Thats perfect - well done!
Have you found the selector fork you need yet?

Have you considered a fifth gear conversion?


I cannot make my mind up

That's a very useful find Sean, you could have warned us about the soundtrack though!!!!!!

I am still deciding on what route to go Andrew, I have a couple of contacts to speak to first for 2nd hand options, or maybe look for another box.
5th gear would be nice, but then again its a lot of money for a small car that was never really designed for speed and certainly not for safety. So I will leave that alone for now and use my other car for the fast stuff.


Sorry Tony it was a bit crazy music, I had the sound off.


Good news is I have found where that 5.5mm bearing goes thanks to Damon.

Here's a clearer view


on the previous video this part is fitted at 6:32

Hi Sean
I will have a spare selector shortly, do you have time constraints?
If not I could swing by and drop it off and have a peek at your work.....

?

Regards

Cheers Andrew, no rush, I have plenty more to do yet. By all means pop round when you are free. Have a great trip.

Sean,

Backing up the discussion to the differential, I noticed that I have some extra parts that don't appear in your photos. I recently had my differential apart and found that I had shims on the heads of the half shafts. Did yours have any?

Not sure if you need them or not. Being that this was my first rebuild, I just replaced them with new ones. I did do some research but couldn't find anything definitive about them. Maybe a couple of the more knowledgable members could provide some insight as to whether you need them or not.

FWIW, my differential is a 126. And, the new ones I bought from VdL fit on one shaft but there wasn't enough room for them between the head of the half shaft and the nuts on the other side. So, I reused the old ones on that side.

I have just rebuilt my 126 diff Bob to fit new 500 driveshafts. The was only one shim on each head of the driveshaft. Difficult to describe but where the end of the driveshaft turns into a T shape with two little prongs. Only one of those prongs had a shim on each driveshaft so a total of 2 shims for the whole diff. They weren't flat but sort of concave across half their surface. I could clearly see from the wear marks which ones had them fitted so just put the old ones back in. They appear to just close up the gap a bit once the slide rings are fitted to the end of the driveshafts. Apparently they are called spring rings.
Tony

I didn't have any shims on mine. maybe it was an addition on the 126 model.
I can only presume it takes up any free play between the shaft and the slip joint casings (nuts). I wouldn't worry if you only have one as its so minor its unlikely to cause any imbalance, but it will remove any slack in the joint.
If as Tony stated it was a concave washer then this should allow it to take up a variable gap as apposed to a solid shim which could still have a gap.
I haven't done a dry trial rebuild yet, so when I do I will see if I have any play in mine. That way I can get some shims/washers.


Thanks for the heads up, as there is nothing about this in the manual.

I am just leaving sunny Herne Bay for a trip to Great Yarmouth to pick up a 650 engine & gearbox. Is anyone in the area or on route? I wouldn't mind a break and a chance to see another 500.

Was looking at that myself Sean but too much on at the moment and funds needed elsewhere on the car. Good luck, I'm in Colchester if you're passing that way?
Damian

Cheers Damian, pm me your number & address and maybe I could come back that way as I'm going up the m11 to be there for 4pm

Nice to meet you Sean and put a name to the face. If you're ever over this way again feel free to pop in

What a nightmare. I waited patiently for a reply from the guy on e-bay to see if the engine had a dizzy or not. No reply.
Tony recognised it was the non dizzy type, so I sent another mail asking if he had the modules & wiring. No response!
So I left it to 10 seconds before the end and won the engine & gearbox for £200, result.
He finally came back to me an hour after and said no wiring or module. He also wanted cash on delivery. The guy was Polish & English not too good. I was going to get courier to collect it but decided to collect it myself just in case it was seized.
So today I drove just over 3hrs/180 miles and when I got there the engine was in the back garden, we lifted into the back of my car & then I asked where the gearbox was? He pointed to the one on the floor, a front wheel drive gearbox. After pointing out that was not the one advertised he called his dad. After 10 minutes of 4 Polish guys searching the house & garden they decided the gearbox had been stolen. After a lot of complaining I persuaded him to allow me to keep the engine for £20 as he wasted my day & £35 cost of fuel.
Unbelievable!
Trip wasn't wasted though, got a 650 engine for £55 and met up with Damian and had a cup of tea whilst checking out his handy work.
So still looking for a gearbox!

Wow quite a trip Sean. I bet you were steaming when he pointed at the gearbox on the floor, I would have been. At least you got a superb bargain engine, I assume it is not seized or you wouldn't have spent 20 quid on it?

As I said before I have a 650 engine block with a dizzy hole in it if you are interested. Cheaper than getting the ignition bits they go for silly money. The alternator on that engine alone is worth a lot of money.

Tony

So engine is nearly stripped. Only problem is I cannot remove the 2 5mm Allen screws on the front crankshaft bearing plate. My snap on Allen key is twisting and it's now damaged the Allen key screw head.
I have tried impact driver & applying heat. Anyone else had this problem before? Looks like I might have to drill them out.

I think mine were large Philips headed.
Anyway, I bet it's down to too strong a grade of Loctite used.
Persistent heat and immediately trying to move it usually works, but if the sockets of the screws are worn and drilling is imminent anyway you might first try an angled jab with a heavy hammer against a short, pointed punch; not too near the edge then you don't just peen them in.
We used to have this problem daily with heavy duty mower blades; if all else failed heating them red hot got them moving but that isn't really an option here.
There's always my old favourite...weld summat to them.

Ha - and you think you had a wasted day......my seller won't consider any compensation for my disaster....slippery bugger...

:bang:

Did you have breakdown recovery or did you have to pay to get it returned? That's got to cost some?
At least you could still enjoy Italy, more than I can say for Great Yarmouth.

I had breakdown - that took us to nearest Fiat main dealer.............full of shiny Pandas...
Had a contact for a shipping agent and called him..he picked me and car up.........dropped me at a good hotel...car arrives in 8 days