Panda (Classic) Black Panda Wanda 1000CL Formula 91

how did you manage to find all the fittings? I have an ARB but no fittings!

Can't load on to gallery so in attachement.

ARB is fitted and road tested, it does make massive difference. 45mph through tight shicane with marginal body roll. I love it.

It was part of parts hoard, and there is one more but no tie-rods.
Do you have the tie-rods John, all the other clamps can be sourced, bushes are universal but tie-rod are no longer available of Fiat and unique.

Nope, no tie rods

This will be next chapter for my Black panda as it was for first time since i'm the owner where I was not able to continue to drive her due to fault.

As most of you seen on FB page i've been collecting pair of doors and few (lots) of other bits form Jeni. So the journey started at 6am as it was 4 hours driving one way.
35miles to the destination so odd hight pitch noise suddennly started, no power loss, no misfire, noise was going quiet with cluch in - so my firs tought was - thrust bearing - I was still able to change gears and there was no hard soulder ( thanks to smart motorways) so i've decided to continue for two miles and stop just after leaving M42 at J3 towards A453. Midway to the traffic lights on the slip way engine staled.
Did not restart and from the sound of it it was more then a sure - Cam belt has gone!!
Still rolling i've manage to stop on the werge/hard shoulder just befor the red light - that was it - Sat morning, 200 miles away with nasty breakdown cover which would probably caused more stress and even more expensess.

So I've rung Jeni, to inform her that I'm not able to collect the parts, but me being 20 miles away from her place, had more lucky then ever.

Manage to push the car just round the corner to nearest lay-bay. After 40min Jeni arrived with hydraulick jack, set of tools for cambelt change and a brand new OE cam belt still in Fiat box. 15 minutes later both of us were on the way to pick the stuff. I was the luckies panda driver in UK at that time for sure.



On arrival back home, panda developed exhaust blow hole - it was pretty interesting and sounded exactly as Simons 4x4. few bean size holes were just next to pipe to back box weld bead. Sleeve was made up from one piece and welded on, additional back box support bracket were added on as well.

Just to add what was the reason behind the noise and resulting in such a fatal results?


The plastic mounting lug of the inspection flap was broken for some time.
I've tried to pack that up with washer to help the flap but this time the flap did let go and due to heat it became half open. It was probably just a matter of time for the bolt becoming lose. For so odd reason the bolt, spring washer and flat washer dropped in the cam belt cover down to crank pulley. Old cam belt had really rough edge and was 6mm narrower vs. new one.


Lesson learned:


- stop immediately when something's go wrong,
- make sure your inspection flap have undamaged lug and stays fully closed all time, unless you got the metal blanking plate version.


or
- have a spare cam belt and set of tools with you.

ah saw the pics on facebook, didn't know that was you though.. I wonder how many other panda folk are my friend on facebook and i don't realise i talk to them regular on here lol.
Oh the joys of FIRE engines eh? i once had a cam pulley come of on an old ford diesel in the fast lane of the motorway - wow that made an awful sound.. And I was not fixing that on the side of the road I can tell thee haha, was only moments between it going and me pressing the clutch and coasting to stop but was long enough for the pulley and belt to whip round the bay and break just about everything it could possibly get close to touching.

On another note, my panda belt cover is hardly attached at all - but there is a new one on route from italy as i type

Always worried about cambelts going since I've read so many horror stories and I doubt my engine is non-interference so snapped cambelt = smashy valves.

Do cambelts typically have a date written on them? Mine has supposedly been changed 'recently' but there is no paperwork to back this up (other than an undated receipt for a cambelt).

The rule is : if you're not able to proof the date / brand/ and how well it was done. Just change it or take the risk and live with it.
My work mate had the full cambelt done by local garage in his Tacuuma, he paid £370 in total but garage did not torqued the tensioner to head- after few days it become loose, dropped off and done the damage. He'd long dispute with them about liability.

In most EU countries at the cambelt change they stick label under the hood with brand, model, mileage and date. In UK 70% cars on road are serviced on annual basis during MOT, and cambelts are done normally in-line with manufacturer maintance schedule based on the mileage.

kolza said:

My work mate had the full cambelt done by local garage in his Tacuuma, he paid £370 in total but garage did not torqued the tensioner to head- after few days it become loose, dropped off and done the damage. He'd long dispute with them about liability.

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£370 is nearly as much as I paid for the whole car I'll just have to risk it

If you were closer I would come fit you a timing belt. Hardest part on them engines is undoing the bolt that holds the crank pulley on, pretty simple after that

blu73 said:

If you were closer I would come fit you a timing belt. Hardest part on them engines is undoing the bolt that holds the crank pulley on, pretty simple after that

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Ooooh yes please Its not the fitting that worries me, its the making sure the timing it set correctly, all this line the marks up stuff, there's too many marks, which ones do I line up!

Look I don't even own a Panda anymore and I'm still here asking for help and throwing threads off topic since 2012. You're welcome

Didge3 said:

Look I don't even own a Panda anymore and I'm still here asking for help and throwing threads off topic since 2012. You're welcome

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Crikey!

You'll be buying Rovers and Citroens next....

panda panda said:

Crikey!

You'll be buying Rovers and Citroens next....

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That was a while ago! This section of the forum always ends up off topic

At least I stick to one car at a time (well mostly, I briefly had a Renault at the same time as the Panda)
Gertie running yet?

Didge3 said:

Ooooh yes please Its not the fitting that worries me, its the making sure the timing it set correctly, all this line the marks up stuff, there's too many marks, which ones do I line up!

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To keep the spirit of going off topic alive then...

turn with crank till these line up



At the cam its should now be lined up like this



And if that bit of plastic has been removed then by these


Take off the crank pulley and these marks should be aligned

blu73 said:

If you were closer I would come fit you a timing belt. Hardest part on them engines is undoing the bolt that holds the crank pulley on, pretty simple after that

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I bought a 12v battery powered impact gun from Machine Mart for about £29.
Brilliant for loosening and tightening that pulley nut without the engine turning over!
Useful for lots of other stuff as well of course.

Got back home safety this time.
Scarb'ro - Liverpool airport and back, 358 miles of motorway driving 65-75mph gived back 54.6mpg (5.14l/100km), 6mpg improvement with no roof rack over previous long run. And this is with the 4x4 camshaft.

kolza said:

Good example of how Panda - show car can hide a lot off rot!!!
Sad is that those photos reflects in 100% the state of my Black panda - daily ride, which MOT ends on 10 July - I'm not even thinking of bodging it to past the test as simply the time has come go get that sorted. All would be fine but yesterday while I was fixing mates 03 galaxy - sill end rot, one of the neighbours came down to my unit in total raid of furry- soo Council has been informed. In procces of getting Leggy back on road so Black Panda will have to wait until new premises are sorted.

I will follow with much interess

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Freebo said:

Eh? Whats the issue? They not happy about the noise or something?

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Decided to move it here as bit off topic for Pinky.


Yes, it is all about noise generated by myself, driving cars in and out, mainly power tools, unit doors, spanners, shifting stuff form one place to another. Don't know how to play that ball, based on the nature of the surrounding area probably I'm in worse position.


Black panda will have to wait as definitely few hours of cutting and grinding is required there.


https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.2...fTJ8giuZepdMxj9xQllQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en
Bespoken neighbour leaves at the first floor on the left ( two windows to the front , two to the back) there are four flats it total on 1st floor around the garage court. No.1 - problematic one, No.2 Holiday flat - owner is OK, No.3 Alderly couple with hearing problems, No.4 - nice Lady with OK attitude.

I would speculate that as you are doing the work for your pleasure and not running a business, avoiding making noise before 8am or after 9pm, not blocking access to other garages, there is really no case to answer for.

MMMMmmm, I can see both sides to this disagreement. Although i totally agree John, within certain hours it shouldn't be a problem but being that I live in a coach house above some garages I know how annoying it is when people are faffing about in a garage beneath - doesn't happen much here thankfully, generally speaking if someone is making noises down there it will be me.. But the sounds travel through so well, I often get woken up by a neighbour going in and out of their garage on a weekend - I try not to get too upset about it but i rarely get proepr loud noises as its only my garage that has power and water in it.
But i can categorically say, as someone who works from home, that noises in teh garages downstairs is very annoying when I am trying to concentrate on stuff - might as well be someone sat next to me banging a hammer on the desk. I know for sure if you were under my house using power tools through the day i would be down there gettign very upset with you indeed.