Just taken delivery of a 594ccs engine that has come in for a little tlc. First thing I noticed was the centrifugal oil filter cover that is made of Bakelite which is a new one on me.

Could it be off a Panda30?--they are basically the same engine as a 652cc 126, but run in the opposite direction.

the hobbler said:

Could it be off a Panda30?--they are basically the same engine as a 652cc 126, but run in the opposite direction.

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In a word no. The engine is from the earliest known UK registered Fiat 126 from 1973. I would say that the engine is unmolested but something went pop in the top end a couple of years ago and the owner tried to get it sorted on the cheap using three different "non Fiat" mechanics and it has never worked since. I am pretty confident that the part is original to that car.

Is nothing sacred?

Looks like the same 'plastic type' material (my catch-all description for anything not made from a metal !) that Fiat started to make toothed-camshaft pulleys (that use a timing belt) from in the early-mid '70's.

Al.

My 1975 500R has that plastic centrifugal cover as well. Everything else on the engine seems to be original so I'm guessing the cover is too?

Pazzo500 said:

My 1975 500R has that plastic centrifugal cover as well. Everything else on the engine seems to be original so I'm guessing the cover is too?

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I wondered if one might turn up on a 500R as they were in production at the same time as the early 126. Been working on this engine on & off over the last 6 days and it has been a bit of a mystery and interesting to see that it is a bit of a crossover with the 500. Rocker cover the same and studs mounting the timing chain cover and to bell housing. The bit that caught the guy who tried to fix it apart from some major mistakes and shoddy work missed the fact that they used 500 conrods with the single oil squirt jet up to the Pistons. One got damaged so naturally a 126 conrod was sourced that has the two jets and the 500 big end shells blocked the jet holes so no oil got up to one piston and it got messy.

Toshi 975 said:

The bit that caught the guy who tried to fix it apart from some major mistakes and shoddy work missed the fact that they used 500 conrods with the single oil squirt jet up to the Pistons.

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You had me scuttling back to my photos to see what I had done when I assembled my most recent engine. It looks like most of the shells distributed now have three holes so that it covers all eventualities....phew.
The image also shows the yucky brown stuff on the core-plugs being discussed on another thread.

MAL_1744 by Peter Thompson, on Flickr

The good news with this one is that I got the engine all back together and although it was balanced on a wobbly table I hooked it up and it started first pull running like a sewing machine. It was a learning experience and the message to anyone going for a 594 engine is to check what you have before ordering any parts as they may be 500 on the early ones.