850 Spider School of Hard Knocks Lessons Learned for Other Owners

[Daniel Gibson]

I will start
1. Make sure your air cleaner base studs are secure. Locktite, lock washers, whatever it takes. Mine came loose and dropped at least one washer down my carb. This made its way past my valves in cylinder #4 and tore up everything.
Next?

 

[Frank L. Di Gioia]

Installed a freshly rebuilt engine in my 850 and ended up with a Texas size oil flow coming out by the flywheel. Seems "someone" installed the main bearing cap either backwards or used an incorrect cap so that the oil return was blocked off. Long time ago so I forget the exact details but the rear main seal wasn't strong enough to hold the pressure.....defective seal? (kidding)

 

[kmead]

Ensure your engine pans are installed, particularly on the radiator side. At the same time clean the exterior of the radiator fins front and back to ensure air will actually flow through the radiator.

 

[kmead]

Use the correct depth radiator cap. The overflow tank doesn’t function as a pressure vessel.

 

[DSpieg]

Make sure your fuel inlet and recirc nipples, which are just pressed-in by the factory into the carb body, are either (a) threaded AND Loctite'd into the carb, or (b) bonded AND safety-wired into the carb body, which is how I did mine. Otherwise one of the nipples WILL pop out at an inopportune moment and possibly set your car on fire.

 

[Frank L. Di Gioia]

Make sure your fuel inlet and recirc nipples, which are just pressed-in by the factory into the carb body, are either (a) threaded AND Loctite'd into the carb, or (b) bonded AND safety-wired into the carb body, which is how I did mine. Otherwise one of the nipples WILL pop out at an inopportune moment and possibly set your car on fire.

Right on Dave! I had a '67 going across the Martinez (San Francisco area) bridge toward Oakland when it popped off!!! I was close enough to the south end to coast off the bridge and pull off to the smell of raw gasoline.

 

[NM850]

Had it happen tome on a rural farm road right after I got the car. My carbs have AN fittings now.

 

[kmead]

Mine pulled out when I pulled on it after being clued in by a friend.

 

[FR85]

Make sure you put the o-ring back in when doing an oil filter clean. Oil everywhere, up the walls, ceiling, engine bay on first startup

 

[Daniel Gibson]

Make sure you put the o-ring back in when doing an oil filter clean. Oil everywhere, up the walls, ceiling, engine bay on first startup

Oh man, that sounds like a painful lesson learned. Or lesion earned!

 

[gene cooley]

When you slip it into first and bring the revs up to about 6000 then sidestep the clutch and it doesn't move; check your axle flanges BEFORE you pull the trans...

 

[Daniel Gibson]

Car won’t idle? Try cleaning the idle jets. One of both sides of the carb. If clean, you will be able to see a little pinhole of light through them. And they will clog.

 

[dnudelman]

1. Idle jets are different now due to new gas, Pierce Manifolds says idle jets 40-50.
2. I watched an axle flange separate on a Sprite back in my racing days. I had the stub axles on my Alemano magnafluxed, both were cracked.
3. Buy a cheap used motorcycle jack off craigslist to raise and lower your engine/transaxle.
4. 124 calipers/rotors/brackets work just fine on the front (as a complete assembly). Should also use the 124 MC which fits with a little finagling

 

[myredracer]

Rust, rust, rust. Rust is enemy no. 1. Don't let water get on it, period. I hate rust.

 

[DSpieg]

If you don't want to be cleaning the idle jets weekly as I used to do, get a metal filter "sock" (aircooled VW Beetle application) and install on the fuel pickup tube.

 

[dnudelman]

If you don't want to be cleaning the idle jets weekly as I used to do, get a metal filter "sock" (aircooled VW Beetle application) and install on the fuel pickup tube.

Agree completely. This inline strainer is also a good choice

Amazon.com: Baldwin BF1173 In-Line Fuel Strainer : Automotive

Buy Baldwin BF1173 In-Line Fuel Strainer: Fuel Filters - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

smile.amazon.com

 

[FR85]

Oh man, that sounds like a painful lesson learned. Or lesion earned!

Once the crying stopped the laughter started. Was my own fault, I didn't jack up the engine and remove the rear cross member as one should for a clear view.

I'm a guy, I got this.....I didn't have it at all!

 

[SuperTopo]

Make sure you put the o-ring back in when doing an oil filter clean. Oil everywhere, up the walls, ceiling, engine bay on first startup

Solved this problem a different way:

 

[SuperTopo]

Make sure your fuel inlet and recirc nipples, which are just pressed-in by the factory into the carb body, are either (a) threaded AND Loctite'd into the carb, or (b) bonded AND safety-wired into the carb body, which is how I did mine. Otherwise one of the nipples WILL pop out at an inopportune moment and possibly set your car on fire.

Problem solved.

 

[FR85]

Solved this problem a different way:

View attachment 51243

Where is the send and return coming from and going to? With the angle of the filter how do you prefill/prime it? Have you replaced the flinger filter with a pulley from a 128 or similar? Very tidy looking set up but I've so many questions!!