Engine Kicked the Bucket

[NebraskaSpider]

Well...I was hoping to put off an engine rebuild until I had more time and money, but the ol' girl decided for me that it was time.

I was driving along yesterday with the top down, feeling great. I just put a fresh tank of premium in her and was enjoying the day when, with a loud backfire, the tach dropped to zero and the warning lights lit up. I coasted her to the side of the road and tried to start her back up again. She turned over and over with no start. So I pushed her down to a friend's house and tried to figure out what went wrong. After a lot of checking, I found nothing visually wrong. Gas was flowing and electricity was too and the engine was turning over. So I figured I would give up for the night and try today. I went out and tried to turn her over in the hopes that she would just fire up, but now the engine won't even budge. I believe it is seized up. The starter sounds like it is trying but it just can't turn the engine. *sigh*

I just had to tell my story as I'm sure others could sympathize. Oh well, I suppose, she will be stronger in the long run after a rebuild.

[narfire]

That is a bummer. Not a way to end a weekend.
Too bad your kinda far away,I have a 2L on a stand getting dusty.

[minimike]

You have to go through the 'list'. Start with the simple stuff.. Did the timing belt break? Maybe your clutch separated and
that was the bang noise you heard.
Either way, there's plenty of rusted fiats that you could hunt down where the driver parked it cause of the rust. I find
engine donor cars are plentiful here in the northeast. Good luck with it. I just swapped an engine in my spider. Fairly
straightfoward. If you do that job, put a clutch and release bearing into the new lump as a precaution. No point in
putting in an engine and having to pull it again just to put a release bearing in!

[NebraskaSpider]

Ive checked most of it over and think it must be something internal. My timing belt is fine and I'm almost positive it was a backfire. It is a pretty recognizable sound. I might try looking around for a new engine, but I am hoping to pull this one and fix whatever the problem is, as long as its not a cracked block or anything non-reparable.

I plan on either rebuilding the tranny or getting a rebuilt one since my reverse gear was clicking and my 2nd gear syncro was going out. Ultimately, I would like to just take this opportunity to rebuild the whole car. I've got a few rust spots on the body that need work and it needs a new coat of paint so I figure this is going to be a complete rebuild. My only problem with it is time and money. This didn't happen at a very convenient time (as if it ever does) because I am about to move. But winter is on it's way and here in nebraska you just can't drive a fiat in it, so it a good time to work on it.

I would really like to build the engine up right though. I was hoping to send it to Midwest 124 to upgrade it with some new cams and other performance mods, but I have to see how the engine is looking and scrape together a lot of dough before something like that happens.

So, in the long run this will be good for the car. It will just take a long time for me to accomplish. I will keep you all updated on the progress as it happens....whenever I can get to it.

[Fiat88]

That sucks a lot...keep us updated on the progress and your right car will be much better with a nice rebuild.

[jefftegeder]

I was driving along yesterday with the top down, feeling great. I just put a fresh tank of premium in her and was enjoying the day when, with a loud backfire, the tach dropped to zero and the warning lights lit up.

Thought for a split second you were talking about the beloved Huskers

Sorry.... couldn't pass that one up. Wasn't on PPV out here in California for me so was listening online. Haven't drank that much during a game in a long time.

I too was forced into a rebuild, but I am doing some customizing as I go along. Timing wasn't what I had wanted, but in the end, will have a nice strong motor that looks and runs great. Good luck to you...

[NebraskaSpider]

I swear, there are more Husker fans outside of Nebraska than in it....and we sell out our stadium every home game. It's the third largest "city" in Nebraska on game days....haha, I guess that isn't saying too much for good old NE though.

Thanks for the support of my car in these trying times.

[azygoustoyou]

Sorry to hear about the engine. Maybe you could get it done over the winter. Then you wouldn't even miss her.

[pooldoctorstl]

Check out this one on St. Louis Craigslist. It is on the Illinois side of the river, but St. Louis area. I don't know where youa re located in Nebraska, but about 6-1/2 hrs from Omaha. Not a bad drive.

http://stlouis.craigslist.org/pts/1978292981.html

Jeff

[NebraskaSpider]

Sorry to hear about the engine. Maybe you could get it done over the winter. Then you wouldn't even miss her.

That's my goal, but we'll see how quick I can work and how much funding I've got.

Thanks for the engine link pooldoctorsti, I will keep that if I find mine is too far gone once I pull it and get a good look at it.

[jefftegeder]

I swear, there are more Husker fans outside of Nebraska than in it....and we sell out our stadium every home game. It's the third largest "city" in Nebraska on game days....haha, I guess that isn't saying too much for good old NE though.

Thanks for the support of my car in these trying times.

Does it help if I spent the first 20 some years of my life in Omaha? Was at the game vs. Oklahoma when our beloved Trev dislocated his shoulder and many others. Good luck on the rebuild. For the record, my cam boxes and covers will be crimson and cream (read as red and white to the non Husker fans )

[NebraskaSpider]

jefftegdedr, as a Nebraska citizen, it's almost required of you that you are a huskers fan...no matter where you live after you move..haha.


Engine progress so far: I got some time today to check the ol' girl out and I think it is good news, I hope. There is new information that it hasn't seized. I pulled the spark plugs and put it in gear and pushed it about foot or two and all of my pistons seem to be moving. My timing belt is still on and there doesn't seem to be anything broke off in the cylinders. I found that my magnetic pickups in the distributer are shot, so Ill order up a new one of those. Also, my fuel coming out of my mechanical fuel pump is brown colored. It is going into the pump clear, so there might be a problem there too. I think I may have also burnt up my starter but am not sure on that yet.

That's all I could see was wrong for now, but I don't think I'm hammering in the nails on this engine's coffin yet! I'm very happy that I might just terrible at making hasty decisions on my engine on the side of the road and that she might just need work and not a rebuild.