The new 88GT

[CincinnatiFiero]

**Instead of posting a dozen new threads I switched this title to just become my main "build" thread for the new 88GT I have**


My 88GT is running rich, smells like it, bogs a tag, got a little backfire, its rich.

Its got a new coolant sensor, I was told the plugs are newer, but I have some UR5s to go in, the IAC is new, and the wires and cap/rotor look newer. But heres the kicker, it has a splice in universal bosch 02. Isn't that the nexis of fiero O2s? The boschs supposedly have killed motors on OE, and this one is the crimp on universal. So I think I ought to replace the O2, whats the best O2 for an L44? Plus for $22 I don't think its a terrible idea to throw in a new O2, this car is my DD for now, trying to get some MPGs.

I've heard good things about the NGKs
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NTK-NGK- ... ccessories
A Napa
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Oxygen-S ... ccessories
Unknown
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/OXYGEN-S ... ccessories

Leaning towards the NGK. Just wanted some input before I pull the trigger.

[p8ntman442]

I just grab stocks out of cars I'm junking. OEM seems to last a long time. aftermarkets seem to fail quickly.

[Fastback86]

NGK is good stuff. They're OEM on a lot of cars nowadays, along with their spark plugs.

[CincinnatiFiero]

I had a brand new Delco O2 in my Tech4 and I gave it away with the header not thinking it would fit my car. I would kind of prefer new as opposed to a used OE. I think I am going to go NGK.

[CincinnatiFiero]

Filled up today, I got 20.7 mpg, 1/2 city, 1/2 highway and I've been driving her pretty hard. But the rich-ness seems to be getting a bit worse, I am getting backfires down low more often. There is no vacuum leak or anything like that, what else would cause me to go so rich?

I was looking at O2 sensors and read about the single wire universal bosch on my car. It says it is designed to be a downstream (post cat) sensor. Doesn't the 2nd O2 just figure out if your cat is working correctly and isn't designed to take a reading that will affect your fuel mixture? I understand its not sending my car a message that the cat is or is not there, but maybe it creates a value that ecm doesn't want to see.

[CincinnatiFiero]

I bought the NGK, so it should be here early next week and I can try to get my mpg up.

[CincinnatiFiero]

Filled up today, got 21.7 on the last tank, all thats changed is I've been running injector cleaner (had it in the last tank though) and I drove a bit easier. Since the fuel filter got some old ass gas through it and is old as it is, I will swap it as soon as I get a chance and I need to put in my NGKs. I seafoamed the car, but that didn't really change much.

As per usual the exhaust hangers were broken, so I took them to the shop today and welded them up



I am getting a lot of black dust behind the rear wheel on the bumper. The brakes have new pads and new springs and the rotors turn easy when the car is lifted. The pads just sit awfully close and this doesn't look like it has returned all the way.


took some pics of the car, yeah the one is same, flash and no flash

[CincinnatiFiero]

New Fuel Economy figure: 24.3 MPG. changed nothing, just getting better at driving a stick, I was out of practice.

Got my audio system together. Put in some Pioneer 4x6 coaxles, bought some old audiobahn 4x10s off ebay, paid $.99 + $15 shipping. Guy lived near me so I drove 20 minutes to meet him and pick them up and he refunded my $15. I tried to argue with him ($16 for speakers is pretty darn good) but he said he was giving me the shipping back. Great guy, I'll post his ebay ID later, he's been selling a ton of audio stuff. And I put in an old JVC headunit I had around from the old car, and the pioneers were from an old car. So all I had to buy was the walmart headunit mount kit and the $.99 speakers. So I have $12 in my complete audio build. 4x10s and 4x6s are crap, but for my daily, just listening to the radio, they are perfect, mainly the price haha. I'll snap some pics later.

[CincinnatiFiero]

Some old crappy Audiobans.

Heres the reason I did 4x10s though, no effort.. and it looks stock aside from my HU.

The deck


Got superglue on my seat, any suggestions?

[p8ntman442]

nail polish remover.

your dot matrix surround kicks ass! you should have DH make you a radio install kit.

[CincinnatiFiero]

Its very 80s, I like it. Yeah, big hunk of sheet aluminum... I'll pass.

[jelly2m81]

But heres the kicker, it has a splice in universal bosch O2. Isn't that the nexis of fiero O2s? The boschs supposedly have killed motors on OE, and this one is the crimp on universal.

Step one, stop looking on piffle for advice, by far it is one of the worst forums on the interwez for proper tech advice.

A Bosch O2 sensor killing a motor? jesus christ that beats the Fram oil filter theory....LMFAO!

I never was a fan of universal O2 sensors, there's more to the universal part than just the connector....

Newer NGK O2 sensors are fine, it was the older ones that were shit and failure prone. NGK revamped their O2 sensors like 2 years ago or so, I honestly would pay extra for one from a high volume parts place over an e-bay special hopefully avoiding and old stock unit.

I agree, I would trash the universal O2 sensor. Newer plugs don't mean shit, most times people only change the 3 on the trunkside of the motor, plus if it's running rich they could be partially fouled.

If the car was sitting and had old gas in it, it will probably take several tanks before you finally flush that out. The injector / fuel system cleaner will help some. Don't forget to change the fuel filter.

Check the ignition timing. FWIW, I always use 12° advance on the 2.8's.

That ebrake lever is not released fully, the ebrake is out of adjustment, I'd loosen the cables off and see if you can move the level back a notch before adjusting the cables. The end of the cable isn't properly in position in your picture and looks ready to fly off.

88's are famous for the caliper sliders sticking, you may want to pull the calipers and ensure they slide freely.

The exhaust hangers are held to the pipe there with exhaust clamps, the clamps hold the flat to the pipe from the muffler and also clamp the pipe to the tips. You have them welded now, but may want to throw some clamps on there anyway so that you don't run the chance of loosing the tips in the future.

Nice looking car.

EDIT: typoed the wrong timing advance I use. factory is 10, I use 12.

[CincinnatiFiero]

I don't trust the 'newer' plugs, plus it was a whole $8 to buy all new UR5s there is no reason NOT to replace them, which I know UR5s was OE advice, but people rate them the best. Advance and Autozone don't even list the NGK O2 for order on their sites, so I went ahead and got the ebay one. I've got a new fuel filter but I haven't had time to put it in. I think this weekend I will do the plugs, O2, and fuel filter. I've had a ton of work this week.

Yeah the fram thing was funny, I've run frams before and I have yet to kill a motor. I've been sticking to delco's on the L67 and put one on this car. I use walmart supertechs on my truck and put frams on the RX.

How do you adjust the parking brake? Is there a how to somewhere?

[The Dark Side of Will]

Adjusting the parking brake on an '88 is a SOB. The adjuster is INSIDE the forward cradle crossmember, on the left side of the car.

[jelly2m81]

Adjusting the parking brake on an '88 is a SOB. The adjuster is INSIDE the forward cradle crossmember, on the left side of the car.

ya, you can only turn that nut a hair each time, takes a freaking day if it's screwed in the whole way.....

Ogre's cave linked off piffle has a nice article on properly adjusting the ebrake, I think it's for the earlier years, but the basics for the 88 are the same. It basicially entails removing the cable and lever from the caliper and setting the piston just off the pad to rotor contact point while placing the lever at the rear lever stop ( released) before installing and adjusting the cable.

[CincinnatiFiero]

Wow thats going to a bitchhhhhhhhhh, maybe this weekend, but I have some school stuff to do too this weekend. Then the next two weekends I'll be in LA. I don't think it is dragging very bad. I jacked the car up and the rotor turns easily, the pads are just damn close to the rotor. I am getting a lot of black dust built up on the sides of the rear bumper. Maybe if I keep putting off adjusting it the pads (new) will wear enough that they won't rub the ever so slight amount that they are. Its something that SHOULD happen, but I am not going to have time for a while. 24.3mpg on mostly city driving, it can't be dragging very hard.

[The Dark Side of Will]

24-25 MPG of mostly city driving is not bad. I see 28 highway and 23 city in my Formula. Some guys claim that they can crack 30 with their 2.8's. Maybe they can, but I can't drive 55. I also have the EGR blocked off. Someday I'm ought to get that working just to see what kind of MPG benefit I get.

[jelly2m81]

I'll be honest, when I adjust the ebrake lever at the caliper, I don't bother with shims or measuring, I always make them as tight as possible to the point where the rotor will spin freely.

If your rotors seem to spin freely, you probably have more of an issue with the caliper sliders, or just a set of brake pads that are either cheap or starting to deteriorate.

Id drive the car a bit and then just get out and touch the wheel to see if it's heating up. Obviously the rear wheels warm up after a drive, but you should be able to compare them side to side to see if one is getting hotter than the other. Don't go planting your hand on the wheel after a drive incase it really is getting hot, be careful.

Generally if your brakes are dragging to the point where the pads are giving off alot of dust, you can usually smell it after a drive and the rotor face usually turns quite bluish black.

[jelly2m81]

Just looked back through my pics after looking at your again, almost every "in use pic IE: not freshly washed" of the white GT's I had I am seeing the same black dust on the sides and rear of the rear bumpers.

Are you sure it's brake dust? The more I think about it, the black dust seems normal...


24-25MPG city driving isn't bad at all for a 5 spd, that's about the max for a 2.8 auto in highway MPG.

Will is gonna hate me, but I used to regularly get 35 mpg highway with my 2.8 5spd, not so much now since the 17" wheels and 12" brakes, plus the engine has alot more miles on it now than it did 5-6 years ago. ( that and it doesn't get the love and maintance it used to get).

[CincinnatiFiero]

I swear I got 30 with my old car with no EGR on the highway with a v6 5speed. I think getting 24 combined I have to be damn near 30 on the highway. My rear rotors look fine, I am not in a huge rush to adjust the brake because its not causing a major problem, but I still would like my emergency brake to be set up correctly. I may be going to North Carolina in the car soon so that will be the ultimate MPG test. I have been driving 65-70 on the highway, a few 0-90 spurts when I get on the highway in the mornings. My truck was getting 14mpg, so going up 8-10mpg is damn good on my wallet.