New Member and New (to me anyway) 79 Spider 2000

[ragtop2000]

I just purchased a 1979 2000 Spider. I am trying to find the best way to ship it from Alabama to my home in Pennsylvania. Also the owner just put in new plugs, ignition module and electronic points. He said it starts and idles well but doesn't seem like it is getting enough gas when you press the accelerator to about 40 mph. It supposedly ran alright before he did this. I hope it is a simple fix! Any help or wisdom would be appreciated. I'm glad I found this forum and I'm looking forward to sharing ideas.

[mbouse]

Congratulations, ragtop2000. Where in Pennsylvania? I have relatives there.

IF your seller did everything correctly, the things changed would not cause the issues you are hearing about. however, as I say that, it is apparent that someone has some lack of knowledge. a '79 does not have points, and there is no such thing as electronic points. Quite possibly he is referring to a new magnetic pick up, or a new control module.

One thing that quite possibly has been done wrong is not installed the plug wires correctly, or improperly installed the new plugs. if one or more plug wire is not making good contact, then the engine could be running on less than all four cylinders. additionally, if one or more plug is not threaded in correctly, then the engine will not get a good compression stroke, and miss or run on three cylinders.

it is also possible that this is a coincidence, and the carburetor could stand a rebuild.

in any case, this does not sound like an issue that should prevent the vehicle from climbing on to the transport trailer and make its way to its new home. if it can do 40 mph, it should be just fine for loading on the transporter. We can help you diagnose what ever is wrong once you have the car in your possession.

Any pictures yet?

[Danno]

FWIW a STOCK 79 doesn't have points. My 1980, for example, has points.

also, didn't someone have similar symptoms with a vacuum leak?

[mbouse]

yes, if the four mounting bolts that hold the carb to the intake are loose, it will cause a similar issue....however, we're kinda ruling out the fuel mixture side at this point on accounta it "ran fine" before the electrical side was tinkered with.



and, what kind of points does your '80 have? did you regress to a '78 distributor?

[So Cal Mark]

problems at higher speeds usually aren't ignition related; they're fuel related. Replace the filter, test the pressure, and inspect all of the hoses from the tank to the pump. Splits on the inlet side of the pump will result in fuel starvation issues with very little or no fuel leakage. If the pressure is low, replace the fuel pump. If all of the above check out okay, the main jet in the carb may be plugged up. Your Spider will run on the idle/low speed jet up to about 3500rpm, then fuel should flow through the main jet
Since the car starts and idles well, that indicates all 4 cyls firing. My take on the electronic points is that's what the PO called the pickup unit

[Danno]

yes, if the four mounting bolts that hold the carb to the intake are loose, it will cause a similar issue....however, we're kinda ruling out the fuel mixture side at this point on accounta it "ran fine" before the electrical side was tinkered with.



and, what kind of points does your '80 have? did you regress to a '78 distributor?

Mike, I didn't do a thing to it. I blame it all on the PO. It has dual points, so whatever year that narrows it down to. I don't know the range of years with dual points, but I do know that I learned to just order ignition and carb stuff for a 1975, and engine stuff from a 1980.

[ragtop2000]

Thanks so much for all your help so far. The car should be here by the end of next week. The description of the problem came from the explanation of the previous owner. He called the points triggers, if that clarifies anything. I live in Camp Hill, PA just outside of Harrisburg. I will try and post a picture if I can figure it out.

Thanks again!
Jon

Here is the ad for the car http://nashville.craigslist.org/car/638360028.html

[rlux4]

Belated welcome to the forum Ragtop2000. I looked at the listing you got the car from. It looks like you got a very good deal. When it arrives, if there are any issues you have trouble figuring out, be sure to use this forum as a source. You'll also want to get some repair manuals to be ready if you ever do have to fix something. Most people have at least two. Sometimes you'll find slightly different info in them, so by having more than one you'll stand a better chance of getting just the right piece of info you need.
Good luck.
Ron

[mbouse]

well, that '79 will feel real nice in those mountain two-lane highways.

BTW- FIAT LANCIA UNLIMITED is having their 25th annual meeting only two hours away from you this July. Your Spider would look sweet right next to mine.

Details at http://www.flu.org

[ragtop2000]

I finally got the car a week ago. I was able to fix most of the initial problems with the help of this forum and my shop manual. I can see why you guys love these cars so much. It just loves the twisty country roads here in PA. When I first got the car the distributor was off badly. I was able to turn it and adjust the idle to get the car running fairly smoothly. The only issue I have is the engine sputters occasionally when I let off the gas to slow down. It doesn't affect the performance and doesn't back fire or stall, it's just annoying. Is this a timing, tune-up or exhaust issue, or is it user/shifter error? It is a 79 Spider with all the emissions crap still on it. I am eventually going to upgrade the carb, but is there a recommended way to by pass the emission stuff for now? What should my next step be to upgrade performance.

Thanks,
Jon