Technical Bought a mk2 x-reg - few issues

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Technical Bought a mk2 x-reg - few issues

Set cam and crank by turning the crankshaft with a socket. Line up with markers on the engine. Loosen tensioner. Slide belt off. No need to mark belt with tippex, it's just a belt. But it doesn't hurt.
 
Cheers for the response

After work last night popped out and had another go at the inlet. The top bolt on the coolant sensor was proper welded on. Was using a half inch drive socket but it wasn't a flat edge one it was the type with the multiple edges (if you get what I mean). So dug out another socket but this was a 1/4 drive so trying to get leverage on the attached driver handle was making it difficult. Add on an extension bar and some progressive pressure and viola! Off it came. I think someone else has tried this cause the bolt head is chewed up. Need to replace this. I need to get the other one which is hidden from view, so plan is to get that this morning and then get stuck into the exhaust manifold and timing belt.
 
Bit of advice please.

I removed the 2 inlet bolts so its off. Now. Located the lower manifold bolts but can't access one of them? Do I need to get to it from underneath? I presume the lower support bracket is from underneath aswell?

Engine mount - do I need to support the engine or just unbolt it? Remove the top nuts and then unbolt the other part with the other 4 bolts?

Thanks for the help. Won't get a chance until Thursday now.
 
you need to support engine on sump with a block of wood between jack and sump and lift engine a little with jack, then you can safely remove engine mount without engine dropping down, all exhaust manifold bolts can be reached using socket wrench

car got aircon?
 
Not got Aircon.

It's just 1 of the Lower bolts. Gonna try and get it from below. Will do it Saturday. Got a better run at it then to get it fully removed. Gonna get axle stands. One for the engine and one to raise the front end for removing the manifold.

I'll take some pics on Saturday as well.
 
Thanks for the advice. I have plenty wood available to use as a brace.

I'm gonna spend Saturday morning getting the car setup on the stands and then the afternoon getting everything ripped apart. Seems simple from now on.
 
Hi atom.

I got that one on the inlet. I cheated. I used a ratchet spanner until it loosened and then got it off with my fingers (small hands are handy lol ).

Unless you referring to the lower centre middle exhaust bolt which yes is totally inaccessible. I've got various sockets and ratchet spanners and flex head for the drivers and still can't get at that one. That's why I'm gonna try from below.
 
Finally got the head off today.

Quite easy with a clear head and a nice sunny day.

But gasket doesn't look damaged - don't know how old it is.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b176/h2ypr/All pics/AEC3F3BB-28BE-46C9-A1D8-2F2F0D19D804.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b176/h2ypr/All pics/75FBAAE2-7F71-47E5-B2E9-CAF4F3437479.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b176/h2ypr/All pics/696406F9-DFE8-449D-82DF-41B719709C88.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b176/h2ypr/All pics/6DC25A94-8BBA-4EF6-834A-70D6B12C9C58.jpg

I've got new head gasket and bolts etc

When I spoke to the engineer shop they said that if the head was refitted without being skimmed it might be bent causing all the cylinders down on compression.

How do the valves look? Any comments on the pics???

Does anyone have a guide for timing the car back up? I didn't mark it up as didn't have any tipex etc.
 
Gasket looks a bit goosed at one end, and one of the valves is way different in colour. It's off now, so you might as well replace it anyway. Few points:
1. I admire your bravery for wading in. There are marks on the engine, crank shaft and cam shaft for timing. No tippex required
2. Check the head with a good quality steel rule. If it looks flat, it will be fine. Asking a guy who skims heads for a living has an in built bias...
3. New head bolts not required.

You're going to need a torque wrench for the initial tightening, then it's angle torque control after that. Get a Haynes...
 
I've got 2 torque wrenches. Just bought one for doing the head bolts as it does 28nm upwards.

What part of the gasket looks dodgy?

Why would the valve look like that? I'm happy to take it be skimmed. Rather safe than sorry. Especially since this is a mammoth task for an amateur like me. Lol. Gonna get the head checked and then take it from there. Didn't fully remove the lower guard so need to do that to time it up I think?

Thanks for the help.

Edit - so all the marks should they all be at the top?
 
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Why did you take the head off? Those compression readings are all fairly decent on a dry cold engine, I doubt the head is warped, you can always do the old trick, piece of thick plate glass, long wide strip of emery cloth glued on, plenty of light oil/ diesel and using a figure of 8 movement clean off head. Now it's off, I would lap in valves and replace stem seals.
 
Hi digger.

Where were you before I removed it??!! Lol.

I don't mind cause to be honest it gives me a chance to change all the seals, change the oil and filter.

I have already changed the thermostat and plugs.

I'll change the head gasket and bolts and put it back together.

As for the valves and stems - how do I do that? Lol.
 
flisko How do I time it up like that? I've seen some info on removing some cover to see the flywheel ?

Hate to ask but can you provide a step by step? Lol.
 
there is a rubber cap on top of gearbox, remove that and you will see flywheel and then start spinning crankshaft sprocket till you see a notch on flywheel align with number 0- biggest tooth- pic below


My_4x4_Panda_025.jpg


look links below
https://www.fiatforum.com/panda-classic/283569-timing-marks.html
https://www.fiatforum.com/cinquecen...0553-cam-belt-change-gars3.html#content_start
https://www.fiatforum.com/punto-ii/224854-punto-00-8v-starting-issues-after-timing-belt-change.html
 
Thanks for The links.
Got the head down to the machine shop today. 3 thou off it, looked pretty straight. They said some signs of water ingress at cylinder 4 but gasket pretty much in tact. They relapped the valves and replaced the stem seals. Fitted some of the other gaskets to the head ready for fitting. The bead blasted the head and it looks new. Will take a pic later. Overall they said in very good condition. Bummer. Lol. Least I can rule that out as an option.

Gonna refit the head on Thursday and replace the seals. Will leave the timing covers off and fit the 2 manifolds and thermo and coil packs etc. Then set up the timing before replacing the battery, timing covers and cam cover.

Any idea why 2 cam cover gaskets in my head gasket kit? One to sit in the top of the head and one in the cam cover itself?
 
Refreshed head look s great, you can now be confident.

Ignore what others might say... you were completely right to take it off and inspect it. The symptoms pointed to a failing HG on a 16 year-old Fiat FIRE engine... and the compressions on 2 and 3 were lower than the others so there's your leak. Obviously there was some irregular burning and sooting on the valves too, this should now go.

It would be interesting to know what you paid to have the head work done, some might have tried to avoid this if they thought the head had not warped (i.e. doing the job before it had "cooked" and properly failed), in which case just a check and clean-up might have been OK for a quick, budget rebuild.

Clearly you're doing it properly, and hopefully you'll get good results.

I recently saw in another thread here that you can check the valve clearances on the 8V head off the car... you might want to try this if you've got some feeler gauges and numbers to work with. Probably worthwhile on an oldish engine....
 
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