Messages

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Tech Tips, Tech Questions / Re: 1227730 ECM Step-by-step Conversion (with DIS)

« on: March 03, 2015, 09:42:58 am »

The serial data is the one that provides data to the ALDL and the diagnostics test input is the one that when papercliped, puts everything into diagnostics modes. I only have a question about the light, which works on yours, so that's answered, but what about data?  Are you able to pull down data from the 7730?
Keep in mind, these are questions I'm asking before I've installed everything.....  so I'm probably jumping the gun.

The ac appears to be stand alone, but the 7730 needs to see when the compressor cycles to raise the idle via c9?  Or is that d12?

Ron

What your touching on is probably my biggest challenge at the moment and your question might help solve the problem. Since doing 7730 conversion I have never had any success with getting my laptop to successfully communicate with the ECM using TunerPro. I've double checked wiring from the ECM to the ALDL plug and it all looks correct based on the pin-outs I have. I've always chalked it up to my lack of knowledge of setting up the proper BIN and ADX files. I always figured that so many others had done the same swap without any problems that it couldn't be a pinning issue. The last time I attempted to try TunerPro was last summer and I was finally able to see some readings but it was all garbled. For example the tach readings were all over the place even when the ignition was off. It could still be a setup issue I have with TunerPro, an incompatible ALDL cable, bad ECM or needing to re-pin the ECM with your information. It's to cold and we have to much snow at the moment but once it warms up I'll look into it some more.

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Tech Tips, Tech Questions / Re: 1227730 ECM Step-by-step Conversion (with DIS)

« on: March 02, 2015, 10:46:57 am »

I've pinned my harness and have run into a couple questions.....

According to Darth instructions:
1) The location of serial data to aldl is a9, however, the gm published pin out showed a8.
2) D6 and d7 (injector grounds) i spliced to a12 all grounds to engine block. Is that ok?
3) Shift light location as F6, but gm shows f1
4) what's the deal with D12 and d2? For ac, when are they necessary? It said "optional".
Ron

1) The location of serial data to aldl is a9, however, the gm published pin out showed a8.

Are you looking on the Fiero ECM side or some shop manual for a 7730 vehicle? In my pinout I see the serial data as A8 on the Fiero ECM which gets moved to A9 on the 7730. I show A9 as the diagnostics enabled for the Fiero which gets moved to E12 on the green clip for the 7730. These are the two pins you’d ground out with a paperclip to check the codes in service mode. I've paperclipped these pins and the SES light flashes a code 12 so it seems correct. Are you wiring it with the $88 pinout?

2) D6 and d7 (injector grounds) i spliced to a12 all grounds to engine block. Is that ok?

Yes, this should be ok. I did something similar to make it easier to run one wire to the engine block instead of having to fit multiple grounding wires through the firewall which all serve the same purpose. Since this isn't high voltage the 18 or 16 gauge wire should be sufficient for grounding multiple sources.

3) Shift light location as F6, but gm shows f1

My instruction also show the location of the TCC/shift lamp control moves from pin A5 to F6. That seems to be correct for my car as my TCC is locking up and working correctly. Maybe there was a slight difference in your year/make/model car. I would assume that F6 is the correct pin on your 7730 but I don’t know what your donor car is or maybe it’s how the ECM gets reprogramed. Since I don’t know how the ECM’s get reprogrammed I don’t know if they use a certain format for all Fiero’s regardless of the donor’s original programing.

4) what's the deal with D12 and d2? For ac, when are they necessary? It said "optional".
This one is gonna stretch my memory a little. I spoke to Darth about the AC options and he said that there are several options for AC. You could reuse the Fiero AC which I think required taking the sensors out of the compressor and using different ones that are compatible with the 7730 ECM or you could use a compressor that was compatible with the 7730 ECM. That required doing more rewiring and was a bit more complicated. What your looking at is probably the option for using a non Fiero compressor. The AC is optional wiring and I didn’t do it at the time although last summer was particularly hot and I was wishing I had done it so this spring or summer I my actually wire up the AC compressor. I have a new Fiero compressor in stock so it’s just a matter of putting it in and running the wires. If your more serious about doing the AC wiring I can try and dig up my old emails with Darth and let you know in more detail.

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Tech Tips, Tech Questions / Re: Outer window seal

« on: January 23, 2015, 09:33:05 am »

Well I decided to crack the whip and finish my dew wipe video. Hopefully someone will find it useful. I think it turned out pretty well at showing the process step-by-step.

Also wrapped up a rear sway bar install video. Now I just gotta finished editing my battery relocation, FieroStore door speaker panel and HUD (heads-up display) videos. Then I think I might be caught up. Just bought a 3800 engine and I'd like to make computer space to do a video log of that build 

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General Fiero Discussion / Re: Princess Bride Fiero poster?

« on: January 16, 2015, 02:12:14 pm »

The model car looks like a Ferrari 308 to me. You can see the side scoop starting from the door right under the window and going back to the intake hole just behind the passenger door. Could also be a 328. The front of the toy is dark so I can see if it has the 308 front end or he 328 front end. I don't have any idea about the poster. Good movie by the way 

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Tech Tips, Tech Questions / Re: Outer window seal

« on: January 16, 2015, 02:02:02 pm »

I actually lubed up my window and power door locks with a nice bike chain lube and that seems to have worked really well. For the first time in years I can lock and unlock my door by pushing the button once The lube helped the windows move a little better but was still a bit slow about mid way down so I rolled the windows up and took a flat head screwdriver and carefully pressed down and back on the window brushes to bend them back slightly. When I rolled the windows down they worked smoothly and the window guides still always maintains contact with the windows. Just have to be careful of how far you bend them. Didn't really take much at all to free up the window. Seems all good now 

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Tech Tips, Tech Questions / Re: Automatic transmission won't shift

« on: January 16, 2015, 01:49:41 pm »

I haven't been able to get my schedule and my brothers schedule to line up so that we could look at his car again. I am however meeting up with him this weekend but he's helping me pick up a 3800sc engine for a future Fiero engine swap and another 4.9 engine to replace the blown one in my Diablo kit. So this weekend isn't going to work for looking at his car, next weekend is his kids birthday party, the weekend after that we're all going to the Philly Auto Show and the weekend after that I'm taking my Fiero to Team O'Neil Rally School in NH for a winter driving course...and yes I'm bringing like 3 or 4 car cameras. I wanna snow drift my Fiero like this guy

So hopefully maybe sometime in mid to late Feb I'll have a free weekend to stop back over and check out his transmission again.

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Tech Tips, Tech Questions / Re: Outer window seal

« on: January 10, 2015, 10:26:37 pm »

So I finally got some time today to finish the outer dew wipe. I am left with one question. The Windows seem slower as if they are under pressure from the new brushes on the dew wipes. I bought them from the Fiero Store. Has anyone else had a similar issue? I did etch around the inner brushes and put them back exactly so it's not them. Any one have any problems like that ?

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Tech Tips, Tech Questions / Re: Outer window seal

« on: January 02, 2015, 06:11:33 pm »

Well it's now good to have a face to go along with the name i like the wood idea as a wedge. I use my finger because they're skinny enough. I also use a magnetic pointer to catch the screws as they come out

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General Fiero Discussion / Re: Motor Trend video pits the 1967 Corvair Convertible vs. 1986 Pontiac Fiero

« on: January 02, 2015, 01:56:40 pm »

I'm not very familiar with the TDC engine. It looks like you can get some pretty good power out if it and his car looks like he built it right. I only wish that Matt Farah got to drive one with a litter more pep like a 3800sc. I think he's have a who new level of respect. If I was Matt I'd wanna take Darkhorizon's turbo 3800 for a spin. Heck, even if I wasn't Matt Farah I wanna take that car out for a spin!

...or this guys turbo 3800 against the Ferrari killer GTR. Sure the Fiero didn't beat him but MAN did he give that GTR a run for the money. I bet the guy in the GTR was shocked when he looked in the rear view mirror and didn't see the Fiero until he looked out the side window

I wasn't aware that the 3800 engines could be beefed up to such crazy horse power. It looks like that will be my next engine swap. I may be posting questions on that topics sometime in the near future...

I probably should have just named this topic Fiero videos 

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Tech Tips, Tech Questions / Re: Outer window seal

« on: January 02, 2015, 01:38:32 pm »

Yes, that was an impromptu video and wasn't planned.  Though I had planned the tech session at the meeting, there were no plans for the video.  TopNotch just decided to video at the last moment, with his phone, I believe. 

The reason for cutting away the old dew wipe is because it's usually brittle and broken and of no use.  It makes access to those little screws much easier.  The new dew wipe is soft and supple and will allow you to get your fingers and dew wipe tool in there to replace the screws. 

Usually the inner felt pads are good since they aren't exposed to the rain and dirt that the outer pads encounter.  Unless they are scratching the inside of the window, I really see no need for replacement..  The inner seal is essentially to keep out noise and any air that might be forced into the door through drains, door handles and trim pieces.

Wait so was that you in the video? It was helpful for me so I'm glad the impromptu video made it online. Without it I may have just skipped the dew wipe replacement when doing my FieroStore door speaker conversion.

I actually tried using the Rodney Dickman tool without cutting away the old rubber and came to the same conclusion. The old hardened rubber wasn't allowing me to get to the screws until I cut it away but after installing the new dew wipe it is soft enough to still allow access to the screws. It wasn't until I actually did the swap that I gained that knowledge so I thought it would be something that I would share in my version of the video to anyone looking to fix their dew wipes.

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Tech Tips, Tech Questions / Re: Outer window seal

« on: January 02, 2015, 12:13:53 pm »

I've actually seen those videos on replacing the dew wipes. Those videos actually introduced me to Rodney Dickman's tool which I ended up buying. There were a couple things that I wanted to improve on from those videos. 1) I wanted to show the process more as steps because in his video I had to watch all 8 videos to see how it was done and most of the video was watching him work while others chatted away. 2) I wanted to explain what I was doing so others can follow along better and 3) I wanted to address possible questions that I didn't have answered when I watched his video. For example; after watching his video and seeing him having to cut away the old rubber from the dew wipe so that Rodney's tool will reach the screw I wondered how are you going to put those screws back in without cutting the new dew wipe. Also, had I known ahead of time that those inner brushes wouldn't come out I wouldn't have bought them. His videos definitely helped me but I wanted to take it to the next level with my own spin on removal

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Tech Tips, Tech Questions / Re: Outer window seal

« on: January 02, 2015, 12:03:11 pm »

I always loosen them when replacing the dew wipes, but I'm careful not to loosen enough that they drop because I've heard they're a real booger to get back in place.  I wonder if it would be possible to use a magnetic pickup to push them back up into place.  I'll have to try a practice removal and replacement of the inside pads next time I visit the pull-a-part yard.

I guess they could be a pain to put back into place if you didn't have the right tools to reach down there and fish them back up. I didn't have much of a problem. I have a little dental type pick with a curved end that I've used to stick down into the bolt hole and pull them back up. I've even spun the brush around to see if I had a better chance at pulling it out backwards but that never worked either. Even after removing the outer dew wipe and pulling the window as far out as I could possibly get it I just can't get enough tilt on the inner brush to pull it out. Mine aren't really in bad shape but I bought new ones since I was already there but I've come to the conclusion that my inner brushes are staying in there for now.

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Tech Tips, Tech Questions / Re: Outer window seal

« on: January 01, 2015, 09:47:21 pm »

I actually started replacing my outer dew wipes today and did a video step-by-step. I got as far as removing everything but the video is on hold for the moment because I have to order an outer door handle. I ordered the the dew wipes and the handle from the Fiero Store but didn't get the handle. Once it comes in I'll finish the video. I use the tool from Rodney Rickman. I can't do it without his tool. The real mystery is how to change those inner window brushes without removing tthe glass.

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General Fiero Discussion / Re: Motor Trend video pits the 1967 Corvair Convertible vs. 1986 Pontiac Fiero

« on: December 30, 2014, 09:46:44 am »

It could be the same videos your thinking of. He does do some rally driving with several GoPro's edited together. After watching that DRIVE video I did happen to stumble on his YouTube channel and of course subscribed Here's a link to his videos:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuHa3ER-L8CToZsRkHjTOOA
He also has an interesting website as well that has a few how-to ideas and a breakdown of how he has his car set up for autocrossing. Some pretty interesting stuff. Here is his website:
http://steventsnyder.com/

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General Fiero Discussion / Re: Motor Trend video pits the 1967 Corvair Convertible vs. 1986 Pontiac Fiero

« on: December 29, 2014, 02:35:18 pm »

Also thought it was cool that DRIVE did a segment on How to Turn a Fiero Into a Track Car. I'm just a little disappointed that you have to pay to see the whole review but I like the positive feedback from Matt Farah's first time behind the wheel of a Fiero.