One of my "project" Fieros is an ‘84 SE 4-speed with aero nose and trim that I had bought five years ago knowing it had clutch problems. It’s been sitting in my yard feeling sorry for itself ever since. I finally got fed up and started working on it a month or so ago as reported http://www.westcoastfieros.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1533&KW=patrick - Here , http://www.westcoastfieros.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1512&KW=patrick - Here , and http://www.westcoastfieros.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1535&KW=patrick - Here .

Anyway, I needed to drop the cradle and Clynt has been kind enough to let me use the hoist at his place. He also offers advice as required.  So we got the tranny off today and discovered that the clutch fork is toast. Very very similar to what Dave reported finding when he took a look at Nigel's Fiero as reported http://www.westcoastfieros.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1568&PN=1 - Here .

Shot of my '84 with half it's guts removed.

Wrecked clutch fork with the broken piece sitting at the bottom.

Back of engine and clutch.

Closer shot of clutch.

I need to now pull off the pressure plate and inspect the condition of the clutch. If anyone can see in these pictures why the clutch fork might've broken the way it did, please let me know.

And if anyone has a clutch fork for a 4-speed Muncie transmission that they can sell, please give me a yell.

(By the way, if anyone knows for sure if a clutch fork from a 5-speed Isuzu transmission would work or not work with this tranny, please let me know that as well.)

Garry, I'll give you a phone call. Maybe we can work something out.  

Just got back from working on the car all day at Clynt's place. Need to eat first before making any calls or reporting any progress.

Patrick please note that, that is NOT an 84 trans.   Its an 85-86.5   3.65 ratio 4spd.    Used in the V6 cars.  Don't worry its fine to use in that car and any 4spd will adapt to it.

        I can tell from the casing pics.

Note the area around the CV shaft hole, your's look like spider web bracing lines.   This is my old 4spd, it has a smooth casing around the CV shaft hole.  Mine was 84 trans that I had in the nitrous V6, notice the huge crack that follows the base.  Under load that crack opened up to nearly a 1/2 inch wide dropping all the fluid onto the ground in a matter of seconds.

Does anyone have a clutch fork they can sell?

There must be a few blown up 4-speed trannys out there with a perfectly good clutch fork sitting in them.

They're available brand new on eBay ( http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Pontiac-Fiero-Phoenix-Sunbird-Clutch-Fork-14024930-NOS_W0QQitemZ360194195805QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories?hash=item53dd3f415d - Here ) for $9.95 (plus $10.35 for USPS shipping), but I'm sure Clynt would like my Fiero out of his yard sooner rather than later.

So please, let me know if you have a clutch fork you can part with. I will reimburse you. Clynt will thank you.

Dawg wrote: Seems like a common problem eh?

Unfortunately, yes. I found this thread http://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum1/HTML/061892.html - Here  at Pennock's where a fella with another '84 had exactly the same problem with a broken clutch fork.

Snow Man, thanks for the suggestion.

It's great that I at least have another option, but keeping in mind it's a 200 km round trip from Vancouver to Chilliwack, I'm hoping I'm able to acquire a clutch fork a little closer to home.

The ironic thing about all this is that I actually have all the parts I need right in my own back yard! I have an '84 Fiero parts car here with a fully functional 4-speed tranny. The car isn't driveable though (cracked block) and I have no practical way of pulling the tranny here.  That's why the Fiero I'm currently working on is up at Clynt's place, as I'm making use of his hoist.

Argh, this is frustrating...

The more I think about it, the more I think I should get an engine hoist and drop the cradle on my parts car. It'll be an ugly job as the car is out in the open (in all the rain ) in a corner of my backyard, but at least I wouldn't have to worry about putting the parts car all back together again afterwards.

I can just transfer the entire clutch/transmission assembly over from one car to the other. Would've been a lot better to have been doing this in July though.

I just hope Clynt's a patient guy and doesn't mind my disassembled Fiero up at his place "hanging" around for another week or so.

Car-2-Lo wrote: Well, nows your chance to slap in a 4.9

Yeah, I'd consider it if this Fiero was an '87 GT with a Getrag 5-speed.  

I haven't taken any pictures of my progress recently, but I ended up buying an http://www.westcoastfieros.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1492&PN=1 - Isuzu 5-speed to put in place of the Muncie 4-speed. That entails changing the clutch and the slave and the shifter and the shift cables and the backup light switch wiring... but hey, why do a simple job when it can be complicated instead?

Anyway, I got the 5-speed bolted up to the engine today. Still lots to do before this Fiero is driveable, but it's going well.

So Dave, recognize anything in this picture?

I can't believe where the time's gone since I last posted in this thread.

Clynt's been very patient with me the last couple of months as I've been s-l-o-w-l-y working on the car in the under-cover area in his backyard. It's great having something to keep the rain off. It was a little cool though a few weeks ago!

The 5-spd tranny is in as well as the 5-spd shifter and cables. Bent clutch pedal was replaced, as were the clutch master and slave cylinders. 

Rear brakes calipers and hoses also had to be replaced, as did the master brake cylinder and combination valve.

The timing cover was also removed to bang out a dent that was rubbing lightly on the timing gear (but rubbing hard enough to create quite a whine).

The image above is a "hybrid" exhaust system made up from the original downpipe from the '84 duke mated to the muffler and twin tail pipes originally from Dave's old '85 GT. Thanks to Clynt for welding it up for me.  I wanted to put dual-exhaust on this '84 as the rear bumper had been replaced by the previous owner with one from a GT (twin exhaust cut-outs). It looked very odd with the stock single exhaust.

In kind of an oddball repair (as I don't recall reading much about anyone else trying this), Clynt also helped me rebuild the duke's dogbone. One of the two rubber bushings was shot, but the other was fine. I had a second dogbone in the same condition. Using a homemade tool that Clynt had originally created to remove cradle bushings, we swapped over a good bushing from one dogbone to the other (replacing the previously removed worn out bushing). A little heat from a torch aided in the process. Worked out very well.

So tomorrow's the big day... starting it up for the first time since all this began. Hopefully no oil or water leaks, etc.

Yep that red paint is the dead give away for my original 85GT exhaust, the red paint was over spray from touching up the red sway bar I had on it.

  Congrats on finally getting this all together.   The 5spd Dukes are great zip around town cars.  I am sure you will have a blast in it.

Woohoo.... success!

I finally got everything necessary back together to take a test drive and I had a fun time tearing around Clynt's neighborhood. The little '84 felt great. The 5-spd tranny/clutch/shifter are real smooth. I couldn't get too crazy as the car still has no nose or rear bumper or plates on it , but I drove it enough to get a sense of how everything worked.

And the dual-exhaust on the 4-banger sounds pretty good!

Although I've had this car for more than five years, this is the first time I've EVER driven it. (It was undriveable and therefore towed to my place when I bought it all those years ago.) I'm quite pleased.

Cheese wrote: Happy new year Patrick, and congrats on getting it drivable again.

Thanks Colby. Getting your tranny certainly helped.

CFoss wrote: I found I could reinforce the clutch fork...

Chay, I assume this is this something that needs to be done before the fork breaks?

I got the '84 home today. Still lots of little things to do to it, but at least it now runs and drives just fine.

Special thanks to Clynt for the use of his hoist and a covered work area for the last couple of months!

Just to be clear here, are you guys referring to reinforcing both Muncie and Isuzu clutch forks, or just the Muncie forks?

Capt Fiero wrote: I have only ever heard of one Isuzu with a bad fork, all the rest have been 4spd cars.

That's what I gather from Pennock's, that the problem clutch forks are on the 4-spd Muncies. Not sure about the 5-spd (Muncie) Getrags.

Dr.Fiero wrote: Was just doing some poking around, and found a cross for this pesky fork.  It's still available NEW from Lordco! About $60 at this time.

That's great John, for anyone who might need a clutch fork immediately. Keep in mind though that they're available on eBay for a lot less (as reported earlier in this thread).

Patrick wrote: They're available brand new on eBay ( http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Pontiac-Fiero-Phoenix-Sunbird-Clutch-Fork-14024930-NOS_W0QQitemZ360194195805QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories?hash=item53dd3f415d - Here ) for $9.95 (plus $10.35 for USPS shipping)

Dr.Fiero wrote: Yup - but I tell ya - if your car is up on the hoist at Mr.Clutch or somewhere...  you go ahead and tell them to leave it there for 2 weeks while you wait for your shipment to clear customs....

Heh heh, I already covered that.

Patrick wrote: That's great John, for anyone who might need a clutch fork immediately...