Naive questions

L

Loren Field

True Classic
Hi 850 lovers – I have a couple of naïve question, and since things are slow on the forum I though I would ask 😊. First, my ’71 spider has an intermittent electrical gremlin that I am trying to track down. Sometimes when starting (usually after the engine is hot) the red charging light on the tach will stay on and I can hear a sort of groaning noise coming from under the driver’s side of the dash. Once I start moving or if I get the revs up the light goes out and the sound stops. Does the groaning noise suggest that the charge indicator relay, and if so does anyone know a replacement? Second, is there a preferred material to use when making a gasket for the distributor base (it has developed a slow leak)? Car is below, and I have been playing with it for the past 25 years. Many thanks, Loren

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The sound thing with a relay is indeed odd. You can get a replacement relay for it (Sipea 5230) from several of the vendors, Fiat Plus offers it here: http://www.fiatplus.com/ALTERNATOR-CHARGE-RELAY.html

Before replacing it however I would remove it, clean the contacts, wire ends and the ground to the unit to see if that clears up the systems odd noises which could indicate arcing which isn’t good.

It is not unusual to have an issue with idle speed and initial charging, the X is known for it.

Lovely car, you are an excellent steward of it.

Also feel free to post anytime with questions, this part of the forum is slow because of a lack of posts, not a lack of interest. All the best

Karl
 
If you have a Marelli distributor, check to see if the black plastic oil slinger is still intact on the upper shaft below the distributor body (this is what keeps oil from spiraling up the shaft towards the distributor base). They often crack, crumble or melt from age/fatigue. There is no seal or gasket on the 850 distributor base, but the 600 distributor does use a gasket there that you can try using.

As for the red light staying on, you might want to clean/inspect the alternator diodes & brushes, as well as the voltage regulator.
 
Thanks to all for the comments, I will see if I can track down and correct the intermittent groaning.

Jeff, do you know how much play there should be between the oil slinger and the distributor base? Also, do you know if the weight of the distributor shaft is supported by the distributor body/housing, as opposed to being supported by the distributor/oil pump drive shaft?

Best, Loren
 
D'OH - launched to soon... sorry. That would seem to fit with there being some up/down play between the slinger and the base. The reason for my confusion was that the slinger on the distributor I bought was mounted with the concave/open end pointing towards the housing and the closed end pointing towards the block - there is very little play up/down play in that configuration, but since roll pin hole on the slinger is offset, if it is flipped so that the concave/open end is towards the block the there is a couple mm of play; having play would make sense to me if the shaft is supposed to rest on the dizzy/oil pump drive shaft. That is also what it looks like in the parts manual as well (ie concave/open end end of the slinger pointing down). Please let me know if I have it backwards :)

Best, Loren
 
My oil leak at the distributor base ended up being an easy fix - apparently the hold down clamp couldn't generate enough leverage to seal. Put a 3 mm thick washer underneath the tab of the clamp and no more leak. I will make something more aesthetically pleasing but it nice that the oil is now remaining where it is supposed to :)

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Nice solution.
Instead of something more aesthetically pleasing you can just bend the hold down to have more of a right angle and it should do the job.
 
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