First 914, looking for resto tips/ and build ideas Options

[Han Solo]

so after spending an weekend getting intimate with trying to figure out what is going on with this car so i can try and get it running, im slowly piecing some of the main engine bits back together and establish a starting point. unfortunately right now i need this to be a running project. I had it turning over very slowly on the started that was in it and i picked up a new one and put it in but it wont turn over at all now. unfortunately it got dark right as i finished up so i dont have time to mess with the car till tuesday...any ideas or advice at this point. then next on the table is trying to setp fuel lines and hoses in the engine compartment which im still working on unnderstanding.

Obviously make sure your battery has the amps needed. You should be able to get a 13mm socket with short extension on the bolt holding the fan in and turn the crank by hand with the plugs out. If if won't turn easily, don't try too hard and twist that bolt head off. It's a pretty small bolt for a crank. If it's seized, you're looking at an engine rebuild. Good luck and welcome to the forum.

[Dave_Darling]

Things to check:

- Battery: is it flat? Usually a reading over 12.5V between the battery posts is a charged battery.
- Ground strap between the trans and trunk floor: Is it hooked up? Clean connections on both ends?
- Ground to the battery: Are the connections clean?

--DD

[SLRPY MN]

the engine spins pretty easily, cleaned up and re-installed the trans body ground and the battery ground then realized i connected the started wrong, but its still turning over super slow and not nearly enough to start.

[SLRPY MN]

oh and battery reads 12.7 volts

[Han Solo]

the engine spins pretty easily, cleaned up and re-installed the trans body ground and the battery ground then realized i connected the started wrong, but its still turning over super slow and not nearly enough to start.

Perhaps your starter is on the way out. Is it getting really hot to the touch after a couple of cranks? I took my original starter off the '73 to have it rebuilt and the shop found out it was less expensive just to replace it. New starter and alternator were about $250 total.

[SLRPY MN]

the engine spins pretty easily, cleaned up and re-installed the trans body ground and the battery ground then realized i connected the started wrong, but its still turning over super slow and not nearly enough to start.

Perhaps your starter is on the way out. Is it getting really hot to the touch after a couple of cranks? I took my original starter off the '73 to have it rebuilt and the shop found out it was less expensive just to replace it. New starter and alternator were about $250 total.

well its the second brand new starter that has done the same thing soim ruling that possibility out... im not expecting it to actually run i just want it to turn over properly.

[SLRPY MN]

Spent another week troubleshooting the slow start and found my battery lead to the starter had a nice whole in it as pictured below, not its cranking almost fast enough. so i decided its time to shift focus.

I plan to install an inline fuel pump in the front trunk i just want to know if anyone has any ideas or pictures of how they replaced their bad fuel pumps, and if their are some things i should look out for, i also would appreciate some decent pictures of 1.7L engine bays with each leg of their Djetronic lines highlighted so i can ensure im hooking up things correctly. unfortunately everything was unhooked when i bought it.

[914_teener]

There is a 1.7 hose routing diagram on the Bird Board (Pelican Parts).

I moved my fuel pump to the fire wall about three years ago with no problem.

The reason I did this is that it is just for maintenance reasons and to get the wire connectors away from the heat exchangers. I wrote a thread on it awhile back.

That location the engineers decided on always befuddled me along with the spare tire for the windshield washer pressure.

Good luck with your project.

[malcolm2]

That does not even look like the right kinda wire. I am no electrician, but the wire should work even with the cover torn. The cover keeps it from touching anything and shorting out and also keeps the wires inside clean and conductive.

IIRC I went to Autozone and got a heavy gauge wire, might even be called a starter wire. Maybe 4' long. the insides should look more like this:



you could use red if you wanted. ignore the arrows. Just showing the big fat red wire. It will come with connectors on both ends. This photo from pelican:

[SLRPY MN]

well tomorrow im rebuilding my through my tunnel and into the engine wish me luck hopefully i can get this done without any huge delays... i only have a couple weeks before I'm out to sea again.

[SLRPY MN]

replaced my plastic fuel lines with stanless steel today now on to finishing up the rest of it and buttoning it up tomorrow hopefully.

[SLRPY MN]

so this summer has been monetarily challenging but I have slowly been working on the car I pulled the motor out and noticed that there is debris and general junk all throughout the cooling ducts... also it seems like all my internals are really gunked up needs lots of TLC and now I'm looking into modifying the 1.7 but don't really know enough to know what parts I should look into buying to increase performance a bit... also I am not really a fan of electronic things so I want to move toward carbuerators.

[malcolm2]

so this summer has been monetarily challenging but I have slowly been working on the car I pulled the motor out and noticed that there is debris and general junk all throughout the cooling ducts... also it seems like all my internals are really gunked up needs lots of TLC and now I'm looking into modifying the 1.7 but don't really know enough to know what parts I should look into buying to increase performance a bit... also I am not really a fan of electronic things so I want to move toward carbuerators.

"internals gunked"? maybe that is why your starter is having trouble. take the plugs out to relieve some suction pressure and turn it by hand.

With the engine out, you can remove the cooling tins easily and get the crap out from under the tins and in between all the cooling fins. take lots of pre-removal pictures to help with re-installation. You can clean and even re-paint the tins, get new cheese head screws, check the T-stat and flaps, pull the clutch and flywheel, replace the seal. There is lots of stuff you can freshen up without cracking the case. In order to beef up the power enough to notice, you will have to open the engine.

Did the PO say the engine ran when parked? If so, you may just want to get this 1.7 running again and drive it awhile before you start really digging in to change the crank, the cam, the P/Cs, rockers, etc....

Folks say that if you change to carbs you should also change the cam to get the best running engine.... it is deep inside the engine. 2ndly, carbs may not be electrical, but they require lots of tinkering, so you might want to stick with the FI and learn about it. This forum will help you with either.

[thieuster]

That does not even look like the right kinda wire. I am no electrician, but the wire should work even with the cover torn. The cover keeps it from touching anything and shorting out and also keeps the wires inside clean and conductive.

IIRC I went to Autozone and got a heavy gauge wire, might even be called a starter wire. Maybe 4' long. the insides should look more like this:



you could use red if you wanted. ignore the arrows. Just showing the big fat red wire. It will come with connectors on both ends. This photo from pelican:

Welding wire is the way to go. I use it in all my cars. I always replace the old wire: often fraided etc. The welding cable can take a lot of current and is very flexible. On top of that: it's in black and red.

Menno