So Thursday last week my 09 GP 1.3 Multijet suddenly shut down with a jerk and a slight whistle. Luckily I wasn't far from home and had the car towed to a local garage.

This morning (Monday) they had diagnosed the problem as a sheared bolt for the high pressure diesel pump, which sits at the end of the exhaust camshaft and is driven from that. The bolt connects the pump with the camshaft.

Obviously this is bad. Something seized.

The garage recommends switching the engine, which in many respects is obviously the easiest thing to do, since it would include a new clutch (which was wearing) but it is also VERY expensive.

What are my alternatives in your collective view?

I could switch the pump and hope that was where the problem was.

If the problem is with the camshafts I could find a new (to me) rocker cover with shafts and replace. The garage says that they would need to take the head off, but that is incorrect as far as I can gather.

Or I could switch the engine out for a different one - something I don't presently know how to pay for exactly...

There would be risks involved, since I won't know exactly whether bearings in the bottom end of the engine have been damaged somehow, but is that likely? It seems oil starvation at the top end might be the cause.

Oh the joy of a Monday morning.

Remove the part that's still in camshaft if it's possible and replace the fuel pump.

I don't see how oil starvation can cause this anyway. Also how they know there is a problem like that without taking the cam housing off to inspect for marks etc ?

Looking at the drawings in the service manual it appears that the broken bolt is the one that attaches the sprocket to the camshaft. I wonder if the cam followers have broken or are bent in the process and the most economical solution at the end of the day is actually to switch the engine.

Labour is VERY expensive in this country, unfortunately.

kroehl said:

Looking at the drawings in the service manual it appears that the broken bolt is the one that attaches the sprocket to the camshaft. I wonder if the cam followers have broken or are bent in the process and the most economical solution at the end of the day is actually to switch the engine.

Labour is VERY expensive in this country, unfortunately.

Click to expand...

Hi, and welcome..very little 1.3 info in here

have a look in the Panda section, several have done the job themselves after cam-chain failures..,
PM the people in the know..,

Charlie

kroehl said:

Looking at the drawings in the service manual it appears that the broken bolt is the one that attaches the sprocket to the camshaft. I wonder if the cam followers have broken or are bent in the process and the most economical solution at the end of the day is actually to switch the engine.

Labour is VERY expensive in this country, unfortunately.

Click to expand...

Hi, and welcome..very little 1.3 info in here

have a look in the Panda section, several have done the job themselves after cam-chain failures..,
PM the people in the know..,
https://www.fiatforum.com/panda/338518-07-fiat-panda-1-3-multijet-died.html
Charlie