She's literally not going anywhere until I get the sensor sorted.

well this is an odd one isn't it... Have you put much fuel in this or is it got old fuel in it still?? fresh tank of fuel maybe and a fuel filter??

Fixed. :slayer:

Okay. Fiat wanted £148 plus VAT for a sensor.

My local parts guys couldn't find one using the BOSCH number so they did another search using the reg' only to find nobody made them anymore and even NGK would have to be a two week wait.

I tried eBay and there are several from £56 to £148 but nobody can get one to me this month.

So back to my local part guys for a "Universal" MAF sensor. I stripped, twisted, soldered, crimped and wrapped in heat resistant electrical tape (we use for sprinklers and fire alarms at work). Fitted and not only is the car now fixed but it is the best GT I have ever driven.

No more Jekyll and Hyde waiting for boost and the exhaust is so quiet I can hear the sunroof leaking. 　

Progressive boost from 2,000rpm onward. :devil:

Well done fella. Happy boosting

make a clip when driving

Here's a fun weekend ahead of me...



...the V-band ends arrived as well today. Shame the base plate and other parts won't arrive between September 5th and October 20th.

UK eBay seller, UK address, UK email for PayPal but dispatch from China. :bang:

Liquid Knight said:

UK eBay seller, UK address, UK email for PayPal but dispatch from China. :bang:

Click to expand...

I hate that!!

Liquid Knight said:

UK eBay seller, UK address, UK email for PayPal but dispatch from China. :bang:

Click to expand...

blu73 said:

I hate that!!

Click to expand...

:yeahthat:

I asked for a refund so I could use a UK supplier "due to a tight deadline". They had forty eight hours to reply but marked as "dispatched" after thirty so until I get the bits and I send them back it's spent.

:bang:

I deliberately wanted UK parts as I once ordered a turbo manifold for a BMW 3 series and it was so poorly welded I took it apart and started again. Mild Steel MIG welded Stainless Steel pipes. It would have lasted a month if I was lucky.

I don't need one of these...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151869753766?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

...but for £25 it would be silly not to. Right?



Bugger. :devil:

Well I paid £25 for it so if anyone has a 176 Punto that doesn't have an idle control valve in the way you can have it for £25 plus p+p or if you're local enough I can drop it round and even fit it.

ah, must be designed with a GT1 engine with the other style ICV. Didnt notice the clearance issue in pic before, just saw shiny... Whack it in classifieds, bet it would fit any of the FIRE engined puntos as well

£10 for two bumpers, side skirts, springs and shocks that look like I won't be on the bump stops any more.

Worth the drive to Dunstable for. :devil:

now, do you paint the bumpers to match the car or the car to match the bumpers.... lol

10squid for 2 bumpers, robber

blu73 said:

now, do you paint the bumpers to match the car or the car to match the bumpers.... lol

Click to expand...

Neither.



The old girl's going to have Abarth. Wooooooo-ha-ha-ha-ha-haaaaaaaa!

:devil:

Disaster struck today. The bottle of Redex (that did nothing apart from make my exhaust smell like a gas leak) exploded in the heat. Now my interior smells like old diesel and Lynx Africa. Bleaugh!

I had to take my Alfa to work this morning. I took the Punto out and it would not go in a straight line. The front and was all over the place. Pulling to the right and requiring two thirds of a turn left to go straight for a few seconds.

All the tyres were fine. 32PSI up front and 30PSI in the rears. As I left them. Hmmmmm....

Had the squashed anti-roll bar end come loose? Nope.
For some reason the car was pulling right and needed two thirds of a left turn to go in a straight line. Track control ends? Nope. Steering rack? Nope. The passenger side wheel had more camber than the drivers side.

Problem found...



...the passenger side lower suspension strut bolt has moved a few millimeters.

Just as well I have new (old) ones to replace the already terrible coil overs eh?



Not exactly a glamorous location but ideal to park a car with black leather seats on a sunny day.

Well that was a fun four and bit hours. I took the suspension off and put the eBay suspension on. The springs are too soft and the car bottomed out. Probably for a 1242 Sporting and the GT lump is too heavy.
I put the coil overs back on and make sure they were 75Nm.



The camber adjustment is the bottom hole of the strut. Okay if you can realign the car every time but a pest if one of the bolts works loose.

I replaced the anti-roll bar end bushes while I was at it. They came off easily due to the hole being drilled out by whoever fitted them. The new ones have been fitted properly so now the car goes straight again but feels tighter as well.

I think I should rename this thread.

"What went wrong today"

Following the suspension re-rebuild my Punto has developed a really rather annoying knocking sound whenever I hit a bump (that there are a million of on the pothole infested punch line we begrudgingly call roads in this country). I pulled over and had a good look round. Checking the wheel bolts first, shacking, pulling, prodding and probing around until I stood up, clipped the passenger side fog light and...

"Thud"

...the lower mounts are broken and the fog light is bouncing about.

Solved with duct-tape and back on my journey to work.

As soon as I went into town I noticed the oil pressure was below 2.9 for the first time since I have owned the car. I let the engine cool a bit and checked to see the oil wasn't touching the dip stick.

Coaxed the car to the petrol station this morning after work, filled the engine and drove home as spiritedly as usual.