Seicento My Little Red Sei...

[Lecook]

is it actually oem suspension or is it slightly lowered? I generally only ever see lowered ones these days i can't tell lol.

Kinda hijacking bens thread here lol its on 35mm apex springs iirc actually handles quite well for a massively high cento

 

[Cento186]

We're now officially booked in for a sprint at Curborough on 14th May with the Porsche club, hopefully the clutch cable won't let me down the day before like last time

Will be polybushed all round and the lower brace from fingers99 should be fitted so hopefully it will be a good day

 

[Cento186]

Well I got the car back from the garage today with a years MOT and a working handbrake! One advisory for a slightly corroded rear brake pipe and thats it

I'm now hoping to swap from a mani-cat to a spi manifold and downpipe (or Punto 75) since I don't need to worry about emissions for a year, :devil: plus the mani-cat all the way down to where the sportex system joins on, especially the flexi is very rusty and is blowing badly.

Is there a boss for a lambda anywhere on the spi downpipe? If there is I guess it would be a relatively simple swap with the second lambda wrapped in foil?

I finally got round to changing the rocker cover gasket today after it leaking basically forever. The old sealant had made a right mess and took forever to clean out but a nice new BGA one is in there now with a tiny, tiny amount of hylomar blue on it. Hopefully it won't leak for at least a week

I also found out where the metallic rattling at idle was coming from. It was a snapped jubilee on the bottom header tank pipe, rattling against the engine. Which I then prised off and dropped in between the fan and the radiator... which took me about 10 minutes to find and remove

 

[Alfa Patch]

Is there a boss for a lambda anywhere on the spi downpipe? If there is I guess it would be a relatively simple swap with the second lambda wrapped in foil?

Assuming sei spi down pipes are the same as cinqs it has two bosses but it has a cat built into it after both (think that's right from memory)

 

[blu73]

spi downpipe has 1 lambda bung and the flexi section, the CAT is on a seperate section of its own after the downpipe.

 

[Cento186]

So it would work however I would be left with a missing section lol

Is there such a thing for sale as a spi decat pipe? or would I need something made up?

Although I guess I could swap to an spi standard exhaust setup, surely it would flow better than an old mani cat...

 

[blu73]

As far as i know, the only off shelf option to decat a cinq/sei is to buy the supersprint middle section for a cinq (the sei one has a flow flow cat but is same other than that). However, the SS middle pipe is designed to fit to the SS manifold and don't believe it just bolts onto the normal downpipe (could be wrong there as never tried, but that my feeling having dropped a stock setup off and replaced with full SS exhaust).

I think cheapest option, that will all just bolt on, will be spi mani (from scrappies should be about £5, or is at my old local yard - I must find a decent yard near new house!!), a cat section (also from scrappies) and bash the innards out, and a downpipe (either scrappies or new as these are cheap to buy new).

 

[Cento186]

In which case I'm thinking, as you say, a spi manifold from somewhere, as P75 is rare, a new downpipe off eBay for about £30 iirc and I will investigate the cost of a cat to destroy... Should free things up a little

 

[blu73]

well, my old local yard charged £60 for a CAT, but its pretty rare that yard in that it has fixed pricelist for everything.

 

[Cento186]

Yeah I don't want to spend too much on it if I don't have to, need to locate an 866, preferably within a Punto 75 head if possible....

Once I have the means to pay for it of course lol

 

[Cento186]

Locks.....

I've found the little flap that closes (or doesn't in my case) over the keyhole isn't closing properly, the same has happened for my boot lock, so much dirt has now got in there the lock doesn't work anymore

Is there an easy fix for this so my drivers side lock doesn't suffer the same problem? also whats the best way to un-seize my boot lock?

 

[blu73]

well its not guaranteed but you may try the following...

Squirt lots and lots of WD40 or similar into the locks - the point of this being to try flush out dirt and its melts rust at same time. Keep spraying and then putting key in and out, wipe key inbetween obviously. If you are lucky it will free up.

After that, and this is important, spray loads of solvent cleaner like brake cleaner or similar in there to get rid of any left over WD40, as if you leave it in there it will become tacky and just attract more dirt and you'll be back where you started. But try not to get it all over your paintwork, wipe and clean the paint after.

Then after your happy its been long enough for all the solvent cleaner to evaporate from the locks spray inside locks with lock lube (which is graphite based stuff) - they do sell this stuff in halford if you can't find anywhere else local that does.

 

[Cento186]

well its not guaranteed but you may try the following...

Squirt lots and lots of WD40 or similar into the locks - the point of this being to try flush out dirt and its melts rust at same time. Keep spraying and then putting key in and out, wipe key inbetween obviously. If you are lucky it will free up.

After that, and this is important, spray loads of solvent cleaner like brake cleaner or similar in there to get rid of any left over WD40, as if you leave it in there it will become tacky and just attract more dirt and you'll be back where you started.

Then after your happy its been long enough for all the solvent cleaner to evaporate spray inside locks with lock lube (which is graphite based stuff) - they do sell this stuff in halford if you can't find anywhere else local that does.

Try same on the boot

Thank you very much

Will give it a try in the week, I have WD40 and graphite powder but my clutch and brake cleaner ran out yesterday so I will need to locate some more...

 

[Cento186]

Still not in possesion of a can of brake and clutch cleaner but oh well....

The Midlands Italia meet at Donington was great, nice to meet some new people too. Even after some thrashing on the way back we made 49mpg average after about 350 miles

The back end is still rattling like mad, the rear brakes are squeaking and grinding and there's oil everywhere but it's all still alright. (The rocker cover gasket was sealed for a good week!)

I've had a quick go on ebay and ordered the sei a pair of new EBC standard rear drums, Mintex replacement shoes, a pair of Monroe Reflex rear shocks and a slimline fan

Also with some help of Lecook and his grinder the induction kit has been modified is back on and fits nicely: (I'm aware the jubilee clip isn't straight! also only 2 cable ties were used so thats a win)

Still in much need of some decent rear tyres and polybushing at the front but that can wait. Once all these bits are on and maybe a decat or an 866 cam, we'll be ready for the sprint day at curborough circuit

Edit: Some decent brake and clutch cleaner and some RTV sealant is on the way!!

 

[Cento186]

Car parts just before the bank holiday

 

[seicentoceeney]

Lucky sod! I need payday to hurry up so I can spoil Fiona :S been looking at some eibach springs for £140, should be nice and stiff although the rear brakes REALLY need sorting! :S

 

[Cento186]

Well after endless struggles the rear shocks, drums and shoes are all on and it drives brilliantly again. Very stiff rear end.

Handbrake works properly on about 3 clicks and I now have rear brakes again, stops perfectly too. Although braking round corners is scary with the rear brakes being so strong ...

Pedal is much higher up now! Happy days

 

[Cento186]

Oh and I got my finger pinched/trapped in the handbrake cable spring for what felt like forever, not my finest moment....


The rocker cover has come back off and has now been stuck down with RTV sealant so we'll see if that lasts...

 

[fingers99]

Although braking round corners is scary with the rear brakes being so strong ...

Does rather pose the question: what are the fronts like?

 

[mrcinquecento]

Does rather pose the question: what are the fronts like?

Tired, would be my guess, sounds like the bias has been messed up and sent rearwards because now the rears are working perfectly it's now highlighting the fronts are not...