Engine Swap Questions and Progress (was "Rebirth!")

[ventura ace]

Thank you Alvon. Somehow I missed your post. Wouldn't the aux shaft hit the crank, if the crank and the aux shaft doesn't rotate in unison?

As Reyy says, it won't hurt anything if you are rotating it by hand and it bonks. However, I don't think there is a chance for it to hit anything with engine at TDC. Give it a try. If there is interference, then move the engine to a position where it turns freely. Just make sure you put it back to the 1:00 position (with #1 and #4 at TDC) when you are finished.

[So Cal Mark]

the 1800 aux shaft should clear, it's only the 2L that have an interference problem

[GOPAPA]

I just want to pop in here long enough to say ,,Great Job all you in on this Fiat Spider Motor Swapping .. as I read this once and will read it again tomorrow as it's the neatest week end work togeather party I ever read about..

I only wish I lived closer to been there ,,heck I would of been your "hand the wrench to you guy" just to of been part of it ..LOL

Okay ,,i'm gone ,, theres more of this story and i dont want to take up any more space .. write some more down as you finish the motor swap ,,I really enjoy it .. LD

[fiasco]

looks like theres no work for friday, should be able to get it handled then.

Reyy - I'll call you when I get home Friday afternoon.

-- se

[fiasco]

Got some questions about gaskets.

Here are all the gaskets I have left at this point with labels on the ones I can identify:



There are several orifices for which I don't seem to have gaskets. I just want to confirm that I need a gasket for each of these locations:

Where the oil dipstick goes into the block. I have a metal washer that seems to fit this spot, but no gasket.


Where the distributor goes in, and where the EGR connects to the exhaust manifold.


Where the EGR connects to the intake manifold


These EGR connections on top are an interesting situation. I don't have new gaskets for either connecting point. I have the old gasket for one of the connections, and on that gasket there is a piece of material that has been cut and glued over the opening in the gasket, blocking the flow of air through the system. I discovered this (actually Reyy did) when I took these parts off the engine.


This is the spot where the piece bolts onto the top of the head that the radiator hose connects to.


I have a spacer that was sitting on top of the intake and the carb sat on top of the spacer. I have no gaskets for this spot. Do I need one, and if so on the intake side or on the carb side? Do I need one on each side of the spacer?


Thanks!
-- se

[spiderrey]

i have a bunch of gaskets, ill bring some.....

[rlux4]

The two dark ones in the upper right look like they're for the fuel pump. They appear slightly different. (?) If so, they are probably for different blocks. The light brown one to the right of the cork ring is for the oil pump. Not sure about the cork ring, does it fit under the washer at the dipstick tube base?
Ron

[htchevyii]

Your engine is looking really good!

[manoa matt]

Like Ron said, the two gaskets on the upper right are for the mechanical fuel pump. There is a phenolic spacer between the block and pump, a gasket goes on each side of the phenolic spacer. I can see from your photos that you don't have a mechanical fuel pump, as you have a block off plate where it should be. Also the block off plate seams to already have a gasket.

There is no washer or gasket for the oil dipstick tube. The EGR to manifold connection does not have a gasket or washer, just get it tight. You will need a gasket for the distributor to cam box surface or you will have oil on your exhaust manifold and it will smoke.

I have found cutting one out of gasket material works better than the original at stopping leaks. If you smear a little grease on each side of the gasket, it will seal, and you will still be able to turn the distributor to time the car without tearing the gasket.

The old gasket on the top of the head that you saved looks pretty good. Take off the blocking piece and re-use the gasket.

Ther should be 2 rubber rings, (not O-rings) they are square in section. If you have the in-head thermostat, then you will use both to sandwitch the thermostat. If you have the external three way thermostat then you only use one. This is the casting that the upper rad hose connects to. If you have the three way thermostat, then you will use the brown paper gasket to sandwitch the outlet at the head to the "t" fitting for the upper coolant hoses.

You should be able to re-use your carb to intake manifold gasket, if not cut another from some thick gasket material.

I may have the correct gasket for the top of the exhaust manifold. If you can give me the center to center stud spacing and the hole size I can confirm if I have it.

Engine looks great by the way, good job. Are you a Cincinnati Bengals fan?

[ROOK1]

Looks great Steve.

[fiasco]

Engine looks great by the way, good job. Are you a Cincinnati Bengals fan?

The official colors at the school where I work, Azusa Pacific University, used to be Orange and Black. In 1999 we switched to a more "conventional" red and black, but there are a number of old school orange and black fans still around. Eventually the outside of the car will be orange too. I wanted to go ahead with some orange on the engine as long as I have it out.

-- se

[manoa matt]

My first car a, 78 spider when I was 16 was orange, and my current 78 daily driver is orange....the best color IMHO

[ventura ace]

Steve,
You make better progress by yourself than you do with 5 guys hanging over your shoulder! Good job!

Did you get the cam pulleys and aux pulley bolts on their extremely tight? You wouldn't want one of those to loosen up on you down the road somewhere. WIsh I was over there close by to see progress first hand. Thanks for keeping us posted.

A

[fiasco]

I feel like I have made some good progress this week, even though I only had a couple of days to actually do anything. Reyy came by today and helped me get the last of the pulley's on. I haven't torqued anything down yet. I'm planning to go back through and recheck everything this weekend. I did some cleanup on the engine bay today, but I still have some to do.

I'm wondering if anyone might be available to come over on Sunday the 15th to help me actually put the engine back into the car. I would just feel a whole lot better with someone to look over everything I've done and make sure I didn't miss anything before it goes back in. And then having some help getting all the wires, pipes and hoses hooked back up would be nice too. If, for some reason, I make more progress than expected by then and we have extra time, we could make a run up Glendora Mountain Road, and I'll grill up some burgers for us.

Thanks,
-- se

[So Cal Mark]

the egr fittings all used gaskets originally, but those are discontinued now. You have to make your own