General My Seicento is back on the road!

[signwerx]

Glad we have that cleared up!

Will be interesting to see what the car is like compared with others around.

It can also be argued that all engines blow!

A

 

[spud270]

nice shop

 

[spud270]

nice shop

 

[signwerx]

nice shop

Thanks Spud!

I assume you are referring to my workshop!

I dont like playing with cars in the cold and wet, but having all that space and every tool you could need is a big help. To be honest, i wouldnt have done the car if i hadnt had the space inside to do it.

Its really nice to work on the car in the middle of winter with the heating at 20degrees, no cold draughts and loads of light. Not to mention a nice soft workshop floor to lie on!

However, my mortgage costs my a touch under £2k a month!

Adam

 

[BlueDan]

I dont like playing with cars in the cold and wet, but having all that space and every tool you could need is a big help. To be honest, i wouldnt have done the car if i hadnt had the space inside to do it.

Its really nice to work on the car in the middle of winter with the heating at 20degrees, no cold draughts and loads of light. Not to mention a nice soft workshop floor to lie on!

Ok, you only had some of the people viewing this thread before with the picture... now the rest hate you too - jealousy is a horrible thing

Didn't think to ask before... does the 8v 1242 tune better than the 16v?

 

[signwerx]

Funny you should mention about the 16v.

I am currently working with Fiat on a Top Secret Project. - Not really top secret, but i dont want to give too much away at this point!!!!!!

I have been looking at 1.2 8v and 1.2 16v engines as part of this project.

Difference in weight is substantial. I will be sticking with the 8v lumps for the forseeable future. I can only speak for the reliability of the 8v, and i own a few cars with this engine. Never had any serious problems with them!

Adam

PS -Sorry if anyone is jealous of me paying 2k a month in workshop mortgage, but if you feel that green about it, please pay a few months for me!!!!!

 

[BlueDan]

Well, jealous of being able to work on cars when it's raining, dark etc but not of the outlay

Didn't think the 16v would weigh a great deal more, I thought it's just a different head (isn't it?)

Can't blame you for sticking with the 8v due to past reliability, this (mostly) layman just assumed the 16 would tune better due to more air/fuel in and more spent gas back out.

 

[signwerx]

Well, jealous of being able to work on cars when it's raining, dark etc but not of the outlay

Didn't think the 16v would weigh a great deal more, I thought it's just a different head (isn't it?)

Can't blame you for sticking with the 8v due to past reliability, this (mostly) layman just assumed the 16 would tune better due to more air/fuel in and more spent gas back out.

Overall, if you start working with a 16v engine, there must be more weight for a start. Have a search on the net for "fiat power train" and have a look at the automotive part of the site. Specs are all on there.

16v engine has twice the valves, twice the cams, twice the vernier pulleys, etc etc.

Must be twice the cost!!!!!

Very much a laymans view, but always work on common sense, the rest usually follows!!!!!!

Hope it helps.

BTW - Just opened a thread about a Meet and BBQ in Gloucester if you are interested!

Adam

 

[fingers99]

Very difficult question. Main issues are that the 1.4 has an even less ideal bore to stroke ratio than the 1.2, and the 16v has hydraulic tappets which probably limit the cams you can use. 140bhp should be possible from a NA 1.4 16v with very reasonable reliability -- a Polski Panda came 3rd in their endurance championship and was claiming that figure. Decent exhaust and induction alone should see 110 or so.

The 8v certainly have more (and cheaper) tuning parts available which makes them easier (and cheaper) for the home tuner.

 

[signwerx]

I will stick for the 1242s for many of the reasons listed above.

It would be interesting to try my sei against a 1.4 16v Sei and see how the two cars compare.

More pics of car coming soon.

 

[DaveMcT]

Mech Motorsport in Cheltenham does me some good rates.

Personally, i would rather have 2hp more!

I need to sort out a decent plenum.

I have a plastic one from the 899 that i have bored and smoothed to increase flow. I also have an ITG carbox airbox housing that was off one of my cinqs. Unfortunately, this is too big to fit under the bonnet.

Ideally, i want a silicon plenum with a bigger intake port than the standard black plastic one. However i cant find one. The only other option is to get some ali welded up to make my own plenum.

Some of the turbo type plenums are quite good, but the inlet pipe is too small for N/A flow rates required.

Not had time to see if you sorted this one...

I have successfully used Lumiweld on alloy motorcycle parts. Its more like a solder than a weld so the parts need to fit properly. It melts with a butane blowtorch, though large parts will need a big burner because ally really sucks the heat away.

It needs lots of heat but quite a low temperature, so you cant do one end and work along like you would with TIG. The job has to be welded in one go or the bits you did earlier will melt. :-(

One of my parts is an exhaust can link pipe connector. The Lumiweld has not melted (yet!).

 

[signwerx]

Not had time to see if you sorted this one...

I have successfully used Lumiweld on alloy motorcycle parts. Its more like a solder than a weld so the parts need to fit properly. It melts with a butane blowtorch, though large parts will need a big burner because ally really sucks the heat away.

It needs lots of heat but quite a low temperature, so you cant do one end and work along like you would with TIG. The job has to be welded in one go or the bits you did earlier will melt. :-(

One of my parts is an exhaust can link pipe connector. The Lumiweld has not melted (yet!).

WhiteSei

That sounds like fun!

Might have to grab some of that!.

You have just reminded me that i have a pot of fibreglass resin and a pack of glass fibre matting sat at work. I might have a go at making my own plenum!

Something to do this weekend i suppose!

Adam

 

[signwerx]

Next dyno time hopefully coming up soon. want to try adjusting the cam angle, as think it is too torquey at low revs.

Also have a lovely oil smell in the car, has anyone else had problems with this when using a seperate crank case breather?

Dont really want to get the crank case breathing into the air intake, but i end up smelling like an oil can after 15 minutes driving!

 

[Brooky]

plumb the breather to a catch tank, then put the filter near the floor somewhere

 

[DaveMcT]

Then plumb the catch tank to the air intake (after the filter).

 

[Brooky]

why??

 

[signwerx]

I didnt want the dirty air getting back into the engine, hence the seperate breather.

I have made a temporary pipe running to the passengerside wing and through the hole just inside the inner wing by the headlight.

Smells better and i now smell less like an oil can when getting out of the vehicle.

Also, i think that the engine is starting to loosen up a bit. Its feeling a bit punchier when accelerating and i think the HP might be slightly up.

Engine has only done 250 miles since building, so to be expected.

I will post up new dyno graph when i have it

 

[DaveMcT]

Then plumb the catch tank to the air intake (after the filter).

Unless the engine is faulty (unlikely) any air vented from inside the engine will not be dirty just a bit smelly so why not feed it back to the inlet ports.

Breathers also have to be setup right or they cause air to be pumped in and out of the engine wasting power (pumping loss).

A new engine will burn oil and smell a bit until the piston rings have bedded in.
It will feel lots better after 1000 miles and better still after 5000.

 

[signwerx]

Not sure about the pumping loss. Surely, it would pop the dipstick out with any pressure?

Agreed that engine is still running in. only 250 miles done!

Hot air from engine is not ideal, will stick with plan for nice cold fast flowing air in my new silicone plenum! Sample should be with me within 2 weeks now!

See my group buy for bob replacements

 

[DaveMcT]

The breather should not flow much air but any movement in out (ooh missus) for no benefit creates losses. But if the blowby is enough to affect the power, there's probably something wrong with the engine. Even the top power sports bikes run the breather to the airbox.

You could rig up a dump valve on a pipe branch for when that that last fraction of a BHP is needed.