What should be replaced?

[azygoustoyou]

I have the car(78) on the Rotisserie. Engine (1800) cleaned up. The engine was rebuilt by the last owner. I don't know what was really done though. I will replace all hoses and rubber, flex joints and such.
So I need to know, What else should I replace before I put the car back together?
Should I replace the water pump? Or wait till it goes?
Is the Wurth Dielectric grease worth buying? 24.95 Or is there something else that will do the same?
I don't want to spend money on things not needed yet. But I do want the car to somewhat reliable. Thanks for your replies.

[racydave]

Front end componets such as ball joints. Steel brake and fuel lines. U joints? Clutch cable? Brake hoses.Water pump. T-belt and bearing. Take apart and clean the gauges, and install new bulbs. Check cowl for necessary re-inforcment at the clutch cable. A good additional groundstrap for the eng to chassis ground. Whats the die-electric grease for???

[pope]

Brady, are you asking me if it is Wurth it? LOL
Permatex makes the same stuff for reasonable money. I have seen two kinds, dielectric for ignition plug wires and dielectric for regular wire connections. Dont know if there is really a difference.

[azygoustoyou]

I had two grounding points on the engine. One from the block and the other to the starter. Is that sufficient? I do plan on replacing all the ball joints and such. I asked IAP about the cyclonic trap and they said they weren't available. I remember reading in a post to do something with it. So I figured I's ask. What goes bad with the clutch cable? Mine looks fine. The area on the firewall has no distortions or rust. Can you tell me what the purpose is of changing out the water pump before if it's working? I'm still learning here, so bare with my questions. I want to become knowledgeable! LOL

[manoa matt]

Dielectric grease....You mean Vasoline. Dielectric grease just covers the metal connection so oxygen can not get to it and cause corrosion. The grease itself does not conduct electricity. Pretty much any type of grease will work.

Chances are the PO replaced the pump when he rebuilt the engine. Since the Fiat pumps have two bearings on the shaft instead of one like some modern cars, the pumps are pretty strong. I'd give it a good inspection and if its solid then you can probably get a few years out of it depending on how much you drive. However at $25 its not like it's a big investment, and wouldn't hurt to have a spare on the shelf while the existing one is in use.

Take the starter and alternator to a starter/alternator rebuilder and have them check it out while its out of the car (much easier). If needed they can replace the brushes or re-wind it. Even if you know they are good the rebuilder can dismantle check, clean, and repaint/clearcoat the case for about $25, which will make it look new, and is more cost effective than doing it yourself.

The cyclonic trap is on the drivers side of the block just above the mechanical fuel pump and below the intake manifold. Remove the 13mm long bolt that holds it on and soak it in degreaser for a few days.

If you got the pedal box out of the car you should easily be able to inspect the firewall and the clutch pedal. The clutch pedal is notorious for bending over on itself. You can weld a little support bracket from the pivot tube up to the fork, just make sure the additional support does not interfear with the clutch pedal movement or the brake pedal movement.

The clutch cables can go bad in several ways. 1. They can act as a grounding cable if the actual/original ground cable is non functional/non-existant. They will eventually break. 2. The clutch pedal fork starts to bend over and pulls the cable sideways which starts to fray and eventually breaks. 3. The half barrel pivot point on the end of the cable that engages the clutch pedal fork wears out. The half barrel pivot point on original Fiat clutch cables was made from a harder steel than the ones that are being sold now. I've seen original cables with no visible wear on the half barrel pivot point even after 30+ years of service. Ive also seen the newer cables half barrel pivot point wear out almost completely after two years of service.

[azygoustoyou]

Thanks guys