question/help

Hey, i just got a 84 fiero se. 85k miles. Runs pretty good. i'm 15 and cant drive it yet. been working on it for past two weeks putting on new scoops/new wing/stripe/headliner/ basic tune up.(sparks,wires,new valve gasket./oil,oil filter, fuel filter.) So right now all the basic things are new. I'm getting a new exhaust including cat and all the way back.

Heres the problems. it smokes when i run it. I cant drive it yet because i'm 15 but when i run it in the driveway it smokes white. its not oil. its a pretty heavy white smoke. When i took the car home it stoped smoking when i got it moving and running for awhile. So it cant be a serious problem. i hope. What could this be? is it just because its been sitting for awhile? (months, at the guys place i got it from) what can i do to stop this?

Another problem is the radiator fan. Its not working. Its not turning on.(i had it towed half way home when i got it because i noticed it was getting really hot). I thought it could temp sensors so i changed all the sensors. coolent, engine and coolent fan switch. Still doesent work. I tested the fan on the batterie switching - + with nothing. So i'm replacing the fan motor today.. or tomarow. when ever i go up to get the motor. (yes i still depend on my dad to take my up to autozone) ha. If this does not work? what could be the problem..
Have you guys hurd about the fan switch you can put in? so that you can turn on your fan when ever you want? If you know anything about it can you let me no.. witch two wires to splice? pictures? I tried to do this.. and test it out with a little pc fan. but didnt work. anyone? Thanks

pictures of my car--- http://s43.photobucket.com/albums/e379/bmaxbox/
what do you think?

The Fan could be a relay in the front of the car that sometimes goes bad... as for the overheating, watch out cause you can crack a block or heads in them pretty easy, and try the thermostat if it doesnt help or need it then its possibly just the fan switch and as for the wiring in a switch you can manually switch on its not too hard but I cant give great directions I have to show you or do it... I am not a good (not in person) teacher... sorry

as for the smoke if it stops it could be from sitting and if it stops and stays gone it could be just that but if it comes back from time to time it could be a sticky valve and there are common ways to get rid of that just dont do too much at once because some fiero gurus say that doing too much cleansing to the internals of an engine can be a bad thing and send it into "shock" if you will

just my understandings and knowledge

chris

PS ... where you located at? BTW I may have parts for you for dirt cheap... if you need em

Hey Thanks. I live in Medina ohio. Just under cleveland.
Well today i found out somthin that just ruined everything. I pulled the car out of the garage to see if the smoke would clear up. I saw little smoke coming from engine. I saw some leaves jamed back there so i pulled them out. Still little smoke. Still the smoke from exhaust. I pull in a little bit and see a puddle of somthing. It looked like coolant with a little oil. I pulled it in the garage and started looking around the engine. I was cheacking the oil when i saw white crappy stuff on the end of the rod. Which means its not just oil in their. So i guess my engine is probably dead.eh? head gasket? The smoke from the engine was probably the head? Guys help me out.. What should i do?

How hard is it to swap? Mabye 3.4 from 90's firbird camaro? I'm looking into that because i was going to swap in the summer. I have alot more time in the summer and its not freezing cold then. But if i need to i would like to get somthing like that overwith, and finished.. what all would i need to get? i'm sure i can do it with the help of my cousin. It just sucks because i have no clue what all i need exept ecm harness "engine" trans.. and all the things on the engine. I think i would need to get engine mounts.. do i need to weld them on or can i bolt on the mounts? Umm.. radiator for that engine?? what else? Thanks

By the sounds of things, it may be a blown head gasket or cracked block. Now you need to decide on overhauling the engine or replacing the engine. www.thefierofactory.com may have a good used 84 engine. Since you are 15, you have the time to get the car apart and back together by the time you are old enough to get the car on the road.

Since the 84 did not have a V6 as an option, you will have wiring issues to contend with for a V6. 85-88 four cylinder Fieros, the wiring is not as big an issue.

What do you think i should do? Should i stick with the 2.5? or go for somthing else? I lived with and had fun in are 91 caprice 5.7 v8. I played around in parking lots and had a blast. I would rather go for somthin bigger, 3.4 but would the mounts and wireing be that hard? is there somewhere to get the harness?
What all can i do to the 2.5? i guess i will need to get new head if i rebuild the engine..can i get better pistons rods to make is stronger? lifters? i saw on fiero store i can get the head and a engine kit... I saw a performance cam.. What else could i do to the engine while its out of the car? would this increase the hp alot? I want to atleast do some small burnouts on some corners... haha. or should i just change engines?

for now... I should... Take engine out? take pictures of everystep so i remember everything...haha... take engine apart... suffer seeing my engine in peices..see whats wrong. from there make my decision. is this what you would do?

you know what. i'm 15.. i want to keep this car for ever.. i have alot of time to swap big engines it it. I will stick with the 2.5 right now. Even if i have to get a another one.. so, what all can i get for the duke.? that will actually help it.

Well my best advice is if you really, want to keep the 2.5 in it you can but if you modify it too much the engiine wil die faster and faster than it should, dukes are built to last not to perform unless you go for the s-10 block and crank and the tie in performance cam,heads and intake/everything... I have one thats been built up to perform and I am trying to sell it for just about the cost of the mods they are all installed... its in the AF thread called heavily modded 2m4... I had the 5speed clutchre-done and before I could drive it here to oklahoma, it has some holley parts for 2.5s they dont produce anymore and are kind of rare, (I figured out he put in the throw out bearing backwards) but if you are interested in it (for parts or to drive while building the other one) I would help you out, seeing that you like the fieros as much as I did when I got into the addiction... I also have an 87 2m4 engine sitting around and if you wanted some of the parts just list them and I will tell you a price and you pay the shipping (it sat for too long and then a valve stuck and bent a rod so I dismantled it) but I'd be glad to help you out if you wanted...

and the limit on the duke is going to be about 140hp for a fiero block and still maintaining reliability

chris

what you can get for the duke that will help it without breaking it down

Holley Big Bore Throttle Body
Holley Performance Intake Manifold
slightly upgraded Cam
stronger connecting rods and new pistons I recomend forged internals
bore and stroke it... nothing drastic like max of .040" over
you can also have a machine shop balance and blueprint it as well as port and polish it, also have the crank polished if you want... and thats off the top of my head

chris

Fieros are great cars for handling on twisty roads, even a Fiero with the 2.5L engine. Also if driven sanely, you should be able to get 35 mpg which helps with the pocketbook at gas stops. Almost anything you do for performance gains will cost you with engine life and economy. Building lots of performace into a car, don't forget to upgrade the brakes as now that you go fast, you also want to stop fast.

Any 20+ year old car will need suspension replacements/upgrades, All I am saying is have enough money to fix the engine and have a reserve for all the other things an old car will need.