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The Iron Duke Resource Site |
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Welcome to my newly
redesigned Fiero 2M4 resource site. The original site recorded over
12000 visits, hopefully this one will also prove as useful.
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A
Modest Duke
"I
gave up on hopping up Dukes years ago- it was like pissin' in the wind and
throwing money down an outhouse hole. Smart and experienced folks like
Jim Sutter at IRM tried to tell me back then, but I had to learn the truth my
way and ignored their advice. I could have saved a bundle of money if I
had listened......
there
are several rusting self-destructed Dukes in the corral to serve as a lasting
reminder."
Randy
Agee
We can debate this until the cows come home..... but unless you go the SD route you ain't gonna make a significant difference in the overall performance of street driven Dukes with add-ons (been there - done that). If you are successful in cranking out significantly more HP, the lower end will not last much longer. Experience has taught me (and others) that when you start consistently pushing a Duke over 5,000 rpm it is going to self destruct. It ain't a matter of "If", it is when.
Do
you ever wonder why the early 2.5 turbo kits died off so quickly? It
wasn't the introduction of the V6 - they were a prescription for a broken
crank or pitched rod.
Still,
there are some things you can do to a Duke to improve performance that are
simple, cheap, don't compromise reliability and should be done anyway.
Sadly, they are often overlooked or ignored. It has been at least 5-6
years since I put this on the list, but it is still valid. If you have
previously done these, GREAT! If not, try it - you'll like it.
(You will also get better gas mileage)
1.
Replace the fuel filter. Do this every other oil change or 6,000 miles.
Restricted fuel filters lower fuel pressure. Lower fuel pressure
translates to a drop in performance. This is often overlooked and is
true for the 2.8 as well.
2.
If you still have the stock converter, replace it with a new high flow unit.
Gains will be noticeable as the original L4 brick catalyst is very
restrictive.
3.
Drop in a K&N air filter - or at least a new paper one.
4.
Pop in a new oxygen sensor
5. Change to synthetic oil 6. On 84-86 Dukes, bolt on a performance coil and a new set of lower resistance plug wires.
7.
Install a fresh set of spark plugs - NEVER put Bosch Platinum plugs in a DIS
car (87 & 88) If you have not added a higher voltage coil and wires,
close the gap .005 less than specified. "Trick" plugs (Splitfire,
etc.) are OK, but a waste of money as far as performance gains. A set of
new steel electrode AC plugs will do just fine.
8.
Bolt up the dual outlet muffler and pipes from a 85-87 V6. There are
tons in the junk yard for little or noting. Don't expect a great
performance improvement, even if there is one less chamber in the V6 muffler,
but it looks and sounds better.
9.
Run maximum allowable air pressure in your tires and avoid those tall fat ones
- especially on the back. They can change your effective gearing and
reduce HP at the point where the rubber meets the road.
10.
Try a 160 or 180 degree thermostat. It may take longer for the car to go
into closed loop but Dukes seem to run better in the 180-200 degree water temp
range. Add a manual fan switch so you can cut it on at will, don't wait
for the fan temp switch to do it or the water temp will soar even with a low
temp thermostat.
11.
Be sure no calipers are dragging - especially the rear EM brake.
12.
Run a batch of carbon removal and top engine cleaner through (Ed
Parks
sells this and the stuff really works!).
13.
For quicker off-on throttle response, disconnect and plug the vacuum hose to
the EGR valve. May have to move to mid grade 89 octane gas for this.
Also increases emissions. Will not give more overall HP - only quicker
throttle response. On a 2.5 the ECM doesn't know this has been done. (Note
this may cause emmissions problems. I.C.)
14.
Give the car a wash and wax, clean cars always run better - you know, less
wind drag over a slick surface thing.
If
you have not done these low cost items, you will be amazed in how much better
your Duke will run. Then, if you gotta learn the hard way (like I did)
go ahead and face the wind and pull those bills out of your pocket for your
visit to the johnny house...... or you could just donate them to me.
No
way (short
of the SD-4 - see http://fierozone.com
and click on "Blast From the Past" for SD 4 articles)
will you get the HP gains you want with the other higher cost add on mods for
the L4. Port matching and larger TB's won't hurt - but they won't help
much either unless you go the whole nine yards (heads, headers, cam, etc.).
Randy
Agee
The
Fiero Ranch
Mechanicsville,
VA
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