Real Fiero Tech

not a whole lot of progress, I got the heads in, and they're in the garage. I haven't picked a cam yet, but today, I did pick up a complete serpentine accessory drive! it will require me to update to a later model alternator, the slightly bigger deal, is that it will require me to make new AC compressor hoses... not really a huge deal, but it is something I'll have to mess with.

!?!?!





I don't know how it happened, but I managed to break the cross bolt on my driver's side motor mount... what was intended to be a "quick" radiator swap and oil change turned into 4 hours of cherry picker, jack, and prybar action to get the chunk of old bolt out, and the new bolt in. I replaced it with a 7/16" grade 8 bolt and a nylock.

a few guys from work and I are all going up in the mountains to play around a bit tomorrow, hopefully I don't break anything, and if I do, hopefully it's something I was intending on replacing anyways...

Your first pic indicates that there should be a bolt head there, but there isn't?

The Dark Side of Will wrote: ↑Sun Jan 24, 2021 8:29 am Your first pic indicates that there should be a bolt head there, but there isn't?

yep, I suspect that the nut backed off at one point (shouldn't have, it was a lock nut...) which ended up allowing the bolt to work it's was forward until it was in single shear, and snapped.


The Pig did pretty good today, I did bounce it off a tree at one point though... now both sides match!

So much for it being a cherry trophy

The Dark Side of Will wrote: ↑Sun Jan 24, 2021 8:25 pm So much for it being a cherry trophy

This truck wasn't ever really cherry, in fact, the bottom of the dent, is about 1/4" of bondo... who knows what else is under there... on top of that, it was totaled about a year and a half ago when I got hit by the drunk...

404 sarcasm not found.
Working too many hours lately?

The Dark Side of Will wrote: ↑Mon Jan 25, 2021 8:31 pm 404 sarcasm not found.
Working too many hours lately?

I had been, and yeah, must have been a bit out of it when I responded...

___________________________


Erg... about 2 weeks ago, I got stupid and cut all the old rusty pipes out from under my house. 15 minutes after cutting the pipes out, I go to start the Pig, because I realized there were a few things I needed that I hadn't accounted for, and it won't start.... erg. without having time to TS/R, I hop in the 2500, which decided it didn't want to play nice either, the starter died... erg. long story short, it was easier and faster to fix a known problem, than an unknown, so I swapped the starter on the 2500 and haven't driven the pig since...

Fast forward a week or two, and I have a spare minute to look at it, I spray starter fluid down the intake, and nothing. I suspected the ICM, almost immediately, and swapped it for the spare I kept as a "just in case" part, and sure enough, it roars to life.

Now, the question, Why does the pig keep eating ICM's? it's bone stock, there's no more heat under the hood than normal, and I always apply the heat sink grease. This is the third or forth one I have installed since I bought it under 3 years ago...

Any ideas?

You have a large cap HEI? Whether you do or not, check coil primary resistance. The module does two things: receives the analog signal from the pickup coil in order to transform that into a digital signal to the ECM and drives the coil based on the digital ignition signal from the ECM. Low primary resistance in the coil can cause the module to source more current that it's supposed to and have a shorter service life.

Is all your wiring stock? All your block grounds in good shape?
I'm also curious about whether it's seeing more ground current than it should because of a problem somewhere else.

The Dark Side of Will wrote: ↑Wed Mar 24, 2021 7:49 am You have a large cap HEI? Whether you do or not, check coil primary resistance. The module does two things: receives the analog signal from the pickup coil in order to transform that into a digital signal to the ECM and drives the coil based on the digital ignition signal from the ECM. Low primary resistance in the coil can cause the module to source more current that it's supposed to and have a shorter service life.

Is all your wiring stock? All your block grounds in good shape?
I'm also curious about whether it's seeing more ground current than it should because of a problem somewhere else.

small cap.

The ignition coil is only about 2 years old, but that doesn't mean it isn't trash. I'll put the DMM on it and see where it's at.

As far as I am aware, the harness is stock, but it has had a few issues here and there. When I got the truck, there was a sketchy radio install, and an aftermarket cruise control installed, between those two, one of them was slowly discharging the battery, I pulled both out when I saw wire nuts and wires twisted together with tape. Otherwise, the harness looks fine. I would like to find a full blown wiring diagram for this truck, or a factory service manual. there may be a bad ground somewhere inside the cab, some of the dash lights don't work, but when troubleshooting the same problem with the Fiero, it turned out almost every bulb was bad.

When I had the engine out, any ground attached to/from the engine was thoroughly cleaned and tightly reconnected with stainless hardware, I doubt it's a ground outside of the cab.

I found this site that has downloads available for a FSM, I've never heard of or used it, and the longer I look at it, the more I wonder if it's some kind of phishing scheme or going to send me a virus of some kind. Free usually isn't. any thoughts?

https://manuals.co/workshop/chevrolet/s ... al/2148180

GMUpfitter.com only goes back to '99... My dad picked up all (ALL!) the shop manuals when the Pontiac dealership across the street went out of business, so we may have one.

The Dark Side of Will wrote: ↑Wed Mar 24, 2021 7:01 pm GMUpfitter.com only goes back to '99... My dad picked up all (ALL!) the shop manuals when the Pontiac dealership across the street went out of business, so we may have one.

if you have one for a 87-91 Suburban (GMC or Chevy, don't care) with all the wiring diagrams, I'll buy it!

I've been without the Pig for a while until recently. I flew back to Washington, after it had sat for a month, put the key in, and boom! fired right up! I started towards Glacier National park, but made a last minute decision to do Yellowstone instead. I'll upload some pictures later, for now, here's the route I ended up on:



This gives an idea of how far the Pig has gone with me, keep in mind this doesn't show the trip to Alaska, or the OKC trip, just the extreme Northwest, and southseat travels.

the two stuffed pigs ("Piggles" and "Wiggles") were picked out by my niece to "keep me company" when she found out I called the truck "Pig Rig", so I try to get them in a few pictures here and there for her. in no particular order:











Old Faithful





















in other news, I drove my 2500 HD for the first time since I got the Pig back, and it reinforced that the Pig NEEDS a new power plant... the 2500 felt like a racecar compared to the pig... it accelerates with ease at any speed... I think I'm going to keep my eyes out for a 6.0 and a 4L80E. I want to do a DMAX so bad, but a 6.0 is so much easier...

ericjon262 wrote: ↑Wed Jun 30, 2021 2:16 pm in other news, I drove my 2500 HD for the first time since I got the Pig back, and it reinforced that the Pig NEEDS a new power plant... the 2500 felt like a racecar compared to the pig... it accelerates with ease at any speed... I think I'm going to keep my eyes out for a 6.0 and a 4L80E. I want to do a DMAX so bad, but a 6.0 is so much easier...

I really should not be left unsupervised... I went to the junkyard with a buddy to pull a tree fiddy jaun for another buddy's F150, spent about 3 hours pulling it, and looking for a set of Vortec heads, I found one, already pulled, but it had a nasty crack, and I wasn't feeling motivated enough to pull a set.

I was set on getting a set of heads, but while I was at the junkyard, I couldn't help but think heads don't fix the cam being less than .400" at the valve... couple that with the fact that a pair of heads is almost the same price as a whole engine, and if I buy a whole L31 Vortec engine, and gain a roller cam. decisions decisions...

on the way back from the junkyard with the 351, we stopped for lunch, we were bullshitting back and forth, and he says "My dad is crazy, he just sent a suburban to me and says I need to buy it" to which I responded "really, let me see"



Now I'm not exactly known for logical decisions, and this is no exception. I had sold the frame for the sidecar and had cash, I immediately messaged the dude and said I wanted to come look at it, and that I had cash, I looked at my buddy, and he said he wanted to go, so we went and grabbed his trailer and headed to Statesboro about 2 hours away in his sweet 97 F350 (thing is minty good)

and now...



My dumbass now owns two Suburbans. While inspecting the "New" Suburban" the 454 wouldn't turn over by hand, and it didn't have a battery. The interior and body on it are really nice, the doors close super easy, and is well optioned with front and rear AC, power windows, power locks, rear defrost. Powertrain is a carb 454, TH400, and 3.73 full float 14 bolt. it has a little surface rust on the hood and roof, nothing deep, and the floor pans are like new.

after getting it home, I threw a battery in it, and bumped it. it moved, not much but it moved. at this point, I figure I can't hurt it worse, so I keep bumping it, and eventually, it starts turning like it should! I pour some gas down the vent tube, and spray a shot of ether in it, and it cracks to life! put it in drive, and it drives pretty ok for a short trip around the yard. The bummer, it has a rod knock... oh well, I didn't buy it expecting to save the 454 without at a minimum pulling it apart and honing the cylinders.

The following morning, while browsing marketplace (I really need to stop doing that) I found a serpentine belt kit, and a TBI setup stupid cheap, so I snagged it, and on the way back, another friend sent me a Vortec 454...

Put a big block in the 2500, doesn't seem faster...





Now I have 2 454's...

Plan is to put the new 454 together on the stand, with a small cam, and the later model Vortec heads, which should be should be a bump in both power, and fuel economy if we're counting...

Honestly, the thing is pretty nice aside from the cracked dash, and front seat covers. I'm really torn about what to do with it, The original plan was to put both it and the pig together to make one nice truck, this one is already nice though... maybe I'll just have two Suburbans? They match...



There's also a pair of Duramax's at a little know junkyard near me...

Did a PO swap out the gears or the axle? My dad's '79 454/TH400 had 3.21 gears in the 14bff.

AND another 454? Just go find a Vortec 8100 with the Allison while you're at it.

The Dark Side of Will wrote: ↑Sat Dec 04, 2021 10:30 pm Did a PO swap out the gears or the axle? My dad's '79 454/TH400 had 3.21 gears in the 14bff.

AND another 454? Just go find a Vortec 8100 with the Allison while you're at it.

as far as I know they're stock, the SPID sheet says 3.73.

a Vortec 8100 would be rad, but it has some significant downsides for me compared to the biggest is that almost nothing big block is compatible with it. IIRC, not even headers work, not that I'm trying to make monstrous power, but parts availability is also always a concern.

The new 454 also came with .030 over pistons, and connecting rods. so I can hopefully rebuild the existing 454 with a new crank and have it for something, maybe the OG Pig Rig needs a big block? I'd prefer to put a DMAX in both of them though.

Better get a 3rd Suburban for parts...

ericjon262 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 05, 2021 12:13 am a Vortec 8100 would be rad, but it has some significant downsides for me compared to the biggest is that almost nothing big block is compatible with it. IIRC, not even headers work, not that I'm trying to make monstrous power, but parts availability is also always a concern.

That's why you can just drop it in, leave it stock and enjoy 8.1 liters of fury.

Diesels are definitely cool, but be careful how many Duramax swaps you schedule for yourself
Big Blocks are pretty cool too.

pmbrunelle wrote: ↑Sun Dec 05, 2021 7:52 pm Better get a 3rd Suburban for parts...

lol, there's a formula for the correct number of 1967-1991 suburbans to have, N=X+1, where N= the correct number of 'Burbs, and X= the current number of ' Burbs.

Originally, I wanted to use a Dynamic EFI EBL Flash II to control it, it's an OBD1 ECU with an add on board, and a ton of code improvements, unforunately, it can't control a 4L80E, so unless I pick up a NV4500 cheap, it's out. That being said, my "new" 454 has a crankshaft position sensor, and I can make a cam position sensor housing to bolt onto a distributor, not unlike Patrick did with his fiero. the thing I like about that, is that I can then make any cam wheel I need for whatever PCM I choose, and EFI connection has 24x, and 58x wheels for a Gen VI big block, the biggest issue I currently have is finding a Vortec 454 intake manifold, they were only made from 96-01, and not the most popular engine option. I found one on Ebay, but I would rather not pay $550 for just intakes. the huge plus side to OBD2, is that I already have tuning software for a 24x V8, so if I'm careful with my ECU choice, I don't have to spend anything there.