engine rebuild

[katsi]

Part of my education and dedication to this Fiat is knowing how to rebuild the motor. I'll leave the trans alone for now but I don't know where to start on the motor. I will go to the manual but anyone know a rebuild book for dummies? By the way, I'm talking about the motor I pulled out of the parts car. I want to rebuild it and pop it in the driver. That's my goal anyway. I may just start unbolting shit soon. Always seemed to work in the past. Not perfectly mind you but never the less, woked!

[mdrburchette]

Do you have a manual yet, Katsi? It will help with all the torque values and tolerances. I would also take plenty of pictures while you took it apart and label everything you take off. There are a thousand bolts, washers, nuts, etc that come off of these engines and it would be nice to make sure you get the proper ones back in the original place. How deep do you want to go? A complete rebuild? It would help to know the history of the motor you're working on. I'm running into a major fiasco with the one we're building. We ported and polished the head that came off my original 72 engine and mated it to the block of a parts car. We've run into a piston/head clearance issue because we didn't realize the head had been reworked before. I have also learned to not re-use rod bolts. They will stretched! The vendors should have some in stock but the nuts need to be ordered separately.

[narfire]

Tearing down the engine and putting it back together is something I enjoy about these cars. They are simple compared to the newer things out there.
There are a couple of manuals out there that helped me,both are available on ebay, Haynes is one and the other, can't read the publisher from the picture and my copy is at the shop,but dark cover and includes the details of the turbo model.
I just put a re build in my FI and am really happy. I had the head surfaced but only 5-7 thou came off. Someone else chime in here but I was told that 20 thou would be max.
Had the block boiled and surfaced and bored .4 mm over. All the rotating bits were balanced and the flywheel lightened as well. This was about $350 cdn-$320 US?.
The vendors sell any pistons you want to use if you want oversize. New bearings,seals ect are all available.
A great project and you can add/change the engine to add a little or alot of extra zip.
Have fun,beer helps as well

[NitroDemon]

can't read the publisher from the picture and my copy is at the shop,but dark cover and includes the details of the turbo model.

That would be the one I have, its a "Brooklands Books" Shop Manual, Black cover with I believe a White Fiat spider under some trees.

[spiderrey]

Katsi, it shouldnt be to difficult at all. If you can read and follow directions, take ur time. Back in 1980 I had a 71 spider, needed a rebuild cause it left a huge trail of smoke everywhere I went. With no, and i mean no auto repair experience repair or schooling what so ever. And I lived with my mom, my dad lived to far away to be of any guidence. I bought a book and a spare motor and tore into it. To my surprise it fired and ranjust fine when I was done. The only issue I had was valve adjustment. I had taken the head to a local fiat shop and paid them to do the adjustment, it was wrong so I ended up doing it my self. You have a huge advantage that I didnt have back then, the internet. It makes everything possible. Go for it

[katsi]

Haynes? Ok, I'll make sure to order one up. Thanks for the advice, I will probably get started when it starts to warm up a bit in the new year.