i have a 1977 x1/9 (carburated) and was curious as to how hard it was to change over to switch it to fuel injection, or if i would benefit from that at all.
the reason im asking is because this car will eventually be turbocharged, with a dallara kit...

oh and anywhere i can find a good/cheap replacement windshield?

To do it properly it is an engine swap (assuming you want to use a fuel injection cylinder head) as they messed with the head bolt configuration so your 1977 engine won't mate up with the later head design.

If you are going turbocharged later then seriously consider tracking down a Mk1 Uno Turbo engine as it has all the work done for you including lower compression ratio and oil feed for the turbo.

If you want to convert an existing engine to turbocharged then you either have to limit the boost (federal spec cars have a slight advantage here with lower compression ratio to start with) or change the pistons.

would i be able to just replace the cylinder head with the mk1 uno turbo engine? or would that not be compatible? (1300cc vs 1301cc)

I refer you to my previous statement

Fiat changed the head bolt configuration so the later cylinder head will not fit the earlier engine block.

They actually did this in two stages. First they changed the bolt diameter (can't remember which way it went), then they added 4 extra head bolts (slightly thinner than the others).

Pretty much all of the injection engines had the later head (there may be some with the earlier spec but I wouldn't want to put any money on it) and the turbo heads definitely had the 14 bolt design.

You could just grab a later engine and fit the head you want, that is quite feasible.

It is also possible to modify the earlier head to match up with the injection manifold - it is a matter of cutting a recess into each inlet port at the top.

You need to pick the head carefully as there are a lot that are badly cracked or porous and of course you want to get the right compression ratio. The rest is down to the valves, springs and camshaft (and valve shims).

If you are using the Fiat/Marelli engine management then you also need to modify the gearbox bellhousing to accept a timing sensor. Pretty much all aftermarket management systems just use a single timing wheel fitted to the pulley - much simpler but then you need to get it mapped....

so then it may be easier for dual carbureators then?
would it make a difference in horsepower? carb vs fuel inj.?

In terms of peak power there isn't much to be gained from fuel injection alone, just smoother running and some fuel economy gains. It will automatically adjust to a mild improvement to the cam profile which is where you would get the most from the engine.

Twin carbs will offer a slight gain but you'll need a camshaft change to really take advantage of the extra capability. Then you need some head porting to get the best from the camshaft. I could go on but it is a long list. Don't let that put you off, you will feel the difference but it isn't the end of the story.

To put this in perspective the engine you have can produce, max, something in the region of 150bhp normally aspirated. The cost to get there is hideous.
Getting to 100bhp isn't cheap but affordable, it isn't simple either. There is no single bolt-on upgrade that will do this.

Maybe I'm johnny come lately on this one, but i got a 82 x and i want to convert to the opposite from FI to carb!! perhaps there is something we can work out ?????

Given that you are only 4 years late it might be only a mildly long shot that the original proposition still exists.

The fuel injection head you have is the later design I described some time ago - you have 14 head bolts instead of 10 so the two heads are not interchangeable.

It doesn't mean you can't do the job though - the only difficulty is that you have a recess on the inlet ports on the head that line up with the injectors and create a more direct path from the injectors to the back of the inlet valves. A regular carburettor manifold does not have the matching recess - going from injectors to carburettor doesn't cause much trouble but going the other way causes a big problem as the injector spray pattern is significantly disrupted.

With the FI engined X1/9s you can retain the electronic ignition as the two systems are completely independent. In practical terms all you need to do is replace the injection system with the carburettor and a fuel pressure regulator and rig the fuel pump to run from the ignition switch (via a simple automotive relay) instead of through the ECU (and the stupidly complex relay next to it).

If you have to meet smog control laws then you'll also need to fit an EGR system which can make things a lot more complex. The easiest option is to find a working donor car...

If you have a 10 bolt head then you can just fit a regular NA head from any 1500 or just fit the carb manifold. Either works.

Which model of carbs do you have?

Dcnf 40

mid-west Bayless sell Alquati manifolds for the DCNF
http://www.midwest-bayless.com/stor...l.aspx?sid=1&sfid=208227&c=193056&i=250929229

thx big guy!!

Hay Jimbro, The conversion has begun!!. I pulled all the fuel injerkstion components off! I got a couple of questions if you dont mind!
1. what do I do with the fuel line that goes back to the tank?
2.Do I plug the line that comes from the back side of the block or is that where I need to put a PVC valve?
3. The wiring where the fuel relays where at, I dont need those anymore/I wont be using them?
4.Is there a kit for the carb linkage? and where can i get it?
5.The low pressure fuel pump, will that be run through a relay?
6.And if so,where do I hook the relay too?
Well maybe not a couple of questions!!!! But several!
Thx. Jimbro!:worship:

1. what do I do with the fuel line that goes back to the tank?

The carburettor setup should have a fuel return on it for the standard setup (if you go that way) or from the fuel pressure regulator if you need one for an alternative setup

2. Do I plug the line that comes from the back side of the block or is that where I need to put a PVC valve?

Not sure on the PVC bit - on european cars, if I've read this right, it would just feed into the air filter box to recirculate crank vapours into induction system and perhaps more importantly create a slight vacuum in the sump cavity.

3. The wiring where the fuel relays where at, I dont need those anymore/I wont be using them?

If you have the big multi-pin fuel control relay, don't throw it away, there are people who will rip your arm off to get one. You will however need something to drive your fuel pump unless you go for a mechanical pump driven from the water pump pulley via a short camshaft (not recommended - the mechanical pumps are marginal for anything beyond completely stock).

4. Is there a kit for the carb linkage? and where can i get it?

Good question - yes and I don't know respectively. linkage kits tend to be generic and require a bit of adaptation

5. The low pressure fuel pump, will that be run through a relay?

See my answer to (3)

6. And if so,where do I hook the relay too?

The pump needs to powered from the "run" stage of your ignition circuit (same as the coil would be if you had one). It is a good idea to get a cut-out safety in the circuit too - all new fuel injected cars are required to have one now to stop fuel in the event of a roll over or impact.

Jimbro, As usual your help is welcomed,
1. check
2. I think the PVC and the "air filter box" are one in the same!! I understand what your talking about
3.I'll save my arm! I got two relays!
4. I'll check on Ebay
5.I'll power it through a relay and hook it up to the coil
6.see 5
I'll let you know how this project works out for me, I have checked with mid-west and they have a manifold for the X. Thanks Patrick:worship: