Hadn't updated this as the r/r day was a mixed bag.
It soon became apparent when the car was on the r/r that something was amiss.
We were getting unstable alternator readings of upto 16.8V's which considering the alternator was like ever single other item with regards to the engine, brand new as supplied from Fiat with by time got to r/r only covering 120miles.
Of course this played havoc with the fuelling, you could even hear the fuel pump going up and down with the voltage changes, so things like injector duration etc were just guess work to get it a bit better than it was.
But we couldn't run it much higher than about 5500rpm before the ECU would shut down with the excessive voltage, but even still it was making north of 70bhp at the wheels at this point, over 90bhp flywheel with a very flat torque curve which was a surprise, & considering peak power doesn't com in until over 6000rpm shows it was strong with much more to come especially once its run in. The power curve was very stable and climbing at a very nice angle, but the voltage thing just stopped us going any further with it.
So off home, took alternator off the Seicento as although we had an original Cinq alternator there is no way its going to be compatible and function correctly, pulley is not only wrong width, but sits in completely different position, and the pulley shaft on the alternators is complete different size, so even swapping was out, and although not needed in the track car its rated lower at 55amps compared to 70 of the other alternators we have and is of an older design with external fans etc so will have more resistance and drag than newer units, its one thing that have made steps in recent years as manufacturers try to reduce drag in everything to get lower and lower emissions and better mpg, and ever bhp counts!
Sei alternator on, and everything was perfect, no pulsing, no random rev counter, so just goes to show even if something is brand new you can't always assume its going to work OK.
I hope to get time to take it back and get it properly mapped before Standford Hall, but the car as is drives great and will be going even if i don't make the r/r beforehand.
And the alternator will be getting replaced with one with a new one with a working voltage regulator so the Sei can return to working!
Forgot to add, we tried both variations of our cam phaser removal plates we made, which channelled the oil through one of the two option there is, one the car felt very eager to pull, the other very flat, so we known which way to make a plate now if anyone finds themselves with a Punto engine and the huge cam phaser thing on the cam cover, it's only there for emissions retarding the cams back. in fact in the 'on cam' position the engine even not fully mapped feels stronger than our sei engine, though maybe the correct longer inlet tract 1.4 inlet manifold instead of using the 1.2 16V manifold makes a differance, but until we can run them back to back who knows.
Also forgot, we dropped in to AVO on the way home and picked up some helper springs so we could drop the front end ride height, lookds much better now and springs do not unseat on droop. Also measured where the original top mounts sit in the strut tops, and were amazed to find that the drivers side sat about 8mm further towards the engine than the passenger side meaning more camber drivers side to passenger side, so we modified the dtrut tops and in conjunction with Eibach camber bolts have pretty much equal camber both sides now at about 1.5degrees negative, plus bit of toe out for superb turn in, never thouht i'd say that i nreferance to a Cento.
Though I must also add, the combination of the front ATB LSD, and rear anti-roll bar makes the car corner so flat and you can get the power on so early compared to normal cento's, you can even get the back end to play, which considering these cars have woeful understeer as standard almost comes as a shock first time you thow it about.
