Posted by ChuckRock on October 17, 2008 Posted under Site

Posted by ChuckRock on October 20, 2008

Simple how to on painting your car.

Every product mentioned can be bought at any local automotive paint store.

Here is a short list of what you will need for this project;

-Air Compressor with a minimum of a 30 Gallon tank (this is a must other wise you will not have enough air to complete a paint job, borrow one if you don’t have one)

-HVLP Spray Gun

-Point of use air line filter

-Good Clean Air Line

-DA sander

-Red scotch brite pads

-180-320 DA paper

-1000-1500 Wet sanding paper

-Masking tape and Paper

-Wax and Grease remover

-Lacquer Thinner

-Latex Gloves

-3M painting mask (A MUST, paint has not just been linked to cancer, it FLAT OUT causes cancer!! You want none of this in your lungs.)

To start out you will need a clean open area to work. Garages are best but will need to be cleared out. You need a minimum of 3 feet around your Fiero to work. Also this can be done outside but the results will not be as good. Keep your work area clean at all times, you never want any contaminants on or near you car when you are getting ready to paint.

Step 1- WASH THE CAR!

Often this step is overlooked but you never want to start any work on a car that is not completely clean. Spend time washing the car, don’t forget the under the skirts, under the front and rear bumper, along the wheel wells. Use only a very mild soap, nothing that claims to help shine. Dish soap works well but make sure to use something that will not leave a residue. Spend extra time on anywhere armor all has ever been, don’t forget it fly’s off your tires.

Step 2- Remove The Wax.

Now the car is washed, use wax and grease remover and wipe down the whole car. Once again a totally clean car before any work begins.

Step 3- Assess the damaged areas.

Well I’m sure if you are painting you car there is a reason. So any where there is damage repair it. For baked off clear coat use a DA sander with 180 grit and sand it out, but be careful you don’t sand all the way through the paint. You only want to remove the bad clear. In any areas where you break through a layer of paint you want to “feather” it back an inch. This means you should see a minimum of one inch of each layer of paint. If you do not do this you will have a lake in your paint. Also when using a DA sander ALWAYS HOLD IT FLAT other wise you will get waves.

Step 4- Primer areas.

NEVER USE SPRAY PAINT PRIMER! This primer is not catalyzed, so when you paint over it, the paint will reverse it back to a liquid from. This is not good if you are hoping to fill sand mark etc. with the primer. So spend a few bucks and buy good catalyzed primer from a paint shop. Now onto where you will need to primer, you will only need primer if you have body work on the car, if your have sanded all the way through the paint to fiberglass, or you have spider web cracks you are trying to fill. It is unnecessary to prime the whole car if you don’t have too much body work.

Step 5- Prepping the car for paint.

Now that you have a clean repaired car you will want to prep is so the new paint has something to attach to. Take a DA sander and sand everywhere with 320 grit, you only need to scuff it so there is no more shine you’re not trying to sand off the paint. Sand over any primer with 320 as well. If there is any areas you cannot hit with a DA sander, use a red scotch brite pad, like around the windows, under the door handles, etc. DO NOT SAND BY HAND WITH THE 320, this will result in straight sanding lines and will show up once painted. Always use a DA or scotch bright pad on final prep because they have a random pattern and will not show up when painted.

Step 6- Set up your painting area.

If you’re in a garage move everything out that you can, what you do not move will have paint on it forever after. It best to cover what you cannot move with plastic tarps, also line your walls with plastic tarps. Now make sure you have drained your air compressor, water and oil builds up in the tank and will ruin and paint job. Its best to buy a brand new air line for this job, that way there is no air tool oil in the line to screw up your paint job. Then put a point of use filter on your air line right at your spray gun to remove any water and oil before it gets to your gun. Lastly right before you paint the car wet down your garage floor, this keeps the dust down when spraying paint.

Step 7- Masking off.

Mask of everything you don’t want paint on, don’t forget your door jambs, wheel wells, etc. Your car should now have a dull clean look like in the picture. Any shiny spots need to be sanded and prepped before you start to paint.

Step 8- Final Cleaning.

Once again wipe down the whole car in wax and grease remover. Then just before paint wipe the car one more time with a tack cloth.

Step 9- Base Coat.

Mix the paint as the manufacturer recommends (ask the paint shop), use a filter and pour it in to your spray gun (filter are free at the paint shop). Now set your spray pattern, using a piece of masking paper taped to a wall set your air pressure on your gun and adjust your spray pattern. Normally 35-40 psi works well, and for your spray pattern you want a 7-8 inch tall 1 inch wide vertical oval. You need to spray holding the gun about 15″ from your work. Now lay on the paint, using robotic smooth overlapping sweeps go back and forth from the top of the car down painting the car. Put 2-3 coats, any place you get a run wait tell it dries and sand it out with 600 grit and re shoot that area. Once base coat is complete you can only wait up to 24 hours until you shoot the clear, but I would only wait about 45 mins.

Step 10- Clear coat.

Using the same painting method as the base coat apply the clear coat. Do 2-3 coats of clear, if you get a run or dust don’t worry about it can be fixed after the paint dries. Wait about 4-5 hours before removing the masking paper. Be extra careful to not pull the paint up with the masking paper.

Step 11- Color Sand and Buff.

If you have any runs, dust, or orange peel now is the time to fix it. You can color sand starting about 24 after you finish paint. The sooner you color sand the better, because the paint will not be as hard to sand. If you choose you can color sand at anytime after the paint job, even years later. For run wrap a stir stick in 1500 grit paper and have a hose with water running very slowly and sand with the help of the water until the run is gone. For orange peel, fold a piece of 1500 in to thirds and using a hose again wet sand the area by hand, make sure to use you palm not your fingers, finger will leave lines. Also rinse off you paper so it does not get dirt caught under it a damage your paint. Once all the problem areas a gone, take a high speed buffer with a wool pad using 3M perfect II compound and buff the car until it shines great, be careful around edges you don’t want to burn through the paint. Once its all buffed use a 3M swirl remover and a foam pad and polish out the car. Now your car should look like a show car!

Enjoy! Remember this is only a quick description, and is the way I have been doing it for 10 years. Everyone has there own way of doing stuff so please dont flame me!

The last Base-Clear paint job on a Fiero I did cost me $186.15 in materials. If you had a shop do it, you would spend $1500-3000

Posted under Painting

Posted by ChuckRock on October 20, 2008

How I painted my 87 Fiero GT

First thing I did was realized that my car needed a new paint job. I found this out by looking closely at the paint. It was hazy in places while others looked fine. Yet in some places I saw these little deep cracks in the paint. The roof was the worst part. All areas up there were heavily oxidized and cracking. So much that if you ran your knuckle along it…well lets just say Band-Aid. I will add photos later (need to develop some film) This is how I painted mine start to finish.

This is the paint system that I used. You will need to pick a color. I used a pearl metallic versus a flat color or a metal flake.

Here is a list of the Dupont Chroma Series part numbers:

• (1 gal) 3919S Prep-Sol solvent for de-waxing and cleaning / preparing the car
• (1 gal) 7175S ChromaBase Base maker This turns the 1KM into base paint
• (1 qt) V7585S Activator for the clear coat only
• (1 gal) V7500S Clear coat
• (1 gal) 1KM Base you pick the color (reds and blues are expensive) But they look great.
• (1 gal) Virgin lacquer thinner for clean up of gun only

I also purchased:

• (1) 32038 3M 400 grit wet or dry Imperial sand paper
• (2) 32023 3M 1500 grit wet or dry Imperial sand paper
• (2) 32044 3M 2000 grit wet or dry Imperial sand paper
• (1) 3M series 5000 respirator disposable Please use this. Isocyanates are a nasty thing.
• (2) Generic air line dryers and oil filters
• (3) 3M Scotch masking tape rolls of 3/4″
• (1) Roll of 1″ masking tape 3M
• (1) Roll of fine line tape 1/4″ vinyl very thin 3M
• (6) 10′ x 20′ 2 mil plastic tarps
• (1) Rubber sanding block
• (2) 39004 3M Super duty heavy cut rubbing compound
• (1) 05993 3M Liquid polish

I did not purchase:

• 1. Adhesion promoter 2322S for plastics because the car was already painted. The rep said that I did not need it for this reason. Just prepare the surface as normal.
• 2. Flex additive for ABS / SMC plastic bumper covers because mine did not have any cracking and they were already painted and the stuff would evaporate / harden after about 4 months anyway. (Actual quote from the Dupont representative). Not a bad idea to do though.
• 3. Urethane filling primer Rep said he recommended it only for warranty and my old paint if prepared properly would serve as a fine primer. I had no peeling issues and needed no body fillers.

Maker sure to get plastic stir sticks, filters / screens, a measuring stick that gives mix ratios. These items are usually free from the supplier. You will have to purchase disposable coveralls, safety goggles (use anti-fog on the inside) and plenty of lint free cloths. Wrap your coveralls with bands of tape to keep them close to you so they don’t brush against painted surfaces. Make sure you have plenty of light. I used (2) 4′ dual fluorescent shop lights per side of the car. Use caution if using a halogen because of heat and flammability reasons.

How to paint your Fiero.

Beginning

First wash the car. I used a lot of soap and a good sponge. As I washed it, I scrubbed every square inch very well. I then rinsed and dried the car. Then it’s time to remove all of the tar and bugs. So much for the easy part!

De-wax and degrease using Prep-sol.

You may want to do this step two – three times depending on how often you waxed your car. Reason being is that the build up can be pretty thick. I used the Prep-Sol by wetting a clean cloth and wiping over the entire car, bumpers and all rough and smooth paint. This was to remove all waxes and residues. I did this twice. It actually makes the car look great, until it evaporates. On the last application of Prep-Sol wipe on and wipe dry at the same time.

Wet sanding.

This will create a mess. This is where your arms get the work out. Use clear water in a bucket. Use 400 grit wet or dry sandpaper. I cut mine into strips 3 inches wide by 8.5 inches long. I folded it in half and half again. (abrasive side out). Dip the sandpaper into the bucket and get it wet. Wet the car as well. I found it works best to keep the panel you are sanding wet at all times. Just like you are waxing use circular motions about 4″ in diameter. You will have to rinse out your sandpaper as you begin to rough up the paint. As you start you will see a white foam start to form. This is the clear coat. As you proceed you will begin to see a foam the color of your car appear. At this point you are through the clear coat. It is not totally necessary to go through the clear but in some cases you need to know how deep you are going. Paint is not very thick. Watch out for curved areas and sharper corners as you can quickly sand through them and hit the plastic. Use your other hand to feel the surface as you go to see if it is smooth to the touch.

Wet sanding rough spots.

In some locations you will have heavily oxidized paint. Mine was the roof and hood. At this point I used a 320 grit wet or dry sandpaper. Be careful because this is more abrasive than a 400 grit. After it is smooth to the touch use a 400 grit to remove the deeper scratches left by the 320 grit.

Wash the car thoroughly.

After you are happy with the sanding it is time to wash the car. Use a good sponge and a little soap. Wash with the sponge in one hand and follow by wiping with your other hand to loosen any residue that may be clinging to the surface. Dry the car with a towel. Don’t let it air dry by itself. This will further remove any residue.

Prep-Sol the surface again.

Use the same procedure as before. Wipe on and leave it to air dry and then wipe on and immediately wipe off.

Inspection and preparation of your “garage”.

At this point you should see the entire car look very hazy. Inspect that the car has been sanded completely over every square inch. If you need to do some touch up sanding now is the time. The car will have basically the same color as before but there will be no shine. (Mine was black and after I sanded it was gray). This tells you that the entire surface is roughed up. I hung tarp’s all around the garage, on the ceiling and floor. Believe it or not the fumes from the paint kill bugs and they love to fall on the hood of the car you are trying to paint.

Body work / repairs.

If needed (mine did not) all repairs should now be performed. Instructions are on the container of what ever you use. Talk with your paint dealer on application techniques and working times and tools. Sand to smooth once completed and remove all dust and residue using Prep-sol.

Pre-masking.

Disconnect the battery! When you spray paint / primer goes everywhere, even into tiny openings. I don’t recommend removing the plastic trim around the windshield but if that is your preference then go ahead. Prior to masking you can remove all the trim, door handles, ornaments and mirrors. I did not remove any of these items. I used a product from 3M called fine line tape. This is a thin vinyl tape that stretches and curves to form to the contour of any surface. It is thinner than conventional masking tapes so it will leave less of a witness line (raised area where the paint stops). I used 1/4″ to cover all the windshield seal, around the mirror bases, around the antenna base, sunroof gasket that meets the roof, metal trim over the top of the windows. The purpose of this tape is to give you a place to stick the regular masking tape. You do not have to cover a whole item with this. I used one piece to run along the windshield seal just where it meets with the roof. It will take you some time to mask this off the way you want it.

Masking.

After masking with the fine line tape you can mask with the regular masking tape. You can purchase masking paper for large areas like the windshield or use a couple of layers of newspaper. It is your choice. With whatever you use, you will invariably run into a spot that curves. Simply fold the paper to follow the contour and stretch the masking tape to cover the rest. Yes, masking tape will bend a little. Just pull and press into place, it will stick. I recommend removing the tail light assemblies. Roll the wire harnesses up, twist tie and remove the bulbs. You may want to mask the sockets to keep them clean. Mask off and cover the engine. You can remove the trunk gasket but mine was brittle so I did not. You will be painting the underside of the hood and deck lid (if you are changing the color) so cover the labels, etc. with masking tape or fine line tape. If your labels are loose or peeling off you can use a heavy layer of Petroleum Jelly to cover it and then wipe it off after the car has dried. Be extremely careful if you use this because wherever the Vaseline goes the paint will not adhere. Mask off under the hood as well. Cover all with sheets of paper. Cover everything. Make sure the overlaps of paper are taped off so no overspray can get in there. If you are going to paint the door jambs as well, you will need to leave the doors opened so that they don’t get painted shut. (Disconnect that battery or it will be dead!) To do this you will need to mask off the entire door opening to the inside of the car. Hang paper over the entire opening and make sure it is tightly closed. Paint on an interior will not come out.

Prep-sol again.

Doing this will remove any oils left behind from your hands and lint / dust during the masking portion. Use one wipe on and wipe off immediately application.
Leave the hood and deck lid propped open with something. I used a pop can under the hood spring and left the deck lid down but still open. If your car has the spoiler remove it. It uses 10mm nuts in (4) locations to secure it. Hang it for painting. Note: the studs and nuts will probably be rusted. Use WD-40 if you need to but Prep-Sol after to remove any oils. Paint does not like oil. I also propped the headlight covers up about 1 inch to paint around the sides. I used a spark plug socket on each side to keep them propped up. (Don’t use the headlights to do this, you do not want them up that high) only enough to paint the sides of the headlight doors.

Spray equipment.

At this point you are ready to spray. I used a Binks Model 62 spray gun with a 66SD tip and a 1 quart cup. I rebuilt the gun prior to painting to make sure it would work properly. This is a conventional siphon spray gun. HVLP (High Volume Low Pressure) guns are expensive but you get less overspray. I used a 3/8″ diameter 25′ air hose. Set air at 40 psi for base coat application and 32-35 psi for clear (less overspray). These pressure values are set by the manufacturer of your paint. I set the gun to a 5 to 6″ fan spray vertical. I used a 20 gallon 5 HP air compressor. I installed a disposable air filter/dryer at the inlet of the gun along with a pressure regulator for quick access. There are other guns available but be careful of the lesser expensive guns. The paint will specify a tip size know this if you have to buy a spray gun. You can get a decent gun for around $100.00.

Spraying

(This is largely technique and requires practice for first timers). If you are spraying the car yourself then follow this closely. Practice without paint if you need to or if this is your first paint. Use air and an empty gun to get the feel of it. Whenever filling the cup always pour through a strainer. I mixed the basemaker with the paint in a 1:1 ratio (specified by manufacturer) in an empty clean gallon paint can then poured it into the paint cup of the gun. If you are using plastic flex additives, add them in the cup of the gun. For clear coat only, add your activator for the clear in the cup of the gun. Keep the spray gun at least 8 to 10 inches from the surface you are spraying. Follow the contour of the surface. If you get too close you will get a puddle or a nice run / sag in your paint. This is where the paint runs down the side of the car. Base coats are usually pretty tolerant to this. Don’t get in a hurry to apply. Use a constant motion with the gun. You will usually spray in a left to right and then back technique. Do it this way: start at the left (press the trigger as you begin to move right) continue to move to the right, once you stop at the right let off the trigger if you are going to go back left then press the trigger when you begin to move. In other words, do not leave the gun spraying as you switch directions moving right to left or vice versa. Go one arms length or off the car. If your arm stops moving, stop spraying. This will prevent spray from collecting at the stop and start points. You can effectively spray 3 or 4 ft wide on each pass. Overlap each pass about half starting at the top and working your way down. The way I painted my hood, roof and decklid was I stood on the side by the front wheel and started in the middle and went windshield to radiator working my way out (towards me). I spray the sides of the car first including the front and back ends then the hood, roof and decklid. In my opinion, this will prevent overspray from settling on the hood, roof and decklid. Check your work before you move on to the next application.
CLEAN THE GUN OUT WHEN YOU SWITCH MATERIALS. I used Lacquer thinner for this. Primer, clean gun, base paint, clean gun, clear, clean gun.

How many coats?

I sprayed (3) base coats and (3) clear coats. I use a mid-temperature paint (70 to 80 degrees ambient temperature). It had a flash time of 10 minutes. This means that I can re-coat after 10 minutes. I waited over night to apply the clear. The paint that I used allowed up to 24 hours for clear coat application. If you wait over night, then before you spray the clear, dust the car off with a dry lint free cloth. I used about 1/2 gallon of base paint and 1/2 gallon of clear coat.
DO NOT MIX BASE PAINT AND CLEAR COAT. The base paint uses an additive called basemaker and the clear uses an additive called an activator.

After spraying.

Give the car a week or two to cure. Delivery time (cured and derivable) will be specified on the particular product that you used. Mine was 24 hours, but I gave it a week. At this time you can do one of two things:
1. You can be tickled that you did an excellent job and un-mask everything and be done or
2. You can polish.

Polishing.

If you are like me and want a perfect mirror shine then read on. I used a 1500 grit wet or dry sandpaper and wet sanded the entire vehicle. This will take some time. I used a firm rubber sanding block to sand the large flatter areas. Don’t apply too much pressure but apply some. You should work up a light white residue. You will feel the paper grab when you are getting close. Dry the spot you are working on and look at the reflection from an angle. (While you are sanding you are looking 90 degrees to the surface), sight down the side or across the hood to see the images. Look at the way objects in the room appear. If they are not clear enough then continue sanding.
Once you are happy with that, I used a 2000 grit wet or dry sandpaper following the same approach. After you are happy with that, I used a Dewalt 90 degree (angle) polisher to buff the car at 1400 RPM. I used the hook and loop foam rubbing pad (made for polishers) it is about 7 inches in diameter, and 3M Super Duty heavy cut liquid rubbing compound. I followed this by buffing the car three times with a 3M clear coat safe liquid polishing compound and a new polishing pad at 1800 RPM. After this I was done. I waited 3 months before I waxed the car to give it ample time to dry out.

Please let me know your thoughts, questions and suggestions. I have photos for every step of the way. If I am missing one I will create one.
Thanks again.

Kevin

87 GT 5 speed

Posted under Painting

Posted by ChuckRock on October 15, 2008

ECM upgrade (1227730) for stock 2.8 Recently a friend of mine brought me his Fiero to have a swap done. He had a very high mileage stock 2.8 and 125-C and wanted me to swap in a lower mileage 2.8 and 440-T4 OD transmission. Not content with sticking with the stock 2.8 ECM, I convinced him to swap out ECMs during the swap as well. In short, it was an excellent choice! The ECM that was used in this swap was the 1227730 unit which was used in many 1987-92 era GM cars. For this application, I elected to use the $88 code mask programming which was designed to be used in a 1990-92 Camaro/Firebird 3.1. The Camaro/Firebird 3.1 is very similar to the stock Fiero 2.8 including it’s use of a distributor and iron-heads. With that being said, there were some significant differences between the two systems… The 7730 ECM running $88 code mask does NOT use or need the 7th injector (cold start). The 7730 ECM controls the coolant fan relay directly. The 7730 ECM will interface with stock Fiero 2.8 ECM wiring harness. (although some modifications will be needed) The 7730 ECM uses a knock sensor. The 7730 ECM interfaces directly with the speed sensor which means changes can be made in the programming to calibrate the speedo without having to change out the plastic gears on the VSS sensor itself. The 7730 ECM running the $88 code mask will NOT work with the stock Fiero 2.8 EGR valve. It is designed to work with the digital EGR valve used in the early-mid 90’s era GM V6 cars. I went ahead and designed an adapter plate and had another Fiero friend make one up so we could use the digital EGR valve on the stock Fiero 2.8 y-pipe. The biggest advantage to using the 7730 ECM in a Fiero application is not only more tunable options in the programming, but the drivability and response time of the engine improved significantly. Gone was the unstable idle characteristics of the stock 2.8 which some have said existed from the factory. Gone was the high idle flare upon startup. We quickly found out that using the 7730 ECM system on the stock 2.8 greatly improved it’s drivability as well as throttle response and performance characteristics. Believe it or not, using the newer computer, even this stock 2.8 ran and acted like a new engine found in today’s new cars! And because the 7th injector, fan switches, and vacuum-controlled EGR valve were no longer required, it also allowed us to clean up the wiring and vacuum lines on the stock 2.8 engine as well… I think this is one of the most worthwhile upgrades for a stock (or even modded) 2.8. Obviously, it can also be used on 3.1 and 3.4 OHV swaps. Although if you are swapping in a newer 3.1 or 3.4 that has provisions for the DIS ignition system, I would recommend using the DIS as well. The 7730 ECM will work with the DIS ignition system if you use a different code mask (programming).

Posted under Upgrades

Posted by ChuckRock on October 15, 2008

11.25″ Brake Upgrade How To

The following brake conversion uses mostly off-the-shelf parts and a few simple fabrications. This conversion applies to 1984 through 1987 Fieros, all models. They are incompatible with the changes of the 1988 model year.

The rear calipers are selected to function with the stock Fiero parking brake cable arrangement. some people mistakenly rationalize that they never use the hand brake, therefore they won’t miss it. Definitely you should retain the emergency brake function. The Fiero requires that both pull to the rear. 1980-1985 Cadillac Seville calipers met the requirements. Be careful that the calipers you get are marked with casting numbers 020 and the other with 021. They are mirror images of each other in that one is a right and the other a left. In our application, the sides are reversed. We will re-use the parking brake levers and return springs from the Fiero calipers. No modifications are required.

The master cylinder selected is for late model Chevrolet C/K pickups and Blazer. It is made by Bendix and is of the same family of master cylinders as the stock Fiero unit. To look at the two, they are identical, varying only in bore size. Our choice is 1 1/8″ bore to pump more fluid to the larger caliper bores, thus maintaining a pedal stroke equal to the original. Installation is a perfect bolt in replacement.

Walt Zettner’s design has been improved on by PFF member Koburn. In Zettner’s design, the Fiero E-brake cable comes much too close to the CV boot. This was solved by designing the calipers to be rotated 5°. this allows the E-brake cable to clear the CV boot quite nicely. Minor trimming of the brake pads, however, is necessary. Two designs sufficed, one for the front pair and one for the rear pair. The accompanying .dxf AutoCAD drawings show the simplicity. The caliper brackets are flame cut from 3/8 inch mild steel plate. Machining consisted of drilling four holes and tapping two of them.

The fronts require spacers 1.00 OD x .50 ID x .435 inches thick to align the calipers with the rotor. you’ll need 0.450 or so thick spacers with Lebaron rear rotors. The test is to be able to freely turn the rotor with the calipers installed. Misalignment will cause the pads to drag. Your actual spacer thickness may vary, but if by more than a few thousandths, look for something bent or deformed.

The Fiero front rotors must be modified. Take them to a machine shop and have the rotor disk portion “parted-off” in a lathe, leaving the edge of the hub flange about 5/8 inches thick. This gives you a beautiful little hub with no brake disk. The studs are then knocked out and replaced with longer, 55 mm studs. The extra length is needed for the added thickness of the Lebaron brake disk, which is installed over the studs.

In Zettner’s write up, it mentioned putting passes of cast iron machinable weld in the bores to make the rotors fit the hubs. This is not necessary if you use four REAR Lebaron rotors, since the pilot diameter is the same as the Fiero’s.

Some things Koburn noticed on the Zettner write up .. It calls out the need for an 12Mx1.50 tap (I assume to tap your mounting holes in the new adaptors) the caliper bolts that came with the Cadillac calipers were 12Mx1.25. He calls out 1/2″ holes for mounting to the stock location but these need to be 7/16 for a closer fit as well as 7/16″ lock washers, not 1/2″ – however the bolts that thread into the stock fiero knuckles do seem to be 7/16″ thread.

nowhere in Zettner’s write up is there a mention of any grinding to the stock knuckle – however at least on the 86 there is a tab that sits just past the stock rotor edge that has to be removed for the Lebaron rotors.

Adjust the tap drill size accordingly. The balance of the job is bolt together and plumbing. The stock rubber hoses are not suitable for a high performance brake system and they are too short. Use the stainless braided hoses referenced in the Bill of Materials.

Caution: During disassembly and re-assemble, refer to the appropriate sections of your Fiero shop manual. If you are not a “brake” person, get help from someone who is. The lives of you and your loved ones depend on the quality of the work you do during this project. Always use jack stands and an adequate floor jack when raising the car. The Fiero jack is for on-the-road emergency situations only.

Check for fit and alignment on each step of the assembly process. Check for clearance of the brake hoses. Use rubber insulated straps to secure them out of harm’s way. Turn the steering, full lock to lock, watch for clearance, and beware of “banjo-string” tension on the hoses. Likewise, check for free rotation as you assemble each part, including mounting the wheels. It is embarrassing to finish up the job only to find that your wheels won’t turn.

There is no alternative to a perfect brake bleeding job for good brakes. I recommend a small hand-operated vacuum pump called a ‘Mity-Vac”. You can get these from many auto parts stores for about $20. Start with the right rear caliper (farthest from the master cylinder) and work to the caliper closest to the master cylinder. I suggest draining all of the old fluid and using all new DOT 3 or better brake fluid. Do not re-use the bled fluid.

Perform the obvious driveway slow speed brake checks first. Do several miles of start and stop driving to allow your pads to seat in before you try your 60 mph to zero test stops.

there is a bit of debate regarding the standard Fiero proportioning valve. Zettner’s write up stated that he left it alone and “performance is perfect, with no premature locking up, front or rear” but others have removed a seal from the brake valve to allow more fluid flow to the rear wheels. Some have even installed adjustable proportioning valves. I will try to update this with better information.

SOURCES AND REFERENCES:

All of the rotors, calipers, and the master cylinder listed in the Bill of Materials following are manufactured or rebuilt by CarQuest and are available at any CarQuest store. Shop around for at least a 20% discount for your parts. Work the best deal you can on the cores and/or core charges when buying rebuilt. The core charges for the rear calipers is significant.

Posted under Upgrades

Posted by ChuckRock on October 14, 2008

Chevy 4.3L 262ci V-6 – The 3/4 350

writer: David Freiburger

photographer: David Freiburger

We were more excited to buzz this turkey on the dyno than we usually are with some whumpin’ big-block. Why? It’s different. Not too many people build V-6s any more. Perhaps we found out why, but we still think it’s neat-or at least cute. See, the ‘85-up Chevy 4.3L, 262ci V-6 is very much like a small-block Chevy minus the number 3 and 6 cylinders (check the valve layout and you’ll see how we came up with that conclusion). They’re common in ‘88-up trucks, and we still get so many letters asking how to feed a V-8 to an S-10 truck that this time we elected to answer the question no one asked: How do you get more wheeze out of the stock 4.3?

But first, a little V-6 lore. The units we’re concerned with are the Chevy 90-degree variety, meaning that the cylinder banks are set at a 90-degree angleto each other, just like a small-block V-8. The bore centers (4.400) and deck height (9.025) are also identical to a Mouse motor. The ‘85-up 4.3L V-6 has the same bore and stroke as a 350 V-8 (4.000×3.480), and takes the same pistons, cam bearings, main bearings, valvetrain parts, timing cover, oil pump, and front dress. Any V-8 trans will bolt right up to the 90-degree sixer. The 4.3L has much more performance potential than the ‘78-’79 200ci V-6 or the ‘80-’84 229ci version due to those engines’ small 3.500- and 3.736-inch bores (they’re like mini 262ci and 305ci V-8s). Also, the 200 and 229 have semi-odd-fire cranks (132/108-degree firing), while the 4.3Ls are true even-fire engines. Not that 4.3s aren’t still quivering little suckers, hence the introduction of a balance shaft in the lifter valley of 4.3s beginning in late ‘92 or early ‘93. The even-fire 4.3 cranks can be identified by their split-pin cranks-each rod pin is offset in the middle by 30 degrees. There are also common-pin V-6 cranks (they look just like conventional V-8 cranks) developed for the Chevy V-6’s Busch Grand National racing days, but those are odd-fire units.

Like the Chevy V-8, the 90-degree V-6 saw some transition during production: factory hydraulic roller lifters, one-piece rear-main seals, and center-bolt valve covers all appeared in ‘86-’87. Just like a V-8, one-piece-seal cranks can be swapped into two-piece-seal blocks with commonly available adapters. The 4.3L has been offered with carburetors, throttle-body injection, and the current central-port Vortech injection that was introduced in ‘95 (we think) along with an intake-manifold flange that requires vertical bolts; as far as we know, a carbureted intake is not available for V-6 Vortech heads.

So our pick for a simple, budget, performance V-6 would be an ‘85-’92 unit without a balance shaft, and we have a slight preference for the earlier units with perimeter-bolt valve covers. They just look better, and based on our inspection of junkyard heads, we suspect that the early ones flow better. But avoid the 200 and 229 heads, which have 1.84-inch intake valves. Speaking of heads, you’re sorta stuck with stockers. There was a time when GM Performance Parts had 23-degree, direct bolt-on performance heads and manifolds, but now only the hardcore 18-degree race heads and intakes are available; you can still get all kinds of iron and aluminum race blocks, too, including big-bore capability and priority-main oiling. We learned that Scat Crankshafts still has the very last few sets of Brodix 23-degree V-6 heads, but we were unable to find any others that are affordable. Similarly, intake manifold selection is pretty slim, and while most cam manufacturers can grind anything you want, the only off-the-shelf sticks are pretty mild. We decided to see what we could squeeze out of this thing with readily available parts and the production heads and block, skipping any rocket science. To duplicate every little nut and bolt we used would run about $3,000, including machine work.

The result was 301 hp at 5,500 rpm and 312 lb-ft at 4,700. Puny, but let us remind you that it’s still 50 hp per cylinder (a similar 350 V-8 would make 400 hp), which is pretty good for the very mild parts we used. Besides, at 0.060-over, it’s just 270ci. Naturally aspirated, our V-6 should put an S-10 into the 14s, and with forged pistons and studded mains, we’re ready to nitrous this thing to at least 400 hp or add a Vortech blower for an easy 450 to run in the 12s or better. Even more interesting, Allstar Performance sells brackets to swap a 90-degree V-6 where a V-8 used to be, and the resulting engine setback could make this thing killer for handling applications in, say, a third-gen F-body.

Enough justification. We kind of like our little motor. Have a look at how we conspired with Dougan’s Engine to make it run twice as hard as it did stock.

1. We began the 4.3L V-6 buildup with the knowledge that the pistons are the same as a 350 V-8’s. Our pick was the Speed Pro LW2256-F-060, a lightweight forging (686 grams) with four valve reliefs with 6.1 cc of dish. The rings are Sealed Power R9902-060 file-fits set at 0.024 and 0.020, a bit wide so we can hammer this thing with nitrous and not worry about butting the end gaps. The V-6 is known as a shaker, so we had Dougan’s Engine do a precision balance job.

1. The 4.3L conrods are 5.700 inches like a 350, but the journal size is 2.250 rather than the V-8’s 2.100; we presume that the reason for the bigger journal is to add strength to the offset-style rod pins on the crank. Dougan’s was able to modify Milodon 190,000-psi rod bolts for a 350 application just by clearancing the heads a bit, as shown on the right.

1. If our descriptions of a split-pin crank seemed a bit muddy, this photo should light a bulb for you. See how two rods (arrows) on the same journal are offset a bit? They’re also separated by a cast-in thrust surface, and hence, the rods are narrower than a V-8’s. Still, Sealed Power makes tri-metal bearings for the application (PN 6-1020CP). The Milodon main studs and oil-pump stud were sourced from a V-8 application. The oil-filter pad is much tinier than a V-8’s; it takes an AC PF52 filter.

1. The Speed Pro pistons come stock with 6.1cc of valve relief. Combined with stock heads that Dougan’s checked at 68cc chambers, pistons that we set at an average of 0.010 below deck, and Fel-Pro head gaskets with 0.041 compressed thickness, the V-6 would have 9.63:1 compression. Stock was 8.6:1. Because we changed plans midstream and decided to someday try the Vortech blower for carbs on this engine (see the story in this issue), we asked Dougan’s to mill a 3.475×0.060 dish in the pistons for a total volume of 12 cc, lowering the compression to 9.08:1. For now, it runs fine on cheap gas.

1. To wrap up the bottom end, we twisted Dougan’s builder Jeff Jacobs’ arm until he agreed to modify our Milodon 350 windage tray to fit the V-6. He cut a few inches off the front, enlarged one bolt hole (arrow) to clear the dipstick tube, and tweaked a few louvers to fit the stock oil pan. Also check out the oil pump and pickup-they are Sealed Power part numbers 224-43469V (pump) and 224-14263 (pickup), an upgrade over the stock V-6 parts because they employ a 3/4-inch pickup tube. The steel oil-pump driveshaft is Sealed Power PN 224-6146E.

1. Dougan’s Ray Field spotted the funky V-6 balancer (left) with a lip around the edge that might prevent the use of aftermarket pulleys even though the bolt pattern is the same as a V-8. You can use conventional short- or long-water-pump accessories on the 4.3. We also wanted a steel balancer in case we ever add the blower, and we needed an SFI-approved balancer for the track. Dougan’s found that the Pioneer balancer (PN 872021) on the right is a 6.125-inch, lightweight V-8 unit that would fit perfectly. Neat! The 4.3L is an internally balanced engine like a 350.

1. A 4.3L can be cammed just like it was a 350 because each cylinder has the same displacement as its V-8 bro, though cams will seem bigger in the V-6 because there’s less power overlap. Off-the-shelf cam grinds are pretty tiny for use with the OE computer-controlled applications that house most of these engines. We nabbed Comp Cams biggest hydraulic roller for our factory roller block, a 280HR with 224/224 duration at 0.050, 0.525 lift, and a 110-degree lobe-separation angle. The cam kit (PN K09-430-8) comes with cam, lifters, retainers, locks, seals, timing set, valve springs, pushrods, guide plates, and rocker studs. At $638.69 (Summit), it’s the biggest expense of the buildup, but also the key to making this thing run.

1. During assembly, Dougan’s pointed out that the 0.350-inch lobe lift was all the block could take-any more and the hydraulic lifter would hit the stock-style link bars.

1. The valve springs supplied by Comp were PN 986, though Dougan’s stepped it up to a slightly stiffer 987 because we so often see valve float at 6,000 rpm with hydraulic rollers; as it turned out the power peak was at 5,500 anyway. However, either spring has a 1.430-inch diameter and the V-6 heads need to be machined to accept them, then the springs need stiff shims because there’s not much meat in a few of the seats. Dougan’s also modified the heads for 3/8-inch screw-in studs since we didn’t trust the press-in style above 0.500-inch valve lift.

1. Speaking of lift, we amped the cam’s 0.525 lift with 1.5:1 rockers up to 0.560 inch by substituting Comp Cams 1.6: Pro Magnum rockers (PN 1301-12). Next time we’d use the new self-guided rockers (PN 1318-12) and omit the guide plates, as the V-6 heads had some pushrod-angle problems with the V-8-type guide plates. We were surprised that the stock center-bolt valve covers cleared the rockers with no modifications.

1. Because we found no practical aftermarket heads, and because simply cutting one cylinder off a V-8 head won’t work, we had our pal Brulio at Westech Performance hog the stock heads for increased flow. These heads are terrible, and even after porting, they only flow about as well as stock 305 Chevy heads. Peak numbers were 208 cfm on the intake and 190 on the exhaust, which was a giant improvement over the pathetic 138/116-cfm baseline. Helping the cause were Milodon Megaflow swirl-polished, tulipped valves in 2.02/1.60 sizes (PNs 45015 and 45045), an upgrade over the stock 1.94/1.50s. Consider these steps mandatory to making any kind of decent power with your V-6.

1. Fel-Pro gaskets were used throughout our little engine, and even though the intake set was clearly marked, we screwed up the first time and put them on backwards. Do so and you block the water passages to the head at the front of the block; they are shown here properly installed. Also note that we blocked off the heat crossover.

1. Header selection is very limited, and while Edelbrock makes tubular manifolds and systems for truck applications, they wouldn’t fit the dyno. Instead we used a set of long-tube, coated S-10 headers from Hooker (PN 2842-1) They have tiny 15/8-inch primaries. 26-inch tubes, and small 21/2-inch collectors. We ran all our tests with collector extensions but no mufflers.

1. Ignitionwise, MSD still makes even-fire (PN 8597) and odd-fire (PN 8596) Pro Billet distributors for the 90-degree V-6. We used an even-fire unit with MSD 8.5mm Heli-Core wires and a Digital-7 ignition box. Note that the Demon or Holley-type carburetors will not fit this engine unless a 2-inch carb-spacer is used-otherwise the float bowls hit the distributor and water neck. If you don’t want a cowl hood, stick with the Edelbrock carb.

1. Intake-manifold selection is very limited, and we chose an Edelbrock Performer (PN 2111). This is a very low-rise intake, and we made best power with a 2-inch spacer from Wilson Manifolds. The initial carb we used was an Edelbrock 500, which seemed to be jetted perfectly right out of the box. It turned in 288 hp at 5,400 and 303 lb-ft at 4,400. But strangely, the V-6 saw about 1.5 inches of manifold vacuum at WOT, indicating that the carb was a tad too small.

1. We didn’t have a 600-cfm Edelbrock to try, so we added a 650-cfm Mighty Demon. It’s nearly 300 bucks more than the Edelbrock 500, but kicked the power up to what we were looking for: 300 hp and 316 lb-ft.

The Buzz of Power
RPM	HP	TORQUE
3,500	194.8	292.3
3,600	200.5	292.4
3,700	209.5	297.3
3,800	216.4	299.1
3,900	224.9	302.9
4,000	232.4	305.1
4,100	241.5	309.4
4,200	250.3	313
4,300	258.1	315.2
4,400	265.3	316.6
4,500	269.6	314.7
4,600	274.9	313.9
4,700	279	311.8
4,800	285	311.8
4,900	289.6	310.4
5,000	291.9	306.7
5,100	293.3	302.1
5,200	296.4	299.4
5,300	297.1	294.4
5,400	297.3	289.1
5,500	301.2	287.7
5,600	301.1	282.4
5,700	300.8	277.2
5,800	299.1	270.8
5,900	296.6	264
6,000	293.1	256.6

Posted under 4.3L, Engines

Posted by ChuckRock on October 14, 2008

3800 V6 Series II

overall weight (to 392 lb).

[edit] L67 Supercharged

A 3800 Series II L67 Supercharged engine in a 1998 Buick Regal GS.

The L67 is the supercharged version of the Series II L36 and appeared in 1996, one year after the normally-aspirated version. It uses the Eaton Generation 3 M90 supercharger with a 3.8″ pulley, a different throttle body, fuel injectors, cylinder heads, and lower intake manifold than the L36 uses. Both engines share the same engine blocks, but compression is reduced from 9.4:1 in the L36 to 8.5:1 for the L67. Power is up to 240 hp (180 kW) and 280  lb·ft (380 N·m) of torque. Final drive ratios are reduced in most applications, for better fuel economy and more use of the engine’s torque in the low range. The engine is built in Flint, Michigan. The engine was certified LEV in 2001.

This engine is or was used in the following cars:

• 1996-2005 Buick Park Avenue Ultra
• 1997.5-2004 Buick Regal GS
• 1996-1999 Buick Riviera (optional 1996-97, std. 1998-99)
• 2004-2005 Chevrolet Impala SS
• 2004-2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS
• 1995-2004 Holden Commodore (VS, VT, VX, VY)
• 1995-2004 Holden Statesman (VS, WH, WK)
• Holden Ute (VU, VY)
• 2001-2004 Holden Monaro
• 1996-1999 Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight LSS (limited)
• 1996-2003 Pontiac Bonneville SSEi
• 1997-2003 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP

Posted under Engine Ideas and Swaps

Posted by ChuckRock on October 14, 2008

4.3L TBI Injector Flow and Factory Cam Specs

Here’s a reference chart of TBI injectors.

Flow is lb/hr @ 13psi

GM Part #	Engine	Flow	TBI bore
5235430	2.8L	33	35mm
5235203	4.3L	45	43mm
5235279	5.0L	40	43mm
5235206	5.7L PU	55	43mm
17084327	5.7L Police	65	43mm
1708430	Late BB PU	80	51mm
5235231	Early BB PU	90	51mm

Factory 4.3L Cam Specs

* ‘96-’00, VIN W, w/ balance shaft
– Lift (I/E) – .415/.429
– Dur @ .050 (I/E) – .191/.195

* ‘93-’96, VIN Z, w/ balance shaft
– Lift (I/E) – .376/.402
– Dur @ .050 (I/E) – .183/.193

* ‘92-’95, Vin W, w/ balance shaft
– Lift (I/E) – .432/.440
– Dur @ .050 (I/E) – .208/.208

* ‘91-’93, ZR9/Z79, Syclone/Typhoon
– Lift (I/E) – .351/.386
– Dur @ .050 (I/E) – .179/.195 (Ductile)

* ‘90-’91, VIN Z, Astro/Safari
– Lift (I/E) – .403/.450
– Dur @ .050 (I/E) – .202/.213 (Steel)

* ‘87-’94, Vin Z, w/o balance shaft
– Lift (I/E) – .351/.386
– Dur @ .050 (I/E) – .179/.195 (Ductile)

Posted under 4.3L, Engines

Posted by ChuckRock on October 14, 2008

4.3L S10 to Fiero Engine Swap

Old Engine Removal

Sorry, I didn’t have my digital camera when I started actually tearing into the car. But never fear, I still have some pics to share of the end result.

The car was backed into the garage to start teardown. Mind you, this is an un-heated garage and I am starting the swap in mid-December in Wisconsin. Do I get a point for that? Anyways, teardown pretty much followed the Chilton manual I have…pretty much. This is how I did it, some steps may vary on your particular car and patience level.

1. Remove deck lid & side covers – makes for much easier access when changing plugs, too…

2. Remove Battery and disconnect ground straps.

3. Soak cradle bolts with PB Blaster.

4. Drain coolant into suitable drain pan. Keep away from animals.

5. Remove air cleaner.

6. Disconnect throttle cables. My cable was shot and being a bi$%h so I just cut it.

7. Remove heater hose at intake.

8. Disconnect vacuum hoses.

9. Soak cradle bolts with PB Blaster.

10. Disconnect fuel lines and pump relay.

11. Disconnect O2 sensor. Try not to smash it into the firewall when removing engine….

12. Disconnect trans cooler.

13. Disconnect engine to chassis ground strap(s). Don’t forget this stupid thing.

14. Disconnect engine wiring harness on the engine.

15. Disconnect A/C Lines. I didn’t have to discharge it because it didn’t work anyways.

16. Wheel cherry picker over and position to lift car and engine.

17. Break lug nuts loose so they can easily be removed with wheels off ground.

18. Soak cradle bolts with guess what? more PB Blaster. You’ll begin to love this stuff later.

19. Attach chain to engine block and lift car high enough to knock florescent light down.

20. Lower car, fix light, raise car, paying more attention this time.

21. Insert jack stands under jacking points on rear of car. Wheel wells must be at least 45″ high.

22. Lower car carefully on jack stands, be sure they are stable.

23. Remove wheels and calipers, I took my brakes off entirely.

24. My park brake cable was rusted solid, so I had to cut it off.

25. Remove strut bolts.

26. Loosen front cradle bolts, but don’t remove yet.

27. Raise cherry picker just enough to support engine.

28. Remove rear cradle bolts. I got super lucky and mine didn’t spin.

29. Remove bolts from front mounts, and lower cradle assembly onto heavy-duty creeper.

30. Wheel engine out of right hand wheel well.

31. Miller time.

Air tools are very very handy for the cradle bolts, especially if your car is having its engine yanked out for the first time in 23 years. Above all, be smart and DO NOT work under a car supported by only the cherry picker or jack. If the Fiero falls, you WILL be crushed, there isn’t enough ground clearance to get lucky.

Engine Bay Cleaning

First of all, every Fiero owner-turned-mechanic is obliged by unwritten law to provide the “standing in the engine bay” picture upon successful removal of the engine. Here is my compliance:

Ok, time to get serious. One of the problems I had with the car was a badly rotted battery tray. Most old Fieros are going to have this problem. I had a bungee holding the battery down on the tray, which worked fine for a while. In hindsight though, it was pretty stupid since the battery sat about 2″ away from the spinning water pump pulley and belt.

So one hard corner later, guess what? The strap gave out, the battery slid into the pulley and sprayed energized hydrochloric acid all over my car’s engine compartment. nice! So needless to say, I later cleaned it out, sprayed a little paint over the bare metal to attempt to stop the rusting, and tacked in a spare battery tray out of an old Chevy truck my brother had lying around. That worked great and I was able to bolt the battery in place. But I still had a rusty mess in the engine bay.

Fast forward to today. I jumped in the engine bay and started pulling down the nasty old insulation to get at the metal.

With the old firewall insulation out of the way, I could start cleaning the engine bay out for the 4.3L to go in. What good is a swap if the engine bay looks like trash? I ground down the spot welds and removed all the old rusty remnants of the factory battery box.

I then proceeded to scotch-brite and paint the engine bay. I ground some of the old brackets off the firewall since they will no longer be needed.

That pretty much concludes the engine bay cleaning portion of the build.

Why The 4.3L V6?

I seem to get asked that question alot, so here I will go into length on the research I did regarding this engine and my own experiences.

The biggest question I hear on PFF is, “why a 4.3 when you have to do the same work to install a V8? why not just go with a SBC and get the extra 2 cylinders?” Well, here’s why. The 4.3L is lighter than the 350 Chevy, and it fits in the Fiero engine bay much nicer without having to run a goofy water pump setup. The TBI wiring is a piece of cake, and personally, I want to have some extra room in the engine bay for future forced induction possibilities. Yes, I could get more power per $ with a SBC, but again, these are MY reasons, if you don’t agree, then put something else in your car.

You can compare the dimensions of the SBC and the 4.3L V6 below:

I originally planned on installing a 4.9L Cadillac engine, as the power was phenomenal off low end and it bolted right up to the fiero trans. However, the wiring on the ‘84 cars is complicated because of the issues with the C500 connector’s location, as well as being confusing overall splicing the two harnesses together if you don’t have experience with these engines.

I used to own a 1991 K1500 Chevy truck with a 4.3L engine in it. That truck was amazing, it was a full-size truck, long bed 4×4, and that little V6 with 300,000+ miles could still light the tires. Torque up the wazoo! So having plenty of experience working on that 4.3L, as well as having done a swap on that truck and dealing with the wiring of the ECM, I knew alot about how the engine would wire to the Fiero: piece of cake. You can run the 4.3L on an engine stand, just plug the harness into the ECM and give it +12v.

A brief comparison of the two engines, in their respective vehicles:

————————-

1995 GMC K1500 (year I am getting my 4.3 from)

- 4,300 cc 4.3L V6

- 4″ bore, 3.48″ stroke, 9.1 compression ratio

- Overhead valve and two valves per cylinder

- Unleaded fuel

- Fuel economy Mileage (City / Hwy) 14/19

- Throttle body injection fuel system

- Curb Weight 4517 Lbs

- Power: 160 HP @ 4,000 rpm (CPI/Vortec Heads: 190HP @ 4,400 RPM)

235 ftlb @ 2,400 rpm (CPI/Vortec Heads: 250FtLb @ 2,800 RPM)

Pro: shares many perf parts with SBC (heads, cams, intakes, turbo syclone/typhoon parts)

Con: requires adapter plate and flywheel mods

1995 Cadillac Deville

- 4,893 cc 4.9L V8

- 92 mm bore, 92 mm stroke, 9.5 compression ratio

- Overhead valve, two valves per cylinder

- Premium unleaded fuel

- Curb Weight 3756 Lbs

- Fuel economy Mileage (City / Hwy) 16/26

- Multi-point injection fuel system (PFI)

- Power: 200 HP @ 4,100 rpm

275 ftlb @ 3,000 rpm

Pro: bolts right up to fiero trans, or 4T60/E

Con: very few performance hop ups besides reground cam & porting

————————-

The ‘95 Silverado (K1500) has a curb weight of 4,517 lbs, nearly twice that of the Fiero’s 2790Lb. A common rule of thumb is that every ten pounds of weight reduction is like adding 1 additional horsepower, so by that rule the Fiero will scoot as if it had an extra 173HP along with the existing 160, and anyone knows a Fiero with 333HP is going to be pretty damn quick. But enough with the shade tree math, its just a guesstimate. Obviously the same math applied to the 4.9L results in a Fiero equivalent of a 97hp boost on top of the 4.9L’s 200hp, which has the little 4.3L ahead by 36hp. Either engine will provide a nice quick Fiero!

Fuel economy is hard to figure, but seeing as that the engine is only pushing about half the weight of the donor vehicle, I am expecting something like 20/30. When I get the swap done, tuned and road tested, I’ll post my actual MPG.

I know a few TBI mods I did on the old truck I had, as well as the available cams, intakes and Vortec heads that will really wake up this little 4.3L. The TBI engines get a bad rap because of the crappy flowing pre-Vortec heads. Hot Rod magazine did a buildup of a 4.3L with ported non-vortec heads and only squeaked 300HP out of it. (they later did a 500HP supercharger on that same engine, but that’s a different story…maybe stage 5? hehehe…) I drive in the low end of the powerband, using the torque. I am a stoplight drag, 0-60 kind of Fiero Enthusiast. My engines rarely see over 4500RPM, so these torkie engines are my ideal platform.

I plan on adding 4 bolt mains to the 4.3L when I tear it down to install the cam and fresh bearings in the lower end. When my old 4.3L in the K1500 started to go, it was a bad rod bearing, so I will be pulling the engine apart to install high-quality Clevite bearings, and have the 4-bolt caps installed and the block line-honed at the same time. Seeing as that some form of forced induction may or may not be in the future, I like to have enough beef in the low end to do it.

There are FAR more performance parts available for the 4.3L than there will ever be for the 4.9L Caddy – partially because the 4.3L is 3/4 of it’s big brother 350 SBC, partially because of the 4.3L’s brief stint in the Busch Series cars. GM Performance Parts makes some nice 18° heads, and I think I recall Brodix making something as well.

So to summarize, for me and my purposes with the car, this engine is the ideal engine. Your opinions may differ, but don’t flame me saying I should just go SBC…I explained why I’m not, just read.

Posted under 4.3L, Engines

Posted by ChuckRock on October 14, 2008

4.3L GM 90 Degree V6 Info

Rebuilding the New Chevy 262, Doug Anderson, Automotive Rebuilder, April 2000

Thanks to all of those who have contributed information for this article, including the people at GM Powertrain – Lansing Engine.

Back in the late 1970s when everyone was worried about the “gas crunch,” Chevy needed some smaller engines in a hurry, so it created a new family of junior-sized V6s by chopping two cylinders off its existing V8s. This enabled GM to shorten the development process dramatically because it was able to adapt a proven design. But it also allowed it to share a lot of the existing tooling from the V8 production lines so the engines could be on the road sooner.

The original 200 V6 that came out in 1978 was based on the 262 V8, and the 229 V6 that came out in ’80 that was based on the 305. By 1985, both were replaced by the 262 V6 that was based on the 350. It was originally installed in both cars and trucks; since ’87 it has been used primarily as a truck engine. It also has been updated several times to make it one of the best in the industry. The engine combines performance and economy in a reliable package for most of GM’s pickups, vans and sport utility vehicles.

Although the basic architecture has remained the same, GM has made a lot of changes to the 262 as it has continually upgraded and improved the original design. In the process, it has changed the block to accommodate a one-piece rear seal, added a roller cam and a balance shaft, modified the crank and rods, upgraded the pistons and revised the heads for better performance and emissions.

There are some subtle differences between the engines built in the two different plants, too. For example, the cranks and rods used in a Tonawanda engine are not the same as the ones used in a Romulus engine. There can be problems if they are intermixed. So, let’s take a look at how it all began in 1985 and see how the 262 has evolved over the past 13 years, remembering that most of these changes were made to improve power; reduce emissions; increase mileage; and reduce noise, vibration and harshness (NVH).

BLOCKS

1985: The original block in ’85 was a 14071177 casting. It had a two-piece rear seal, a flat tappet cam and a fuel pump hole because all of the trucks still had carburetors. Just for the record, there were some ’86 blocks shipped with pans for ’85 service replacements, so it is possible for a customer to have an ’85 car or truck with a one-piece rear seal.

1986: In 1986, the block (c/n 14088553) was modified to accommodate the new one-piece rear main seal. The fuel pump hole was still open, even though it wasn’t always needed, because all of the cars and some of the trucks came with throttle body injection.

 

1987- ’94 WITHOUT BALANCE SHAFT: In 1987, a roller lifter cam was installed, so the block was changed again. Two bolt bosses were added in the middle of the valley for the lifter retainer that kept the rollers properly located on the cam and perpendicular to it. This same basic block was used through ’91 for everything, and in ’92 through ’94 for all of the engines without balance shafts except for one small difference – some of the blocks came with four bolt holes for the tunnel style retainer beginning in ’92. There were several different castings used, including the 10105867, 10172756, 14099073, 14093683 and 10066011 with the two-bolt retainer, and the 10172756, 14099073 and 10066061 blocks with the four-bolt retainer.

1992 WITH BALANCE SHAFT: The L35 balance shaft engine was introduced in ’92, so the block was modified to make room for it above the camshaft. The lifter retainer was changed to the tunnel design because of the balance shaft; it had two bolts on each side instead of the two in the middle.

There were two versions of the balance shaft blocks in ’92. The “first design” block had a needle bearing on the back of the balance shaft that was lubricated by the oil mist from the valley. The “second design” had a sleeve bearing that was pressure fed through an additional drilled passage in the back of the block.

All of the 1992 “first design” (c/n 10105903) and “second design” (c/n 10224834) blocks were missing the two bolt bosses, one on each side, that were used with the reinforcing struts for the automatic transmission on some of the ’93 and later applications, so they can only be used in ’92. Be sure to double-check the 10224834 “second design” blocks, though, because some of them came with the strut bosses in the later years so they can be used for the ’93s and ’94s.

1993-’94 WITH BALANCE SHAFT: Things got more confusing with the balance shaft blocks in ’93-’94. All of these engines have to have the two extra bolt holes for the strut bosses and 10 bolt holes for the tin front cover. See photo. There are five castings that may or may not be right:

•All of the 10224534 and 10224535 blocks have the two strut bosses and 10 holes for the front cover, so they will fit everything in ’93 and ’94;

•The 10227196 castings have the strut bosses, but they came with either six or 10 holes;

•The 10224834 blocks have 10 bolt holes, but they came with or without the strut bosses;

•The 10235359 blocks were the most confusing because they came with or without the two strut bosses and with either six or 10 holes for the front cover!

Consequently, all of these castings must be checked and sorted by both casting number and features in order to be sure that they will work in everything in ’93 and ’94.

1995 WITH BALANCE SHAFT: 1995 isn’t a whole lot better. All of the ’95 engines had a balance shaft and the strut bosses, but the flange around the timing gear was changed to accommodate the new plastic front cover. The overall shape stayed the same, but the flange was noticeably wider with big bulges around six of the bolt holes. See photo.

There was a mid-year change that can cause problems, too. The early engines used a “first design” tin front cover with 10 bolt holes. The later ones had the “second design” plastic cover that had only six bolts, so the flange can have either six or 10 holes drilled in it. See photo. That means that the tin cover won’t work on a block that was drilled for a plastic cover, so the blocks aren’t always interchangeable.

Things can get confusing in ’95, because the 10227196 and 10235359 castings that were used in ’95 came with the narrow flange in ’94 and were converted to the wide flange in ’95. All of the 10227196 castings had the strut bosses, but some of the earlier 10235359 castings didn’t.

You can use either one of these blocks in ’95 as long as it has the strut bosses and the wide flange with either six or 10 holes drilled for the front cover. But, you must be sure that the corresponding first or second design front cover is installed on the block.

Given the possible confusion over which cover the customer has and which block he really needs, it’s probably better to make sure all the blocks have 10 bolt holes so they will work with either front cover. Do not use an earlier block with the narrow flange with a plastic front cover under any circumstances because it will leak oil.

1996-’98: The block was changed again in 1996. Structural reinforcing ribs were added on both sides of the timing cover and both sides of the block were contoured to follow the shape of the cylinders more closely. See photo. This one is a 14099090 casting. This same block is used up through 1998.

MORE ABOUT BLOCKS

There is one other subtle difference in the blocks. The cam bearing sets are different, depending on whether the block was made in Romulus or Tonawanda. The Tonawanda blocks use two larger diameter cam bearings, one in front and one in back, instead of only one large one in the front. Both bearing sets are available in the aftermarket.

There are three characteristics of each block which will tell you where it was manufactured:

•If it’s a Tonwanda engine, it will have a “T” stamped on the machined surface on the block just in front of the right cylinder head. The engine ID will be number stamped on the pad, and the chamfer on the cylinders will be quite shallow;

•If it’s a Romulus engine, it will have an “R” stamped on the machined surface on the block. The ID number will be made up of a series of dots, and the cylinders will have a deep chamfer on them.

Some of the blocks are drilled for a knock sensor and some aren’t. It’s almost impossible to know which applications came with and without the sensor hole, so most rebuilders drill and tap every block so the hole is there when it’s needed.

LIFTER RETAINERS

The roller cam motors have used three different lifter retainers. All of the ’87 through ’91 non-balancer blocks and some of the ’92s used a flat retainer (p/n 10046165) with two bolt holes in the middle. As of ’92, all of the balancer motors and some of the non-balancer motors came with the tunnel-shaped retainer (p/n 10105916) with four bolt holes, two on the outer edge on each side.

Starting in ’94, Chevy used two plastic retainers (p/n 12551431) that are bolt-in replacements for the tunnel-shaped version. There are some later intakes that will hit on the reinforcing ribs on the tunnel-shaped retainer, so it’s best to use the plastic retainers in all of the blocks that have the four bolt holes.

FRONT COVERS

There have been three front covers used on the 262. The first one came on the ’85 to ’94 non-balancer engines. It’s the same one that was used on the small block Chevy. The second one was a tall, metal cover with 10 bolt holes that was used from ’92 through the ’95 “first design” balancer motors. See photo.

The latest version is a unitized plastic cover that is held on with only six bolts. It came out mid-year in ’95 and was installed on the “second design” engines that had the wide flange with only six bolt holes drilled in it. The plastic cover fits on the earlier balance shaft blocks, but it shouldn’t be used on them because it leaks around the bolt holes. It comes with or without a large hole drilled in the bottom corner for the crank position sensor that was installed on the engines that came with OBD II.

CRANKS

Chevy has used several different cranks in the 262. They came with one- or two-piece rear seals and in both light and heavy versions that were specific to each engine plant. Here’s an overview:

1985: The 1174N casting came with a two-piece rear seal and a flange in the back. See photo.

1986-’87: The 14088640 and 10105865 Tonawanda castings with a one-piece seal were both used only for heavy applications during these years. See photo.

1988-’98: The Tonawanda cranks were all 10105865 castings that came in both light and heavy versions.

1988-’98: The Romulus cranks were all 10055480 castings that came in light or heavy versions.

All of the engines with the one-piece seal were externally balanced with specific flywheels and dampers, but the cranks were also balanced according to the weight of the pistons and rods that were installed in the engine; it’s important to use the right combination of parts. Unfortunately, there’s no sure way to tell a light crank from a heavy one short of knowing where it came from and marking it at teardown or spinning it on a balancer. There are a couple of clues that can help, though:

•All of the 14088640 castings are heavy cranks that can be used in either the ’87 to ’94 non-balancer engines or in the ’93 to ’95 VIN “Z” balance shaft motors with the heavy pistons.

•If a 10105865 Tonawanda casting came without a hole in the first rod pin, it’s definitely a heavy crank. If there’s a hole in the first rod pin, it’s probably a lightweight crank. However, there were a few early 10109865 cranks that had the hole drilled in the rod pin to correct the production process, so having the hole drilled doesn’t always guarantee a lightweight crank.

•The 10055480 Romulus crank came both ways, too. If it has a hole in the first rod pin, it’s the lightweight version, and if it doesn’t, it’s always a heavy crank.

The heavy cranks were used in all of the engines without a balance shaft and in all the VIN “Z” balance shaft motors with the heavy pistons, including the ’95 “second design” versions. The lightweight cranks were used with the lightweight pistons in the ’92-’98 VIN “W,” the ’95 VIN “Z,” “first design” engines, and in the ’96-’98 VIN “X” engines. Using the right crank in the right engine will help prevent balance problems out in the field.

However, you should also be aware that all of these engines are externally balanced with various combinations of flywheels/flexplates and dampers for balance, and that they are “trimmed” at the factory after the hot-run test by pounding balance weights into the holes that are already drilled in the damper. So, if you build them right and still have a shaker, the customer will have to add or subtract weight from the damper and/or flywheel/flexplate in order to get it right.

There is one other subtle difference in the cranks, too. Any of the engines that were installed in ’96 or later and all of the ’95 “S” and “T” trucks with OBD II, including all of the Olds Bravadas, any Blazer with California emissions, and about 10% of the Blazers with federal emissions, had a reluctor wheel installed in front of the crank gear for a crank position sensor that was a part of OBD II. The raised, machined area on the snout is about .100″ longer on these cranks than it was on the earlier ones so the reluctor wheel has a slight press fit. Be sure to sort out the 10105865 and 10055480 cranks with this longer, machined step and save them for the engines that have the crank position sensor.

RODS

There are four different rods in two different weights that come from two different engine plants, so there’s plenty of room for confusion, but it all works out if you follow these two rules:

Rule 1: Keep similar rods in sets by both appearance and weight;

Rule 2: Use only Romulus rods with Romulus cranks.

Then, the question is, how do you tell them apart so you can follow the rules? Start by sorting them by engine plant based on the shape of the balance pad on the big end. If the rod has a cast pad that’s only machined on the face, it’s a Tonawanda rod. These rods don’t have a forging number and may or may not have a dot on the shank. See photo.

If the weight pad on the big end is long and narrow and has been machined on all five surfaces including the sides, the ends and the face, it’s a Romulus rod. All of these rods will have an 818 or 045 forging number on the shank so they’re easy to identify.

After you have separated the rods by source, sort them by weight and put them in sets. The lighter ones will weigh around 662 grams, and the heavier ones should weigh about 675 grams.

The light and heavy rods can be interchanged in engines in sets, but it’s best to use the Romulus rods only on Romulus cranks because you may end up with a ticking noise if they are used with a Tonawanda crank. The Romulus rods have a wider face adjacent to the parting line that can hit on the side of the split pin rod journal, so the Romulus cranks are machined to provide additional clearance for the rods.

The Tonawanda cranks aren’t relieved in this area, so there can be light interference and a noise problem. The Tonawanda rods have the narrower face at the parting line so they can be used with either crank.

PISTONS

There have been five different pistons used in the 262 along with two versions of the lightweight piston.

1) The original, heavy piston used in the 262 was the same as the one that was used in the 350 V8 except that the pin boss was opened up slightly for the offset rod. It weighed about 745 grams with the pin and had a 9.1:1 compression ratio. It was used in all of the light duty engines without the balance shaft from ’85 through ’94 and in the VIN “Z” balance shaft motors from ’93 through part of ’95.

The parts catalog identifies the ’95 VIN “Z” engines with this heavy piston as the “second design” version even though they were built during the first part of the year. They will have one of the following engine codes: ALH, ALA, ALB, ALC, ALD, ALF, ALH, ALJ, ALL, ALP, ALS, AJS, AJT, AJW and AJU.

2) The lightweight piston weighs about 675 grams with a pin. It was used in all the high output, balance shaft engines (VIN “W”) from ’92 through ’98 and in all the VIN “X” engines from ’96 through ’98. It was also used in the “first design” VIN “Z” engines that were built during the latter part of model year ’95, including those with the following engine codes: AAB, AAC, AAF, AAJ, AAK, AAL, AAP, AAS, AAW, AFC, AFD, AHC and AHD.

The lightweight piston was originally a Mahle, full-round design (p/n 2753), but GM switched to its own “RPM” (Revised Permanent Mold) design with a short slipper skirt and a narrower pin boss in ’95. Both of these pistons have very short skirts, so the clearance must be right or they tend to make noise at startup.

3) There was a heavy duty engine offered for trucks and vans with over 8500 GVW from ’89 through ’95. It used a heavy duty, Zollner piston that had an 8.3:1 compression ratio and weighed the same as the regular heavy piston.

4) There was also a high output, VIN “B” (LU2) engine offered in the Astro van in ’90 and ’91. It used a special, hypereutectic, strutless piston that is available from GM under p/n 10181389 in standard, or from Zollner as a H-8269-D. It weighs about 745 grams, just like the rest of the heavy pistons.

5) There was one more piston used in the 262. It’s a low compression (8.6:1), strutless, hypereutectic piston with a deeper dish that was used in the turbocharged Syclones and Typhoons from ’91 through ’93. The OEM standard piston is p/n 12508702 and the Zollner number is a H-8269-E.

All of these pistons are specific to the application, so they should not be interchanged. Building an engine with pistons that have the wrong weight or compression ratio will guarantee a comeback, so it’s better to play by the book.

Posted under 4.3L, Engines