Rusted Out 1970 850 Spider Fix-Up

[Daniel Gibson]

Ok, with some help from the folks here, a blurry 1971 schematic, a fiat 124 schematic which was a lot clearer, and my own pics, I got it all installed, and it works fine. Some of my connections were corroded, and that relay was just falling apart. It passed the two main tests...it stays running with the battery disconnected, and the wipers speed up when I rev it. Solid-state, baby!

 

[Loren Field]

Great, and good one

 

[Daniel Gibson]

Sweet!

 

[kmead]

Woah! Spending some serious dollars now!

I have one myself. Install is much easier with the radiator out of the car.

 

[Daniel Gibson]

Woah! Spending some serious dollars now!

I have one myself. Install is much easier with the radiator out of the car.

I know! Almost cost as much as the car did! Had it all installed, tightening up the left top bolt, and sure enough...the stud stripped in the bell housing. CRAP! Called it a night after that.

 

[Daniel Gibson]

Ugh...I lost all of my old car pics, and I have confused myself. On top of the alternator, when you are standing at the back of the car, does the gray wire go into the left or right plug? Anyone able to take a good clear pic of the top of theirs for me? Many thanks!

 

[dnudelman]

I ran into same issue.

 

[Daniel Gibson]

I ran into same issue.

Thank you. If I am looking at this right, the fat wire that runs to the voltage regulator goes into the white plastic socket, and the gray wire into the plug next to it?

 

[dnudelman]

I believe the gray wire also had a plastic socket but I have lost it

 

[dnudelman]

Facing the rear of the alternator yellow and then grey moving clockwise

 

[dnudelman]

This is for an 850 Coupe so the spider might have different wire colors

 

[Chaostoy]

 

[Daniel Gibson]

Ok, here is the scoop on my starter and alternator. As to may recall where we left off on the starter, one of the studs had pulled out. Fortunately, Fiat, even with the puny stud, drilled and tapped the hole long enough for me to put in a fresh M8 bolt with loads of thread to spare. Starter secured!
Now, I had also confused myself on the alternator. I felt a little better after I started tracing back wires to discover that someone in the past had cut off the end of the gray wire that runs to the voltage regulator and spliced on red, and had cut off the end of the yellow wire and spliced on gray. Huh. Got that all sorted out and now I am alternating again!
If you wonder what a gear reduction starter sounds like on these, here you go. Note that I updated this to point to rumble instead of you tube. They were putting a minute ad on my 7 second video and not cutting me in on it. Phooey on them!

1970 Fiat Start With Gear Reduction Starter

1970 Fiat Start With Gear Reduction Starter

rumble.com

Cranks pretty quick!
Now I have to figure out what to do about this.

 

[Loren Field]

If you mean the separation of the mounting perch from the rear panel (not the rubber), there is a nice write up for spot welding to strengthen it in Greg Schmidt's Fiat and Abarth Tricks. ljf

 

[Daniel Gibson]

If you mean the separation of the mounting perch from the rear panel (not the rubber), there is a nice write up for spot welding to strengthen it in Greg Schmidt's Fiat and Abarth Tricks. ljf

Thank you! There is a lot of good info in there. Here is a link for future reference: https://archive.org/details/FiatAndAbarthTricksGregSchmidt/page/n67/mode/2up

 

[Daniel Gibson]

I hope everyone else got to go to a car show tonight!

 

[Daniel Gibson]

Y’know, it has been too long since I regaled you all with tales of “restoration” glory. After I got the car running, a small section of the door sill popped loose. My fault (who else’s?)... I ground off too much of the weld, which wasn’t too good in the first place. Every time I got in the car, I would catch it on my shoe or pants leg or leg leg. Ow!

Rather than weld it again, let us braze! It is kinda fun. Cleaning up enough, and tap in the raised part.

Then we braise away, and only catch the car a little on fire.

Grind it down, slap some fiberglass on it, and paint away!

Now that is more like it! Next project...the rear engine mount! Join us next time for the latest installment of “What the Hell is He Doing?”.

 

[dnudelman]

I've done brazing, years ago with oxy/acetylene gas. Tried to do some brazing recently with a small mapp gas cyclinder (hardware store) and couldn't get the rod to melt. Suggestions?

 

[gene cooley]

I've done brazing, years ago with oxy/acetylene gas. Tried to do some brazing recently with a small mapp gas cyclinder (hardware store) and couldn't get the rod to melt. Suggestions?

We brazed some tabs on an exhaust system with Mapp Gas, we had to get the surrounding metal hot before trying to braze it but it finally worked after we did that.

 

[Daniel Gibson]

I've done brazing, years ago with oxy/acetylene gas. Tried to do some brazing recently with a small mapp gas cyclinder (hardware store) and couldn't get the rod to melt. Suggestions?

I've done brazing, years ago with oxy/acetylene gas. Tried to do some brazing recently with a small mapp gas cyclinder (hardware store) and couldn't get the rod to melt. Suggestions?

I am using this. Like Gene said, the metal has to be super hot. I have this thing cranked up to get the rod to melt.