What did you do to your X1/9 today ?
- Thread starter Eastep
- Start date
kmead
Old enough to know better
I hope you keep it. The combo you want to make it will be stunning. Good luck!
Hybridfiat
Power costs money, more power cost more money
Tweaked the timing and drove it 140kms to my brothers and back in the very nonseasonal bucketing rain. Wettest and coldest Feb day on record.
Must be global warming again.
Must be global warming again.
Mark
FIATFREAK
Look what's peaking out from under my '74. 
Almost finished with the PBS stroker/Alquati 5-speed conversion. Went through the CV joints, brake hoses, pads and rotors while I was back there. Oh, and the ball joints.
BTW, never, never reuse brake hoses; no matter how good they may appear. I knew better, but figured the back brakes didn't do much anyway. Well, they weren't doing anything because the hoses we're swelling. doh!
Almost finished with the PBS stroker/Alquati 5-speed conversion. Went through the CV joints, brake hoses, pads and rotors while I was back there. Oh, and the ball joints. BTW, never, never reuse brake hoses; no matter how good they may appear. I knew better, but figured the back brakes didn't do much anyway. Well, they weren't doing anything because the hoses we're swelling. doh!
Last edited:
Brayden_connolly
True Classic
Today was picture day! As well as the first drive since November.
rocco79/138
True Classic
Finally got the pedal box disassembled, prepped and started the paint... Not a 100point job but it should not rust, the pedals will not require the hook foot return trick! And I am certain I will see a 10-20% increase in torque and 12-17 more MPH! Will keep you posted!
Attachments
Rod Midkiff
True Classic
Recently did a few things with mine.
Temp gauge was showing nothing, and the heater stopped getting heat and going up a hill hard, I could get a LITTLE bit of rising on the temp gauge. So figured thermostat.
I did not even think of pictures of that stage of the game until I was all done and running it for the first warm up.
Got done warm it up, still no temp reading, but now I get heat.
Unplug the sending unit from the head and ground it, Yeap get needle deflection so the gauge and the wire are working. So I swap the sending unit from a parts car (thinking I Have it solved and dinner on the table I top off the water and head in) (Yea I did skip testing it but I was sure I had it figured out). Next day drive for an hour to work and then an hour back and never get ANY needle movement (not real happy about driving it with no temp gauge What the heck. pull over and re-ground the wire and again can see the needle move (nice part about the mid-engine I can look over the engine cover and see the dashboard.)
Kinda at a loss so I again swap the sending unit this time with the wife's X so I KNOW this one works. Get her car put back together and have her start it as I go try her sending unit in my car.
Right away she get needle movement....?? ??? How can this be... And of couse when I install in my car I still get nothing.... At this point.. I re-test by grounding the wire and now I get NO movement. (what the heck). and pull the instriment cluster. And swap with another instrument cluster and I get a needle movement (full hot as the wire is still grounded). Ok I found the problem. And I swap the temp gauge with from the other cluster and plug it in again. still no movement.
So I plug the wires into the cluster and come back into the house and find the pinout for the cluster. I think I can thank Bob Brown for the GREAT picture/lables!! I ground the wire at this point and still get no movement. Out comes the multimeter and I test between the lug on the temp gauge and the plug and I read open, probe the trace and I have connection. (what the heck)
Found it did a little cleanup and threw the little washers away and I have a temp gauge again!!
Now for the sad news.
When I was driving the car I wiggle, tapped the dash area to see if I could get a needle movement Only thing I got was the speedo falling to zero. Yeap twisted the long cable about 4 inches in.
I think I can blame that on the condition of my short cable.
Would you believe I got to the speedo cable issue just before 6m Midwest Bayless time and was able to get some parts ordered in time.
And thanks to Sdlsaginaw I have a short cable already. Kinda wish now I had installed in sooner.
Wife started playing with her's, going to swap engine covers. The current one she has is a great lightweight racing cover, But as for a daily driver being able to pull the release and open the cover to check the oil/water.
Got her new pull cables coming and a good used frunk latch and cable for mine on the way. Getting kinda tired of my frunk alway's being lifted up just a little.
And being Oregon about now it starts raining I am buttoning up and she just puts the old cover and we go into the house.
But we both got a little done and had the dirty hands to prove it.
Temp gauge was showing nothing, and the heater stopped getting heat and going up a hill hard, I could get a LITTLE bit of rising on the temp gauge. So figured thermostat.
I did not even think of pictures of that stage of the game until I was all done and running it for the first warm up.
Got done warm it up, still no temp reading, but now I get heat.
Unplug the sending unit from the head and ground it, Yeap get needle deflection so the gauge and the wire are working. So I swap the sending unit from a parts car (thinking I Have it solved and dinner on the table I top off the water and head in) (Yea I did skip testing it but I was sure I had it figured out). Next day drive for an hour to work and then an hour back and never get ANY needle movement (not real happy about driving it with no temp gauge What the heck. pull over and re-ground the wire and again can see the needle move (nice part about the mid-engine I can look over the engine cover and see the dashboard.)
Kinda at a loss so I again swap the sending unit this time with the wife's X so I KNOW this one works. Get her car put back together and have her start it as I go try her sending unit in my car.
Right away she get needle movement....?? ??? How can this be... And of couse when I install in my car I still get nothing.... At this point.. I re-test by grounding the wire and now I get NO movement. (what the heck). and pull the instriment cluster. And swap with another instrument cluster and I get a needle movement (full hot as the wire is still grounded). Ok I found the problem. And I swap the temp gauge with from the other cluster and plug it in again. still no movement.
So I plug the wires into the cluster and come back into the house and find the pinout for the cluster. I think I can thank Bob Brown for the GREAT picture/lables!! I ground the wire at this point and still get no movement. Out comes the multimeter and I test between the lug on the temp gauge and the plug and I read open, probe the trace and I have connection. (what the heck)
Found it did a little cleanup and threw the little washers away and I have a temp gauge again!!
Now for the sad news.
When I was driving the car I wiggle, tapped the dash area to see if I could get a needle movement Only thing I got was the speedo falling to zero. Yeap twisted the long cable about 4 inches in.
I think I can blame that on the condition of my short cable.
Would you believe I got to the speedo cable issue just before 6
m Midwest Bayless time and was able to get some parts ordered in time.And thanks to Sdlsaginaw I have a short cable already. Kinda wish now I had installed in sooner.
Wife started playing with her's, going to swap engine covers. The current one she has is a great lightweight racing cover, But as for a daily driver being able to pull the release and open the cover to check the oil/water.
Got her new pull cables coming and a good used frunk latch and cable for mine on the way. Getting kinda tired of my frunk alway's being lifted up just a little.
And being Oregon about now it starts raining I am buttoning up and she just puts the old cover and we go into the house.
But we both got a little done and had the dirty hands to prove it.
rocco79/138
True Classic
I got all of the bits connected to the radiator cleaned sanded and painted. It is now ready to go on the car... No, I need to spiff up the radiator space and apply plenty of anti-seize. Front control arms and strut rods come off for preservation and new bushings. I will then do the job I seem to be avoiding. New master cylinders and reinstall rebuilt pedal box!
Spring is here!
Let's go!
Spring is here!
Let's go!
rocco79/138
True Classic
This is the view under my dash! The reservoirs are topped off and the footwell is vacuumed, scrubbed and all the mess from disassembly is gone. If no evidence of leaking late tomorrow I will rehang pedal box and be one day closer to driving!
Regards
Regards
Rod Midkiff
True Classic
Looks like you had to use the same fitting wrench that I did. Vice grips!
rocco79/138
True Classic
Nailed it! I actually have a nice set of flare nut wrenches but the PO did not so I started with the chewed up fitting... I was surprised and relieved when the fitting broke free and had not crushed around the hose. Next time I change it I will either run a complete new line or splice it right before it drops down in the tunnel.
Plumbing is my least favorite task and it is the majority of this seasons work! Hopefully I will be covered for years to come with these repairs!
I need to stay on top of the coolant condition. I don't know if the aluminum radiator is as tough as the brass version... There is a lot of aluminum throughout the system the radiator contains the thinnest parts so I want to guard against corrosion. Looking forward to cool running!
Regards
rocco79/138
True Classic
Front end- rebuilt!
Cooling system - rebuilt!
Pedal box- rebuilt!
Both master cylinders installed, currently not leaking!
Everything is reassembled so all I have left is to fill cooling system and bleed everything.
I did have a wee problem with the brakes... the wedges rusted quite badly so they required a disassemble clean up protect and reassemble all four corners.
Should be rolling tomorrow!
Cooling system - rebuilt!
Pedal box- rebuilt!
Both master cylinders installed, currently not leaking!
Everything is reassembled so all I have left is to fill cooling system and bleed everything.
I did have a wee problem with the brakes... the wedges rusted quite badly so they required a disassemble clean up protect and reassemble all four corners.
Should be rolling tomorrow!
artz1731
True Classic
This weekend was spent repairing the rusted out passenger side trunk well. Took a bit of cutting and fabrication to get it just right but I'm glad I finally got that taken care of.Also installed LED lights on all corners, thanks Paul for your easy to use kit. I now have converted to LED on everything but the Headlight, that will happen in the near future.
artz1731
True Classic
Don't really care for them.