Hi people ,
I am a new member to this forum , and I have recently brought a Fiat Brava , 1.6 16valve hsx , In super condition , apart from one of the valves ,in cylinder No 1 ,
I am new to fiat and dont know anything about this engine can anyone help please ,
I am able to work on this car , but I would like to know how hard it is to work on the valves on this model . and how exspencive ?

and what is the difference between a brava and bravo ( no it,s not a joke )really ?

Bravo - 3dr. Brava - 5dr.

Jug is the resident expert on the 1.6 and 1.8 Bravos. Curious how you know it's a valve problem.

hi hellcat thanks for the quick reply

I dont relly know for shure , it just sounds like the valves , and its what I was told by a mechanic friend of mine . and in my exsperence sounds and feels like a valve problem ( lumpy acceleration 1 2 3 then smooth in 4 5 ) drives fine , but allmost like running on 3 cylinders upto 35 mph 40's smoother.

are the valves different to the normal camshaft valve set up .

how do you know a valve is the problem? a friend's opinion is not a good enough reason to take your head off.

first thing to do is a compression test. if cylinder1 has a valve that is not sealing you will see the loss of compression during the test.

if it is the valve that is the problem you will need to remove the head. to do that you need the correct tools, a suitable place to work, and at least some basic knowledge of how an engine works. you will need a head gasket kit when refitting the head. you'll need to refill the coolant. you'll need timing tools and a valve grinder. if you dont have the correct tools and a suitable place to work, this job will quickly turn into a nightmare.

if you havent done this type of job before i would recommend that you consult a haynes manual and ask for help from someone with more experience. if you make mistakes doing this job you can bend all the valves and have to do it all again. getting the valve timing right is critical. if you dont have the timing tools you'll need to make marks before you remove the timing belt.


injector failure is very common on the 1.6 models, especially on cylinder1, are you sure that isnt your problem? there are many threads in the bravo/a section of the forum describing how to diagnose and repair injector failure. personally i think this is far more likley to be your problem. it is much easier and cheaper to repair so you should hope this is your problem.

Hellcat said:

Jug is the resident expert on the 1.6 and 1.8 Bravos.

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you'll make me blush

jug said:

you'll make me blush

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Wait until I post them photos....

hahaha, i was very drunk, and you asked nicely.

crab, here is a list of threads you should read:
https://www.fiatforum.com/search.php?searchid=1732438

Thanks Jug

yes to all those questions and have my own workshops ( but with a leaky roof )
and the compresion on 1 is ok
think I will re-check the injector / injectors

crab said:

the compresion on 1 is ok

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so its not a valve problem, or a timing problem.
it definately sounds like an injector failure.

Thanks for the help Jug , I will check the injectors ,
let you know, how I get on later