motor year ID help

[Sky]

Hello I got my drivetrain from the remains of a Spider in a field . It was just a rolling pan no body above the rockers . I want to get an idea of the years of the engine and any info on what Fiats these came in . The dude who owned the ranch said it had been his sons car and had no other info and his son was killed in a wreck in another Spider . I have put what I was told was the best intake on with a holley and best flowing stock exhaust manifold . Had a valve job done , and cam kits , and had the bottom end balanced by an old Fiat dude who has since closed his shop in Santa Fe . That was the last Fiat place close to me , the other was in the South valley and closed years ago So everything from here forward I do myself . Not so bad as I built this car and many others but I'm a """ builder of rats """ not an engine builder . That's why I joined this wonderful forum .
I plan to rebuild this motor come the new year and was wondering if it was worth it or should I get a different year engine ??? I have a bike carb set up for this and want a meaner cam kit , and want to bore it and use better pistons , to give you an idea of where I'm going

[redek]

Check out this manual by Bradly Artigue, http://www.artigue.com/fiat/tuning-book. It has a table on page ten which shows what the engine ID mark means.

[vandor]

Only the 1438cc Twin Cam had the block mounted distributor, but someone could've installed it in another engine.
To be sure, we need to know the number stamped in the machine area above the oil filter block. Something like 124AC.040
Or 125BC..... or some such.
If you could take a picture of the front pulley, that could also confirm if it is a 1438, as it had an aluminum plate bolted to the front of the pulley that housed the centrifugal oil filter.

[Sky]

SWEET !!! Thanks Derek , since the old dude I was using closed his shop I now have to learn all I can as I'm on my own . I now know it's a 1978 131 1.6L 1585 or was before I had it built At least it's not the 1438 . Is it worth my time and money to build it further . I already have it bored out and have the cam kit with a bigger cam on the intake side and a more mild cam on the exhaust side . I had a full angle valve job and had the head , intake , and exhaust manifold port matched for flow . New Crank kit and had the bottom end balanced . I have a tuned holley on it as well . I also have had the tranny gone through it's a 4 speed as I didn't like the 5 speed for the 8th mile track , and he changed out some internals to strengthen it and did some upgrades like a lightened flywheel , and a race clutch kit . I have a LSD kit in the rear and a balanced racing drive shaft internals i It does run perfect right now but I'm hoping for more power . The car weighs less then a Spider as well .
If I go for a Vics header will that make a notifiable difference ??? or can a different dizzy and box help ??? And do you have a link for that header ???

Sky

[Sky]

Vandor the # is 131B1000 which makes it a 1978 131 1.6L 1585

[Sky]

Would this header fit ??? it says for 1600/1800 http://www.vickauto.com/newstore/index. ... ts_id=2967

[vandor]

Interesting!
Where are you located, as that engine was never imported into the USA.

[Sky]

Interesting!
Where are you located, as that engine was never imported into the USA.

Albuquerque New Mexico . I got the drive train in Socorro new Mexico . Funny thing is the car was brought back from England by a guy in the US Air Force and had a wrecked Fiat drive train in it . I just rounded up a replacement motor , trans as they were trash . Funny to find out I put in Europe only drivetrain in a privately imported car All his modifacations were trash as well !!!!!! It was highly unsafe the way he did it . His work , welding and fabrication and the materials he used were all trash !!!!!!! I have put 4 years work into this little hotrod and it is safe and performs !!!!!