The Mule rides again (sort of) - pics.

[The Dark Side of Will]

Provent is here... pics to follow.

Having what I think is an injector problem. I'm running Ford Motorsport orange top injectors and they are P/N 0 280 150 943. #5 has a dead miss, as confirmed by R&Ring injector connectors. Strong spark, and the plug's not fouled. Stethoscope says the injector is operating... but it looks like the only reasonable cause is that the injector has stopped flowing fuel.

[The Dark Side of Will]

Provent 200:

[The Dark Side of Will]

Hitting on all 8 again. It was the plug, not the injector. Gap had opened up. First time I've seen that happen, so I wasn't looking deeply for it.

Looking at parts for plumbing and mounting the ProVent.

Considering either a double ended 3/4" hose barb, formed elbow and double ended hose barb OR a 3/4" 90 degree barb to get from the PCV grommet to 3/4" hose.

I'll have to use a double ended barb and a 3/4"-1" hose adapter to connect to the unit, and of course the same on the outlet side.

The 3/4" hose will go to the PCV valve, which will have a short section of 3/8" hose to connect to the stock formed elbow on the manifold.

3/4" hose coupler: http://www.grainger.com/product/Heater- ... s_pp=false $17.58 for 5, need 3 or 4

3/4" 90 degree barb: http://www.grainger.com/product/ELDON-J ... =P2IDP2PCP $10.81 for 10, need 1

3/4" - 1" adapter: http://www.hps-siliconehoses.com/hps-19 ... re=default $16.50 each, need 2

3/4" 90 degree formed elbow: http://www.hps-siliconehoses.com/hps-19 ... re=default $18.97, maybe need 1

Will also need a 1 1/2" to 1 1/4" 45 degree reducer for the waterpump inlet to cross-cradle pipe connection, to replace the ribbed flex hose I have there now.
http://www.hps-siliconehoses.com/hps-32 ... re=default
This will need to be used in conjunction with a 1 1/4" 90 degree elbow
http://www.hps-siliconehoses.com/hps-32 ... re=default


However, what I need to order is somewhat dependent on what CarQuest has in stock tomorrow. For example, I'm not sure if the long barbs linked above will go into the PCV grommet without hitting what's behind it. I think they will, but not sure... so if CQ has a shorter barb that lets me eliminate that risk, I may have to go with the formed elbow instead of the 90 degree barb.


Just taking notes...
3/4 double ended barbs:
http://www.callapg.com/downloads/Coupling_Catalog.pdf pgs 33-35

This looks like the kind of radiator hose coupler that I want, but the site doesn't say what size it is:
https://www.autopartsway.com/PartDetail ... 88945/OES/

Kinda close from Jegs, but no center rib:
http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS+Performance+ ... 0/10002/-1

This Dorman product is EXACTLY what I want to joining 3/4" hoses and may come in handy when plumbing my oil cooler:
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/dorm ... 17190831-P
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/dorm ... 17190830-P (Same thing in 5/8")

Jags That Run is another potential source:
http://www.jagsthatrun.com/Pages/Parts_ ... icers.html
http://www.jagsthatrun.com/Pages/Parts_ ... plice.html

[The Dark Side of Will]

All the throttle-by-wire PCM use the 58x reluctor wheel, don't they?

Nope, the E40 used on the first couple of years of the LS4 had the 24 reluctor and DBW.

The GM part # for the 24 tooth reluctor wheel is #12559353 and can be purchased for under $20.
BS3 also sells some kind of 24 tooth reluctor (JMI-007-006) for $70, but not sure what it looks like.

So I've been daydreaming about a billet crank...
GM *SHOULD* have put the Northstar crank sensors in the V from the very beginning. Unfortunately, it took them 12 years of production to realize that, and they finally got to it when they swapped to the 58x wheels in 2005.
I was thinking that when I get a billet crank (yes, I've graduated to "when" now) I could have the reluctor wheel turned 90 degrees, and weld crank sensor bosses into the block in the V, and put the sensors there myself.
I then remembered that the LS 24x wheel is removable, and depending on dimensions I *may* be able to have my billet crank made to fit that wheel. So if I'm welding a crank sensor boss into the block, it might as well be for an LS style crank sensor. Having the LS sensor and wheel would let me run the proper LS computer, fully functioning data logging through Torque, LS coils, etc.

Obviously, the same also applies to the 58x wheel.

I'm also weighing the merits of HPTuners vs. EFI Live. I'm wondering if EFI Live can use the Shelby OS to create a modified OS that uses the Northstar crank triggering via the ignition brick, but the LS ignition outputs and thus coils as well.
That may be as simple as a software switch as EricJon is finding out with the 60Degree vs. Shortstar computers.

[The Dark Side of Will]

In thinking about this a little more, I'm not sure I could make a purely triangular control arm that would clear the upper spring seat.

However, I could use a u-bend to make one that would. http://www.chassisshop.com has "threaded tube adapters" like these:

http://secure.chassisshop.com/partdetail/C73-890-2/



made for 1" tubing with ~.058 wall thickness and 5/8-18 rod ends.

With a single U-bend, two threaded adapters and a couple of VERY simple flanges/tabs, I could make UCA's for the '84-'87 suspension. They wouldn't be as infinitely adjustable as the ones for '88's, but would be extremely adjustable.

Columbia River has the 1" U-bends I need:

http://www.mandrel-bends.com/catalog/1- ... d-496.html

I need to stretch a tape across my spare crossmember... but this could be surprisingly easy.

The pivot tube for the UCA inner pivot on the 84-87 front en is 5 1/16" long, according to a tape measure.

http://secure.chassisshop.com/partrelate/CM10/
5/8" rod ends are .750 wide, so the span of 2 rod ends in one of those 1" 180 bends should be 5 1/4". This leaves 1/16" on each side for seal washers & 1/16" total clearance, which can be taken up with a shim or washer very easily.
The center-center length of the control arm appears to be very close to 7", which is pretty much the perfect length to have the bend + the inserts + 1-1.5" of extra length from the rod end.
Sweeet. I'll order parts for these with my next paycheck.
The ball joint is *slightly* off-center relative to the pivots, so I'll *probably* have to accommodate that in the ball joint mounting tabs. I can probably make one kind of arm that will fit both sides.

[The Dark Side of Will]

Total new PCV system components:



Ultra-ghetto temporary installation, PRE-mounting. I have since attached the separator to the trunk wall reinforcement with a couple of screws.



Crankcase outlet. Now that it's heat cycled a few times, the hose has relaxed and fits better.



Manifold connection. If you look closely you can see that I did grommet the holes. I did not cut holes in my trunk bulkhead for this... I'm just reusing the coil/alternator blower ducting holes... since the coil/alt blower is long gone.



The thing I hate most about '84-'87 front control arms:



The other thing I hate most about '84-'87 front control arms:



The pivot axes are not aligned.

This makes using anything except sperical bearings a recipe for binding in one way or another. I wish I had known the design was that screwed up before I wasted hours on the lathe making UHMW bushings.

However, I *did* get most of the design work for spherical bearing shells done.

[Aaron]

You couldn't fit the bottle in the engine compartment? Not my car, but I really don't like that.

[Series8217]

You couldn't fit the bottle in the engine compartment? Not my car, but I really don't like that.

I'm with Aaron. My ProVent fits perfectly on the engine side of the trunk wall right over the transmission diff case. You clearly have just as much room for it there!

[Aaron]

That's where my catch can sits as well, and I have significantly less room.

[The Dark Side of Will]

It's a ghetto temporary installation.
When I have the engine out for the next round of mods this summer/fall, I'll figure out a way to mount it to the engine.

[The Dark Side of Will]

Since the Fiero wasn't designed for a 350 HP engine, things like this happen:



So I had that welded up and a little reinforcement added where I thought the factory welds from the crossmember to the rail were inadequate



Then I started taking apart some old knuckles that I'd had on the shelf for years



I had been thinking that they were C5 knuckles, but they aren't. I'm actually not sure what they are, but they bear significant resemblance to CTS rear knuckles. The CTS was fairly new when I think I bought them on ebay.







The parking brake seems essentially identical to the Corvette mechanism. The parking brake backing plate bolts right onto an aluminum Grand Am knuckle I had lying around. This knuckle will bolt up the 12" W- and F-body brakes and only differs from the W-boy knuckle in the way the strut attaches... it's much closer to bolting up a Fiero strut than the W-body knuckle is. However, as can be seen in the photos above, there are two long bolts through the knuckle which secure the mechanism to the knuckle and react any torque loads from the parking brake. These are not present in the front knuckle, obviously. Adding them would be a fairly serious machining and fab operation and is not practical. The parking brake can probably be made to work without... it would just be more flexible as the loads are only reacted via the (very thin) backing plate.

I thought I had a pair of Corvette hubs to play with, but evidently I do not.

[Series8217]

STS-V rear knuckle?

[The Dark Side of Will]

Possibly... I couldn't find a good pic of an STS knuckle to compare. Mine are VERY close to CTS knuckles, so whatever they came from was probably also a Sigma platform car.

Anyway... I'm only after the parking brake.

[The Dark Side of Will]

I discovered that my MAF housing had cracked. That's actually the 2nd MAF housing I've broken. The first was an accident, when I lowered the back of the cradle and forgot to disconnect the hose coupler. This one appears to be simple engine motion with inadequate flexibility of the coupler between the CAI and the MAF housing. The mounting feet on the CAI are apparently quite strong.

So I ordered one of these:
http://www.hps-siliconehoses.com/hps-89 ... -long.html


To replace this:

[The Dark Side of Will]

Possibly... I couldn't find a good pic of an STS knuckle to compare. Mine are VERY close to CTS knuckles, so whatever they came from was probably also a Sigma platform car.

Anyway... I'm only after the parking brake.

I *think* that these large pattern 5x115 hubs use the same bore and circle to mount to the knuckle as the Corvette hubs do. I'll have to snag a Corvette hub to find out for sure.

[Aaron]

Or your engine is moving around a lot. I assume, knowing you, that it's pretty well mounted. Have you inspected all parts of the cradle? You've already got cracks in one part, I'm wondering if it might be worse than that.

[Series8217]

Possibly... I couldn't find a good pic of an STS knuckle to compare. Mine are VERY close to CTS knuckles, so whatever they came from was probably also a Sigma platform car.

Anyway... I'm only after the parking brake.

I *think* that these large pattern 5x115 hubs use the same bore and circle to mount to the knuckle as the Corvette hubs do. I'll have to snag a Corvette hub to find out for sure.

I didn't see anything in the Timken catalog that was close the Corvette hubs.. but maybe it's not in the catalog.

The CTS-V and STS-V were 6-lug BTW.

[The Dark Side of Will]

These aren't V parts, but could have come from the regular CTS or STS. They're definitely 5x115.

[The Dark Side of Will]

Or your engine is moving around a lot. I assume, knowing you, that it's pretty well mounted. Have you inspected all parts of the cradle? You've already got cracks in one part, I'm wondering if it might be worse than that.

Every engine moves around... except for the ones Rcheee welds to the cradle.
I have 4 point mounting with urethane. I also have 3800 ftlbs of axle torque in 1st gear moving the powertrain around. I do not currently have a top side dogbone brace/torque strut. Out of ignorance and time constraints when I first did the swap, I just cut off the stock body-side dogbone mount. Now I want to replace it and build a rod-end link to connect that to a bracket I'll build off the Caddy power steering pump mount. I'll do all that when I have the engine out again.

Might as well list out my next round of engine-out mods:

Engine:
-Billet crank with drilled mains and pins to fix main & rod bearing clearance and lose 10 lbs of engine-speed rotating mass (and go to 10mm flywheel bolts)
-Ported Aurora heads, modified to accept Y2K+ Northstar intake manifold
-Y2K Northstar intake manifold
-Rework wiring harness to be as close to a wire tuck as it can be without running it through weird voids in the body

Driveline:
-Tilton 7.25" dual disk clutch to lose 20 more lbs of engine speed rotating mass and be reliable at 7500+ RPM.
-Install treated 3.94 final drive & EP LSD
-Install 2.50/1.85 gearset I have from someone else's failed project
-Install HTOB bellhousing
-Modify transmission case for external cooling/oil pump

Body:
-Replace right decklid hinge box and re-trim more carefully for cam cover clearance
-Replace chassis side dogbone mount stamping and carefully trim for cam cover clearance
-Install top side torque strut
-(EDIT) Convert current "bulk hose" heater hoses to use formed elbows for lower-profile installation in engine compartment and relative to shift/select/throttle cable pass-through

[Series8217]

Modify transmission case for external cooling/oil pump

What are your current transmission case / oil temps under hard use?