Tom...when I'm not at WOT, the shift points are normal, just every shift is hard and comes with a nasty dull thud type of noise. It also makes that noice when it downshifts during rapid decellerations... Especially when it kicks back into first!! Very irritating. But at WOT, it doesn't want to shift at all.. It's acting like it's not getting enough hydraulic pressure at full throttle, but I couldn't see why. TV cable is in perfect shape. I dunno if the tranny filter is ok or not, but the fluid's around a year old and still has plenty of red left.

And I work at McDonalds..saving money is virtually impossible! It's hard when you ask for 20-25 hours a week and you get 15 hours a week, and the hours they schedule you for are mostly hours you said you can't work. Agh.

 

Hey Bill, do you have/could you get some videos and/or sound clips of your car? I'm really curious to hear the exhaust and see if you can't manage a burnout in that thing, hehe

Love the car, I'd take it for the simple rarity factor. But I'd have to have another one for speed

 

I took an audio clip of my car a while back....mmmm.... I'd have to find it.
Im getting a digital camera this christmas that has a video/audio feature! I hope that it works cause I want to take a vid of my Firebird and let you all hear REAL hamster power! Trust me it aint intimidating at all.

I will definitly work on getting one for you guys.

 

Thank you! I'd love to hear it.

I still wanna see you try to bust some donuts or burnouts with it, hehe

 

Actually, you go to s-series.org and their are guys hopping up the 2.5 and claiming to get 140-200hp out of them. Thats equal or more then the 2.8 and 3.1 got.

However, they are all using fiero parts, but hey. Its still an iron duke.

As fyrelance said, I would love to have one all orginal just for sake at car shows.

I can see it now......
"yes its all orginal"

 

The only donut I have ever successfully achieved in my bird was on ice.

I did do a nice wheel spin once! I was exiting a car show and people were lined up to cheer on some burnouts. My bro exited before me with his 84 Sport Coupe camaro w/350 TPI...he lite em up pretty good. I followed him out and people were cheering for me to do one too. Little did they know I only had a measly 4 under the hood. Didn't stop me from trying anyway. I revd it up real high and dumped the clutch. Didn't get much noise but I had that limited slip spining! I noticed as I was pulling away that the tire was "picking" up stones from getting hot. It was a pathetic attempt but I was proud of her.

She doesn't do excessive stuff. Shes a beauty queen.

 

Hey Bill, nice 4 banger Firebird. The 4 cylinder would be a lot easier to supercharge/turbocharge than the V6, so why not build the 4 banger and make a turbo car out of it instead of switching to the V8? Would definitely be unique, and could be very powerful! I have a friend with a FWD turbo dodge 2.2 liter, and it is making about 300 HP, the way he has it built. It will run in the low 13's with a lot of tire spin.

It isn't uncommon for the early 4 cylinder cars to be as fast or faster than the V6 cars. They weighed a little less, and the V6 cars only had 12 more HP back when the 2.8 was still carbureted. And the 4 banger got the 3.73 gear, while the 2.8 got a 3.23 gear. As a modern example of this, my dad has a 1991 GMC sonoma 2.8 liter 5 speed truck with 3.23 gears. My brother's wife has a 2.5 liter Iron Duke 1990 GMC sonoma, and it has the 3.73 rear. They have similar size tires on them, and are both equipped with AC. The 4 banger will beat the crap out of the V6, and it doesn't much matter at what speed, either. Just thought an example might help.

I believe that 1985 was the last year for the 4 cylinder firebird/camaro. That 1985 4 banger Camaro could end up like the 1969 Firebird Sprint OHC 6 cars. They are really rare in Sprint form, and are highly collectable, mainly because most people opted for the larger 350.

 

ive heard alot about people building turbo charged IRON DUKES. I would like to do the same but I don't even know where to start. Is there a bolt on kit out there somewhere?


Im not too smart on gears...is 3.73 better? Whats the deal with them? My bros 84 V6 would woop on me all the time...even with bad compression. He had the MPFI though.

 

3.73 is pretty beefy. Simply put..
Lower gear number = Higher top speed, less acceleration
Higher gear number = Lower top speed, better acceleration

4.11 gears will get you to haul *** but you won't get much past 90 on the highway. 3.23's and you'll be sluggish but manage over 110 and get better mileage doing it...

 

well i can definitely attest to the low acceleration and higher top speed. I can cruise really well in 5th gear doing over 80 and tachin somthing like 2500 or 3000. Its nice!

 

Bill, go to http://forums.s-series.org/ and read the section on 2.5l. Them guys are porting, polishing, cams, puting oversized Tb's on them, fiero headers. Its all a 2.5l iron duke, so it all interchanges. I belive one guy on their is working on a turbo kit.

Deff some stuff can be done to make it peppier.

 

thanks for the heads up, im on my way there now.

 

Haha, a modded out, forced induction 4-cyl Firebird would certainly be something else! I say go for it!

 

yea, I think I said it before someplace, if I ever found an iron duke I'd have to buy it for the rarity and shock value, and also to see how much power I could get.

 

Lol...just imagine being able to say it. 'What's under the hood?' "Turbo 2.5" 'A WHAT??'

 

I get that already when I say a 2.5 but the "A WHAT??" has a different meaning...

 

lol

 

Esp after you beat or held up to a v8, hehe

 

I feel the same way. The only thing I don't like about my V6 is the lack of stock horsepower, but what can I expect for 2.8l of dispalacement with 2 valves per cylinder. I plan on buying a Vette within the next 10 years, an old on though since I'm all old school so that I won't have anything to complain about power wise. I think for the size of the V8's, they are slow too in F-bodies, its just that the 6 is even slower. Every complains about having more power no matter what engine they have.



As for the iron duke, I have only seen or heard a couple in my lifetime. I have seen more TTA's than a 2.5l four in an F-body.

 

Yeah..build the **** outta the thing cause that's a rare item right there!