** asked me the same thing today because I guess he wants to paint it. I told him it was going to be black and he said he'd paint it and install the freeze plugs. I said "naw man I can get all that" and he said "but I love the way it looks black with those fresh plugs in there." Haha.

Meanwhile, the car's still out there being driven around by my buddy in all its slow glory...

Also got the f-body engine disassembled. It had a spun rod bearing, so I threw the crank away (left it out for the scrap guys) but kept the rods and block. The rods for a rainy day, the block for possible a future stroker build or something. I could've kept the crank and had it cut down for oversize bearings but I didn't want to put any money into an iron crank (not that it's a bad crank design) that I don't immediately need and I don't have room for it. Either way, the porch is looking rather bare again.

Chad85T/A

iTrader: (1)

looks good!

TurtleTamer

iTrader: (1)

Well, been a long time since I've updated. There hasn't been any real progress until today. I picked up my bottom end from the machine shop and will go about assembling it sometime in the next week. I also moved my workshop from my apartment parking lot to a mechanic-friendly storage unit, so I'm out of the rain/snow/dust etc, and it's right next to my favorite junk yard!

Speaking of which, I picked up a Zexel Torsen III-series carrier today from a '98 v6 bird...for $80, staying true to the Craigslist/Junkyard theme.

The guy who had my car on loan was driving a while back and was hit by a deer in the driver side door, so I may need to replace it, but no biggie. I'll need that and a hood, and a few things for my compressor, and then I'll be set up for paint.

In the meantime, I'm deciding on how to do this build. I'm thinking I'll take care of the rear end first, then maybe t56 swap it, then finally get the LT1 in so that there won't be any troubleshooting involved with the driveline once the engine is in.

TurtleTamer

iTrader: (1)

Chad85T/A

iTrader: (1)

Are you using the factory cam, or did you get a performance cam?

TurtleTamer

iTrader: (1)

I went with a GM 847. It was the new part-numbered one so I had to have the snout machined and the dowel pin swapped from the B-body cam to this one.

I'm at another standstill as I need to get me an upgraded oil pump drive gear and coupler. I honestly didn't know much about this until recently when I read on another forum that people were losing oil pressure not long after rebuilds. In the meantime I can get the timing cover and rear main seal on, as well as cleaning up my oil pan real nice. There are a ton of other little nickle and dime things to do too, but this is being juggled with my 3G Eclipse daily driver project as well.

TurtleTamer

iTrader: (1)

Well, I'm sad and excited to say, that I don't think the LT1 swap will be happening on this third gen. Instead, it's most likely going into this:



I do still plan on swapping the old LO3 out of there, though it has served well and still runs great. I just have no clue where to go from here. The Fiero is kind of a dream car for me, and I've always wanted to grab one up and put a V8 in it.

I'm not made of money, so I may very well do a junkyard L31 swap or something, or maybe give it a couple/few years and go LSX. Or both. Or BBC. Who knows? In 19 months it will have classic plates=no inspections=whatever I want!

Regardless I've got a set of headers waiting for it, a Zexel Torsen rear end, 4.10 gears, and within the next few months I want to start to paint it.

Formula_Fire

If your not made of money good luck getting that LT1 in the Fiero at least in a way that will withstand the first burnout. Not trying to be negative but the few V8 Fieros I've seen done right had some serious cash behind them.

Pocket

iTrader: (24)

Yup ^

L67 is the best budget swap for a Fiero, LS4 best budget V8

TurtleTamer

iTrader: (1)

"I'm not made of money" as in "I can't afford to build two engines and source transmissions/mounts/crossmembers/belts/hoses/clamps/fluids/wires/exhaust/etc for two cars at the same time."

The way I look at it is, I stumbled into a third gen for $300 and want it to perform better. This car will require quite a bit of work to make that happen. I'll still be working on making it a nice car with a decent power plant, all without doing a full restoration or going crazy with it.

The Fiero, especially a V8 one, is something I've always wanted to build. This one's going to need quite a bit of work as well, but it's got antique plates and will never be a daily. I can afford to have it down for long periods of time while I source/fabricate/paint and all that. The Camaro is still being daily driven while I work on my Eclipse or if I just feel like driving it.

I'm rather against going the L67 route. They can be had for very cheap around here in varying conditions. I may do one in the future, but not on this car.

Formula_Fire

To each their own if you got the cash to do a 10k fiero more power to you. I'm a poncho man at heart so have at. I just never saw the point in doing a V8 fiero the only time I've seen one really perform was a tube chassis full on drag car. The other V8's I've seen have been either just show cars or basically just shred tires and break things.

TurtleTamer

iTrader: (1)

Well I wanted to say "$10k? Yeah right" and then list the expected prices of everything it'll take. But we know how these go and you're probably right. It needs some body work and a paint job, a few suspension parts and some interior work as well (though at least it's mostly complete and intact).

I HAVE been spending a good bit of time on the Camaro getting it ready for inspection. This'll be the first since I bought it that will be legitimate. It just failed today but for little things since I went over it and did the major work it needed (VA always fails cars over 10 years old). Anyway, that experience really got me wanting to mess with it again. Headers/LSD will come first and then paint, but boy is it fun to drive. It'll be my daily for the next week or two while I work on my current daily.

I'm still going around and around about what to do as far as an engine for it. Don't really want to build another LTX but I might. Not sure I want to go LSX just yet either. I could do a mild L31 and retain stock TBI and get an EBL or something to hold me over the couple- to few years it'll take to really get started on a power-house for it.

TurtleTamer

iTrader: (1)

Well, you guys have spoken and I have now listened. Some things have fallen into my lap, kind of keeping me from working on the LT1 for a bit, but I've been driving both the Fiero and the Camaro a lot more lately and it seems to make a lot more sense from the end-game perspective to 3800SC swap the Fiero and press on to put the LT1 in the Camaro.

Strick1

Yep, I'd vote for the LT1 into the Camaro. It's just for selfish reasons as the more guys that do it, the more guys I can ask questions about this swap.

TurtleTamer

iTrader: (1)

Haha no problem. Truthfully both of the cars need a lot of work, and both are very fun to drive. It's a very difficult decision but in the end I think the LT1 will perform much better in a RWD car, and in looking for alternative methods to the stock TBI I'll likely end up spending as much on that as I would on the rest of another long block for it, all the while a 3800 will more or less bolt into the Fiero. They'll both be primarily street-driven cars, and I think an LT1 Fiero would suffer either driveability or reliability problems. Plus, I'm really sick of having a slow 3rd Gen.

In the meantime I ran 283whp/307wtq on the dyno in my NA 3.8 Eclipse last weekend and the next day was hit by a tractor-trailer. Some funds will be shifted toward going out of pocket on surpassing the repairs to it with a new paint color. That'll all have to be ironed out still, but the body shop owner is cool as hell and agreed not only to let me hang around and learn some about paint/body work but may also let me do some mechanic work in exchange for the extra stuff I want done to the Eclipse.

Strick1

Just so you know, I'm knee deep into putting an LT1 into an 83 Camaro.
83 Camaro\95 Caprice LT1\transplant on this forum

TurtleTamer

iTrader: (1)

Yup, been following that. Not a lot of us doing it anymore. Funny that both of ours came from the same year/type of car.

Strick1

Let me know what you are doing about wiring. I'm trying to use the 95 Caprice engine harness and PCM. I'll have to send the PCM out to have it reprogramed. Some guys go to Painless wiring but that seems expensive.

TurtleTamer

iTrader: (1)

I'll be using the '95 PCM and making my own harness using the one that came on the engine. It's almost entirely still intact. I'm not sure if I'll send it off for a base tune or not yet. I'll worry a little more about that once I've got the drivetrain closer to physically going in the car. I have my heads back from the machine shop and I'll start the pnp job on those, but I still need lifters, rockers and to measure my pushrods. There's still a lot of work yet to do.

Before all this I've got to rebuild the front end, upgrade the suspension, weld in some subframe connectors and install the rear end parts I've got. I've also got to paint it. Before I paint it, it needs a door and a hood. Mechanically, the car is in the best shape it's been since I've owned it, but I really need to start getting it better-looking and at the same time ready to handle some power.

Strick1

Using the PCM in older Camaros presents some problems. The 95 PCM runs the A/C, and many other subsystems and if it sees a problem with those systems, it sets off the "check engine" light. So, when I send my PCM off to get re programed, those systems will be eliminated from the PCM. The A/C will be controlled by the Camaro's system which is not connected to the PCM. The anti-skid won't exist. I'm using the Helms manuals to see where each subsystem is wired. Tedious, yes, but doable.

TurtleTamer

iTrader: (1)

I actually love doing that kind of stuff. The wiring and whatnot. Lucky for us Pocket set up just about everything we need and the pinouts are all out there for us to see.

I've got projects really stacked up, but I brought a junk head home from my shop as well as all my porting gear so I don't have to drive all the way up there to mess with it. Time to start practicing with that on my time off. Unfortunately I think I'll be driving the Camaro quite a bit this summer since my DD is going to be getting repainted soon and I don't want any door dings parking it at my apartment complex. I hope to be moving in August though.

Strick1

Where are you moving to?

TurtleTamer

iTrader: (1)

Turns out I'm not moving, but I was just going to get a different place in town.

Anyway, this weekend I've been doing some work to my heads. Still a long way to go, but I'm here on one head.





Combustion chambers are done on both heads and rough shaping is done in the intake ports of one. This is about halfway through the 60-grit rolls.

TurtleTamer

iTrader: (1)

Well she's getting there.

Chad85T/A

iTrader: (1)

Looking good.

Strick1

Which oil pan are you going to use?

TurtleTamer

iTrader: (1)

I've got an F-body oil pan on there. The B-body one had a hole punched in it from the junk yard, and the one that came on the other LT1 I got had been dropped or sat on the pan and it was too disfigured to use. I bought this one off a member here or LTXTech, wire-wheeled it, primed and painted it. You can't really see it in the photos but it's there.

This engine has been waiting for "this" or "that" for so long I hadn't realized how ready it is now until I got the valvetrain on. I still need to port the intake and modify/clean/paint the valve covers, but beyond that I've got everything except a throttle body (don't want to use stock), electric water pump, plug wires, and other odds and ends. I do still need a transmission and a base tune.

fullsize fun

due to the poorer thermal properties of the aluminum heads that you need around 15 cfm more flow to make the same hp as an iron head. its been proven.