Hi all,

Was supposed to be looking at a sporting 2001 tomorrow great example 78k on the clock ,recently serviced: 4 new tyres, new coil pack, battery. The guy got back to me earlier on to say the water pump just went today and he said timing might need to be done. I know being 16v timing can f**k the engine. So my question is how bad is this? And should I walk away....

Thanks guys this is the first place I thought of to come to. So peed off now

deanmiddleton123 said:

Hi all,

Was supposed to be looking at a sporting 2001 tomorrow great example 78k on the clock ,recently serviced: 4 new tyres, new coil pack, battery. The guy got back to me earlier on to say the water pump just went today and he said timing might need to be done. I know being 16v timing can f**k the engine. So my question is how bad is this? And should I walk away....

Thanks guys this is the first place I thought of to come to. So peed off now

Click to expand...

If the water pump went in what way?

If the bearings held up and the impellors blades have simply rotted off, then the timing will be fine in thoery!

But if the bearings failed in the pump - allowing it to jump teeth = Smashy smashy

Sometimes it can be okay on 1 tooth out, but not always

ziggy

Ziggy122 said:

If the water pump went in what way?

If the bearings held up and the impellors blades have simply rotted off, then the timing will be fine in thoery!

But if the bearings failed in the pump - allowing it to jump teeth = Smashy smashy

Sometimes it can be okay on 1 tooth out, but not always

ziggy

Click to expand...

I'm not sure all he said was that the car over heated and coolant was pissing out of it. I've asked him to keep me updated anyway on what the result is. I'm in two minds about it now this could just be the start of problems with it or a once off and everything will be fine..

As I was writing he just got back and said this is the 2nd time it's been done! Nothing wrong with t belt but might as well do it..

Timing needs to be done when water pump is replaced.

Pumps tend to go if a car has been standing idle for a length of time, although there many be rubbish white box replacements out there.

You'll need the factory tools (or a good facsimile) to do the timing.

fingers99 said:

Timing needs to be done when water pump is replaced.

Pumps tend to go if a car has been standing idle for a length of time, although there many be rubbish white box replacements out there.

You'll need the factory tools (or a good facsimile) to do the timing.

Click to expand...

I think this car is more or less used daily. Also he's getting his uncle to do it so I don't know if he's even a proper mechanic. Surely the pump doesn't just blow? If it was recently shouldn't they have known it needed to be done?

He just said its the seal that's gone? What's your opinions on this minor/ major? (Sorry for all the questions)

A seal can be fine 1 min, but getting weaker and weaker
Then as the engine warms up - so does the pressure (increases)

That weak seal suddenly - POOOF!

There is a seal off the waterpump cooling rail on the 8v - dunno if its on the 16v

But they sometimes let go - since its right next to water pump it seems as its fatal but it really aint

Ziggy

Should I consider meeting up to go see it? Something like that would put me off it. It's the only sporting for sale as well..

deanmiddleton123 said:

Should I consider meeting up to go see it? Something like that would put me off it. It's the only sporting for sale as well..

Click to expand...

Your call
If your not happy - reject the car

Ziggy

Ziggy122 said:

Your call
If your not happy - reject the car

Ziggy

Click to expand...

Alright thanks for the help guys

Ziggy122 said:

If the water pump went in what way?

If the bearings held up and the impellors blades have simply rotted off, then the timing will be fine in thoery!

But if the bearings failed in the pump - allowing it to jump teeth = Smashy smashy

Sometimes it can be okay on 1 tooth out, but not always

ziggy

Click to expand...

hulk smash

When the bearings went on my HGT water pump, the water pump pulley pulled on an angle with the tension of the belt and guided the cam belt off the cam pulleys, however the plastic cambelt covers kept the belt from coming off completely and started to smoke as the belt rubbed against it, this was the first sign of any problem.

Stopped the car found the cambelt poking through the cam covers and called the recovery truck.

So although the water pump had failed and damaged the cambelt the valves were saved so don't assume the damage is anymore than the water pump.

The seals went suddenly and without warning on the water pump of my 1.3 Multijet (water pump is external) a couple of years back so it can happen

Walk away. The half of the story you are getting already sounds like a disaster. Second time it's gone........uncle doing it......might be a mechanic! If they haven't managed to fit a water pump correctly what else is waiting in the wings?
Your heart was set on this car and that's a bad space for a buyer to be in.

I do wonder if the O ring on the water rail (rather than the pump itself) has failed.

Still, plenty of old Puntos out there.

Brendan W said:

Walk away. The half of the story you are getting already sounds like a disaster. Second time it's gone........uncle doing it......might be a mechanic! If they haven't managed to fit a water pump correctly what else is waiting in the wings?
Your heart was set on this car and that's a bad space for a buyer to be in.

Click to expand...

Yeah I've seriously thought all today and I told him to forget it hopefully another will come along... Before I even owned it there was problems!! Ah well ill keep my options open would like to say fiat but don't know what will come along. Thanks again guys for all the help

deanmiddleton123 said:

Yeah I've seriously thought all today and I told him to forget it hopefully another will come along... Before I even owned it there was problems!! Ah well ill keep my options open would like to say fiat but don't know what will come along. Thanks again guys for all the help

Click to expand...

Does it have to be a 16v
What puts you off an 8v for example

Id love a 16v but they are more on insurance and less availible in scrapyards

Ziggy

The 8V Punto is one of the best kept secrets. Future classic. The wife was coming down from Dublin recently and snagged something which took out the alternator belt and the timing belt. Two very helpful guys towed her into the Beehive carpark and waited till I arrrived with new belt kits. They broke the bad news that the belt had jumped 20 teeth. Two hours later I'm driving home and they are probably still scratching their heads.

how that foreign object got past the protective plastic around belt

flisko said:

how that foreign object got past the protective plastic around belt

Click to expand...

Didn't have the CSI roadshow with me but it looks like the alternator belt shredded and two or three ribsworth got into the timing belt tearing lumps from the inner edge and hopping teeth. The remnants of the alternator belt ended up tightly coiled in behind the crankshaft pulley. Needed to dig them out.
It is also possible that I neglected to replace the alternator belt when I should have - it was three years old and that that alone caused the whole thing.