Sport Coupe Restoration Thread:

thechadzone · Post by **thechadzone** » Thu Jan 12, 2012 4:23 pm

The engine is now largely apart. It was a very easy tear-down as such things go. Almost too easy. I'm guessing that it hasn't been driven too many miles since its last tear-down. All the gaskets easily popped off with little to no effort, and I was surprised to find how not tight ALL of the fasteners were.

The time alone in the shop with the car was just what I needed as I wait to hear about a job that I will most likely get. Still, a bird in the hand... The anxiety and lack of going to work during the day brought me down to Eugene from Portland for some quiet time with the Coupe. Not even music, just quiet wrenching...

I didn't find anything too offensive as I disassembled the motor. I've posted a bunch of pics (with my original iPhone camera, sorry for their quality, will be using iPad camera for next pics) to elicit the thoughts of the brain trust. I've read most of Jaimie's engine build thread, and most of Maytag's as well. Still, thoughts specific to the 1608 and my limited budget are of interest. Bullet pointed suggestions for a budget hot street rebuild with the dual IDFs and Abarth cams that I already have would be printed and tacked to the wall behind the bench... Thanks in advance!

Here's the first step. Gross!

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Fiat Sport Coupe engine tear down 1 by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]

Here it is with its ancillaries removed. Note the obnoxious rattle can matching BLUE color compared to the car

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Fiat Sport Coupe engine tear down 3 by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]

This is not a good sign. I think most of this came from where the heater tube was attached. I expected to find bits of it elsewhere, but I haven't yet

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Fiat Sport Coupe engine tear down 2 by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]

The head unbolted easily, and lifted up off the block just as easily. This is how it looked right after I did it:

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Fiat Sport Coupe Engine Tear Down 4 by thechadzone, on Flickr

Here's a shot of the top of the block right after I took off the head:
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Fiat Sport Coupe engine tear down 7 by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]

Each of the bores looked like this one, which looks good to me, yeah?

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Fiat Sport Coupe engine tear down 6 by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]

I've been very careful to be organized and clean during this build. All hardware that wasn't re-attached after dis-assembly of the part was bagged and labled.
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Fiat Sport Coupe engine tear down 10 by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]

All eight of the valves looked like this. Not too bad...
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Fiat Sport Coupe engine tear down 13 by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]

The removal of the sump showed a pretty decent looking bottom end. I was glad to see the pump screen looking so clear of debris:
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The only foreign pieces in the bottom of the sump were two pine needles!? I guess I shouldn't be surprised, since they're like sand in the Sahara around here... Anyway, no metal bits, yea!
Fiat Sport Coupe engine tear down 15 by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]

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Fiat Sport Coupe engine tear down 16 by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]

Here's a yucky substance that was seeping out of a passage in the block that is partially clogged with gunk. It'll get some compressed air and a cleaning. Also notice here the forensic mark on top of the piston. Nothing came out in the sump...
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Fiat Sport Coupe engine tear down 12 by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]

Here's a shot of the oil pump screen, seems encouraging:
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Fiat Sport Coupe engine tear down 17 by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]

In his engine build thread, Jaimie Diaz said something like "I can turn a wrench and follow instructions from a manual, but that does not make me a mechanic...". Same here. All parts of my car that have never required repair or replacement are parts that I have no experience with. My history with cars is with Porsche and Volkswagen Flat Fours. This was the first engine I've ever removed through the top of the car! This project would be a lot more daunting without y'all, thanks for the contributions to my build!

thechadzone · Post by **thechadzone** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 7:29 pm

I'm finally down to the bare block of the 1608. It took some time yesterday, but I'm feeling pretty badass about having conquered things like the crankshaft nut and the aux. shaft bolt without having to drive across town to get my air tool set-up. I used a wooden carpenter's hammer shaft wedged in the crankshaft and a 1/2" breaker bar to break it loose after strapping it to my workbench. Badass as I may have been, I'm sure feeling it today after having lifted the bottom end off the floor jack and onto the workbench yesterday.

The bores all look just fine to me. I'm not a Fiat expert, but they look to be without injury, and still hold oil on their walls. I haven't spec'd their diameter yet, but all signs point to 80 mm. on each bore:

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Fiat Coupe bottom end removal 1 by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]

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Fiat Coupe bottom end removal 3 by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]

The rings were no longer rings, with only one exception. 3 of the 4 top rings came out in at least two pieces. I don't know how the block's bores fared so well, but they look great, and I found no pieces of metal in the sump... Could my method of using the wooden hammer handle to interrupt the rotation of the crank for removal of the crank nut have somehow done this?

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Fiat Coupe bottom end removal 2 by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]

The main & rod bearing showed at least some wear, and I somehow lost one of the rod bearings. Right before I got pissed about it I remembered that they were part of what I was tearing all this down to replace...

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Fiat Coupe bottom end removal 6 by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]

Next is getting all the filth off the block before repainting it black. I'm tempted to just soak it in a tub of diesel for a couple days, but this might be a bit old school. Do y'all recommend a pressure washer? Maybe take it to the local car wash and give it hell? The occupants of the shop space next to the one I'm working in are sensitive to smells, so I'm pretty limited as to what I can do to remove the block's filth within the shop space, but I suppose I could get the block into my Civic and take it somewhere... I'll likely look for answers in the Engine section as well, thanks in advance for responses, observations & suggestions about all aspects of my build.

124JOE · Post by **124JOE** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 9:04 pm

goop hand cleaner for the block
and soaking in brake fluid to remove the paint

thechadzone · Post by **thechadzone** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 4:42 am

I'm still at it with the Coupe build. I just got the head back from a reputable engine/machine shop. They gave it a thorough cleaning, checked its surface for flatness (was flat), and gave it a pressure test. They confirmed that it is useable as is. Still, I'm going to have them resurface it to clean up some mild roughness that resulted from the head gasket not sealing properly. I'm also going to have them install new valve seals. These services will cost me $155.00. Not bad, yeah? The head's pressure washing, exam, and pressure test was $26.00. Well worth it.

I spent a fair amount of time de-greasing the cam boxes. Just me, my favorite abrasives, a bucket of Simple Green mixed with Goop & water, and a few hours. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon. They cleaned up well. I also cleaned up the cam box covers.

I spent even more time preparing the cam boxes for high temp. paint. I masked off the gasket surfaces, the seals, and whatever else needed masking. It was a bit mind numbing, but the alone time in the shop is my current "happy place". I applied the current New Ford Engine Grey engine paint, and it went on very well.

The cam box covers got the obligatory Wrinkle paint in black. I used a hair dryer on them after the second coat to ensure proper wrinkling. They turned out pretty well. My mom is a professional water color painter, and she agreed to use her steady hand to do the red stripe on the ribs of the cam box covers. Thanks mom!

Preparing the head for paint took for ever. I spent some time cleaning every square millimeter of it with Simple Green, Goop, and carb cleaner. It was exceedingly clean and dry by the time I started the masking. My god... Lots of parts & areas that you really don't want painted! Of course the gasket surfaces must be protected. For this I bolted on two spare cam boxes that I also spent a small forever cleaning for the job. Hindsight is a b!tch, I wish I would have painted the first two cam boxes while they were attached to the head... I painted the head with the head bolts in place to preserve the space within the head bolt recesses that would be taken up by the thickness of the paint. Not sure if that was overkill, but what the hell... I also masked off the bottom of the head. The head and cam boxes turned out very nicely, and I think doing it was worth the time. I'm looking forward to removing the IDF manifold from the Spider, and preparing it for paint.

De-greasing the block took a long time. I've seen worse-off blocks before, but this one took a lot of time with just about every scraping tool & abrasive god-knows-what I could think of. The prep for it also took a lot of time. I gave all of what bolts onto the block at least a cursory cleaning before removal from the block. As part of the paint prep, I re-attached each piece to preserve the gasket space under it. After doing so, each piece was carefully masked. What a pain in the arse! Still, the results were excellent. I'm very happy with the result. Each part that attaches to the block will get a coating of that same New Ford Grey. I'm looking forward to more parts cleaning! The recovering stoner in me enjoys watching the paint dry...

I just sold some parts, which has given me the $ to get the work on the head done, and get a gasket kit. On my short list is the complete gasket/seal kit, the head work, the rings, and all new bottom end bearings. Gonna pay close attention to torque settings, and proper installation of the gaskets to avoid screwing up my paint work.

It's late, sorry if the above is incoherent!

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Fiat Coupe Engine Paint 6 by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]

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Fiat Coupe Engine Paint 9 by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]

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Fiat Coupe Engine block paint 1 by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]

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Fiat Coupe Engine Block Paint 5 by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]

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Fiat Coupe Engine Paint 4 by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]

Redline · Post by **Redline** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 5:40 am

That looks really nice. I'm always torn between leaving the alloy covers and crackle paint... this has me swinging towards the latter. What a nice combination of colours, but not overdone and looks functional, rather than decorative.
I'm curious, why did you decide to paint the alloy head rather than just stopping after the cleaning?

jimmycakes401 · Post by **jimmycakes401** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 3:50 pm

That looks FANtastic

seabeelt · Post by **seabeelt** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 4:17 pm

Just love the cardboard engine stand

georgeramos · Post by **georgeramos** » Tue Feb 28, 2012 8:09 pm

Chad the motor looks amazing!! I cant wait to see the coupe in person some day. Hope all is well and loom forward to more progress.

George

thechadzone · Post by **thechadzone** » Wed Feb 29, 2012 4:33 pm

Thanks y'all! I have at least ten hours into the paint prep & paint so far. I chose to paint the head and the cam boxes the same color for a more clean look that I think makes the cam boxes and the head look more like one piece than three. This cleaner, more "fancy" look was inspired by some Alfa Romeo twin cams that I've lusted over.

When limited to three colors, I think it's easier to visually take in the motor & trans. That said, I've got a lot more painting to do! I just got the head back from a cleaning & inspection, and I'm told that it's good to use as-is, but I'm still going to have it resurfaced and have the valve seals replaced. Does anyone know if the gasket kit that IAP sells includes all the engine seals, and valve seals? If I provide seals, the shop I went to said they'd resurface the head and install the valve seals for $155. Sound about right?

Anyway, I'm building the Coupe to the standard of the hot street & occasional track Alfa 105 GTVs that I see on alfabb.com. That's not to say that I'd prefer an Alfa. Rather, I love that I'm building something a bit more exclusive. After some engine work I'm hoping to be competitive with some of the local Alfas...

Redline · Post by **Redline** » Sat May 19, 2012 5:13 pm

A bit surprised (and sad) to see this Coupe on ebay. If someone wants a very clean Coupe on the west coast, you probably can't do better than this one.

jimmycakes401 · Post by **jimmycakes401** » Sat May 19, 2012 6:27 pm

Woah. Really?

SLOSpider · Post by **SLOSpider** » Tue Feb 12, 2013 11:29 pm

Well this was a crappy ending

thechadzone · Post by **thechadzone** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 3:02 am

I've been stubborn enough to pay a year's worth of storage on my Coupe, and it's now at my new suburban home in Eugene, Oregon. I'm so happy! I've really been wanting to continue this project, and I now have the garage to do it in. I don't have any time, but I have a garage... The car is packed full of its own parts, and I'll be moving it into its garage space tomorrow.

My plans for the car have changed, as it's now going to get the 2.0 & trans from my Spider. It's also going to get my AS Spider's new front control arms & ball joints, crossmember, and AS chrome bezel gauges. It'll likely also get my Spider's modded BMW Bottlecap alloys. I plan to sell a couple other toys to fund the engine build, which will include some of Vic Auto's high comp pistons, a 1.8 liter head (which the 2.0 already has on it), Abarth 068 intake cam, stock exhaust cam, Miller's cam wheels, and an electronic ignition. I have a factory IDF manifold, and if budget allows I'll source some carbs for it. Otherwise I have a prepared single plane manifold & Weber DFAV carb. I'm looking to do a quick & dirty budget build, as I'm short on time and money. Just enough of each spent to avoid failures & premature ware.

The body of the car is reasonably straight for its age, but it's going to take a lot of time to get it right. At least it's not rusty... I've had some successes with bodywork, but tips from those with experience will be needed for this car. Thanks in advance for your help! The finished product won't fit everyone's taste, but it's going to be pretty sweet one day.

I'll have my '69 Spider in the garage next to my Coupe soon. I'm going to do my best to keep it even after its drivetrain is removed. It was my badass stret racer during college, and it's priceless to me. I also have future hopes for it.

The Honda CRV pulled the car up the very steep hillside that I live on without too much of a fight. It's rarely ever used as a truck, but it can get'r'done!

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Untitled by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]

It's gonna stay sans-bumpers : )

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Untitled by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]

Good to be back!

Redline · Post by **Redline** » Tue Jul 30, 2013 4:28 am

Every Coupe saved puts a bit more joy in the world.

thechadzone · Post by **thechadzone** » Thu Aug 15, 2013 4:17 am

The Coupe is now in the garage & up on jack stands. Not much fodder for an update there I know, but I'm a stay at home dad with a four month old boy... I had to use my come-a-long and tow straps to get it up my fairly steep driveway and into the garage. Three clicks at a time on the ratchet made it take a while!

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Untitled by thechadzone, on Flickr/url]

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Untitled by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]

I'll be starting the strip down of the engine bay soon. I got some good tips from Kmead, but I'm really worried about effin' this up and not knowing what all that stuff is and what wire goes to what. I believe I have a wiring diagram in the Haynes manual, but my very real & documented adult dyslexia makes such things extra tough to benefit from. I plan on taking a lot of pics & video. I can't very well tag each wire if I want to pull the wiring back into the interior for the painting of the bay, thoughts?

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Untitled by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]

The battery bracket is mysteriously botched on this car. Not much rot, but damn... I've got it back into shape now, and it'll still secure the battery so I'll likely clean it up as best I can and call it good.

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Untitled by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]

Looking forward to the motor build. I plan to get some high comp pistons from Vic's to combine with the 068 intake cam, reground exhaust cam, IDFs, and some of Millers' cam wheels. If I have more money, I'll do more. Mostly planing on these upgrades, new bearings, gaskets, and a basic head service.

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Untitled by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]

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Untitled by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]

The interior is complete, but needs work. I plan on taking the dash & console out & filling the cracks before refinishing each of them with whatever has worked well for people. The back seat is saveable.

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Untitled by thechadzone, on Flickr[/url]

Right now, Stories of people's engine bay restorations are of interest. A play by play of what all that sh!t is on the left side of the bay would be cool. I can identify the relay for the horn, the coil, the voltage regulator, the electrovalve for the factory carb, and that's about it. General encouragement for the ham fisted is also quite welcome!

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