Author Topic: fsm niki 650 "restoration" (fsm air cooled 126) (Read 8264 times)

phreak97 · « **on:** July 30, 2007, 12:51:07 PM »

Hi,
i bought my niki pretty cheap, it was in fairly average condition, and im very much a beginner at working on cars. dont expect any real restorations from me, but i think ill post my progress here anyway.

first things i did:

pulled the old radio and speakers out (they were not original, ill try to get ahold of original bits at some point, or ill put in a cd/mp3 player)

removed the cigarette lighter (ill put a better-wired one in again later)

removed the buzzer that had been connected to the indicator relay (kinda cool actually, i might put it back once it's registered.)

removed all switches from instrument cluster, did my best to paint the symbols back on them, then reinstalled. (ill try get good replacements whenever they come up for sale)

partially removed door cards to read the lock number off the back of the locks, then got a key cut to that number with another niki door key to compare key type. also lubricated locks.

took the handle above the passenger door from another niki and installed it where there were blank hole-covers before.

swapped the gear knob with my parts niki

combined two seats to create one working one to replace my passenger one.. turns out replacing springs is easy.

checked my spare gearbox and decided it was in good condition.

the next step will be to swap the gearboxes.

phreak97 · « **Reply #1 on:** August 03, 2007, 04:26:13 PM »

today i took out the the engine and gearbox.
this is the biggest thing i have ever done to a car, but i didnt have any real issues.. the only thing that will suck is readjusting the clutch.. but only because i have never done it before. it should be ok though.
i opened the top of the gearbox that was in there, and one of the gears was definately very worn, to the point that there was less than half of each tooth left. the new one is in very good condition in comparison, so im quite happy. i think this will end well.

phreak97 · « **Reply #2 on:** August 13, 2007, 04:03:49 PM »

theres been a bit of progress since last time i posted.
i got all the mechanical bits back in, clutch adjustment was easy.
when i went to test it out, it was very strange, it didnt want to go into gear, then once in gear it didnt want to come out, but after a while of playing around driving up and down my driveway and around my backyard (you cannot do this in a normal car!!) it seems to have been getting alot better, it seems to always work now. it still makes a wierd noise in reverse, but i dont have enough space to work out what causes it.
the previous owner has come up with some registration for it, so i wont have to get it inspected afterall, ill just transfer the registration into my name and that will be it, niki on the road! then i can really start sorting it out. i might take it to a mechanic to see if he can spot anything which i cant.

also, i've been working on covering up the rust holes under the front and back windscreen. theres no way i can afford to get it fixed properly any time soon, so i just want to stop it looking like a heap of crap between now and when i can afford it, not to mention the huge amount of water id get coming in the front of the car.. the drainage tubes both fell out though, so therell still be water getting in there even now that it's all patched up.. i dont know what to do about that, im not about to take out any windows.

i have used a fair amount of filler, and some odd ways to support it over the holes, but it should look ok, there are runs in the paint because im way too impatient for painting in the propper thin layers, i think ill get a profesional to do the whole job when i get the rust cut and welded, painting sucks.

ThePrisoner · « **Reply #3 on:** August 13, 2007, 05:31:43 PM »

Nice thread. Im new to the 126 arena but also new to restoring cars too. Good to see another newbie to restoration posting their progress for all to see.

Keep up the commentary as you go...

Regards,

Pris.

phreak97 · « **Reply #4 on:** August 14, 2007, 03:16:07 AM »

thanks!

phreak97 · « **Reply #5 on:** August 15, 2007, 04:57:08 PM »

today i got the rego from the guy i bought it from, and i went for a drive! there are many problems i now know about. the brakes need work, ill probably do that tomorrow, theyre uneven and the pedal goes almost to the floor before they start working. the gears are adjusted awfully, third doesnt work at all unless you push it really hard in the whole time its in the gear, and first needs a bit of extra force too. ill definately have a play with that tomorrow. other than that, wheel balance is horrible, but new tyres and balance are coming soon. also i dont think i tightened he clutch enough, so ill tighten that some more too. plenty of work to do before im hapy with it as a reliable daily driver. whatever clunking noise i got in reverse in my driveway seems to have stopped after having driven it properly.
how do i tell if the engine is running too hot? or if the gearbox is unhappy?
when i stopped, it sounded like something was slightly fizzing under the rocker cover, or from that general area. there could easily be water collected somewhere which was boiling off, i dont know. money is the biggest factor here, i definately need new tyres, those come first, but at $300 for a set, far out, my budget doesnt really allow for that, i only have $350 to last me a fortnight for living expenses.. i think i have some new oil, so ill drain the oil and put new stuff in.

how much oil do i put in a 650cc air cooled engine? whats the actual correct amount? preferably in litres.

also, how do i know if my gear oil is working? fourth is whiney, but maybe thats how a box sounds with 20/50 in it?.

uhh.. i just noticed the rego says it has a four cylinder engine. id like to change that, but i dont want it to have to be inspected. i might just put on the new rego exactly what it says on the current rego, and if anyone asks ill claim i didnt know. i dont think the less cylinders makes it any cheaper here, so it shouldnt really matter that much.

phreak97 · « **Reply #6 on:** August 21, 2007, 10:14:44 AM »

i got my new tyres:D theyre the propper 135r12's that are meant to fit it too.
however when i was reversing yesterday the gearbox locked up and just about snapped my neck, it was right as i git the road coming out of a driveway, so the wheels didnt slide, the whole car just stopped dead, the engine stalled too since it couldnt turn the gearbox. i thought, "uhh ok, ill reverse more carefully until i get a new box, and didnt think much more of it. today a strange noise came from the rear as i was slowing down to turn into my street, and it felt like it was trying to stop. didnt last long though. a bit later i thought id test the car out, and it locked up in reverse again, then locked up twice going forwards too. the second time i got to experiment for a couple of tries, and it seemed that when i pushed the clutch pedal in it locked up.. i have no idea how this would happen, it didnt make any crunchy noises or anything, it just kinda stopped. i got skid marks on the road and all.
the clutch has been jumpy for as long as its been in there.. maybe its really more screwed than i thought.

i guess next step is to pull the gearbox out again and rebuild one from that and my other one, just as i had planned to do.

126dave · « **Reply #7 on:** August 21, 2007, 10:43:18 AM »

mmnn....did you clean out the box? no loose teeth in there is there??.and its defo the box locking up is it?.if you dip the clutch when its locked it free wheels ok yeh?

phreak97 · « **Reply #8 on:** August 21, 2007, 12:19:59 PM »

well, no. if i push the clutch pedal in, that seems to be when it locks.. i do not understand that at all.. it doesnt do it often enough for me to work out exactly what happens, im not really concious of what im doing with my feet when im driving.. so i can only assume what i was doing at the time. when it happened when i was looking for it, then it was when i pushed the clutch in. i dont know if theres anything floating around in the box, but ill find ot when i pull it apart.

after it locks it doesnt stay locked, i just drove off as normal after restarting the engine..

126dave · « **Reply #9 on:** August 21, 2007, 12:46:26 PM »

sounds odd.....its not the engine overheating and seizing is it??.....or ignition cutting dead?

.........a small gearbox like the 126 one would break something internaly if it locked im sure.....and anyway to lock up youd have either to have the guts incorrectly assembled in which case it would be locked for good,or a big lump of metal in there some place.

this should be in another section really

phreak97 · « **Reply #10 on:** August 21, 2007, 02:18:26 PM »

well.. it shouldnt be in another section.. i posted my initial gearbox troubles somewhere else, this thread has been posting my progress with the car overall.

phreak97 · « **Reply #11 on:** September 17, 2007, 11:20:06 PM »

it works!
the gearbox was completely buggered, and apparently nikis are meant to have a clutch disc with springs in it, which it didnt have and does now. the gearbox rebuild cost me a bit, i got a mechanic to do it.
first time i got it back in, the clutch i put in was dead, i didnt even get enough friction to move. so i took the engine out and left the gearbox in to see if it was easier, it was by far. put the spring bit from my old clutch in instead, and now my niki is on the road! since driving it, i've found a bunch of other issues which i dont have time to talk about.
will post again soon!

phreak97 · « **Reply #12 on:** December 31, 2007, 02:28:22 AM »

ok, continuing from where i was at when i posted last.

after getting the gearbox to work happily, i found the car was vibrating heaps going along. i ended up figuring out it was wheel bearings, and being completely broke, i just kept swapping bearings around off my other niki until i eventually found a combination of the smoothest ones, and they seem to be near perfect.
i've had the acrb completely cleaned out, new spark plug leads, new condensor, new fuel filter, cleaned spark plugs, cleaned out the fuel pump, and whole carb, done the timing and fuel mixture, and to this day i still have funny problems with starting and accelerating. the starting problem is new though.. i have been given another idea of what could be causing it, and i will post back once i have tried to fix it again.

i havnt done much more restoration wise, i've been working on my other cars.

phreak97 · « **Reply #13 on:** May 22, 2008, 03:47:06 PM »

it's been a while.

the starting issue turned out to be my coil dying, and i have another coil in there now, so no worries there.

today i replaced the pedal rubbers, gear stick boot, and spark plug rubber seal things, and i have new gearbox mounts to put in. the noise i have always had when reversing i think is the gearbox touching the underneath of the car.. my mounts are pretty dead.. we'll see how the new ones go!.

i dont know that ill do any more work on this niki, at least not more than keeping it roadworthy.. i'm going to get another car which is going to more or less need full reassembly.. when i saw it it didnt look like it had much of an interior at all, and theres no engine or gearbox.. i should have enough parts to get it most of the way turning into a car.. but i need the freaking engine tin:(

GTMaster · « **Reply #14 on:** September 15, 2008, 03:45:53 PM »

Hi there,

Well my book says that 2.5 l of oil goes into the 650 engine. When new it used 10w-40 oil

The gearbox needs 1.1 l of oil, 80w 90 oil.