'63 Giulia Spider Normale Restoration (Euro)

[pathung]

Frank,

Since you're the organizer of the Grand, I'll DEFINITELY try to make the Colorado Giulietta run a reality next year... I'm just not sure how many owners here are willing to make the trek! Will google for total roundtrip mileage.

[pathung]

Back to the topic at hand - there's a little dashboard light just to the right of the key ignition; mine's yellowed out; is it supposed to be white or yellow? Suppliers sell these in a variety of colors, including both yellow and white.

Secondly, according to the wiring diagram, there's a resistor situated between the wiper motor and the wiring that leads to it; I don't think that I came across it at all during tear-down. Does anyone know where I can get one and of what specification?

Thanks in advance.

[AlfaDuc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pathung Back to the topic at hand - there's a little dashboard light just to the right of the key ignition; mine's yellowed out; is it supposed to be white or yellow? Suppliers sell these in a variety of colors, including both yellow and white.

[Gordon Raymond]

Jim's right, it's red. My 275 GTB parts car didn't have an exact match so it just went off to the crusher.() Not many of them Ferrariz parts cars around no more!
Gordon Raymond

[pathung]

Best keep my old dashboard light then; I'll shine a flashlight through it to see if it comes through red.

Another issue: I'd like to replace the oil pressure tube that leads from the gauge into the firewall (with that impossible kink that helps it duck behind the brake fluid reservoir). Can anyone advise the size of that tube? I'll probably reuse the two old nuts.

The photo below shows a bit of progress:

[john.harrill]

I think OK parts has it.

http://www.okparts.net/english/index.html

[pathung]

Quote:

Originally Posted by john.harrill I think OK parts has it. http://www.okparts.net/english/index.html

[Alfajay]

Pathung: You had mentioned: "Another issue: I'd like to replace the oil pressure tube that leads from the gauge into the firewall (with that impossible kink that helps it duck behind the brake fluid reservoir). Can anyone advise the size of that tube? I'll probably reuse the two old nuts."

What are you doing for the flex line? Had a new one made up yet? Do NOT install a used line - they tend to split from the heat radiated off the manifold. There is an industrial hose supplier in every metropolitan area that can make up teflon lines covered with steel braid using your old ends. Again, such lines won't look stock, but the braid provides some heat reflection.

My point is that unless you are trying to achieve 100% originality, a better solution might be to have a flex line made up that extends all the way from the banjo fitting on the block to the back of the gauge, eliminating the rigid line. There are two problems with the rigid line: 1) threading it through the firewall & dash (that "impossible" kink you mentioned), and 2) getting the connecton tight enough at the gauge while trying to work underneath the dash. With a flex line, you can tighten it with the gauge out, easily thread it through the dash and firewall, and have one less coupling between the engine and gauge.

[pathung]

Jay, that's an intriguing idea, consolidating the two sections into one longer and stronger section. Why is Teflon the preferred material here? I bought a replacement flex line from OK Parts a while ago, but am not sure if it's a teflon line inside the braid.

No, I'm not originality-crazed; for safety reasons, I had the rear-axle-trailing arm brackets beefed up with extra plating, and will replace the three flexible (fabric?) brake hoses with metal braided ones.

[pathung]

Anybody know of a industrial hose supplier here in the Bay Area? Thanks.

[gowanusvin]

Track down any shop that specializes in hydraulics, i.e. heavy machinery including tractors, etc etc. They will have the right high pressure lines and can pop in the fittings in seconds--in my case all for about $20 bucks.

Bring in the old stuff, they're clever at figuring things out.
Good luck.

[Gordon Raymond]

Christians line is teflon under the steel braid. I checked. The teflon seems to be the prefered material under the braid for brake flex lines as well. As a suggestion, you might want to fabricate another short section of flex line from the gauge just through the firewall to the bracket on the cross bar linkage, and then connect to the Ok part flex line. The advantage being that in the future, you can get the line off the block, and out of the way should you need to pull the engine, or just work in that area (headers) wiothout having a l-o-n-g flex line to deal with.
I'm away from my shop for a while, but when you call about lights, ask Al if he has a spare hard line. I may have one as well. The trick with either is to be sure the end of the short (hard) line and flex line junction is secured by the bracket at the end of the throttle cross bar on the firewall. I'm not sure if there is enough room in the firewall grommit (sp?) to get a large diameter flex line easily through. I'de have to look at mine.
Gordon Raymond

[pathung]

George and Gordon; thanks for your comments. I looked up my local yellow pages and found a place that does customized hoses, braided or otherwise. I'm taking in both sections tomorrow for them to look at.

The line I bought from Christian is one fat braided line (see pic), probably more so than the original rubber hose. A braided line needs to be this thick in order to withstand the pressure? Judging by the look of things, if the new hose is more than 1.5 times larger (in diameter) than the hard line, I don't think that it'll fit through the firewall grommet.

I purchased new braided brake lines to replace the original fabric ones, and they're quite skinny, somewhat approximating the diameter of the oil pressure hard line; what might be the fluid pressure differential here? Oil pressure (healthy engine) is around 55-65 lbs. under throttle; any guesses on what brake fluid pressure might be under application? If similar, I should then be able to use the thinner lines, with the correct fittings. I'll ask the hose guy tomorrow as well.

Received more toys in the mail today - brake tube bending ones. I ordered the Cunifer lines and fittings from Fedhill, and bending tools from Eastwood (see attached pics). The bending tool looked intimidating at first, but the instructions were quite good, so I'm ready to start building my brake lines this weekend. Keeping my fingers crossed. Forgot to mention: the flaring will be done last, when the rental flaring tool arrives from Fedhill.

[Gordon Raymond]

Here's the facts to the best of my experience. Christians line is about the size of the rubber, or fabric covered rubber original. The rubber was large diameter to hold 100 PSI. MANY race cars that used the mechanical gauge used THIN aeroquip, braded line about the diameter of the hard line to the gauge. This stuff, like the brake lines is good for 1000 PSI. The problem is the banjo fitting. On the race engines, an aeroquip fitting replaces the bolt on the banjo fitting, and the same at the gauge end. Then the thin line runs from the block to the gauge. You might check Pegasis (sp) supply in Wisconsin. They offer all these fittings and hose in different sizes. If you can't google them, send me a PM and I will have my wife get the number from my files for you. Gordon Raymond