1500ti restoration. Ex racer

[rsfruitbat]

This wont help much but the engines i believe are all the same length.
I think the injection and later engines had a longer front pulley but thats it.

Any chance of soem pictures from the side to show what you mean?

rsfruitbat

[justsuds]

All engines are the same length James, the front mount is the same for 1200 engines as it is for 1700, I will have a good second hand front mount if decide to go down that root.
John.

[Veesix75]

The engine mount that was on the car, did it have an alloy plate under it / part of it?

The standard ones are just rubber bonded to the steel plate.

What is it that doesn't fit, crossmember end or engine end ?

It's a while ago but my fading memory recalls a modified mount on the front of your car, but then again I could have seen that on a different one and be mixing them up?

[junior]

Thanks for that chaps I thought that was the case, but verification ensures I am not wasting my time.

I think it may be that the best thing is to try a S/H one despite the risk of further building up my spares collection.

One day John I will visit you with all the oddments I have tried and moved on from.

[junior]

Yes its a custom made one. Its an alloy engine mount that is solid and sits directly on the crossmember but can only just be squeezed in there and the holes will not align as its pushed too far forward by the engine.

Will check if the main engine mount is not modified and hanging the engine forward, but not today as its snowing here!

[Veesix75]

Have you tried undoing the main bulkhead mounting and see if you get some play / movement.

There is a sequence to installing to engine and box including hanging the exhaust before it all gets tightened up..

[junior]

Hi. Yes took out the bolt and tried a range of sequences including the ones explain by a couple of people. Then the Haynes one, then was mad.

So went to put the new sump on which I had not done earlier as did not want to damage the paint. It would not fit with out the roll bar coming off so did that and fitted it. Then as I put everything back I realised the holes all lined up for the front engine mount.

Not sure why, but very pleased it is in, plus found a good auto electrician who should come out to look at the job soon. Fingers crossed.

Thanks for your time chaps.

[junior]

Electrician never came but taking the car to him courtesy of a local farmer.

Before it goes a couple of questions please chaps or answers would be better.

Spring for the brake pedal is left over from when I took the pedal box out, but cannot recall or see where it fitted.

The hole in the block in the center of the picture....should it have some thing in it.?

The sensor in the middle of the block I believe is oil pressure. Am I correct? If so what is the one next to the oil filter.

The sensor on the carb manifold is for the water temp guage, is that correct?

The one to operate the radiator fan I surmise is in the side of the later rad I am fitting ?

Many thank as ever in anticipation.

[Spacenut]

Hi Junior - the drilling in the head is for the cylinder head temperature switch (deleted on later models). I measures the cylinder head temperature (a bit like an aircraft engine) and when the temperature exceeds 30 degrees C, the switch opens and a red light on the dash goes off.

The red light gives you permission to thrash the engine. It is a thrash light You shouldn't need to worry with modern semi-synthetic engine oils, but I have kept this feature on my car, just for fun.

Sensor in the middle of the block is oil pressure, correct.

Sensor next to the oil filter is the oil pressure warning light switch.

Sensor on the left hand inlet manifold is the water temperature gauge sender, correct.

Switch on the left hand side of the radiator is the cooling fan actuation switch - don't forget to use a relay to switch the fan on or you will burn the switch out, ask me how I know

Lauren

[KevJTD]

the hole in the head is for the cold engine sensor, it simply bolts to the head and puts a light on the dash for when the engine is cold. no coolant or anything running to it so no big deal if it's missing


brake pedal has a return spring that clips into a small hole in the metal frame of the pedal box itself, along the seam that the mounting bolts are. there is also an identical spring for the clutch...



sensor in the centre of the block at the rear end is for the oil pressure gauge


sensor near the oil filter is for the low oil pressure warning light

sensor on the carb manifold is indeed for water temp


rad fan switch is in the rad itself, which on the later cars feeds power too the fan motor. on earlier cars the rad fan switch was just used to create an earth for the motor, via a relay

[KevJTD]

ah, Lauren beat me to it

[Spacenut]

Sorry Kev - but nice to see we both concur!

My brake and clutch return springs appear to have gone AWOL, so I couldn't have answered that question!

Lauren

[KevJTD]

Sorry Kev - but nice to see we both concur!

My brake and clutch return springs appear to have gone AWOL, so I couldn't have answered that question!

Lauren

i'm sure I have some in the shed should you need them...

[junior]

Great stuff chaps. Your right in the age of the internet its rare that people concur so thanks a lot.

Now the picture in the Haynes manual makes sense.....There is two springs not one.

If you have a spare spring Kev that Lauren does not need it would be a great help please.

Please let me know what I owe you if you find one.

[Spacenut]

Be my guest - my braking system uses a balance bar and twin master cylinders, so I have twice as much return force.

[KevJTD]

i'll look in the shed tomorrow

[Kegsti66]

Hi Junior - the drilling in the head is for the cylinder head temperature switch (deleted on later models). I measures the cylinder head temperature (a bit like an aircraft engine) and when the temperature exceeds 30 degrees C, the switch opens and a red light on the dash goes off.

The red light gives you permission to thrash the engine. It is a thrash light

Lauren

I like your interpretation better Lauren.
I found my old hand book and this is how they worded it.
I do like the way it gently flickers out as opposed to just going off.

[Spacenut]

Ah, but 45 degrees, not 30 - I stand corrected.

Either way, full performance should not be demanded!

[junior]

Excellent I shall bear that in mind at all times and not make undue demands at inappropriate times......

Or am I thinking of something else now ?

[junior]

When fitting petrol pipes to the carbs, does in matter which brass spigot ( if that's the right word ) the pipe from the tank goes to and then which goes on to the other carb. As the other is the same is there an easy way to blank the 2nd not needed spigot off. I surmise a short length of pipe and a plug of some sort.

Trailered the car to the auto electricians today and a modern Alfa slowed down to have a good look, then a guy came out of an industrial unit nearby to look as he had worked in Italy in the 70's and `they were all over the place'.
Then the electrician came across as keen, listened well to what I wanted and loved the car. So much more raw and real than modern race cars which are
far removed from what you can buy. So hopefully I have chosen well and he will do me a good job.

Finally I tried to fit a 33 heater in it as I had easy access to one and it does not seem possible. Anyone else had a go at the same, before I give up ?

As always, thanks for the knowledge chaps.

[rsfruitbat]

With the spigots i usually go in at the bottom and out at the top.
However I am pretty sure that one spigot is a smaller diameter than the others out of the 4. This is for the return pipe. We found the rally car ran better with a return pipe as it maintained a flow of petrol which helped to stop fuel vaporisation.

I have fitted a Sud heater in a 33 but not the ther way round. It does demonstrate that the mountings are the same though.

rsfruitbat

[junior]

A fuel return pipe ! Not thought about that, will give it consideration. Thanks a lot.

The heater looks very close. but appears a touch wide and will not drop down into the space as the bulkhead at the back of the engine appears to be too close. Perhaps a Sud one is shorter. Not always sure with this car as some bits are a bit distorted from work done and a few small bashes.

[rsfruitbat]

I used a brake pipe so it wasnt returning loads but just gave it a bit of movement.

rsfruitbat

[dralf1965]

Yes, sud heaters are shorter.

[junior]

Great, I will stop trying to worry it into place then ! Thank you for confirming that.

[junior]

The Sud is with the auto electrician and it has ground to a halt as he started and then put a landrover (of all things) before of it.
Most annoyed, esp as he did the first lot of wiring in the engine bay and it was all very modern including shiny plastic conduit that looked very out of place. Had visited him twice before I took the car to ensure we understood each other and then left written instructions, good job I nipped in as passing. That has gone now but its caused delays and then we have hit the holiday season for him and his staff.
So on to do other bits. I feel the wheels need wobble nuts to ensure a better fit as discussed on one of Shrews threads on here. So please, what threads are the wheels studs for a early sud ? Thanks in advance.

[junior]

Finally got the Sud back from the auto electrician.

Been 5 months so was starting to wonder what method I would have to use to get it finished and what the bill would be.

Well most of it is as I wished, some are parts are better than expected and the bill was fine, so I count that as a result.

Had a look around it and refreshed my mind on what to do next and quickly ended up with a long list.

Brake pipes and getting a 33 radiator in there is priority as the VW one that was in it may be from another car and stuffed in to look right for the sale, or as someone wisely pointed out was fine without a fan when racing.

So 33 radiator and smaller earlier fan. Off we go again.

[junior]

Been looking over the auto electricians work and it seems it was not so much ready to collect as he had had enough.

Some bits are rather modern still despite us having a discussion about this, so plastic clips and screws.



Where as other bits look the part of a late 70's early 80's racer.



So thought that's not so bad, then looked at one of the side repeaters that was still in the box and thought I would just
pop it in place and put on the connector. Found no wires to them !

I bet there are other issues as well. Hey ho.

Its not a great deal but I would have liked the job complete as he had the car for the whole summer.

[Kegsti66]

That is a shame James.
I am looking forward to seeing her all back together.
Hang on in there.

[Veesix75]

The clips look OK James, all black suits the colour scheme.

That fuel regulator looks tucked away, might make no difference but most I've seen have been mounted more central on the bulkhead area.