Second Engine Build, Raising CR

[RRoller123]

Speedo cable fitting at the transmission: For the life of me, I can't understand what this O-Ring is for? It is far too strong to be stretched back over the fitting and used for an inner seal. Thought at first that it was just put there for shipping so it wouldn't be lost, and could be pulled off and repositioned inside the speedo cable fitting. Nah. Maybe it is meant to slide back up the cable and be used with the guide on the side of the tunnel wall? But that guide is so tight that the cable snaps solidly in place, with a lot or force required, so no way could an O-Ring be used there. Maybe it is meant to keep the cap from sliding back up the cable, but why they would do that is beyond me. Anyone know why this is here?

So I just put it together with it still just sitting there observing the world going by beneath. Maybe it will call out to me when it starts leaking.

Also pictured below, is another in the series of best tool evuh, this one for tightening or loosening the speedo cable cap at the transmission. Makes it a trivial job, and doesn't wreck the knurls, like hammering on them with the end of a screwdriver blade does.

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Are you sure it's not the seal inside that knurled nut? If you slide the o-ring back a few inches where the black sheath is, then I bet you can now slide the knurled nut over that o-ring since the o-ring isn't expanded around the larger (metal) part of the assembly. The o-ring might then slide over the lip at the end of the connection, and then you can position it between the drive unit and the cable as you tighten the nut.

As an aside: Should a knurled nut be called a "knut"....?

-Bryan

[RRoller123]

Good idea, I will try that, it just wasn't making sense.

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Let us know if it works. Come to think of it, I've always had some oil seepage from that connection, but I also don't recall an o-ring in the joint. Maybe that's been my problem all along? I do recall my dad changing the speedometer cable back in the early 70s, and maybe the o-ring was never installed...

I imagine any suitable size o-ring would work.

-Bryan

[RRoller123]

Yep, you were right, it took an act of the Lord to get that O-Ring to fit past the knurled fitting, on the inside, but it did it finally, with a lot of prodding with a dull screwdriver. Thanks for the idea. I am not as smart as I look.

[tima01864]

I have the same thing on my 83 cable, But it isnot an o-ring. The rubber piece is more of a grommet, As you would find in a hole in the chassis, But no hole can be found. Interesting.

[RRoller123]

Definitely an O-Ring on this one.

[tima01864]

The enigma of the rubber grommet

[18Fiatsandcounting]

I have the same thing on my 83 cable, But it isnot an o-ring. The rubber piece is more of a grommet, As you would find in a hole in the chassis, But no hole can be found. Interesting.

I've never had a '83 spider, but at least on the earlier spiders, that grommet was to hold the speedometer cable in a bracket that was attached to the top of the steering column box. Ancient legends tell of such men who were able to correctly install that grommet, and these beings were indeed gods who walked amongst mere mortals. Do not offend them, lest you feel their wrath.

-Bryan

[manoa matt]

Good to see you got the O-ring figured out. That is a common place for the GL-1 to escape. I also never had the bracket for the grommet, so I slid it to a part in the cable that touches the trans tunnel and put a small zip tie to keep it in place. The grommet now keeps the cable off the tunnel from rubbing and wearing through the outer cable jacket. I have a pair of long needle nose pliers that have a 90 deg. bend in the jaws near the end. The most useful pliers I own, they come in handy so many times for hard to reach and weird angle stuff.

[RRoller123]

I will take a look this morning and see if that steering box bracket is there on your car, Tim.

[RRoller123]

Been a long time since we did an update. Lots of progress made; The Head, Intake Manifold with Fuel Rail, and covers are back in. Exhaust Manifold goes in tomorrow, and probably the radiator and cooling system as well. Getting close to firing it up. Too bad all the car shows and cruises have been cancelled, it is sure gone crazy here in MA.



I found that the timing belt cover would rub on the crank pulley (even before splitting it, no difference) , so this small plastic spacer was added, works perfectly to keep everything from touching. I have split the cover, so it can go on and off without removing the Coolant, and I think none of the hoses have to come off either, but it has been awhile, and I forget. Makes it a lot simpler. Also, you can get access to the adjustable Cam Wheels for valve timing by just removing the top portion of the cover, which easily comes right off.

[RRoller123]

Wow, I have neglected this posting. Car is back on the road and runs amazingly well. I have put over 200 miles on the new engine. The difference in power is very surprising. It took about 100 miles or so to set in the new parts, and it kept running better and better with passing miles.

Did so many things beyond the short block this time around. Cleaned up and painted the engine bay, had the transmission rebuilt, wrapped all of the wiring harnesses looms with harness tape, painted and coated the exhaust system, wired in a starter relay, converted from failed Computronix back to stock distributor system, tuned in the drive line angles, among other stuff.

But it was advancing the Exhaust cam by about 2 degrees, and the Intake cam, by about 4 degrees that really made a difference. It really flies now, I find that I don't have to put the pedal all the way to the floor all the time to get out of it the acceleration that I may want at that time. Pushes me quite a bit back into the seat. What a change. A project well worth doing. I also have a large SS valve head with Isky springs, ported but not polished, free flow test pipe, 274FI cams, lightened Flywheel/Adj Cam Wheels/Crank sprocket, aluminum radiator and a lightened GR Starter. Running no spare, as I have 14" wheels on 30mm track widening stud adapters. [Carry a can of tire sealant fix-a-flat]. I think I have pulled way over 100 pounds out of the car, ~5% minimum.

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Great stuff, Pete, thanks for the update. I don't recall driving a Fiat with a modified engine such as yours, but it must be a blast. When I put a 2L engine in my '69, it was pretty quick (for a Fiat), especially on the freeway. Since flat out acceleration from standstill is pretty hard on the drivetrain, I used to just measure the time it took to go from 40 to 80 mph in 4th gear. So, from 2500 to 5000 rpm or so. I seem to recall (could be wrong) that it was around 10 seconds. I doubt it's anywhere near that anymore as the engine has 80,000 or so miles on it.

-Bryan

[RRoller123]

I was thinking I would somehow time the 0 to 60, but it is difficult to do it without a passenger, and that really slows things down! But there is no question, it is very much faster now with these mods.

I still have a problem, that has vexed me literally for a couple of years, that it just will not idle when cold. It starts ok when cold, and runs well until the CSI stops. Then stumbles very badly and has to be feathered until it is fully warm. I have checked and adjusted or replaced, as applicable, every sensor, and fuel pressure is fine. I suspect that I have one or more failed or clogged injectors. I had them cleaned in 2013, and I can hear them click with a stethoscope, but the symptoms seem like fuel starvation. Could be ECU, so many possibilities. I swapped out a known good AFM and it ran even worse, lol. It has no air leaks except possibly past the throttle plate shaft. Going to put in new seals there, probably today, courtesy of Max. Also may have a problem with the old original charcoal canister, will investigate that too. Could be the AFM idle adjustment. Just knock them off one at a time. It is annoying. Once it warms up it runs fine, except that it requires a high idle, ~1200, but that is probably the 274 cam. It is always something, as Gilda said.