AZ Drifter's '80 FI Project Log

AZDrifter

True Classic
I'm going do document this build so you guys can offer input on how to do it right. I've been slacking in taking photos of the progress, so there's another reason to do a log. Here's a list of stuff to do:

  • Clean existing paint/brightwork and see what's salvagable
  • fix broke stuff:
passenger door handle housing DONE
cables for hood and trunk DONE
latch assembly for the engine cover/trunk DONE
blower motor (replace) DONE
heater/vent controls Improved
dash board (cracked)
glove box lid (missing) DONE
clock WORKS
rear view mirror (fixed) DONE
door seals (purchased) DONE, with lousy results
turn signal lens DONE
see if all lights work Fixed!
radio (put one in) DONE
antenna (broke)
seat bottoms Upholstered
carpet (replace) Refreshed
inner door handle trim (missing)
badges DONE
hub caps (missing) Homemade!
front spoiler DONE
repair rust/paint front trunk bottom
tie rod ends DONE
Wiper motor WORKS
passenger door strike (stripped thread, loose) FIXED




and the big stuff:
  • rebuild transmission
  • replace clutch DONE
  • bodywork/paint
  • engine tune up REBUILT
  • go over the brakes DONE
  • go over the suspension DONE
Here's some damage:
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The Haynes manual came in yesterday, so that's a start. I got one for '74-'80 all models, but it doesn't cover fuel injection. I also picked up a rearview mirror. I still had to take it apart and clean the mirror and glass, then reassemble the parts from the donor into one good mirror. Too bad those things aren't airtight. I cleaned up the interior and front trunk, which revealed a lot of nice, functional stuff.

I'm dying to drive the X, but it needs a clutch before it's going anywhere. After reviewing the resources on this forum and the Haynes manual, I think I can also crack open the trans housing and see what's in there. We will have to see how fast Midwest-Bayless can ship parts once it's open. She crunches into 3rd gear, and patience is required for 1st, second, and reverse.

Next priorities are weatherstripping and fixing the cables that secure stuff. This project is being financed by my budgeted pocket money and the sale of parts off other cars. That might amount to $400 a month. That's a lot of eBay used parts and DIY labor when I can sneak off to the man-cave. If anyone has a glove box cover or latch for the trunk/engine cover, lemme know if you have a reasonable offer.
 
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The Haynes manual came in yesterday, so that's a start. I got one for '74-'80 all models, but it doesn't cover fuel injection.

The Haynes manual has its limitation. For FI there is the Fuel Injection Troubleshooting Guide in the Wiki. You can also find the Factory Service Manual there, but you may want to own a copy of this. Fiatplus and Midwest Bayless both sell this manual

After reviewing the resources on this forum and the Haynes manual, I think I can also crack open the trans housing and see what's in there.

One great resource for transmission work is Steve Hoelscher's 5-speed 101.
 
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Parts and Manuals

There's a guy down in Tucson trying to sell parts tools and manuals for FIATS, including X stuff. See his ads on CL now and then. Thought about going to get them myself but I don't have the time to make the drive right now.

As I recall he had a late model carb, a valve shim kit and factory manuals for the X.
 
Latch

I have the latch and box for the trunk and engine lid I can let go for cost of shipping. It does not have the lock but you can use yours for that. Just PM me if you want it.
 
welcome to the forum

This forum's a little more personal than most, I'm surprised nobody's asked your name? Looks like quite the project there. My advice is to do whatever's required to get it running and driving FIRST. Being able to drive your project X is what's going to put motivation in the bank, keep you from burning out.

That being said sound's like you're in for a clutch job. I just called MWB last week for a clutch and they had none in stock for a 1500 X (strange I know). Also try Vicks, fiatplus, and IAP. I think I went with IAP, but if you're not on a schedule I'd try the SPEC stage1 clutch from summit racing or jegs or even ebay. OE style clutches are actually remans for the most part.

keep us up to date and share lots of PICS!
 
Welcome...

For your transaxle, I wouldn't open it rather I would warm it up and drain what's in there, and put in fresh oil of the proper kind. I had Redline MT90 in mine and I think it helped when I changed to it.

After going through my Scorpion's brakes and clutch hydraulics, I would recommend new clutch and brake m/c's, a new clutch slave, new rubber lines, new rotors and pads. I would also recommend removing the pistons from the calipers to clean them. Reassemble with new seals if needed. If you can't get the pistons out, consider new calipers from your preferred source, which shouldn't be Autozone or similar.

Good luck, and keep us posted of both successes and failures. For some reason failures tend to get mentioned more, so we could use more success stories. :clap:
 
Thanks guys. Here is some more carnage...
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A nice Cromadora, of which I have 5- wow, full size spare with an alloy wheel!
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The front boot before I cleaned it up
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Bad tie rod end, one of two
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I just ordered wipers and tie rod ends from Rock Auto. Clutches are available there too. I may just try to do the clutch first and fluid, as suggested. That way I can enjoy pulling it apart again if things are not so great. :sad:

BTW, my name's John. I picked up the car for cheap from a friend with too many projects in his yard. It was previously owned by a guy who's dad was a Fiat mechanic, or was meticulous about the maintenence. I will have to talk to the guy more to see what the deal is, since I work with both of them. The struts are KYB's, so at least they have been replaced at some point. I found a resident black widow today in the fender well. She was evicted. Sorry, no pics of that one!
 
Welcome John...

I don't remember if I posted before... but don't wanna miss ya.

I think I just responded to someone that they need to hook up with Jeff (C&B Motorworks) and get their bum out here in November...

You appear to have a good project car there with everything being very fixable. Do ask here first before you do ANYTHING as everything is quite doable... just different.

Lean on the experience and learnings of others on this site and it will save you tons of time, money and frustration!

As Jeff said about those tires... especially with those plastic liners, they will most likely rub. When yur ready for rubber... its one of the hottest discussions here with several choices.

Welcome to the dark side...
 
Best I can tell, the options for 13's are Hoosiers, RA1's, Low rolling resistance, or all season 400+ treadwear. There is a yawning gap in the 200-360 treadwear spectrum, where my street cars live. Please enlighten me!

Anyway, I searched for heater motor / blower moter replacement info and found only this- remove the four clips and wrestle for a while. Good luck! The seller gave me the replacement motor that he got from a salvage dealer, so here goes.

Here's some photos to maybe help someone else down the road.
The four spring clips are on the sides. I removed them and undid the console housing to get here.
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There is a tube that feeds the center vents. It looks like there are bolts holding it in place that you could access if the vents weren't there, but it came out anyway. I might have broke the attachment points. Next is the cable that opens the lower vent door. You have to loosen the clip that holds it in order to move the fan box.
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There are three wires together (red, black, black and blue) to power the fan. They have connectors on the switch end, but I just cut the wires and will splice in the replacements. It should help to have some extra wire given the confined space.

With all that disconnected, you can access the fan. it is held in with two spring clips. I can't imagine how much fun it will be to put them back.
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Up above the fan box is what looks to be a foam filter. There are all kinds of leaves and twigs up there. Supposedly I will find four screws holding it in place, but it looks like it should slide out. After finding the black widow yesterday, I am not going to just reach up on top of it and brush the dirt off.
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I am really looking forward to removing the seats and replacing the carpets. After finding french fries and mummified fruit in the car, you can believe it smells like an old minivan. This job necessitates having my nose inches from the carpet. :dead:
 
After much swearing and contortion, the blower motor is replaced and working, off/low/high!

Here's the mirror, cleaned and replaced with good glass
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The windshield wipers painted and with fresh blades
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Clean front boot
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Tie rod ends are here in a box, and the handle assembly for the trunk and engine cover are on the way.

Any idea how to get the knobs off the heater/vent controller? It look like all paths lead to destruction. :confused:
 
Well... I suggest using a thin knife...

I used an X-acto blade and gently separated the tangs that the knobs have that clip over the flat shafts for the three horizontal controls and the one vertical switch. Gently fiddle and pull... only made to be simply installed at the factory and not to be serviced very easily.

I probably still broke one or two but simply glued them back together as well as onto the shaft with clear sealant.
 
All good work here, BTW...

I believe Federals and Nexen's have the wear rating you are looking for but I can't remember which is which or which is higher or lower. I'll leave you to research that yourself at a dealer near you and online. You should look at 185/60x13s and if you are into a rubber rake or staggered look, look for 205/60x13's for the rear.

There may be some NOS Sumitumos or others laying around some Mom & Pop dealers locally as well... I had that happen ONCE a few years back. One enthusiast here ran 175/50x13s and 215/50x13s on 6 inch wide rims for a very LOW car and LOW look.

Never hurts to ask but beware of manufacturing dates. A good rule would be no older than 5 years giving you a good 2 years of usage.

Lastly... If you are NOT planning to drive this daily or more than a few thousand a year... you might wanna still consider some of the other performance wheel and tires available. We sometimes forget that if we are only Sunday Driving, racing or showing a car... or just going to events and pleasure driving... that gas prices and tire wear are really not much of a consideration anymore.

Have fun and let us know what you decide...
 
Here's the difference between the oxidized paint and the buffed version- still not great, but at least the top is the same color as the sides now.

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I got the tie rod ends and installed them. While I was at it, I noticed one of the brake lines is about to fail. Lousy photo, but you can see the tear where the line meets the caliper.

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While I was poking around, I found a 6mm Craftsman Allen socket and decided to employ it with a breaker bar to see if the infamous axle bolts would budge. I had been eying up some Snap On tools for the job since everyone says they are so difficult. Well, mine were preserved with oil and dust. After removing the sludge, they came loose without incident. Saved me $60 already! Now I just need a 30mm socket for the hubs.

The clutch and related parts are ordered. So are rebuild kits for the brakes. Gotta order some brake pads and lines before I even think about hitting the road again.


BTW, is this the fuel filter? Amazing, if it's not inside the tank like all modern cars...
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Awesome. Both the pump and filter are serviceable without dropping the tank then. :clap:

Why can't they make cars like this anymore? Oh, wait, I know. I am a rolling threat without 10 airbags, a pedestrian-friendly nose, HID lamps, ABS, traction control, and an extra 1500 lbs of safety cocoon. I am expected to recycle the car before the fuel pump fails. :nana:

Secretly, part of the appeal was the cut-em-off at the knees front clip. Oddly, 1st gen RX-7's don't appeal to me.
 
I thought I was being clever ordering NOS door weatherstripping from a seller on Ebay. I got two pieces; one with FIAT tape holding it together and a 90 degree turn in an oddball spot, and one that looked like aftermarket replacement stuff. The FIAT stuff was garbage, and the aftermarket stuff was nice. Neither was enough to do the whole job, so I had to butcher old bits together to cover the targa top area. :(

Next time I will take advice and get it from JC Whitney :mallet: It will do for now.

The clutch came in. Wow, it's tiny. About half as beefy as my Neon clutch, but then it only has to manage half the torque. The brake rebuild kits are here too. Just waiting on the brake pads, lines, and trunk cables, then I have to get the X up on jackstands for the surgery. I would start early, but I have to do a differential swap in the 350Z this weekend.

I have Redline MTL and Motul 90 gear oil in the garage. The MTL is allegedly too thin. Not sure about the Motul, but there's not enough of it. AMSOIL is supposed to be good too. Redline Mt90 was recommended, so I should probably order that.
 
Good day today. I got all the cables/latches working more or less to secure the car and open stuff.
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The key even works in the lock! The front trunk cable is an awful design. Even when secured, it isn't really locked in place. It's kinda wobbly, unless I did something wrong. When it is released, I have to wiggle the hood for a while to get it to release completely, despite using liberal sprays of WD40. Seems there should be some springs involved. Maybe I will pick some up at the hardware store.

Since I had the wiper motor exposed, I cleaned the brushes and rotor, hoping for better operation than before. It didn't like that, and now it won't work at all. troubleshooting is going to have to be added to the list.

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Little by little, it's starting to shape up. Next week I will try to pull the clutch.
 
MTL isn't "too" thin...

...tho' it is somewhat thinner than MT90.
Generally, MT90 is thought to be preferable in hotter areas.
MT90 came in one of the many Fiats I've had over 20 years.
Changed to MTL, since EVERY other tranny I've swapped from
dino to MTL has shown smoother shifting action.
No discernable difference in that tranny between MTL & MT90.
Neither in leakage or in shifting action.
So I'd call the MTL vs MT90 difference insignificant.

Different car had sweetest shifting tranny,
so didn't change fluid initially,
Even that one was improved when I changed to MTL after a year.

Bottom line, IMHO, run the MTL since you have it on hand.
Recall buying it for $7 per quart. Now $14 per quart.
Still a bargain at twice the price, considering how much
it improves shifting action.

Enjoy reading your postings.
 
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