1979 Manifold swap

[katsi]

OK, on my last 1979, the one I ended up parting out because of too much rust, some of you may remember that when I tried to swap out the 79 manifold with a 78 I could not remove the manifold without first removing the master cylinder and brake booster. Then, in order to get it out I had to actually remove some of the studs to clear the cyclonic trap. That was a real pain in the rear. So, when I started the same mod on my new 79 you can immagine I was a little aprehensive. I am pleased to say that this one came out without any problems . Plenty of clearance. The problem with the last one is that the PO put the mounting studs in the lower bolt holes and used the bolts on the upper portion of the manifold mounting points.

Anyway, so far so good. I will keep you guys posted on the mod as it progresses.



Although it's a bit hard to see, the primary is really clean and shinny but the secondary is black.


By the looks of things, I would say that this is the first time the manifold has ever been off.
Also, notice the "Cruse control" running next to the throttle cable. This runs to a manual choke type of knob just under the dash.

[mbouse]

cruise control, 'eh? yeah, i've on-and-off considered installing an electronic cruise control for those long highway drives i take once per year in my Spider. Just to be able to remove your foot from the gas pedal once an hour or so would be beneficial. i'd like to hear what you think of this modification if you ever get the opportunity to use it.

and yup... bolts verses studs. they are mixed on the same assembly for a reason. swapping them around should be avoided. musta been a PITA for the p.o. to install the bolts incorrectly as i recall it was a PITA for you to get them out. NOW i understand why.

so, what are you gonna do for the dipstick mount now that you are discarding the two litre carb'd intake manifold with the built in dipstick tube mount?

[katsi]

Mike, as always, you bring up some good points. I was thinking about running something from the altinator mounting bolt to hold the dipstick. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I really have not given it a whole lot of thought but, I'll figure something out. I thought about asking this kid who lives about 2 miles from me, for some ideas on this. This kid can make anything. His aftermarket Fiat parts are really well done. His mods to his spider are awesome. He explained the oil filter modification but I really did not understand it. Anyway, it's supposed to keep everything well lubricated for when he gets the motor up arround 7500 rpms. Not only that but he has done away with the dizzy all togither and is running a "Gear Timing" type of thing. I kinda understand that but not 100% . You may know him. Maybe not - don't know if he wants me plastering his name on the internet.

Anyway, any thought on how to mount the dipstick from anyone would be great.

[mbouse]

the best suggestion i can offer is to get a complete Dipstick tube assembly from a fuel injected parts car. that assembly has a mounting bracket that bolts directly to the cam tower behind the intake cam gear. looks VERY nice, as if it were designed for your application.

my second suggestion is to fabricate a bracket that comes up from the bolt hole left open when you abandon the egr gas port, and use the stock dipstick tube.

was pope's mom at your house? i see she left a souvenir on your air breather.

[spiderrey]

I had the tall dip stick on the 79 I dropped in my 70. I ditched it and installed an early short stick from an early year car. It dosent require an extra mount.