I stupid

lucky · Post by **lucky** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 3:10 pm

So, I had the day off last monday; figured I'd tackle my exhaust leaks so I can get my car re-inspected.
Surprise, surprise, I broke a bolt off in my front cylinder head.
So, I started stripping everything down to get the head off. I broke several pigtails, and a couple vacuum lines. Probably shouldn't have fucked with it outside in New England in January. Didn't have much of a choice though.
So, now I'm freezing my nips off trying to get her running again; it wouldn't be so bad if my driveway weren't shaded all day long.....

Fucking sucks picking away at it a couple hours at a time, I'm off work the next 2 days, so, of course, they're saying snow tomorrow.

Xanth · Post by **Xanth** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 3:37 pm

That fucking sucks dude, I'm avoiding anything I can to not have to work on it in the cold right now.

crzyone · Post by **crzyone** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 7:19 pm

Might have been easier to drop the cradle. That sucks.

whipped · Post by **whipped** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 9:54 pm

Get a tarp for when the snow starts. You can work under it too. :la:

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 10:11 pm

I had to do exhaust manifold gaskets a week or so again on a 2.8l Fiero. I will not ever own a 2.8l Fiero again. Everything that fails, is a complete bitch to get to. It is a terrible design. I have motors that are better in nearly every way that could logically be used to compare engines. And they are bigger, both in displacement and size. Yet everything maintenance related, is by and large easier. Alternator, exhaust gaskets, intake gaskets, valve cover gaskets, spark plugs, fuel injectors, everything.

Boscolingus · Post by **Boscolingus** » Fri Jan 09, 2009 11:38 pm

Thats funny, I always thought of the Duke as harder, especially if replacing a waterpump or pump housing, or better yet, the distributor

lucky · Post by **lucky** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 2:00 am

whipped wrote:Get a tarp for when the snow starts. You can work under it too.

Well, the current forecast says pm snow; no reason I can't pull the heads in the am, that's all that's left to take apart. I really don't find it that difficult to work on anything in this engine compartment, I got it stripped to the heads in 3.5 hours with only hand tools, I was trying to rush, but after I started breaking things I slowed considerably.

I know we've had this conversation before on this board about how it would be a waste of time to bolt all the trick gen I goodies I got offa coinage onto this block, but I'm seriously considering saying fuck it and just doing it while it's apart. I've got a local lead on a company that does both laser and water jet cutting, I'm gonna give em a call monday about valve cover spacers. I sent out a couple pm's to people here, but no responses....

The Dark Side of Will · Sat Jan 10, 2009 9:10 am

I got your PM. Sorry I haven't responded.

I could come up with a drawing next weekend, but that's a bit late for you.

lucky · Post by **lucky** » Sat Jan 10, 2009 3:03 pm

No worries.

Head with the broken bolt is off; nothing to do the rest of the day so I'm gonna try to drill it out anyway.

Atilla the Fun · Post by **Atilla the Fun** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 1:14 pm

I feel for ya. I'm long done working on my daily drivers in the winter. All I can conclude is to own multiple vehicles, and tackle all the Fiero's hassles while driving something else. And if you're gonna hassle with it anyway, may as well hassle with an engine that is going to make you happy when you get it running.

lucky · Post by **lucky** » Mon Jan 12, 2009 1:59 pm

No word from the laser company yet, but for future reference the dremel tungsten carbide cutter that I used to port my exhaust manifolds ripped through a grade 10.9 bolt like a regular drill bit through wood, until I bottomed out, hit the cylinder head and chipped the bit.
Unfortunately the bolt extractors I bought suck ass- I rounded the teeth right off 2 of them by hand with a tap handle. Been soaking what's left of the bolt with penetrating oil every couple hours. We'll see what happens when I get a ride to the store to return the garbage easy outs for a different style.

Atilla the Fun · Post by **Atilla the Fun** » Sat Jan 17, 2009 2:05 pm

tungsten carbide is what Mondello uses for their porting stuff. I love it, despite the cost. Decent carbides for cheap can be found at www.competitionproducts.com.

The Dark Side of Will · Sat Jan 17, 2009 11:27 pm

Atilla the Fun wrote:tungsten carbide is what Mondello uses for their porting stuff. I love it, despite the cost. Decent carbides for cheap can be found at www.competitionproducts.com.

Add to the parts & materials thread in Tech?

lucky · Post by **lucky** » Sun Jan 18, 2009 1:40 am

Link doesn't work for me....

My local hardware store had another of the one I'd been using on the shelf for $8 (and only a 10 minute walk in 15 degree weather).

I've got 90% of the bolt removed, I'm just trying to find someone local to borrow an 8mm drill bit off of so I can get the rest out. Might just walk to the store again tomorrow and see if they have any metric singles or sets..

EDIT; Anyone know off hand what the name of the connector series is for the ignition module plugs? I need to get a couple hollow housings, but there are a couple styles that look extremely similar.

The Dark Side of Will · Sun Jan 18, 2009 8:28 am

If you remove an 8mm stud with an 8mm drill, you'll need helicoil set shortly thereafter.

For metric threads, diameter - pitch = tap drill size. So an 8 x 1.0 thread uses a 7mm tap drill.

Check this page out: http://www.engineersedge.com/drill_sizes.htm
Look in the decimal equivalent column for metric drills, then find that number in the decimal equivalent column for ANSI drills. Looks like you want an H, I or J drill.

lucky · Post by **lucky** » Sun Jan 18, 2009 5:30 pm

Good to know. Only set I have is SAE, I'm still too small for the tap at this point, but if I go one bit bigger, I'll be too big.