'81 Fiat startup

[rjkoop]

So after being 100% done I attempted to startup the car last night. At 1st it didn't start. Dash lights were on but no power to the starter. Opened the hood and I noticed that the red wire to the starter had broken off. Redid this wire and it started fine. I'm also amazed at how well it comes to life after hibernating over the winter.

A few outstanding/nagging issues. If anyone has any advice it would be much appreciated.
1. Oil leak at filter
I replaced the oil and filter. I cleaned everything well and hand tightened the filter. No leaks but once I started the engine some fresh oil came out slowly. Should I just try tightening it more? Hopefully I still have my oil filter wrench.

2. Vapor at top of radiator when hot
Engine temp was great and fan came on/off at correct times. Just noticed a wisp of vapor from the top passenger side of the rad. Do I need a new rad? Is there some fluid I can try out to block the leak?

3. Exhaust leak (I think that's what it is... not sure) at exhaust header near front of engine (near radiator)
I guess I'll try to torque down those bolts again. Got a new gasket there and cleaned after well before. I'll probably try to clean up the area 1st and ensure it's nothing else. Doesn't smell weird (ie. like coolant).

I didn't do timing yet but engine runs well. Can I time by ear or do I need a timing light? And what's the procedure? Loosen distributor mounting bolt a bit (engine off), twist one way and time again. Or can I do this with engine running and just loosen a bit and twist until engine runs best?

[RRoller123]

Timing with a light is best. One with a Xenon bulb (HF has these lights cheap) works in daylight. You can easily do it with the engine running. Start with the engine off, and slightly loosen the distributor locking nut until you can rotate the distributor, but not so loose that it will move around on its own. Then start the engine, aim the light at the marks and rotate the distributor a little at a time until you get to the marks you are aiming for. A bit of "White-Out" on the crankshaft pulley indent and on the indicator points makes it much easier to see in daylight. Just make sure you have good spark plug wires, or you will get zapped, but that in itself is a form of diagnostic test too!

[wizard124]

A couple of thoughts:

Are you sure the oil leak is between the filter and housing? I discovered my sender was bad and oil leaked through it.

The exhaust manifold nuts may be tight against the thread ends on the stud (hard to see in there). Try adding another washer or 2 and see if that solves the leak. I had my manifold re-ground at a machine shop due to some surface issues/corrosion.

[rjkoop]

A couple of thoughts:

Are you sure the oil leak is between the filter and housing? I discovered my sender was bad and oil leaked through it.

The exhaust manifold nuts may be tight against the thread ends on the stud (hard to see in there). Try adding another washer or 2 and see if that solves the leak. I had my manifold re-ground at a machine shop due to some surface issues/corrosion.

Good ideas for sure. I noticed most of the oil was on top of the filter so maybe it is the sender. I'll check that for sure. The filter was actually really tight and the surface was smooth (I removed it to check) so it's probably not the filter.

I'll take a closer look at the exhaust manifold as well. Doesn't look like anything is coming out of the head/engine contact point which is good. The exhaust manifold should be easier to deal with I hope.

I'll check everything out tomorrow. We've got a high of 12 degrees C tomorrow which is a nice change. Over the past few days my 3 foot snowbanks just disappeared which is great!

[rjkoop]

Issues resolved.
- oil leak - wasn't the filter at all - it was the oil sending unit (large unit above oil filter) - tighten it and it was fine.
- exhaust manifold leak - tightened bolts and leak is gone.
- parking brake works fine as well (rebuilt the rear calipers so I was happy about that)

I also found it didn't run great until it warmed up (kind of went up and down with the RPM and almost stalled). It settled down and idled fine after about 2 minutes. It also didn't seem to run at a higher RPM when 1st started like more cars do when warming up. It stayed at the same RPM. Any ideas what this could be? Maybe bad/clogged starter injector? Although it did start pretty easy.

Tomorrow I'm going to take it for a test drive and hopefully not get stranded.

[rjkoop]

Here's a video of the startup and some glory shots of the redone interior.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIsVKj-7zGE

Does the timing belt look like it's in the correct position (best angle at about 1 minute into the video)? Seems to be riding the edge of the tensioner.

And here's a video of the minor rad leak.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfIoFrxk1sQ

Is this something I have to get fixed or can I wait until next year and keep an eye on it?

I haven't done the timing adjustment yet but it seems to sound fine and exhaust looks clean! So I am happy.