Tuning Canterbury 695

[stevehg]

Hi Andrew

I think it's too late for you now, but just in case its of use for anyone else, the length of standard Fiat 500 half shafts from the face of the securing plate are...

at their minimum when pushed in ~346mm
When fully extended ~362mm

cheers, Steve

 

[AndrewHarvey]

Thanks for you time

 

[Bleeding Knuckles]

Hi Andrew, I note from your previous engine pictures you have a similar alloy lowering block fitted as I do, can you tell me how thick your block is? I have also a similar spin-on oil filter arrangement, but need to know what rear engine mount are you using? Is it a 500 or a 126 and how much distance do you have between the oil filter body and the engine mounting when fully fitted? Thanks.

Ian.

 

[AndrewHarvey]

The moment it stops raining and I can fit it I'll let you know.
It's an 18mm lowering block and I'm using a 500 mount......

 

[AndrewHarvey]

Hi can anyone help with the correct mounting for the 126 starter motor support bracket.
I have fitted the shim and have an angled support bracket that fits the top two bolts.
What does it bolt to to support the starter please?

 

[stevehg]

Hi can anyone help with the correct mounting for the 126 starter motor support bracket.
I have fitted the shim and have an angled support bracket that fits the top two bolts.
What does it bolt to to support the starter please?

Hi Andrew

It bolts to top right hand bolt of the half shaft securing plate on the gearbox. IIRC it bolts on to the lower two bolts of the starter motor end. No doubt the angle won't be right to loose fit like on mine, but it will all line up when you tighten the starter motor bolts.

cheers, Steve

 

[AndrewHarvey]

Many thanks again my friend

 

[stevehg]

Many thanks again my friend

Happy to help, and to prove my memory wasn't failing me it was the two lower bolts...

 

[AndrewHarvey]

Just filled the gearbox with 1 litre of oil - its no where near the fill plug and I'm alarmed.
My book says 1.1 litres but it would need much more than that to reach fill plug.
Help please.

 

[Paolo66]

Andrew
I filled my gearbox up through the top panel as it was off the car and I put in 1 litre as stated in handbook. The filler plug is the square plug on the side I believe and once 1 litre is in this should be covered. There is another plug further up the box which people think is the filler and therefore think the box is not filled. If you've put in 1.1 litres you have the correct level so don't worry

 

[AndrewHarvey]

many thanks.....just would hate to seize the blessed thing after coming so far...........

 

[stevehg]

many thanks.....just would hate to seize the blessed thing after coming so far...........

I think you'll be safe either way given how much you put in, however, equally it will do no harm to fill up to the filler plug. Maybe the 650 box and diff takes more oil than a standard 500. Unfortunately, I used an oil safe pump when I filled mine, so I didn't take a note of how much I put in.

I'm planning on changing the transmission oil too when I change the engine oil at the 5-600 miles mark. So I'll try to remember to make a note of how much goes in.

Cheers

Steve

 

[fiat500]

Overfilling gearboxes or engines, "just to be on the safe side", is not usually a good idea. I always feel that as long as I am keeping an eye out for leaks and levels, it's better to be very marginally underfilled than overfilled.
Seals are imperfect mechanisms and it is wise not to have too much oil churning over them.

 

[stevehg]

Overfilling gearboxes or engines, "just to be on the safe side", is not usually a good idea. I always feel that as long as I am keeping an eye out for leaks and levels, it's better to be very marginally underfilled than overfilled.
Seals are imperfect mechanisms and it is wise not to have too much oil churning over them.

Sound advice.

For the 500, I'm pretty sure the factory guidance was, on a level surface, to fill to the filler plug as this is what I did and I know I checked at the time. I'll have to look at the workshop manual later to confirm.

cheers, Steve

 

[AndrewHarvey]

I'm a little confused with where the fill plug is now......there's what appears to be a fill plug in the side of the casing - but that would require another litre.....so where am I filling to?

 

[stevehg]

I'm a little confused with where the fill plug is now......there's what appears to be a fill plug in the side of the casing - but that would require another litre.....so where am I filling to?

It's on the RHS of your transmission before the diff when looking from the rear and under the starter motor.

cheers, Steve

 

[AndrewHarvey]

That's just as I thought...... It would need another litre to reach that plug.....it barely covers the main shaft with a litre and must be "thrown" around the box by the gears moving.
When I remove the lid the first \ reverse are bone dry

 

[Vitesse]

That's just as I thought...... It would need another litre to reach that plug.....it barely covers the main shaft with a litre and must be "thrown" around the box by the gears moving.
When I remove the lid the first \ reverse are bone dry

Andrew the plug that Steve is referring to, you can't inside see with the lid off, so I am not sure if you are getting the plugs mixed up?

The one you are looking for is on the RHS, on the engine side of the drive shaft and is normally square and quite low down hence the need for only a litre of oil. I just had a look in my spare engine and gearbox and with the lid off you can see the oil sitting in the bottom of the gearbox, it's probably no more than 2 or 3 cm deep. So it sounds like what you are seeing is ok.

Tony

 

[stevehg]

As per Tony's post, the filler plug is pretty low down, about the mid point of the diff, which is the norm. Your description of it being low in the gearbox is ok too. It's known as splash lubrication whereby the main gears splash the oil around. It's a very common method, I'm no gearbox expert but I've stripped and repaired a number of winch gearboxes that use this method and I recall one of the mclaren guys telling me they use the same method in their super sports gearboxes.

I also checked and Fiat's recommendation is to fill to the filler plug level.

cheers, Steve

 

[AndrewHarvey]

Thank you