1971 Spider Restoration Puzzle .

[davebdave]

I was able to assemble the transmission. Luca cleaned up the bellhousing and tail section but I don't think he replaced any of the internals.

Should the white ball joint on the base of the shifter be greased?

I noticed that I have to lift the handle to get over the reverse lock, strange design considering the shift handle just pulls off. Has anyone accidentally pulled their shift lever off going into reverse? I haven't fully seated it yet so don't know how secure it will be.

In this last photo there are three large pairs of nuts and bolts that were unmarked but in separate bags. I'm assuming one set is for the steering box. Any Idea where the other's might go? The set on the left take a 17mm wrench and the other two a 19mm.

Thanks,
Dave

SplitTrans by Dave W, on Flickr

Trans by Dave W, on Flickr

mysteryNuts by Dave W, on Flickr

[RRoller123]

On the later ones, yes, lube up the ball and all the contact surfaces there. We used Lithium grease, light but substantial coating. Shifts great . The shift handle (on later ones anyway) is held on by a locking nut, (type with plastic locking insert) at the bottom. It isn't coming off. On the later ones it is down and over for reverse though.

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Should the white ball joint on the base of the shifter be greased?

I noticed that I have to lift the handle to get over the reverse lock, strange design considering the shift handle just pulls off. Has anyone accidentally pulled their shift lever off going into reverse? I haven't fully seated it yet so don't know how secure it will be.

RRoller answered most of your questions, and I agree about greasing that white ball, and the shifter "lockout". On early model years, you pulled the shift lever up to get it into reverse, while on later years you pushed down. I'm not sure what model year was the changeover. On both my '69 and '71, I removed this shift "lockout" feature, as it was just annoying. I have never once come even close to shifting into reverse when I didn't mean to. If you remove the metal bolt that provides the lockout function, put another blank screw in there to seal up that opening.

On the bolts, the larger ones look like the ones to attach the rubber donut to the yokes on the end of the transmission output and the front of the driveshaft. There are 6 total, though, so maybe the other 3 are somewhere else?

The other bolts do look like they could be for the steering box and/or idler box, and I can check later today on my '71.

-Bryan

[davebdave]

Thanks guys! Very helpful! I’m surprised I didn’t think of the output flange with those three little arms sitting there at the back of the transmission. I’ll keep looking for more bolts.

[18Fiatsandcounting]

I checked on my '71 (and on my '69), and the plot thickens. There are 3 bolts and nuts that hold the steering box to the frame, but there are only 2 bolts and nuts that hold the idler box (on the opposite side) to the frame. For the idler box, there are 3 holes in the frame rail, but only 2 are used. My assumption was always that this allowed the car to be easily built with right hand steering, such as for the UK or New Zealand markets or the like.

-Bryan

[davebdave]

Thanks Bryan, sounds like I am looking for two more of these larger type of bolts.

[manoa matt]

The three bolts in the lower left with the washer integral to the hex head are for the steering box-to-frame rail. As stated, the three long bolts in the upper right are for the guibo/ trans-to-drive shaft connection.

The three in the bottom center may be for the engine-to-trans bellhousing, there should be 4 though. Is the bolt head in the upper left near the clutch throw-out fork boot the same as the lower center three?

[davebdave]

........Is the bolt head in the upper left near the clutch throw-out fork boot the same as the lower center three?

Thanks for confirming the steering box, the bolt next to the boot is from a pair of two that came out of the rear trailing arms I have all of those bolts since they were left in the links.

[davebdave]

Hi All,
Thanks for all the help identifying the large bolts. In a box I thought was just Interior parts I found a second rubber donut/drive shaft tailpiece with three bolts in it. (I am finding quite a few duplicate parts.) The bellhousing bolts are in the engine. And I found the steering idler bolts. The two lower bolts in the back of the engine are marked Fiat but the upper two are new. This still leaves the three Fiat bolts with the ? mark which are the same size and length as the two newer bolts in the engine stand. Anyway I think I am ready to move forward. Thanks again.

I am wondering how critical is the crosshatched ring that goes between the output shaft and the driveshaft? I don't want to waste $30 on a new one but a vibration would be worse. Here is a picture, the ring shows some wear and rough edges but feels pretty tight in the driveshaft. Would you replace it?

Dave

Fasteners by Dave W, on Flickr

CtrRing by Dave W, on Flickr

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Dave, I was thinking those 3 bolts/nuts that you have circled with the "???" were the other bolts to the rubber donut (giubo). The donut has six bolts total: 3 on the front yoke (that goes to the transmission) and 3 on the rear yoke (that has the internal splines for the front driveshaft).

As for that crosshatched ring, it looks OK to me. I think it is there to center the rear transmission output into that front yoke. The ring presses on and off, but it's not a super tight interference fit so you can usually just carefully pound it back on. If memory serves, there should be a circlip to hold it in place, at the very tip of the transmission output shaft. So, the crosshatched ring should be pushed on enough so that the groove is exposed for the circlip.

-Bryan

[davebdave]

Dave, I was thinking those 3 bolts/nuts that you have circled with the "???" were the other bolts to the rubber donut (giubo). The donut has six bolts total: 3 on the front yoke (that goes to the transmission) and 3 on the rear yoke (that has the internal splines for the front driveshaft).

As for that crosshatched ring, it looks OK to me. I think it is there to center the rear transmission output into that front yoke. The ring presses on and off, but it's not a super tight interference fit so you can usually just carefully pound it back on. If memory serves, there should be a circlip to hold it in place, at the very tip of the transmission output shaft. So, the crosshatched ring should be pushed on enough so that the groove is exposed for the circlip.

-Bryan

Thanks, You're probably right. I found that I have two rubber donuts and two driveshaft yokes so I may just have extra bolts. I'll keep the centering ring unless I impulsively drop a new one in a shopping cart with another parts order.

[davebdave]

Hi All,
I made some progress today. A-arms and front springs are in. I used a spring compressor I bought years ago for installing springs on my Pontiac. It won't work for the rear but I may rent an autoparts store spring compressor. The empty body shell is super light plus I have long progressive springs.

spring by Dave W, on Flickr

compressor by Dave W, on Flickr

For the master cylinder I measured the depth of the receiver piston, measured the extension of the Booster rod, did some math and installed with 1mm gap. Except when I double checked it by removing the master cylinder the rod was all the way in. So I shortened the rod to the point that after installing and removing the master I could then push the rod in an extra 1mm. I don't think the profile of the rod matches the master cylinder input, which makes pre-measuring futile.

mic by Dave W, on Flickr

I ordered brake lines from a large Fiat supplier and the right front brake line was short. Granted I am bypassing the brake pressure sensor but hopefully nothing will get in the way of the brake line. All other lines were extra long as you would want with prefab lines.

brakeline by Dave W, on Flickr

I have the front sway bar ready to install but I think I'll wait until the engine is in with weight on wheels. Any Idea what this part is for (it is flat on both sides not twisted like the front sway bar end mounts?) It may not be for a Fiat 124, for example I have three different sized starters that came with the car.

PoochPart by Dave W, on Flickr

swaybar by Dave W, on Flickr

Lastly I need to replace the bearing races in the front hubs, any tips on how to do this? Thanks again for the help,
Dave

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Regarding the "pooch part", it's hard to tell now that he/she has goobered it all up, but my guess would be the pivot bracket for the actuator rod for the rear brake compensator. Especially if you have only one of these. It installs on the underside of the body, above the rear axle, and the rod that goes through it connects to the rear axle with the other end to the rear brake compensator.

As for removing bearing races, I've always reused my old ones so I can't help you there, but I'm guessing that there are a gazillion YouTube videos that show how to do this. I'm sure any machine shop could also do this.

-Bryan

[davebdave]

Thanks Bryan, I’ll take a shot at the races and if it doesn’t go well I’ll send them to a machine shop. I need to resurface the flywheel anyway. There are two identical pooch parts but I’m pretty sure they are for a another car. I was digging through boxes when he ran off with that one.

[KWL82]

You wont need spring compressor for the rear either. Old thread somewhere here that shows in detail how to do it. I did it and perfectly safe and easy. Basically put car on stands at rear lift points, raise one wheel with jack so other drops, then remove.