RFTH 25 Trial and Documentation Run--June 20

[GTRS Fiero]

Pat was able to make a little better than half of the run, but had to tap out just before The Dragon.  I had just the opposite situation of Pat's.  My brake pedal height improved from about a half pedal engagement to about 3/4 pedal engagement. 

I'm a bit confused.  Is this engaging halfway down, 3/4th of the way down...?

[GTRS Fiero]

There was one special moment that I'm sure brought smiles to all.  Budgetman was in the lead and we encountered a new Corvette.  Jason said he just couldn't contain himself.  It didn't take very long in the Hare and Hound chase with Jason sniffing the exhaust pipe of the 'Vette that it decided to pull over and let us all pass. 

This is humorous.  Of course, the driver couldn't have been pushing the C8, if that's what it was.

Jason and Pat both have 3800's, I believe.  Surely the suspension on Jason's is not stock, and Pat has an added sway bar.

[GTRS Fiero]

I looked under my car yesterday, and found that the transmission leak must have been there for a while. There is a makeshift shield over the exhaust pipe under the right axle, but it is far from adequate. There was quite a lot of burned trans fluid on the exhaust pipe.
I gave it a bath to clean off the soot from the burned trans fluid, and will do other work later.

I wonder where it's leaking.

[GTRS Fiero]

I just calculated my fuel mileage from the start to the last fuel stop before Gatlinburg, and I found something that seems to always happen on these runs.  I get better gas mileage doing all-out driving than I do in around town local driving.  I averaged just over 25 mpg on the trial run, while everyday driving only yields about 20 mpg.  This has been the case with every Fiero I've owned, so it's not something particular to my 87.  Has anyone else had the same result?

I got excellent MPG running through with my truck.  I suspect that I'm out of the throttle a lot.  Downhills and such.

[Fierofool]

The brake pedal was engaging at about 1/4 from the top.  Nearly a full pedal.  It had been more toward half pedal.  I even checked to see if my ebrake was partially engaged. 

The 'Vette wasn't a C8.  Of course, driver ability was a factor.  Jason has added a rear sway bar to his, too. 

[TopNotch]

I wonder where it's leaking.

At the output shaft seal. I have both sides on order. The parts store says the two side seals are different from each other on that transmission.

[GTRS Fiero]

The brake pedal was engaging at about 1/4 from the top.  Nearly a full pedal.  It had been more toward half pedal.  I even checked to see if my ebrake was partially engaged. 

The 'Vette wasn't a C8.  Of course, driver ability was a factor.  Jason has added a rear sway bar to his, too.

I have no explanation for the improvement in where the brakes engage.

[GTRS Fiero]

Maybe I figured out.  If there was air in the lines, but the air worked its way up to the master cylinder, you would have a firmer pedal than you would have had while air was in the lines.  Of course, if there was air in the lines...

[scottb]

Pulling this out of my butt: Boyles Law?

[NoMad]

Boyles is pressure/volume.

[scottb]

Boyles is pressure/volume.

Which law is pressure/temperature?

[NoMad]

Gay-Lusac's law.

[scottb]

My theory is the fluid got warmer, the pressure went up, thus a higher and stiffer pedal

[GTRS Fiero]

Ok.  Now that it's cooled off, does it still have a stiffer pedal?

[Fierofool]

I don't know but I think it's still a good pedal.  It's up on jack stands.  Alternator went out and it's not unplugged this time.