.. Ok here goes... 89' caddy eldorado 4.5l v8 ... ok i have a friend with a 980 i belive beretta and he hit a deer with it and i would like to convert my 4.5 to a manual transmission... from what i have found out the 2.8l trannys will bolt to the 4.5l so my question it what cluth flywheel would i use? can i make custom shift rods? what axles can i use? can i use the stock brakes and hubs? if i cannot make a mecanical cluth work is there a kit to make a hydraulic clutch fit this application?... I know its not a hot rod yet.... i also would like to know about performace things and show things like what valve covers to use or what custom airfilter will fit the tbi? also where can i get bigger injectors? or velocity stacks?... what companies offer pipe in a box for building headers for something like this? anything would help for this.. are there shiftkits available for the automatics in them... or if i put the manual in it is there much available to upgrade them?? thanks bret
A little something different in the future
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I had a friend get into making a nice automatic Cadillac into a manual shift back in the early 70's. It was a 68 or 69 Coupe DeVille. It was a nightmare but he did get it done. Keep in mine his was a rear wheel drive Cadillac.
He ended up pulling the engine to take the engine apart and machine the crankshaft for a pilot bearing. Then he had a custom manual shift flywheel modified to work on the Cadillac engine. Re-balance the engine. Installed a Lakewood bellhousing. Bought a Muncie 4 speed and a Hurst shifter. Bought a clutch and pressure plate. Hung a clutch pedal. Made clutch linkage :spank: :sweat: and then a drive shaft. Then try to get the speedometer right. (hey it was the 70's.....I could do the speedometer real easy NOW )
It was still a dog, too heavy and the rear end ratio was not for performance. BUT........he had the only 4 speed Cadillac around... :smash:
He inherited the Cadillac from his grandmother. He would have been WAY ahead of the game if he sold it and went and bought something that WOULD run...
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Do a google search on "Cadero". You'll find pretty much everything you need to know - there are a couple of Fiero message boards devoted to this subject, last time I looked.53fordguy said:
I wouldn't be surprised if someone hadn't already done what you are thinking about. I know that Caddy engines have been dropped into Luminas and Fieros. The Beretta is very similar to the Fiero in layout, except the engine compartment is on the other end of the vehicle.
The trans is probably going to be your biggest hurdle. The Getrag five-speed out of a Fiero and/or Beretta is the trans of choice. However, the Fiero is a very light car - its easy to spin the tires and this acts as a "safety valve", protecting the drivetrain from grenading. If you were able to get all the power of the Cadillac engine into that drivetrain, either via heavier car or sticky tires, it might not last very long. There's only one trans that would really work - it only came in five-speed FWD GPs and Luminas for three or four years - Getrag 284, IIRC. Very hard to find, but capable of handling the torque of the Caddy engine.
I don't know the answer, but I do know some places you can look.
http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/index.php?
A general pupose caddy forum, but might have some more info on the engine.
http://www.hwforums.com/2089/
http://www.cowboyseven.us/forum/
More about the 500s and 472s, but some of the people there know their stuff.
http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/index.php?
A general pupose caddy forum, but might have some more info on the engine.
http://www.hwforums.com/2089/
http://www.cowboyseven.us/forum/
More about the 500s and 472s, but some of the people there know their stuff.
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Re: Re: A little something different in the future
Sounds like a cool project! The bolt pattern should be fine and the transaxle should bolt up. I'm not sure what you would use for trans mounts, try modifying the Caddy cradle for the Beretta ones. Use the Beretta clutch. The flywheel will need to be balanced for the Caddy motor and have the Caddy bolt pattern, but sized for the Beretta clutch. Check out http://www.fieroaddiction.com/caddy49a.html for some more info.
I would use the Beretta shifter and cables and try to graft them into your Caddy.
According to a major Fiero V8 conversion kit vendor (www.v8archie.com) the Fiero transaxles are capable of taking the abuse of a V8. The Getrag 282 was the stock Fiero 5-speed, available in '86+ but I hear parts for the 284 are next to impossible to find. With the '89 4.5L putting down 155hp/240 ft-lbs (if my math is right), I don't think traction or dead gearboxes will be a huge issue. Just my opinion, no offence intended.
Sounds like a cool project!
The bolt pattern should be fine and the transaxle should bolt up. I'm not sure what you would use for trans mounts, try modifying the Caddy cradle for the Beretta ones. Use the Beretta clutch. The flywheel will need to be balanced for the Caddy motor and have the Caddy bolt pattern, but sized for the Beretta clutch. Check out http://www.fieroaddiction.com/caddy49a.html for some more info. I would use the Beretta shifter and cables and try to graft them into your Caddy.
I have to disagree. The Fiero is light (~2500 lbs), but the weight of the powertrain is right over the drive wheels. They hook up pretty well.ckucia said:
According to a major Fiero V8 conversion kit vendor (www.v8archie.com) the Fiero transaxles are capable of taking the abuse of a V8. The Getrag 282 was the stock Fiero 5-speed, available in '86+ but I hear parts for the 284 are next to impossible to find. With the '89 4.5L putting down 155hp/240 ft-lbs (if my math is right), I don't think traction or dead gearboxes will be a huge issue. Just my opinion, no offence intended.
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