I didn't plan on crawling underneath her so soon after all the jobs I'd wrapped up, but at the track a spectator remarked that the exhaust tips were moving around quite a bit so got her home and inspected the lower motor mount. I was expecting the rubber to be loose/perished and instead found the two mounting bolts gone, and the front stud/nut to be very loose.
Turned out mount's two bolt-holes in the trans case were stripped (ham-fisted mechanic who last replaced clutch?) so with a lot of great advice and encouragement from Doug ("rx1900", seller of various goodies like ignition wires, engine mounts, screws etc) dove into repairing the threads and installing his mount with custom exhaust support.
Late model mounts with the exhaust arm are NLA, but happy to report that like his ignition wires he provides a top notch product.
Mount kit thread:
https://xwebforums.com/forum/index.php?threads/fiat-x1-9-lower-engine-mount-conversion-arm.28369/
On to the pics!
What it looked like, before:
buggered bolt holes, and suspect stud (no fluid came out when I removed it, but later drained a bunch out from main drain hole):
Bought this M8x1:25 helicoil kit
Also from Amazon: right angle drill, short 21/64 drill bits (regular drill with shorty bits would work if you remove oil pan, which is practically a must IMO, but hey I'm always looking for an excuse to get a new tool...), Irwin tap socket (not much space for T-handle tap holder, this with a ratchet worked great), and from McMaster Carr "3D" i.e. 24mm long helicoils, 3x thread depth as 1D coils that came with kit.
Removed oil pan and trans-side of passenger axle, freeing up tons of space (already had a gasket from MWB).
Pretty dark in there, but cylinder walls looked good at least.
Drill, with tape on bit to not go deeper than ~30mm:
tap tap with a little "tap magic" oil, then clear chips with a few blasts of brake cleaner.
Finally, a real use for that little red straw that barely stays in nozzle!
3D/24mm helicoil with new bolts supplied in Doug's kit.
I did get nervous threading in the long coil with the tool that grabs a tang on the very bottom. About 1/2 way in it started to stretch the coil like a clock spring, but eventually got all the coils in the hole.
Looks like the true Helicoil kit comes with a threaded install tool, which may help to work all coil threads in not just twisting the very bottom.
installed:
New 8x1.25x38mm front stud. Doug suggested using a Honda part so local dealer looked up exhaust stud for my 1986 CRX Si and it was perfect ($10 for one though!).
Part #90026-PTO-000
Trans case threads were good so just installed the new stud using jam nuts, with loctite and some hi-temp sealant smeared around the exit for good measure:
blasted and POR-15'd the flywheel cover and cross member, then started putting it all back together.
Oil pan install was just as much of a PITA as I anticipated, laying on back, arms cramping, aligning gasket until a few of the ~20 bolts got started....
Complete, with new 4x10mm chassis bolts and Doug's mount and exhaust arm. Now passes the "pencil test"!
Filled trans back up (took almost the full gallon, maybe 2 cups left over):
Valvoline VR1 motor oil arrives tomorrow so once that's in she's ready to hit the road again.
Just in time for Radwood at COTA next weekend!
Thanks again to Doug. Fairly scary job drilling and tapping the trans case but thankfully it's soft aluminum and with the oil pan removed has decent clearance.
cheers!
