General Uno Race Car engine build!

[unoracer]

Hi mate, I will be putting it on the rolling road probably the week after next, and so will let you know the results. I am also thinking about buying a 1600 stroker kit to increase the cc, depending on whether the race regs allow 1600cc next year. I was told by Jupiter technology that 40's would be too small for this spec engine. Even the 45's have had to have 40mm chokes inserted! I am using the uno turbo mk2 gearbox, but last season it was proven to be way too long on the gearing! I have just had a 3.7 cwp fitted to help things along though. Standard final drive was 3.353, so it should be a noticable difference. I will take a look at your posts on your 1600 engine, as I'm always keen to learn more and improve things! I'm hoping to make some waves in class d production modified. The car was already pretty quick running at 158bhp with standardish head and milder cam and 40's, so the recent development work should be interesting to test out!!

 

[slapper]

Hey there sounds great. Yeah we are running 40mm chokes. Our wheel horsepower went from 132 to 151 with the only change beeing new 45DCOESs replacing the 40DCOEs, so yes the engine realy needed it. On the final drive we have put a 1500 X19 crownwheel and pinion in our mk1 turbo gearbox, and it works great, we have great acceleration and we can now top out at 8000rpm at 220kph . I will post some more pictures of the work we have done on the car.

 

[AIJ29]

Hi Guys
What shell are you using to fit the tipo engine in?
Did the 1.4 non turbo only come with 4 doors?
Just interested in whether that engine would fit in any mk2 uno
Cheers
Adrian

 

[unoracer]

Hi Adrian, I am using the 1500cc x1/9/strada engine in a mk 2 uno 3 door shell. Any of the fiat sohc engines will fit into the mk2 or mk1 uno, ie the 1290,1301,1372,1498 and 1581cc engines, as used in stradas,128's,x1.9's, tipos etc. You obviously need to use the uno engine/gearbox mounts as used on the uno sohc range: 1301,1372 or uno 1301 turbo/1372 uno turbo engines Hope this helps, Chris

 

[unoracer]

I finally had the engine fitted to the race uno after many dramas with parts/obsticles!! It was all a last minute, but I was out at Silverstone on 8th Oct. Although the car had been rolling road tuned the precious day, it wasn't too happy, as the spark plugs were fouling up very quickly, even when the engine was kept at 2000rpm instead of idle speed. Qualifying was difficult as it wasn't running on all 4 constantly, but I still managed to beat 2 other class D cars on 3.5 cylinders! The race began with the car still running poorly on first couple of laps, allowing all other class D cars to get past, but after that, it cleared up, allowing me to catch up and pass most of the d class! I was continuing to catch the remainder class D's, setting the second quickest lap in the class. The quickest car was only 1 sec faster and had just gained a puncture and was now limping round! I was making excellent progress and stood to win my class, until the second from last lap, the car suddenly lost all power, and I was forced to pull into the pits!! It seemed there was a problem with something giving way on the bottom end, but car still started once cold and oil light went out, so I am hoping it is nothing terminal!! The car seems to have lots of potential for next season, and I intend to reduce its weight in a bid to lose that second or more to ensure its a class winner next year!!

 

[alexGS]

Good stuff... sounds like you need to swap carburettor jets? Smaller mains, larger air correctors?

Don't see how something giving way on the bottom end could be 'fixed' once cold, I think it's more likely you have float level/fuel pump/fuel vapourising in pipes issues, etc. How's the ignition system?

-Alex

 

[unoracer]

Hi Alex. I probably didn't make my last post clear ref the cars problems. There are obviously issues with fuelling/ignition, although the carburation was set up the day before the race, and I have to admit that it was done at the eleventh hour, so perhaps the guy had rushed a little and wasn't able to test thoroughly enough. The floats did have to be adjusted, and may well need re-adjusting. I'm no mechanic so will hopefully get some experts on the case. When I was talking about letting the engine go cold after the race, I was meaning I just left the engine to cool down generally, before I dared to see if it would even turn over again! After an hour or so, once cold, I turned it over, and it fired up straight away, but there was an initial noise from the bottom end on start up that disappeared after only 1 sec, and the engine was carefully revved and all sounded ok. When engine warm, it does not make this initial 'loose metallic bit in sump' type noise! But it does return when started again from cold. My mechanic is removing the sump this week to take an initial look, but at this point, I don't have a clue! I'm hoping it's not too serious as it has cost me a fortune lately. The ignition is the oem electronic distributor set-up as found on the fiat uno 70sx 1300cc etc. The distributor, and cap etc is all new, but in time may need to be upgraded for something more suitable for racing. I still need to find areas to improve on, to reduce lap times, and suspension and weight are the areas for the winter. Will keep you posted!!

 

[alexGS]

Thanks!

I'd particularly like to know where you sourced the engine internals from, e.g. forged pistons, conrods... This would be useful info if, hypothetically, one were to try and build a 1299cc engine with perhaps 100bhp/litre. You can put the details in a private message to me if you prefer Thanks!

On my 1498cc, I ran Lancia Beta ignition (twincam distributors can be made to fit fairly easily) with the separate Bosch module. But I suspect that the best approach would be the electronic ignition off an Uno Turbo or even a Tipo 1580cc? In the meantime, what you have is probably enough until the finned module fails...

I hope you have an oil pressure gauge fitted? I'm worried that 1 second noise might be low oil pressure... of course, the gauge may not react quick enough anyway. I suggest an expensive (relatively) oil filter; some of the cheaper ones give a problem of having to be refilled with oil at every start and the resulting low oil pressure causes a nasty clatter (and that's on road cars running at low oil temps - so on your race engine probably more noticeable)

-Alex

 

[unoracer]

Hi Alex, I have to run standard pistons and conrods to meet the production modified regs in my championship, but the block was fully lightened and balanced, with .6 oversize pistons. I had fitted a new oem oil pump also. With it all being finished last minute, i noticed on arrival at the track that I had lost all my gauges, rev counter, oil temp, oil press, but water temp worked. As you say, may well be an oil pressure/pump problem, we will see this next day or so.