Hey all.

The Haynes manual seems to skim over the access issues there seem to be in taking out the oil filter.

It looks like a bit of a ball ache. Do you really need to remove the engine mount and cross member?

Cheers

Ozza

I'm not sure Ozza, as it's a long time since I had to do the filter. It usually gets done between engines being removed or other serious work being done.

I reckon you could just about achieve it with the rear support in-situ. But the panel is so relatively easy to remove, leaving the engine jacked up with the sump protected with a piece of timber, you might be better following that instruction.

Even if you get at it with the support in place, it will be difficult to get access to scrape and clean it very thoroughly. You risk knocking a chunk of hardened filtrate back into the oil supply system.

On the other hand...no harm in trying...I know I will when I have to do it. Keep us informed.

Many thanks Peter - think I'll just flush the oil and replace as it wan't done too long ago.

The first thing I tried on this car was to change the oil and clean the filter. You can get it off without having to remove anything more than the engine bay door.

A simple 10mm spanner can get between the narrow space. I had put the gear in neutral, so if a bolt was hard to get at, can move the fan belt pulley by hand to rotate it into an easier position (maybe a good idea to disconnect the spark plug cables when doing that?). Don't forget to replace the filter gasket.

There is not a filter per say that needs to be changed. The oil slinger collects particles separated from the oil, which is good to give a good cleaning every few oil changes. You do have to jack up the engine, remove the push bumper attachments if you have an L model, undo the engine mount and the four bolts that hold on the cross member. Once this is done you can take off the bolts holding the oil slinger plate on.

Mine looked like it had not been cleaned in over 20 years and had a build up so bad I was surprised that oil even circulated.

christopholous - That is good to know about the gasket. Mine did not have one, which might explain some of my oil drips.

I would call "the gasket" an "O" ring. It's very fine and the old one might easily still be in the groove.

yes, should have said rubber o-ring

Just out of curiosity since you guys are talking about oil changes, has anyone ever tried to custom install an external filter? Also, is there any benefit to the large custom sumps that they sell?

http://www.ricambio.co.uk/1783-abarth-alloy-sump-4-litre--classic-fiat-500-126

The perceived wisom seems to be that the increased oil volume helps to disperse engine heat more efficiently and the alloy sumps have shallow fins cast into them, which will also help.

I doubt that it's worth fitting a spin-on oil filter since I have seen no-one suggest that the centrifugal one doesn't work.

In an oil-cooled engine the lubricating oil is used as a engine cooling medium much more than in a water-cooled engine, which has a radiator with cold air being blown over it (by the fan). By fitting an alloy sump, you are not only creating more 'coolant', but the alloy sump with its fins will dissipate the heat in it much better. Fiat used to say (in the owners hand-book) that it was permissible for the oil pressure light to flicker on when the engine was idling and hot, as long as the light went out as soon as the engine was revved. On my old 500 (in 1971/72/73) this was the situation until I fitted an alloy sump. After fitment of the sump the oil pressure light never came on when the engine was idling, no matter how hot it got---and after a 5 hr. run from south London to Chester (with NO dual-carriageway mileage at all) believe me, the engine was HOT--and still the light didn't come on. The centrifugal oil-spinner fitted on the 500/126 engines is remarkably efficient, but fitting an external 'spin-off' oil filter adds to the oil capacity and works like a small oil-cooler. My advice to people fitting bigger (or tuned) engine into the 500 is--fit a 3-1/2 litre sump. Modern driving consists of more continuous, higher speeds and more idling in traffic than when the car was designed. For a relatively small outlay (about £100), it will make life a lot easier for the engine.

Ricambi sells a 3.5 Liter sump and a 4 Liter sump I just see photos but I assume the 4L hangs a bit lower

The 4 litre sump is quite a bit deeper, to the point that you have to fit an extension to the oil-pickup and a horizontal baffle-plate---the 3/12 litre sump is just a 'swap' job and is ample for nearly all installations. You only really need the 4ltr sump of you go to big capacity or a high state of tune.

Ok, can you guys look at this photo and tell me if one of those sumps will fit on the Giardiniera? I can't figure out if I can even put a 3.5L sump on my Giardi?

The construction of the Giardiniera engine is quite different to that of the 'normal' 500/126 engine. The 3.5 and 4.0 litre sumps will NOT fit. I suggest that if you want to fit an external oil filter/cooler you contact Torsten at:- [email protected]. he seems to specialise on the Giardy engine and tuning them.