Sprint Manifolds

When it rains it pours...so after a long day with John and fixing my divers door, start to drive home and half way over the Patullo Bridge lost shifting and stuck in 3rd gear.

I just get over and drive as far as possible and pull over, look around to find the ball head on the shifter cable popped out of the bolt. So I tried a few things, popped it back in but now I can pop this in and out with a finger...no choice to try and hope it holds until I get home. Dickman is sending me a new ball head, waiting for this now.

Doing well until 5 min away from home when I start to smell burning & lots of smoke, I pull over and the amount of smoke I thought I had a fire...of course looking around in case and was ready to grab the nearest hose...it calmed down and could not figure out WTF, called BCAA and towed home.

Now in the last week the brake light was coming on and off and only half brightness. John checked many things with no luck. Last night I jacked up the rear end to find that both wheels are locked up, calipers seems to be seized, but how as John said, unusual for both to at the same time...so now why is this happening and how to fix it...any ideas or suggestions are appreciated.

John thinks it might be this as this brake system is not balanced it seems: http://www.fierostore.com/Product/Detail.aspx?s=56069&d=378& p=2

If I am to do the rears with stock, finding the caliper bolts & sliders, any ideas locally?...Lordco doesn't, I'll try NAPA.

Or is this the time to consider a upgrade and keep the ebrake?...and to think I was ready to sell a month ago, maybe I should have!

Cheers...

Edited by Bassman

Bassman wrote: Now in the last week the brake light was coming on and off and only half brightness. John checked many things with no luck. Last night I jacked up the rear end to find that both wheels are locked up, calipers seems to be seized, but how as John said, unusual for both to at the same time...so now why is this happening and how to fix it...any ideas or suggestions are appreciated. John thinks it might be this as this brake system is not balanced it seems.

When I got my '84 on the road a few years ago, after it had been sitting for six(?) years, I was having trouble with the brakes... and the brake light was staying on. It turned out that the proportioning valve had "tripped" which in turn was activating the light. (If I remember correctly, part of the problem was that the inside of one or more of the rubber brake hoses had collapsed.)

So before suspecting the switch itself, it needs to be determined if the proportioning valve has "tripped" on your GT, and if so, why.

Brian, I know there was an issue with DOT4 and DOT5 being mixed together in your clutch hydraulic system. Is there any chance this might've also occurred with your brake hydraulics?

[EDIT] I guess I type slow as John's post wasn't there when I started.

Edited by Patrick

Well you have Grand Am on the front, might as well install Lebaron on the rear as you get better brakes and get to keep the E-Brake. Only drawback is your 15" wheels will no longer fit on the car as the lebaron brakes are too big for 15" wheels. In my honest opinion, the Fiero does really well with slightly larger rear brakes vs the front. You don't get the front end lockup so easy under hard braking, it feels like you dropped an anchor out behind the car when you pound the brakes.

      Now as to your smoke, its a real possibility that the rear brakes being stuck caused the rotors to get red hot and if you had any type of brake fluid leak it will smoke like hell. If you have stock rear brakes with the E-Brake its possible that a cable did not fully release and that is causing the problem.

              Don't get discouraged, just get upgrades, it will make you smile again. LOL, just thought of this, best Antidepressant in the world is upgrading your Fiero and taking it on that first drive.

Minor follow up to the above...   I went over to B's place and did a quickie look over.  Short of the e-brake cables being a tad loose, everything else is in perfect condition (in the back anyhow!).

Something is causing the proportioning valve to slide over - he's bringing the car over here tomorrow, then I can look things over thoroughly.

If need be, the hoist and my tools an i can help... i do have a project
running right now though, so it would have to be in a bit.

Sounds good!

It's a new car almost with feel and drive...still tuning and many other items on the list still