Great progress 
-Alex
-Alex
Tuning 1368cc 16V FIRE Turbo (T-Jet) Uno conversion
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Tuning 1368cc 16V FIRE Turbo (T-Jet) Uno conversion
OP
OP
Dressed the Abarth engine and mated it to gearbox. This new Abarth engine has all the little bits that I have been missing from the other one like starter/alternator wiring, plastic clips, heat shielding, etc. and has been a breeze to sort. Pics show the finished engine and the cleaned engine bay. I removed the soundproofing/heat shielding from the bulkhead as it just seemed unnecessary now that the exhaust is on the front of the engine bay. Also seems to give an inch behind the inlet manifold which is good.
Engine coolant inlet points straight into the rad and is of course miles away from the exit of the rad where it should connect, which is on the other side of the car. Couple of 90 degree bends and a foot of aluminium pipe should sort. It is very tight in this area, but I have found a route I think.
The engine is all tightened on the mounts and it doesn't move much. The engine-wing mount doesn't line up perfectly and this puts the gearbox mounts at their most extreme positions to compensate. They aren't in super-tension or anything though and I was able to just bolt them up with a bit of pushing and swearing. Now using UT engine mount rubber as realised it lines up with the FIRE mount holes and is a much better design.
The engine sits wonderfully low. I hadn't noticed before, but all the mounts had been modified to accept a 1 inch spacer that lowers the engine and gearbox by that amount. This was why I had the gap on the engine mount when I first fitted the other engine. Using the modified UT rubber, it all sits horizontally.
Standard UT fan won't fit. The radaitor is now slanted back away from the engine. The bottom mounts remain in their holes, but I have removed the bonnet catch and chopped the front panel a little to allow the radiator to slip backwards in an effort to create in front of the turbo and exhaust downpipe. I had to trim the plastic mountings off the radiator and it must have been in and out 20 times trying to make it fit just so. At the moment it is an interference fit, it's that tight! A standard FIRE Uno fan seems to just fit, with one of the mounts hanging a bit, but can sort that. Worried it is not good enough to cool, especially as I tune the engine.
If anyone has any ideas for fans from other models that they think would fit and are a better performing design, please let me know.
The last couple of pics show the engine cover installed. Considering using it now, partly because it has a neat solution for piping recirculated air back into the inlet. The engine cover slopes away towards the driver's side wing and makes the engine look like it's on the ****. Caught me out until I checked engine with spirit level without the cover on.
I didn't go for a start as I didn't anticipate how tired I would get and the day went super-fast as they always do when you're on it!
Engine coolant inlet points straight into the rad and is of course miles away from the exit of the rad where it should connect, which is on the other side of the car. Couple of 90 degree bends and a foot of aluminium pipe should sort. It is very tight in this area, but I have found a route I think.
The engine is all tightened on the mounts and it doesn't move much. The engine-wing mount doesn't line up perfectly and this puts the gearbox mounts at their most extreme positions to compensate. They aren't in super-tension or anything though and I was able to just bolt them up with a bit of pushing and swearing. Now using UT engine mount rubber as realised it lines up with the FIRE mount holes and is a much better design.
The engine sits wonderfully low. I hadn't noticed before, but all the mounts had been modified to accept a 1 inch spacer that lowers the engine and gearbox by that amount. This was why I had the gap on the engine mount when I first fitted the other engine. Using the modified UT rubber, it all sits horizontally.
Standard UT fan won't fit. The radaitor is now slanted back away from the engine. The bottom mounts remain in their holes, but I have removed the bonnet catch and chopped the front panel a little to allow the radiator to slip backwards in an effort to create in front of the turbo and exhaust downpipe. I had to trim the plastic mountings off the radiator and it must have been in and out 20 times trying to make it fit just so. At the moment it is an interference fit, it's that tight! A standard FIRE Uno fan seems to just fit, with one of the mounts hanging a bit, but can sort that. Worried it is not good enough to cool, especially as I tune the engine.
If anyone has any ideas for fans from other models that they think would fit and are a better performing design, please let me know.
The last couple of pics show the engine cover installed. Considering using it now, partly because it has a neat solution for piping recirculated air back into the inlet. The engine cover slopes away towards the driver's side wing and makes the engine look like it's on the ****. Caught me out until I checked engine with spirit level without the cover on.
I didn't go for a start as I didn't anticipate how tired I would get and the day went super-fast as they always do when you're on it!
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Excellent work Lewis Looks like it was made for that engine bay.
If only I could move my projects forward at such a speed...
Cheers
Dave
Looks like it was made for that engine bay.If only I could move my projects forward at such a speed...
Cheers
Dave
OP
OP
Cheers Dave. I work full time in an unrelated field, so I have learnt to plan large jobs during the week and do simple testing and other small jobs during the week in the evening. This normally means I know exactly what I'm going to do and have the parts ready to do what I want come the weekend.Excellent work Lewis
If only I could move my projects forward at such a speed...
Cheers
Dave
I have been lucky with the parts I bought, but I did a lot of research into what parts fit what so that when I found the parts I wanted, I knew it would all fit together. For me, I always think about the basics: gearbox matching, powertrain mounts and driveshafts. I think all other things can be overcome easily enough.
you've made great progress!
dzogi
New member
Wow.
This Uno is going to be a great drive... I'm sure the designers that used the T-Jet would have loved to have had it in a car as light as the Uno, rather than some 1250kg+ Bravo
Beautiful how you've fitted that engine in there.
Radiator fan is usually operational only with the car stationary and idling so I think it will be sufficient? Especially as it will be blowing air over the hot turbo too. Maybe some bonnet vents would help to get the hot air out - or perhaps some subtle vents through the inner wings into the front wheelarches?
-Alex
Beautiful how you've fitted that engine in there.
Radiator fan is usually operational only with the car stationary and idling so I think it will be sufficient? Especially as it will be blowing air over the hot turbo too. Maybe some bonnet vents would help to get the hot air out - or perhaps some subtle vents through the inner wings into the front wheelarches?
-Alex
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Lewey, you ARE da man! I`m loving it!
As soon as I can find a 1368 lump cheap enough, I will be putting it in my grey Uno, thats why I got the white Uno as my new runaround. I`m only aiming for 110bhp though! I`m sure I`m not the only one intending to do it either, so thank you for putting your progress on here, it`ll be very useful in future
As far as the fans are concerned, you can buy aftermarket slim cooling fans fairly cheaply (about £50 for a pair of 14" ones), if you make up a fitted shroud that`ll give you more than adaquate cooling & leave the space in front of the rad free for a nice big intercooler.
Also, as Alex says, venting would help. I`d go for a full width front vent taking up air from directly behind the rad via an shroud behind the rad made of ally sheeting, maybe including the turbo in the airflow, similar to the rallying Lancias/Ford RS200 etc.
Theres 3 advantages to this design, 1. it dramatically increases air flow through the rad & 2. it makes a huge difference to aerodynamics as it guides the air through the rad & straight out of the engine bay, which is a primary drag point for air flow, & 3, it also increases downforce as its directing air over, instead of under, the car.
Whether you`ll have enough room for that remains to be seen!
Are you keeping that standard air box?
As soon as I can find a 1368 lump cheap enough, I will be putting it in my grey Uno, thats why I got the white Uno as my new runaround. I`m only aiming for 110bhp though! I`m sure I`m not the only one intending to do it either, so thank you for putting your progress on here, it`ll be very useful in future
As far as the fans are concerned, you can buy aftermarket slim cooling fans fairly cheaply (about £50 for a pair of 14" ones), if you make up a fitted shroud that`ll give you more than adaquate cooling & leave the space in front of the rad free for a nice big intercooler.
Also, as Alex says, venting would help. I`d go for a full width front vent taking up air from directly behind the rad via an shroud behind the rad made of ally sheeting, maybe including the turbo in the airflow, similar to the rallying Lancias/Ford RS200 etc.
Theres 3 advantages to this design, 1. it dramatically increases air flow through the rad & 2. it makes a huge difference to aerodynamics as it guides the air through the rad & straight out of the engine bay, which is a primary drag point for air flow, & 3, it also increases downforce as its directing air over, instead of under, the car.
Whether you`ll have enough room for that remains to be seen!
Are you keeping that standard air box?
OP
OP
This Uno is going to be a great drive... I'm sure the designers that used the T-Jet would have loved to have had it in a car as light as the Uno, rather than some 1250kg+ Bravo
Beautiful how you've fitted that engine in there.
Radiator fan is usually operational only with the car stationary and idling so I think it will be sufficient? Especially as it will be blowing air over the hot turbo too. Maybe some bonnet vents would help to get the hot air out - or perhaps some subtle vents through the inner wings into the front wheelarches?
-Alex
Yes, I like to think that the FIAT designers/developers have a secret garage of older FIATs that they experiment with. I don't know ho much it will weigh now. My guess is around 850Kg.
I know that the rad fan isn't going to be a problem when going along, but I'm talking about the queuing to go on track on a hot summer's day. Could be lethal. Going to mod the wiring to just go full pelt at 90 degrees, rather than the posh two speed UT setup.
Lewey, you ARE da man! I`m loving it!
As soon as I can find a 1368 lump cheap enough, I will be putting it in my grey Uno, thats why I got the white Uno as my new runaround. I`m only aiming for 110bhp though! I`m sure I`m not the only one intending to do it either, so thank you for putting your progress on here, it`ll be very useful in future
Also, as Alex says, venting would help. I`d go for a full width front vent taking up air from directly behind the rad via an shroud behind the rad made of ally sheeting, maybe including the turbo in the airflow, similar to the rallying Lancias/Ford RS200 etc.
I will consider venting after my initial testing. Whatever I do it will be subtle. I'm actually having thoughts of making it look more standard!
It's only an engine cover. The pipe you can see underneath it goes straight into the turbo. I'll just chop this standard part and put a cone filter on it which will sit behind the driver headlight.
this is going to be a great drive, those t-jet engines are really good.
the mrs punto sounds great with just a cone filter.
i've heard that you can get 240hp out of this engine.
this makes me want another UT and put the t-jet engine in.
the mrs punto sounds great with just a cone filter.
i've heard that you can get 240hp out of this engine.
this makes me want another UT and put the t-jet engine in.
OP
OP
very very good job u have achieved, well done.
dont forget to tell us about the performance after testing it.
Cheers. Not finished yet though! It looks good, but I've got to do a lot of plumbing yet - Fuel, air, intercooler, radiator, heater matrix, etc. Have ordered pipes and connectors and stuff, so should all be here in time for the weekend.
Lewey, this is damn impressive.
You sticking with the stock ecu map or re-mapping?
You sticking with the stock ecu map or re-mapping?
OP
OP
It doesn't work yet, so I'm not counting my chickens until I've got it running.
Tuning will be a two-stage thing. I want to prove it can work and that the rest of the car is OK etc. I don't know how the engine will run with the electronics at the moment and all that.
Once I have done a shake down, I will put my hybrid turbo on, bigger injectors and get a remap then. See around post #27. As a result of this plan, it seems a waste of money to remap now, although I am sure the power upgrade would be great. Perhaps a TMC Tuning box or equivalent would be good in this case as I could sell it when I upgrade the turbo.
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OP
OP
I'm afraid that after the speedy progress of engines going in and out, the tedious and time-consuming plumbing of coolant, brake, clutch and inter cooler is now in progress, not to mention figuring out Uno wiring and how I might mount all the electronics.
So, no pictures worth showing but I did have a big moment a few hours ago where I managed to start the engine and blip the throttle a couple of times! Seemed to run perfectly for the few seconds it was alive. Great result, very pleased that it looks like it will work anyway!
Just before the test run, I had been plumbing in the fuel lines. I used the FIAT eLearn manual for guidance, although I didn't really need to. I thought I was glad I did when I saw the diagram (see screenshot). The diagram shows the fuel entering on the regulator side of the rail. OK, I thought, I'll do it the way it says (note how completely wrong the first sentence of the text is above it too!) So I hooked it up and turned on the pump. All I could hear from the pump was a crackling sound that sounded to me like a short circuit! Pulled off the return pipe to find no fuel in there at all. It was of course plumbed up the wrong way and the pump was dying, trying to push the regulator diaphragm the wrong way. Pretty annoying as I have cut the fuel lines to mate with the Uno ones perfectly and they are now wrong, so one of them is going to have to have two joins now.
So, no pictures worth showing but I did have a big moment a few hours ago where I managed to start the engine and blip the throttle a couple of times! Seemed to run perfectly for the few seconds it was alive. Great result, very pleased that it looks like it will work anyway!
Just before the test run, I had been plumbing in the fuel lines. I used the FIAT eLearn manual for guidance, although I didn't really need to. I thought I was glad I did when I saw the diagram (see screenshot). The diagram shows the fuel entering on the regulator side of the rail. OK, I thought, I'll do it the way it says (note how completely wrong the first sentence of the text is above it too!) So I hooked it up and turned on the pump. All I could hear from the pump was a crackling sound that sounded to me like a short circuit! Pulled off the return pipe to find no fuel in there at all. It was of course plumbed up the wrong way and the pump was dying, trying to push the regulator diaphragm the wrong way. Pretty annoying as I have cut the fuel lines to mate with the Uno ones perfectly and they are now wrong, so one of them is going to have to have two joins now.
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Typical Italians!
In the Alfa 164 manual, they refer to the Clutch Master Cylinder and it turns out that's the one on the bellhousing. The one at the pedal is a Clutch Pump.
-Alex
In the Alfa 164 manual, they refer to the Clutch Master Cylinder and it turns out that's the one on the bellhousing. The one at the pedal is a Clutch Pump.
-Alex
loving this project lewey. Its coming on brilliantly! Should be a great engine route that im sure many people will follow, not only in the uno world, but in other fiat models too.
need to crack on a bit more with mine! im onto the wiring and plumbing it in! we're getting there!
Dunc
need to crack on a bit more with mine! im onto the wiring and plumbing it in! we're getting there!
Dunc
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OP
OP
Yes, I hope it delivers on it's promise of performance and reliability. I wish you luck with your alternative route. I thought I had a pretty mint shell until I saw yours!
NEXT WEEK IS UNO WEEK!
I have all week off and the car will be drivable in some form at the end of my holiday! Presuming all goes to plan, I will go on a test drive on the road at some point in an effort to uncover teething problems. Lots to do before then though!
OP
OP
Spent last couple of days finishing version 1 of the pipework for everything. I will have to see how it fares. Nearly all pipes were sourced from my garage, lots from the Uno Turbo engine itself. You can probably tell! Hard to know whether pipes will melt near the front, but only testing will tell. The smaller Uno fan I pictured before does just fit in, with the motor back only mm away from the catalytic converter.
The intercooler is mounted very low, but because of a number of factors, it can't really go anywhere else. It's right up against the black housebuilding of the heat exchanger, which isn't ideal. It is in line to be the first thing that hits an obstacle, so I will have to drive slowly over speed bumps! It is equally as low as the sump of the engine though.
The exhaust was a combination of a Volvo backbox and a FIAT Coupe mid pipe I think. It was on there when I got the car and was within 1mm of the 54mm Bravo front pipe, so I just married them up after chopping some length out of the mid pipe. The flanges mated with a bit of creative bodging.
I started it up and it seems pretty noisy up top. Those Abarth cams must be quite aggressive. I actually thought it could be knackered for a while. Using Mobil 1 0w40 fully synthetic oil
Video of start up and a bit of revving:
The intercooler is mounted very low, but because of a number of factors, it can't really go anywhere else. It's right up against the black housebuilding of the heat exchanger, which isn't ideal. It is in line to be the first thing that hits an obstacle, so I will have to drive slowly over speed bumps! It is equally as low as the sump of the engine though.
The exhaust was a combination of a Volvo backbox and a FIAT Coupe mid pipe I think. It was on there when I got the car and was within 1mm of the 54mm Bravo front pipe, so I just married them up after chopping some length out of the mid pipe. The flanges mated with a bit of creative bodging.
I started it up and it seems pretty noisy up top. Those Abarth cams must be quite aggressive. I actually thought it could be knackered for a while. Using Mobil 1 0w40 fully synthetic oil
Video of start up and a bit of revving:
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congratulations on getting it running lewey! I need ot crack on with mine, but no time at the moment is putting a stop to that! especially with the clio williams failing its MOT on a couple of bits which has taken recent time up! Along with my house which is EATING time away!
You made fantastic progress with this, puts me to shame! Mind u, im crap when it comes to wiring lol! everything else ok, wiring just confuses the hell outta me!
Dunc
You made fantastic progress with this, puts me to shame! Mind u, im crap when it comes to wiring lol! everything else ok, wiring just confuses the hell outta me!
Dunc
