Engine compartment winter proj.

[dbr]

Hello All,

So fall is here and winter is coming. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to drive my fiat around much this summer. Guess the main reason is just that I am afraid of it giving me problems. It runs well now and if I drive it...I will just find new problems (since it is 35yrs old). So I would like to clean up the engine compartment throughout the winter as that is really the last part of the car I haven't touched too much. Without rebuilding the entire engine and taking it out...etc....where should I start? I would like to keep the engine block in but slowly clean up the parts around it. Does anyone have any recommendations on where it would be best to start? What parts tend to be the weakest and therefore best to look at before the rest?

Thanks,
Dexter

[klweimer]

I would start by pulling the intake and exhaust manifolds to get a bit more room around the engine. Drain the cooling system and pull the radiator, send it out for cleaning/checking if condition is unknown. Replace timing belt, fan belt and all hoses. Find all the grounding pods and clean the pods and connectors and ground points to chassis. Replace all vacuum hoses on engine. Check oil in steering box and box adjustment. Same with idler. Replace oxygen sensor. Pull crankcase vent housing from block and clean all the crap out of it. Check valve clearance.
I'm sure others will have more ideas. How to do all this is buried here in the forum. Have fun!
Kirk

[wizard124]

Take pictures so it goes back together easily. Bag and label all mounting hardware.

The engine bay will clean up nicely (i was surprised!). I used a commercial strength kitchen degreaser. Mix and spray on, let soak and scrub with a light abrasive scouring pad and a long bristle parts brush ( bristles extend out from handle).

If you find any rust or flaking paint, you'll want to touch that up. Order some spray touch up paint on line.

Clean and paint the components like air box and brackets

[KevAndAndi]

In terms of aesthetics, there are all kinds of ways you can go, but here are some things I've installed:
- A silicone vacuum hose kit. I like that they last essentially forever, and the blue color looks cool.
- A billet aluminum throttle body heater plate. This occupies a central spot on the engine, so it's good bling for the buck. Plus, its bleeder screw helps with burping the cooling system.
- An aluminum radiator. It looks good and didn't cost that much more than rehabilitating my OE rad would have.
- New brake fluid and coolant overflow reservoirs. The old ones were nasty looking and crumbling.

A recent mini-project was cleaning up the coil. I replaced the electrical connections and the heat transfer grease under the electronic control unit under the coil. I cleaned the rust off the coil's bracket, and I even ordered and stuck on a new Magneti Marelli sticker.

Cleaning up the main air hose, inside and out, is worthwhile. On the exterior, I used a product that conditions tired looking plastic and makes it black again (used usually on body parts that get bleached by UV rays).

I also like to replace fasteners when I can. The timing belt cover is now attached using studs and nuts. The studs remain in the engine and make the cover really easy to re-install.

One last thing: I found the tinwork in the backside of the timing belt cover to be highly annoying due to its vibrating and rasping loudly at certain RPMs. It was satisfying to yank off those pieces.

[Jimb]

by the time you've pulled off everything thats been suggested it is so easy to pull the engine. Then you can not only do a thorough refreshing of the engine compartment, you can also put in a new clutch and bearing.

Jim