Hey Janky, congrats on getting her started and running. Pull the dipstick and smell and feel the oil, if it smells of fuel or feels a bit thin, then probably best to change, it may have been diluted by fuel during the effort to get it started. If you're concerned with the condition of the cooling system, a very handy item to have when it comes time to refill it after cleaning and flushing is one of those "AirLift" kits, they use shop air and a venturi valve to create a vacuum in a cooling system so that the vacuum assists filling the system without excessive air pockets. Maybe your local chain parts store has one for loan? Some engines are notorious for being difficult to bleed air out of the cooling system, such as the Nissan VQ35. The X1/9 engine is not in and of itself difficult, the difficulty lies in the fact that the top of the rad is lower than the heater core and the head. It will often take 2, 3 or 4 "burping" sessions to fully purge air. Don't forget to keep the heater control valve open as you warm up prior to a burp session, because air wants to hide in the heater core, too. Like Vince Lombardi said, patience and repetition.
much appreciated, we did in fact change the oil out (spoiler alert) just to have fresh oil in there for minimum labor. I appreciate all this info. Think the clutch master/slave cylinder and cooling system flush should be the next things on the list when we can steal away a little time. Love the Lombardi quote! janky do thanky
Good to hear the rad fan is coming on. Don't let the temp get near the red. You could do all sorts of damage to the engine. There is a bleed valve for the cooling system in the left front of the front trunk. If you raise the back of the car slightly and crack that valve with the car warming up you can get much of the air out. You may have to do it a couple of times. Make sure the expansion tank is half full at all times.
She's a runner! Nice job bringing that engine back to life. You'll want to make sure that temp gauge isn't going into the red. These X1/9's have a long circuitous route to and from the radiator that can fill up with air and cause the engine to overheat. That blue thingy on the end of the intake plenum is called a cold start valve. The Lambda sensor is an oxygen sensor located in the exhaust downpipe. Since your car has an aftermarket header the Lambda sensor may be missing. Also, you should definitely order a clutch master cylinder and swap out both while you have the pedal box out because it's kind of a pain and you don't want to do it twice. Keep the great X1/9 content coming!
Many thanks for all of this. The header does have an oxygen sensor in it so seems like they were tryin to do it kinda right but will require further investigation on my part. Its been so fun to learn about these cars. I am worried about overheating, radiator fan is running and pipes/tubes from radiator to engine seem in remarkably good condition but probly should have coolant flushed anyways i would guess. And yea its such a long way to travel just intuitively makes me nervous. Was so surprised to see one fan with two fan bays, but realized non a/c cars only came factory with one. Think i want to put two really nice matching ones in, and is already wired for it i would imagine. I did go ahead and buy the clutch master since this was filmed so have them thats probably the next major project, fingers crossed have somebody to work on the exhaust. I need to take welding lessons… janky do thanky again for the feedback comments and advice very helpful and much appreciated. Is the clutch master as much of a pain in the neck as i hear?
@@JankyAF The clutch master is a pain to bleed because an air pocket gets trapped in the master cylinder. People waste fluid and pump for days, lol. The trick is to use a MightyVac. First draw from the slave to get as much as you can that direction. Then draw from the reservoir carefully. It doesn't take much vacuum and those reservoirs are kind of brittle this late in life. I hate to add more work but "while you're in there" take a look at the reservoir hoses and if they look janky replace those too. Remember to use heater hose NOT fuel line! Anything rated for glycol is fine. After I replaced my brake master the brakes still felt hard as a rock and one corner would lock up occasionally. It turns out the flex hoses to each caliper swell internally partially blocking/restricting the flow of brake fluid. So if your brakes feel like wood replace the hoses. Make sure you get the right ones. Different years have different fittings.
The cooling system is pretty conventional but because the route is so long they sometimes develop air pockets. A good flush is essential but for now just make sure the system is purged of any air and that it will hold adequate pressure. I believe this year is 16 psi. You'll want to use a pressure tester that fits where the expansion tank cap goes. Also check that the cap can hold 16 psi too. A lot of cars overheat because of a $4 radiator cap! I bought an extra fan for mine from a guy on XWEB for about $40 and plan to install it soon when I go through the whole cooling system. Mine still has the original hoses and clamps - sketchy.
@@SomeRandomHuman717 13psi minimum rating on the later cars. A 16psi cap will lower the boiling point and cool the car better without hurting anything.
@@cratecruncher6687 Refer to p10-122 of the later model factory shop manual, the cap testing procedure says the cap rating is 11 psi. It is true that the minimum cap rating available from common American suppliers such as Stant is 13psi. European-made caps with the correct rating are available from Midwest-Bayless, Fiatplus.com, and others. It is a scientific fact that a higher pressure will RAISE the boiling point of a liquid (which I'm sure is what you meant). Your advice to use a 16spi cap would raise the boiling point of a 50-50 coolant mix from 261 degrees (11 psi) to 271 degrees. But a boost from 11 psi to 16 psi represents an increase in system pressure of about 45%. I would not want to place that much additional stress on a 35-year old Italian cooling system. The shop manual on p10-122 calls for only 14psi for the leak test pressure, so one could reason that's what they designed it to withstand.
@@SomeRandomHuman717 You're just being pedantic. 13 psi is nominal. 16 psi is better for these cooling systems unless the owner has has been neglecting the car. I've been running 16 psi caps on my X1/9s for decades in Texas (where it's HOT) with original plastic expansion tanks and never had cooling issues or pressure related leaks. (Thank you for correcting my explanation. Yes the boiling point is raised, obviously.) Instead of trying to "win" arguments try listening once in a while. You could learn something.
My current X1/9 is an '86 that I found on Craig's List near Des Moines. Being in Texas I was looking for an AC car but this one was so pristine I bought it on the spot. Two years later I'm also glad it doesn't have AC also. They are so much easier to work on and I've heard the AC in these cars isn't that great anyway. Italian car, go figure lol.
Hey Janky, congrats on getting her started and running. Pull the dipstick and smell and feel the oil, if it smells of fuel or feels a bit thin, then probably best to change, it may have been diluted by fuel during the effort to get it started.
If you're concerned with the condition of the cooling system, a very handy item to have when it comes time to refill it after cleaning and flushing is one of those "AirLift" kits, they use shop air and a venturi valve to create a vacuum in a cooling system so that the vacuum assists filling the system without excessive air pockets. Maybe your local chain parts store has one for loan? Some engines are notorious for being difficult to bleed air out of the cooling system, such as the Nissan VQ35. The X1/9 engine is not in and of itself difficult, the difficulty lies in the fact that the top of the rad is lower than the heater core and the head. It will often take 2, 3 or 4 "burping" sessions to fully purge air. Don't forget to keep the heater control valve open as you warm up prior to a burp session, because air wants to hide in the heater core, too. Like Vince Lombardi said, patience and repetition.
much appreciated, we did in fact change the oil out (spoiler alert) just to have fresh oil in there for minimum labor. I appreciate all this info. Think the clutch master/slave cylinder and cooling system flush should be the next things on the list when we can steal away a little time. Love the Lombardi quote! janky do thanky
Good to hear the rad fan is coming on. Don't let the temp get near the red. You could do all sorts of damage to the engine. There is a bleed valve for the cooling system in the left front of the front trunk. If you raise the back of the car slightly and crack that valve with the car warming up you can get much of the air out. You may have to do it a couple of times. Make sure the expansion tank is half full at all times.
She's a runner! Nice job bringing that engine back to life. You'll want to make sure that temp gauge isn't going into the red. These X1/9's have a long circuitous route to and from the radiator that can fill up with air and cause the engine to overheat. That blue thingy on the end of the intake plenum is called a cold start valve. The Lambda sensor is an oxygen sensor located in the exhaust downpipe. Since your car has an aftermarket header the Lambda sensor may be missing. Also, you should definitely order a clutch master cylinder and swap out both while you have the pedal box out because it's kind of a pain and you don't want to do it twice. Keep the great X1/9 content coming!
Glückwunsch mein Lieber! Toll!
Vielen Jankän Danken
Many thanks for all of this. The header does have an oxygen sensor in it so seems like they were tryin to do it kinda right but will require further investigation on my part. Its been so fun to learn about these cars. I am worried about overheating, radiator fan is running and pipes/tubes from radiator to engine seem in remarkably good condition but probly should have coolant flushed anyways i would guess. And yea its such a long way to travel just intuitively makes me nervous. Was so surprised to see one fan with two fan bays, but realized non a/c cars only came factory with one. Think i want to put two really nice matching ones in, and is already wired for it i would imagine. I did go ahead and buy the clutch master since this was filmed so have them thats probably the next major project, fingers crossed have somebody to work on the exhaust. I need to take welding lessons… janky do thanky again for the feedback comments and advice very helpful and much appreciated. Is the clutch master as much of a pain in the neck as i hear?
Also i love this spec ac delete and radio delete and crank windows its like the factory pure racecar package.
@@JankyAF The clutch master is a pain to bleed because an air pocket gets trapped in the master cylinder. People waste fluid and pump for days, lol. The trick is to use a MightyVac. First draw from the slave to get as much as you can that direction. Then draw from the reservoir carefully. It doesn't take much vacuum and those reservoirs are kind of brittle this late in life. I hate to add more work but "while you're in there" take a look at the reservoir hoses and if they look janky replace those too. Remember to use heater hose NOT fuel line! Anything rated for glycol is fine. After I replaced my brake master the brakes still felt hard as a rock and one corner would lock up occasionally. It turns out the flex hoses to each caliper swell internally partially blocking/restricting the flow of brake fluid. So if your brakes feel like wood replace the hoses. Make sure you get the right ones. Different years have different fittings.
The cooling system is pretty conventional but because the route is so long they sometimes develop air pockets. A good flush is essential but for now just make sure the system is purged of any air and that it will hold adequate pressure. I believe this year is 16 psi. You'll want to use a pressure tester that fits where the expansion tank cap goes. Also check that the cap can hold 16 psi too. A lot of cars overheat because of a $4 radiator cap! I bought an extra fan for mine from a guy on XWEB for about $40 and plan to install it soon when I go through the whole cooling system. Mine still has the original hoses and clamps - sketchy.
X1/9 cap psi rating is .7 bar or 11psi
@@SomeRandomHuman717 13psi minimum rating on the later cars. A 16psi cap will lower the boiling point and cool the car better without hurting anything.
@@cratecruncher6687 Refer to p10-122 of the later model factory shop manual, the cap testing procedure says the cap rating is 11 psi. It is true that the minimum cap rating available from common American suppliers such as Stant is 13psi. European-made caps with the correct rating are available from Midwest-Bayless, Fiatplus.com, and others.
It is a scientific fact that a higher pressure will RAISE the boiling point of a liquid (which I'm sure is what you meant). Your advice to use a 16spi cap would raise the boiling point of a 50-50 coolant mix from 261 degrees (11 psi) to 271 degrees. But a boost from 11 psi to 16 psi represents an increase in system pressure of about 45%. I would not want to place that much additional stress on a 35-year old Italian cooling system. The shop manual on p10-122 calls for only 14psi for the leak test pressure, so one could reason that's what they designed it to withstand.
@@SomeRandomHuman717 You're just being pedantic. 13 psi is nominal. 16 psi is better for these cooling systems unless the owner has has been neglecting the car. I've been running 16 psi caps on my X1/9s for decades in Texas (where it's HOT) with original plastic expansion tanks and never had cooling issues or pressure related leaks. (Thank you for correcting my explanation. Yes the boiling point is raised, obviously.) Instead of trying to "win" arguments try listening once in a while. You could learn something.
My current X1/9 is an '86 that I found on Craig's List near Des Moines. Being in Texas I was looking for an AC car but this one was so pristine I bought it on the spot. Two years later I'm also glad it doesn't have AC also. They are so much easier to work on and I've heard the AC in these cars isn't that great anyway. Italian car, go figure lol.
haha yes, might not help you too much in that Texas heat anyhow. that's why the top comes off!