28 days till michigan.... the list

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81SPIDERMATT
Posts: 1239
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2010 5:10 pm
Your car is a: 1981 spider 2000
Location: FORT COLLINS, CO

28 days till michigan.... the list

Post by 81SPIDERMATT »

ok here we go... on june 25 i will be attending the yearly family reunion in michigan ... me my dog and my spider..... over the past year and some i have done a lot of work and am determined to finish the majority of my list for the trip... first the things that are done.. center drive support bracket and donut.. rebuilt all calipers and new soft brake lines.. iap sport springs and kyb shocks.. new panhard rod .. front wheel bearings ..tie rods.. ends .. ball joints and bushings .new tires. rotors ..pads...new exhaust ... removed tube bumpers and turn signal conversion... fresh carpet... short shifter.. tore off the visors and the rear veiw mirror...(preference i am sure).. now that it turns and stops the way i want.. time to dive in to the engine bay... by no means will it look like some of the ones i have seen but want to clean it up a bit with the next project

the car lately seems to be burning more fuel and the fan stopped coming on... when warm it seems to stutter upon acceleration from a dead stop..seems like it is flooding and then catches a breath of air and takes off... or it could be the opposite and is not getting enough fuel...hoping a tune up will fix or show the problem

and here is the list of things to come

timing belt..tensioner bearing. front seals if needed..injector inspection and cleaning if needed.. i have the inner and outer seals for the injectors... water pump if needed... marks aluminum radiator and fan kit... marks headlight conversoin... spoiler on the front...new windsheild washer bottle and pump.. looks bigger than the original..gonna have to make some type of mount... also plugs..new wires ( they are red) ,, have artigues tune up guide and will go thru that also

and to further lengthen this first post.. i have done my homework and hope to be of minimal concern ... but the questions.. they will come... the confidence i have to do this job is knowing you all are only a click away.... need the car on wednesday then it begins.... i expect my first question aprox a little after noon on thursday......... Matt
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81SPIDERMATT
Posts: 1239
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2010 5:10 pm
Your car is a: 1981 spider 2000
Location: FORT COLLINS, CO

Re: 28 days till michigan.... the list

Post by 81SPIDERMATT »

ok gonna try this.... this is what i am starting with... not bad mostly dirty

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this is what has been holding the undersized radiator in place with a little wedging on the other side for over a year... i check on it once in a while.... crazy

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prretty oily... seals will need to be done

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is this a high flow option from the factory.... but seriously do i need to do something with this????

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front three plugs puddled with oil... hoping it is coming from the front and just blowing back... have had the hood off for a couple of days

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got a late start and have to take over on the kid watching so do not get to play with the big nut i have been dreading...

more wires that i thought going to the fan... some coming from the cabin and some come from old switch at bottom of radiator.meeting in the middle then going to fan .gonna have to stare at those before i ask something stupid..

speaking of wires... looks like the po sorta tried a brown wire fix... that thing is jumping around all under the dash...but another day

what makes the plastic shiny will hurt the rubber or vice versa... anybody got a tip on that ... i know.. a little degreaser ..soap and water ... time and elbow grease is the way ...but that pop at the end

funny how the confidence level changes... radiator out .. belts and hoses flying off the car and then bam... huh whaat is it where are they supposed to be...what is next.... time for more refreshing of information
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81SPIDERMATT
Posts: 1239
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2010 5:10 pm
Your car is a: 1981 spider 2000
Location: FORT COLLINS, CO

Re: 28 days till michigan.... the list

Post by 81SPIDERMATT »

ok ... i have spent months collecting parts for this trip .... do not have the funds to start replacing things that i did not anticipate... with that being said (venting sorry) ... please tell me there is a simple get me thru the next 2 months and 3000 mile fix for this..... thanks...Matt

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the rest seems to be fine ..not brittle... this spot is not really brittle either.. i think it just got mishandled
narfire
Posts: 3959
Joined: Sat Dec 27, 2008 2:14 am
Your car is a: 1980 124 spider
Location: Naramata B.C.

Re: 28 days till michigan.... the list

Post by narfire »

I've seen JB weld on that joint.
80 FI spider
72 work in progress
2017 Golf R ( APR Stg. 1)
2018 F350 crew long box
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81SPIDERMATT
Posts: 1239
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2010 5:10 pm
Your car is a: 1981 spider 2000
Location: FORT COLLINS, CO

Re: 28 days till michigan.... the list

Post by 81SPIDERMATT »

narfire wrote:I've seen JB weld on that joint.
it's rubber
SunnySideUp
Posts: 640
Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2010 3:02 pm
Your car is a: SOLD

Re: 28 days till michigan.... the list

Post by SunnySideUp »

The holes in the air plastic airbox will help your car breath better. Just make sure the air filter is good / clean. The torn nipple on the rubber air plenum is really not good. It may be contributing to the stuttering you're experiencing. It would be best to replace it with a good used one or new if possible - BUT you could possibly do a fix using a bicycle inner tube repair kit. Clean the area really well. Apply rubber cement and apply the patch. It won't be pretty but it will work in a pinch until you can replace the plenum.
SunnySideUp
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81SPIDERMATT
Posts: 1239
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2010 5:10 pm
Your car is a: 1981 spider 2000
Location: FORT COLLINS, CO

Re: 28 days till michigan.... the list

Post by 81SPIDERMATT »

holes are ok...good.... inner tube repair.. got it.... will replace over the winter ... just need the cash for the trip...

been reading that some are taking off the back covers... thoughts.... if i leave them on i do not need to take off the top two cams ... correct???... just the aux and the crank... those are where the seals are behind.... correct?????...... if i choose to take them off ... are they keyed somehow so that they go back on correctly... same question for the crank and aux...

got a good bit cleaned up ... ready to attack crank nut first thing in the am

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narfire
Posts: 3959
Joined: Sat Dec 27, 2008 2:14 am
Your car is a: 1980 124 spider
Location: Naramata B.C.

Re: 28 days till michigan.... the list

Post by narfire »

81SPIDERMATT wrote:it's rubber
I know, I have a FI as well. Regardless, the stuff sealed up the joint on a FI I had bought and flipped a couple of years ago.
80 FI spider
72 work in progress
2017 Golf R ( APR Stg. 1)
2018 F350 crew long box
User avatar
81SPIDERMATT
Posts: 1239
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2010 5:10 pm
Your car is a: 1981 spider 2000
Location: FORT COLLINS, CO

Re: 28 days till michigan.... the list

Post by 81SPIDERMATT »

narfire wrote:
81SPIDERMATT wrote:it's rubber
I know, I have a FI as well. Regardless, the stuff sealed up the joint on a FI I had bought and flipped a couple of years ago.
sweet
thanks
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81SPIDERMATT
Posts: 1239
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2010 5:10 pm
Your car is a: 1981 spider 2000
Location: FORT COLLINS, CO

Re: 28 days till michigan.... the list

Post by 81SPIDERMATT »

wow ... tight.... but not impossible// everything is off that needs to come off. got the tensioner pulley off also.. time for more cleaning...

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ok.. i know that to get out the seals i am gonna use an awl or screw or something like that and carefully get them out... is there a majik tool like 2 inch pvc or inch and half socket that will help with the straight and correct way to install..i do not have the gaskets to do i the way the manual is telling me....just realized ..if i am changing seals probably a good idea to drain the oil.... dang ..scott has my jack

any ideas about a temp or cheap overflow bottle .. think i am missing a heat sheild of some type and it has melted my overflow bottle..does whatever i use have to have a vented cap of some type???

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User avatar
81SPIDERMATT
Posts: 1239
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2010 5:10 pm
Your car is a: 1981 spider 2000
Location: FORT COLLINS, CO

Re: 28 days till michigan.... the list

Post by 81SPIDERMATT »

also is this the best way>>>one thread for all the questions that will pop up .. my ego is not fragile and can take a hit if i am doing something wrong please let me know
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kmead
Posts: 1069
Joined: Sat Aug 02, 2008 9:24 pm
Your car is a: 1969 850 SC 1970 124 SC 85 X19
Location: Grand Rapids, MI

Re: 28 days till michigan.... the list

Post by kmead »

For the torn nipple on the intake rubber hose, Self-Vulcanizing Rubber?Silicone Tape should help ( http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ZT ... NQ9HEBWMMW ). You can pick it up at Autozone or other auto parts places. You might also choose to seal the hole with some liquid rubber material like this : http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/janit ... t-1-2-pint

Hope that helps.

Karl
Karl

1969 Fiat 850 Sports Coupe
1970 Fiat 124 Sports Coupe
1985 Bertone X1/9
User avatar
81SPIDERMATT
Posts: 1239
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2010 5:10 pm
Your car is a: 1981 spider 2000
Location: FORT COLLINS, CO

Re: 28 days till michigan.... the list

Post by 81SPIDERMATT »

vulcanizing tape... love it... gonna try that just kuz...
more cleaning and painting

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yellow

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bberry

Re: 28 days till michigan.... the list

Post by bberry »

81,
Looks good. Just went through all that. Don't know if you changed the front seals on the camshafts but I would recommend that. Bit of a job getting the sprockets off but I see you are experienced by getting the others off. I also did the T in the top hose. I hear drilling the small hole in the thermostat is also a good fix. Lots of good info here.
User avatar
81SPIDERMATT
Posts: 1239
Joined: Mon Oct 11, 2010 5:10 pm
Your car is a: 1981 spider 2000
Location: FORT COLLINS, CO

Re: 28 days till michigan.... the list

Post by 81SPIDERMATT »

dont have those seals... but looks like they are not leaking....
gonna cut the timing cover in half like some i have seen...
still pondering the overflow bottle situation
the fan wires .... is the blue one power????

how should i address the heat shield ... i could fabricate something... anybody got a pic of one... should it vent somehow... i have three bolts coming off of the header... was thinking of just cutting a baking sheet up into a triangle and drilling some holes in it.... or maybe wrap the header... dont know enough about it to make an intelligent decision ..
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