Technical Pas

[a73uk]

I got my Uno (1990 Mk2 1108cc) back, with 3000 miles put on it (in 3 months!), so its now over the 50,000 maile mark... I guess it had to go over at some point!

The 1st time I drove it (I didnt get to drive it when I bought it in January!), Several things struck me...

1, the gearbox is noisy

2, the steering is wayyy too slow (too many turns lock to lock)

3, the handling, I used to corner on 3 wheels alot, the handling (in the dry anyway) was superb, I was running standard suspension with 175/60 13`s on steels back then. However this one hasnt got any composure, which combined with the steering issue makes it a pretty unpleasant to drive quickly.... Its on 135 13 tyres at the moment, not the best, but even taking that into consideration, the handling isnt right...

Anyway, when I`ve looked, theres a long term oil leak from round the diff/NS driveshaft gator. I topped it up, but the noise is still there. It sounds like an only Mini in second....

Anyone got a spare gearbox (Mk2 1990 1108cc) in the London/Herts area?

Steering... Did any of the Uno`s or their derivitives (Fiorino maybe?) have PAS with a quicker rack? has the turbo got a quicker rack?

I also need a headlining (London Herts area), I`d like to fit new shocks & front wishbones even tho they arent knackered yet.

I also want a spare carb & dizzy. I`d like a screen, preferably a tinted one & I need the small plastic gromet that goes round the door locking button.

Talking about carbs, has anyone experimented with them? if you say put an early punto SPI inlet manifold on, does it let you fit a wider variation of carbs? Maybe a late FIRE plastic manifold chopped off alowing side draught motorbike carbs to be fitted (modified to face forwards with short silicone hoses jubilee clipped on as on bikes)?

I dont want to spend months developing & modifying it, I dont have the time or money for it, I just want simple bolt on enhancements!

 

[alexGS]

Welcome back to Uno ownership

1. Input shaft bearing perhaps - is it quietest in top gear?

2. I know what you mean there. No Uno came with PAS but the Turbo does have a *slightly* quicker steering rack. I think it's the difference between 4.0 and 3.5 turns lock-to-lock.

3. 175/60 is a bit wide for a 4.5" rim anyway, so if you want to run those tyres again, you need alloys to do it properly. As for the rest of the differences... shock absorbers might be soggy by now, and there might be too much toe-in.

I suspect the bulk of the problem is that you have driven other cars in the intervening years, and your standards have moved on Back when I owned my Uno 60 (which was my third-ever car), I thought it went pretty well, nippy and a good turn of speed at the high end, effortless 100km/h. By the time I bought an indentical Uno 60 six years later, wow, what a slug! And as you said, so much winding of the steering wheel, and so much body roll...

On that Uno I drilled holes in the struts, drained them and refilled them with Mobil 1 engine oil, which did the trick. Roll was reduced and the ride was a bit more 'composed'. However, that's probably illegal so *of course* you need to buy new shock absorbers at about the same price as the car...

-Alex

 

[a73uk]

Thank you!

It seems to be affecting second gear, it clonks in & whines when your in it, however, I have no intentions of stripping & repairing it, I dont have time & gearboxes are 1 of my most hated things to work on! I`d much rather just swap it! (maybe keep it & slowly rebuild it when I`ve got the time & inclination!).

I`m wondering if the later non-uk spec Uno`s & Uno based cars & vans in India/Brazil etc had PAS, & if they are retrofittable on the old ones. 1/2 a turn would help in the meantime though.

Anyone got a spare turbo rack?

I know I`m a bit spoiled now, my daily driver is a supercharged V8 Jaguar! (13mpg, which is why I decided to get an Uno, my favorite retro runaround!), but this ones alot worse than my old ones in the handling & steering department! I`m sure I`m not looking at it with my specs too rose tinted!

Even my top heavy Tempra estate handles better!

175 used to make my special old one handle amazingly in the dry despite being a bit stretched onto the rims, I have been thinking about getting 14" or 15" steels from a late Fiat (I dont want alloys, I prefer the basic retro look!), again, if anyone has a spare set of steels in London / Herts, let me know.

It never even occured to me to drain & refill the shocks! how did you reseal them after?

Oh yeah, she`s got the power still (in a straight line anyway!), she does over 160kph!
http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh3/LondonItalian/80mph.jpg






Tatty headlining...


Daily driver...

Welcome back to Uno ownership

1. Input shaft bearing perhaps - is it quietest in top gear?

2. I know what you mean there. No Uno came with PAS but the Turbo does have a *slightly* quicker steering rack. I think it's the difference between 4.0 and 3.5 turns lock-to-lock.

3. 175/60 is a bit wide for a 4.5" rim anyway, so if you want to run those tyres again, you need alloys to do it properly. As for the rest of the differences... shock absorbers might be soggy by now, and there might be too much toe-in.

I suspect the bulk of the problem is that you have driven other cars in the intervening years, and your standards have moved on Back when I owned my Uno 60 (which was my third-ever car), I thought it went pretty well, nippy and a good turn of speed at the high end, effortless 100km/h. By the time I bought an indentical Uno 60 six years later, wow, what a slug! And as you said, so much winding of the steering wheel, and so much body roll...

On that Uno I drilled holes in the struts, drained them and refilled them with Mobil 1 engine oil, which did the trick. Roll was reduced and the ride was a bit more 'composed'. However, that's probably illegal so *of course* you need to buy new shock absorbers at about the same price as the car...

-Alex