I was planning to use relays so I can upgrade the bulbs later.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/400290622524?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

I've used these on various cars over the years from my MGB racer with H4 HiD's to a MkI Mini.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271290106883?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

I prefer Ramair to K&N but it's mostly aesthetic.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181469857814?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

The right speedo' cable. Still haven't had a refund for the other one from Jolly Good Car Spares. Must send them an email.

Mystery of the missing water has been solved. Where the water pump pipe meets the thermostat housing there is a micro fine crack that is getting bigger daily.

As you would expect this is an obsolete part so I have a few options.

1/ Find a second hand one and take a gamble.
2/ Clean it up and hope it's good enough quality Aluminium to weld.
3/ See if a new one from another model, 128, Strada, Punto 1.6 Cabriolet or Punto 1.6 Sporting will fit.

Yep. Two of the bolts sheered off.



The housing has been off before but instead of replacing the gasket there is black silicone around the edge. This meant water could get into the bolt chambers of the housing, rust and sheer off. Nice little bodge bomb for the next guy. Thanks!



Once I peeled the silicone from the housing to water pump neck there are two holes and hardly any metal to weld to.

I guess I'll be needing a new one once I've worked out how to get those studs out (hopefully without having to take the head off).

Super sexy new filter arrived today...



...it's just as well because I needed the airbox out of the way so...



...can weld nuts on the ends of these studs to try and extract them.

The headlights also arrived today so they'll be swapped over at some point.

Ah damn that's bad luck.

Interesting mine (85) came with halogens standard I think? This is the link I used to build the mini relay harnesses (unfortunately the images have gone)

http://www.network54.com/Forum/12159/message/1157943183/New+headlight+wire+mod+for+all+X19%27s---

I posted on here about how ford relays can be used instead of bosch 30A 1£ each from breakers instead of £10! I couldn't find any 2nd hand bosch relays...

I can confirm the later Tempra/Punto thermostat is different although can be made to fit with a custom adapter plate - although the flow will be reduced. As the X item is a shunt thermostat ( I think this is superior to normal ones) you have to sort out a load of different sized pipes.

I have the opposite problem - my Tempra head only has two holes and a smaller outlet for the thermostat. I'm planning to make an adapter plate and hope the two bolts can hold the larger x1/9 thermostat. Currently I have two approx 35mm diameter pieces of pipe, a silicone 35mm t-piece with 25mm outlet then a 25 - 18mm (koi pond) reducer to connect up to the header tank. And one more small t-piece... I forget the size. Its not worth it and it does'nt keep the engine very cool! Id just get a second hand X1/9 stat - they go for around £35?

I don't want to encourage any more bodge jobs but could you use liquid metal or something to fix the holes?

best of luck with getting those bolts out!

https://www.fiatforum.com/classifieds/showproduct.php?product=31262&cat=73

Way ahead of you and planning a road trip for the weekend.

New gaskets should arrive Monday so I'll have a chance to strip and clean the old unit before fitting.

There was some kind of filler on top of the silicone but as I stripped it back the holes were big enough to scrap the whole thing. I did consider cutting the neck of and welding a new bit of pipe to it but the quality of the metal is terrible and wouldn't weld very well.

Well the head has got to come off to get to the studs properly. This is more than an inconvenience as I knew the car would need bodywork for the M.O.T I wasn't planning (or budgeted) a complete engine rebuild as well. :bang:

Found a ten bolt head for sale on eBay in West Midlandshire but a little further south there's an Uno Turbo based Onyx Firecat project that could donate it's engine to my X1/9 quite happily.

Time for some "Man Maths"

The eBay chap wants £140 for his head.
Collection or delivery from West Midlandshire £35-£50
Head bolts. £20
Head gasket set. £25-£40
Skim - £25
Porting and polishing - a few hours work.
New belts and tensioner bearing - £25
Retrofitting the head - an hour or so.
Beer and Pizza - £30

Total = £330


Basically take £190 off that if I use my own head and add a few hours of work and more beer to get the studs out.

Onyx Firecat £395
Collection £150
Uno Turbo engine transplant - a few hours work.
Selling the chassis and bodywork - +£200 (ish)
Beer and Pizza £30-£50 (depending if I get help or not)

Total = £375 (depending on how much I get for the Uno and Onyx bits)

So that's an Uno turbo conversion for £45 (+ or - £190 if I can use my own head).

I like the few hours work bit for the engine swap. Mine took about 40 hrs+... Twas my second engine swap... fist was Cinq 1108 to punto 60 so very easy

Does the head really need skimming or do you just want the extra compression ratio? and if your removing your head, can you not remove the fubared studs reuse it?

Also have you thought about drilling and using a thread extractor on the studs? Personally I've never had any luck doing this, but maybe after a bit of heat from a torch or something?

The Uno turbo would increase the value of your car also don't forget!

Today I found my head gasket has gone, about a month after getting the new engine running. So I wont be driving mine for a couple of weeks either. Tempra HG kits are £10 on ebay and you can reuse the bolts according to the Porter manual? There's an advantage to using and engine from a car that is almost extinct. Cam belt was about a tenner too. All new old stock clearance stuff...

also I saw this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fiat-X1-9...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item1e8fbbacd9

purf said:

I saw this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fiat-X1-9...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item1e8fbbacd9

Click to expand...

That's the West Midlandshire chap. I could visit my mate Andy Frost while I'm in his neck of the woods. I owe him a giant Jaffa cake.

Someone very kindly decided that my grinder would be better in a tub of water than on the shelf where I left it. Two and a half ****ing hours to drive six miles into King's Lynn and back to buy a new grinder (okay the old one could dry out and be okay but I needed it today). Some idiot from the County Council thought mid-Summer would be the best time to all but close the A47 and if you're headed that way add a minimum three hours to your journey.

I got some Copper Grease as the previous ****s who worked on the car were obviously allergic to the stuff and some liquid steel to repair the housing to water pump neck as there's a chunk missing (and that was the best one there).

Many thanks to sledgehammer for the 'stat housing. The blocked pipe was a nest of spider eggs in the end.

I started to take the new/old housing apart to get to the very tired looking 'stat and naturally all three 10mm bolts sheared off. One stud was extracted using a little WD-40 and a monkey wrench. The other two sheared closer to the surface, so I welded on a couple of nuts to the ends. They sheared at the face. Flattened out and drilled pilot holes through (eventually as it is near impossible to hold the thing level in any kind of clamp) and hey presto my stud extractor kit is missing. :bang:

So that's another two and half hours to King's Lynn and back to buy more effing tools instead of having money to spend on parts!!!!!

I knew it would be too good to be true.



The £35 housing looked to be much better than mine with just a little pit to deal with.

Then...



...all three 10mm thermostat bolts sheared off.

Me said:

In the recorded history of man there has never been an instant where a stud has been successfully removed with an extractor.

Click to expand...

One drew out one chiseled out and the other stuck for good. Oh well that's now scrap. Still that the gamble when you buy a car that doesn't have new parts available. I'll see if I can make on out the two or fabricate a new one from scratch but from the looks of the previous damaged to the side of the engine...



...it's fairly save to say I've bought a £1250 pile of scrap as well.

Hmmmmm...

Okay I was a little annoyed earlier. Partly due to finding myself in a rut of a dead end, but mostly due to putting half a drill bit trough my finger trying to get the stud extractor out.

After a cup of tea I had an idea...



...I cut the neck off the new(er) housing and ground the old one back until the metal was good enough to...



...wedge an off cut of Aluminium pipe in there and...



...bond in place with a bit of Steel Stick.



Inside as well. I know it's a bodge but it's a damn sight better than silicon sealant.

For the sake of a £2.55 gasket...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271334249071?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649

...my car could need a new cylinder head! :bang:

Well my cylinder head is a write off.

Shame really as a little tyre silver has made my less bodged thermostat housing look semi-okay.



I feel like going through the cars history file, finding who did the thermostat and putting a few bricks through their windows.

Dear Scottish car restorers...



...the paper stuff are called gaskets and the stuff in the brown tube is what we call Copper Slip.

Please note the lack of silicon and Tiger Seal.



Stainless Steel bolts, copper slipped in so it should be okay for a while.

very good sir - now what are you going to fit it to???

Hmmm...

Got the new log book in the post the other day and it says "1500cc" and not 1498cc.

Either the car was not registered properly when new, the engine has had the worlds most pointless rebore or it's not the original engine.

I was joking about going through the history files but now I think a bit of CSI may be in order.

Driveway CSI today and I'm going through the X1/9 paperwork because I suspect the engine is not the original.

I discovered a receipt for the tyres dated 2002!!!
Second hand "A" frame bushes!
A Deeside Lotus dealer charged £178 to change two light bulbs in 1999!!!
£122 for a "New" fuel tank when it had a patch welded to it.
The Culter Car Centre, Aberdeen replaced the head gasket and used "sealant" (Tiger Seal) to stick the thermostat housing to the head.

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/...Car+Centre,+Aberdeen.++What's+the+story?

I won't be smashing windows as it appears they are flats now. Thank you Karma.