Alternative location for Bosch electronic control module
- Thread starter milan1951
- Start date
Karl there is a small 6mm dia. hole on the side of the panel that goes to engine bay. Not sure if that is the one. No nipple or hose. In deference fuel filler hole as a fairly long, clear plastic drain tube outlet from hole. to under body. Not so the right side. Will make sure both are clean and dry in future regardless.
kmead
Old enough to know better
That is the one what should have the nipple, like the gas tank side. I suspect your car had rust there in the past and it was replaced.
The other alternative is that the nipple itself is a plastic part and it burned along with the tube...
What you have done will make it much easier to clean that out and prevent future rust. How much rain does Canberra get in a year?
Karl, you could be right. Nipple may have melted. May put a plastic tube in that small side hole and drain it out through engine bay. Now that I'm aware of problem build up will watch it like a hawk. Canberra is in South Eastern Australia and fairly high at 800 metres in a valley. Four seasons and considerable amount of rainfall usually through fall, winter and spring. Keeping car covered will help and keeping it as a week-end show and shine drive car.
On another issue you may be able to help. Not sure what lives beside spare wheel on the vent side. All I found was a poorly tacked piece of thick insulation. What's your baby got ? I know its hidden by spare wheel and spare wheel cover that is like a light tan covered door card.
On another issue you may be able to help. Not sure what lives beside spare wheel on the vent side. All I found was a poorly tacked piece of thick insulation. What's your baby got ? I know its hidden by spare wheel and spare wheel cover that is like a light tan covered door card.
lookforjoe
True Classic
My '87 had a piece of the board they use for door cards, etc., with the insulation glued to it in that location - I can't find the pic of it, this is the shape - I used the original (deteriorated) as a template for an aluminum panel on mine
kmead
Old enough to know better
As Hussien says it was just a piece of hardboard (like compressed cardboard) with some shoddy insulation (a fibrous material compressed with a binder) and around it that mice like to make nests with. Shoddy is actually a real term for the insulation beyond an insulting reference to the quality of work 
Making a new one without the original will be challenging. I won’t be able to get at mine until spring time but mine does need to be replaced on at least one of my X’s. I will be happy to trace it then. Sorry for the delay.
Making a new one without the original will be challenging. I won’t be able to get at mine until spring time but mine does need to be replaced on at least one of my X’s. I will be happy to trace it then. Sorry for the delay.
Dr.Jeff
True Classic
I did not know that, so I just looked it up to find out more. Perhaps the two uses of the word are somewhat related; the definition of shoddy used to describe material ("yarn or fabric") says it is of a inferior quality. Now I don't need to learn anything else for today.Shoddy is actually a real term for the insulation beyond an insulting reference to the quality of work
Thanks guys for reaffirming my initial fear that my 1982 X 1/9 was missing something that may have separated spare wheel from the space where my Bosch electronic ignition module now lives. I did not know there were so many spaces for mice nests in an X 1/9. I'm sure I found remnants of mice skeleton with fur at the bottom of the hole under drivers side vent. Yes I only found a slab of thick insulation held in situ by three metal tongues top and bottom.
Joe, what a great idea, an aluminium panel made to fit. Why didn't FIAT think of that ? Unfortunately attached to thick insulation I found debris of card.... No way to use for template. Still I'm used to cutting card templates to fit spaces to transfer to metal. Thanks for idea. What interesting components that are mounted to that panel.
kmead
Old enough to know better
Yes that is the brand name for what 'hardboard' is, a misnomer if every I have seen one.
kmead
Old enough to know better
All part of the K24 fitting theme along with eleventy billion Volvo parts
Great piece of retro-fitting of panel. Looks great, even painted in the original colour. What did you mount to the panel ? Will eventually try to do the same to my 82 X1/9 when I get that far. Does your spare tyre still live in its original space ?My '87 had a piece of the board they use for door cards, etc., with the insulation glued to it in that location - I can't find the pic of it, this is the shape - I used the original (deteriorated) as a template for an aluminum panel on mine
Karl, my 'Masonite' Hardboard crumbled around bits of disintegrated insulation.
Dr.Jeff
True Classic
All of those cardboard panels were quite shot on my X's as well, and the insulation was a smelly rotten mess. No wonder because most of them are rather exposed to the elements from behind. Once they warp and begin to deteriorate they allow some large (indirect) gaps into the cabin as well. What a mess to remove all traces of it. I also made a sheet metal replacement, but I've enlarged the air ducts significantly, so these panels needed to be moved inward to help open up the air path. That means they are no longer stock shaped either.
Last edited:
My panels almost non existent, pieces of hardboard stuck to three large peces of fibre-wool insulation. Had no idea of what lay behind till I removed vent covering and 'saw the light'. A large cavernous well ventilated area for mice to nest with bits of soft insulation under vent space. Quite cosy..
Sparked idea for housing Bosch electronic ignition module, high up away from moisture, but with ventilation. Understand how you with enlarged ducts needed to move panels inward.
Sparked idea for housing Bosch electronic ignition module, high up away from moisture, but with ventilation. Understand how you with enlarged ducts needed to move panels inward.
lookforjoe
True Classic
OK - so you can see the original hardboard panel in my cut away for the Dallara body (I guess it wasn't as bad shape as I recalled, judging from the pic). The problem with putting the module in there is that water can get in around the air intake if you drive in the rain, and from above. The intakes have 'seals' on them (to connect with rectangular vent seen behind sheet metal), however they typically don't work, so you may want to look at that with the panel out of the way.
Dr.Jeff
True Classic
I think if the side scoops and air channels were "rebuilt" to restore the seals between the outside and engine bay, then the area where this module has been mounted will be fine. Unfortunately those "seals" typically are completely deteriorated and useless as @lookforjoe says. So it's worth the effort to find a way to reseal it.
The "seals" we are talking about were a bit of an oddity, much like most things on these cars. The majority of it was a large foam rubber block with a hole through it for the air to pass from the scoop to the duct (see pic below). You might be able to come up with a better way to seal it.
Sorry, this is a very poor representation. Hopefully someone has pics of the actual items described. But the foam block "seal" goes about where I drew a black box, with a hole through it (yellow):
Jeff, thanks for pics, See what you mean about side vents not being too well connected to provide ventilation to engine bay without some way of connecting vent outlet to duct to engine bay. When redoing cables/levers and finding suitable site for Bosch ignition module that I explored side duct spaces and their possibilities. Enlightning how much I'm learning about these cars after many years of having owned and driven them without looking into their nooks and crannies.
Today after chatting with Matt at Midwest Bayless am on another issue; fuel lines. May put that on another separate forum.