This is a guide to remove and replace the sump on a Grande Punto.

NOTE* I am not responsible for any injuries or damage occurring doing your repairs, if i have omitted something, or got something wrong writing this guide.

Safety first! Only use car ramps, NEVER get under a poorly supported car Eg. Jack, bricks, wood, blocks etc..
Wear eye protection, disposable gloves and a boiler suit an old hat will be useful to stop oil getting on your hair.
Use only quality tools, don't use cheap or inferior tools.
Dispose of oil at a certified recycling place. NEVER pour oil down drains, its illegal.
Don't work on the engine when it is hot, make sure its cold.
Don't rush or take shortcuts.
The Grande Punto sumps are notorious for rust. Prep and paint the new sump as described below to avoid doing this again.

Drive the car on the ramps, apply the handbrake and engage 1st gear. Go under the car with a torch and inspect the sump bolts, flywheel guard bolts. and exhaust flange bolts. Have a good look around and see whats required to do this job. If you think its beyond your capabilities DON'T attempt it. If you think you can attempt it and are competent at working on cars, and have a decent knowledge of repairing them, you should be able to do this in a day or two. If unsure, seek professional advice.

Spray penetrating fluid on the bolts/nuts before you get started, even if they are not too rusty. Chances are they will be.

Put an old flattened cardboard box or old tarp on the ground under the engine bay. Expect a lot of oil spillage, so old rags or newspapers to absorb any oil.

Parts req. Sump
Oil & filter
Tin of stone chip spray paint (Matt black)
Sump silicon sealant
Exhaust gasket
2 new exhaust flange bolts, 2 nuts & 4 washers (Check old ones for size)


Tools req. Brillo pad, torque wrench, torch, solvent cleaner, WD40, length of rope, strap wrench, Stanley knife, wire brush, funnel, flat screwdrivers, metal ruler, hex key or Torx (For sump plug) socket set, spanners, hammer, mole grips, pliers and a junior hacksaw may be needed.

NOTE* A new flywheel guard will be needed if the old one is corroded badly. If it is in decent condition, a coat of rust stop or similar will do, and a few coats of stone chip.

NEW SUMP PREP

Using a Brillo pad, rub the outside of the sump to a dull/matt finish. Clean with solvent cleaner and mask off the sump plug and threads. Give it 4-5 coats of stone chip. Follow instructions on the tin. Double check the new sump plug is tightened properly from the factory. If not tighten up.

OIL DRAINING

Remove the oil cap and dipstick, remove the sump plug and drain the oil into a suitable container. Put sump plug back in temporarily (To stop it dripping everywhere) Remove oil filter. Replace with new one (Put a film of oil on the new filter rubber seal) HAND TIGHTEN ONLY.

EXHAUST REMOVAL

The 2 flange bolts will probably be badly corroded. Soak in oil, i was lucky that one came off ok and the other halfway, so i cut it off with a junior hacksaw. If they shear off you may have to drill them out. (I haven't tried this, so i am not sure how hard it will be)
Tie the end of the exhaust with the rope, and the other end to the top gearbox lifting lug (Or any suitable point) to take the strain of the exhaust. DO NOT TIE TO ANY PIPES OR WIRING

Remove the exhaust pipe bracket nut & bolt (These are tight) and carefully swing the exhaust out of the way (Use another piece of rope if needed) Discard the exhaust flange gasket.

FLYWHEEL GUARD REMOVAL


Remove the bracing strut (4bolts, these are tight) There are still 10mm bolts holding the flywheel guard in place. ONLY UNSCREW THE TOP BOLT DO NOT REMOVE. There is a slot in the guard for this particular bolt, so it does not need to come out. Access is tricky. Remove the other bolts.

Now firmly pull down the guard, a wee wiggle helps to get it out. Inspect for corrosion. If looks OK repaint as described above, if too far gone, discard and get a new one.

SUMP REMOVAL

Remove the 4x10mm nuts and the 13mm bolts. The sump will not fall off , it is held in place with the old silicon. This part is frustrating and difficult, expect about a hour to remove the sump.

Using a knife try and get between the block and sump flange at a corner (The front of the engine is easiest) You may have to lever a corner of the sump flange up to get access to cut and prise the sump off. Very carefully prise along, bit by bit using a blunt flat screwdriver or blunt chisel and cut the sealant between the block and sump flange. BE CAREFUL AND DON'T DAMAGE THE BLOCK. Take it easy and don't rush.

Once the front of the sump has come off, very gently rocking the sump may help to break the rear seal, if not try the same process as the front. Access at the rear is difficult. Once the seal starts to come apart it will peel off.

Be ready to hold the sump in place once the seals are free. Carefully lower it, avoiding it hitting the oil pick up or crankshaft. EXPECT A LOT OF OIL SPILLAGE, BE PREPARED FOR THIS.

BLOCK AND NEW SUMP CLEANING

After all the swearing and cursing take a break.
Clean off all traces of the old sealant, use the end of a metal ruler, Stanley blade or similar tool. Clean with solvent cleaner. This must be clean as possible. Check no pieces of old gasket are lying on top of the oil pick up. Do a trial fit with the new sump before putting on the silicon to get a feel for reassembly. Give the block a final clean and the new sump flange. Get the sump nuts and bolts ready for reassembly, along with the 10&13mm sockets and ratchet.

Using the sealant, apply a continuous bead about 3-4 mm thick around the new sump (Check manufacturers instructions that came with the sealant) Go around the holes with sealant. Carefully lift up the sump into place (An assistant would be helpful here, i done it myself) Put the 4 nuts in first then the bolts. DO NOT TIGHTEN FULLY UNTIL ALL NUTS AND BOLTS ARE IN PLACE. When all are in place tighten the nuts to 0.8-1 daNM Bolts to 2.2-2.7daNM. Conversion to imperial or other units can be found on Google.

FINAL RE-ASSEMBLY

Refit the flywheel guard and bracing strut. Refit the exhaust bracket, put the new exhaust flange on and tighten the new flange nuts and bolts (Compare the old size of bolts when getting new ones) NOTE* If might be easier to assemble the exhaust flange before the bracket. Do a trial fit without the new gasket, incase you damage it. Double check all nuts and bolts are secure and nothing is left out or missing and all tools, rags etc.. Are removed.

Let the sealant dry according to the manufacturers instructions before topping up with oil.

DO NOT START THE ENGINE AND DRIVE IT OFF THE RAMPS WITH NO OIL!

Replace the dipstick, fill up the engine with the appropriate grade of oil using a funnel to the max on the dipstick. Remove funnel, start engine. DON'T REV IT. Let it idle for several minutes. Drive off ramps, switch off engine let it sit for 5 min, re-check oil level and top up to max on dipstick. Replace oil filler cap.

Start engine, let it get to temp, check for any leaks, hopefully it will be oil tight.

SUMMARY

It took me approx 6 hours to do this, i am not a mechanic by trade. The most have done on cars is change brake pads and change oil. I was getting quoted between £300-350 for a sump change from some local garages. I never tried fiat dealers, probably a lot more.

Price summary: Sump inc postage £45.50
Oil £24.00
Oil filter £ 4.00
Sump Sealant £ 6.50
Stone chip paint £ 8.50
Exhaust gasket £ 6.50
TOTAL £ 95

So as you can see i saved between £205-£255. All these items were bought locally except the sump. Other items were in my garage. So you have to weigh up the pros and cons of doing this yourself. If you make a hash of it, it can cost a lot more to put right but if you are successful it can save you a lot of money.

PLEASE NOTE* I hope this guide can be useful for anyone attempting this particular job, but don't treat it as the 'Golden Gospel' as i may have left bits out of this guide or described it wrong, IF UNSURE, DON'T ATTEMPT, SEEK PROFESSIONAL ADVICE FIRST.