BeekJR Bertone

BeekJr

Low Mileage
In about an hour and a half we successfully dropped the column and pedal cluster where we ran across a very special modified bolt. unsure of the reason we decided to put back an original bolt. At this point we figured that an APB would have to be put out on the forum to see if someone had a spare X1/9 master cylinder bolt. Those are special and very long. Not something one can get at a hardware store. My dad suggested that I go look in one of the bolt bins we brought back from Georgia. (When loading the truck in the rain, these bins were very heavy and I said more than one time that we should just leave them behind. My dad insisted that we bring them.) Much to my surprise, right on top of the first bin I looked in was a pair of X1/9 master cylinder bolts, Go figure! But he did forget to bring a 8mm wrench home to bleed the clutch. That's all we have left at this
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I modified the original bolt so that it could be extracted without having to remove the center console - remember this is one of those bolts installed "wrong way in" at the factory, specifically to make it impossible for the home mechanic to remove.
If I remember the ordeal correctly, you will want to install the unmodified bolt with the head on the opposite side from the factory orientation. You can see I had to cut the bolt head off in order to extract it, then I cut a groove there and installed a snap ring in place of the (mostly unnecessary) bolt head. That bolt is only under shear load, there are no forces trying to make it slide sideways.
 
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Although I have not personally done it, you could make up a rod threaded at both ends and a nut on each end and be able to remove the brake or clutch MC separately by sliding the mounting rod in either direction.
 
Although I have not personally done it, you could make up a rod threaded at both ends and a nut on each end and be able to remove the brake or clutch MC separately by sliding the mounting rod in either direction.
This has also been done successfully by many using "all-thread rod" for the "bolt". Although the circlip mod was also a cleaver solution.

This bolt is like the alternator mount bolt on some applications (e.g. A/C equipped), it won't come all the way out the way the factory did things. I'm not certain these were intended designs for a specific purpose - more likely just poor engineering that never got corrected. :rolleyes:
 
Fiat was hoping the X would dissolve into a useless pile of rust before either of the two MCs would need repair.
 
This has also been done successfully by many using "all-thread rod" for the "bolt". Although the circlip mod was also a cleaver solution.

This bolt is like the alternator mount bolt on some applications (e.g. A/C equipped), it won't come all the way out the way the factory did things. I'm not certain these were intended designs for a specific purpose - more likely just poor engineering that never got corrected. :rolleyes:
I have always said the engineers should be forced to work on their designs!
 
I have always said the engineers should be forced to work on their designs!
Wrencher folks should be forced to deal with the design trade offs inherit in all designs..

Technically, all thread/threaded rod is an absolute no-no for shear loading. This is due to the threads being stress risers (cracks) that are part of how the all thread/threaded rod is made. Or precisely where the part will fail. The master cylinders are effectively shear loaded, not tension. Might "get away" with using all thread/threaded rod in vast production.. unit one of these fail causing brake failure and more... followed by legal action, wanna take that chance?

Add to this, the current crop of master cylinders are Poooo.. assured to fail making replacement far more often than the OEM Fiat master cylinders. Aggravating this problem.

From a service point of view, the pedal box needs to be removed to service/replace the master cylinders and all related including the pedal bushing and all that.

Alternatively, the design folks could have put the master cylinders in to frunk.. which would impinge on frunk storage space and makes the brake plumbing vulnerable to damage.


Not as simple as it appears..
Bernice
 
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Although I have not personally done it, you could make up a rod threaded at both ends and a nut on each end and be able to remove the brake or clutch MC separately by sliding the mounting rod in either direction.
Yes, I wanted to do that, but after I cut the bolt head off there wasn't enough length left for thread. BEEKJr, you might want to save my McGyver bolt for the next time (and there WILL be a next time) you do the clutch master replacement.
 
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Yes, I wanted to do that, but after I cut the bolt head off there wasn't enough length left for thread. BEEKJr, you might want to save my McGyver bolt for the next time (and there WILL be a next time) you do the clutch master replacement.
We had leftover original bolts from my dads shop in Atlanta put them in backwards from stock and that worked out great.
 
Excellent but you won't be allowed on the show field at Amelia Island as your MC bolts are in backwards.
 
He is going to need a set of head light doors for sure (the black covers). They dont appear to be there. Working on the lights today
 
After Driving the car a bit, some minor things have come about the second and third gear synchros are crunching on shift, soon we will go into the transmission and flip the 3rd gear synchro and replace 2nd gear. as well as the drivers front strut has gone bad, simple fixes. (my dad looking throught stuff in the shop today and ran across a new 3rd gear synchro)
 
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After Driving the car a bit, some minor things have come about the second and third gear synchros are crunching on shift, soon we will go into the transmission and flip the 3rd gear synchro and replace 2nd gear. as well as the drivers front strut has gone bad, simple fixes. (my dad looking throught stuff in the shop today and ran across a new 3rd gear synchro)
Likely not just the 3rd gear synchro, the 3-4 slider and 3rd gear is likely crunched. Be ready to deal with all these knackered parts.
Use oem quality parts... current aftermarket parts are iffy at best.

While inside the gear box, may as well deal with the reverse gear that is often worn.. and check the shift centering spring. If the spring is of the thick gauge wire variety, it should be replaced as that version is prone to fracture failures followed by bits of the spring floating around inside the gear box ready to destroy gears..


Bernice
 
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