Technical 2009 MultiJet engine out cam chain repair

[DaveMcT]

Quite some time ago (quite a lot actually) I bought a poorly 2009 Panda diesel from @Popitinpete. The cam chain is broken, but he wanted it taking away so I took the plunge. After (more than) a year of crimped finances, I've eventually made a start on the engine. Many will say it's not worth the bother but I think it's likely to be great car when done. The 100HP is getting ropey so I may well break that and swap the good bits (e.g. front struts) to the Multijet. The rest can be sold/scrapped/whatever.

It's now horribly cold and I don't have large blocks of time to do the job, so I'm taking out the engine and gearbox as complete lump so I can work in the garage whenever I have a spare hour or so. I don't have an engine lift so it's needed some ingenuity. I should have done it during the summer but omicron (mild at the time) left me with intermittent lethargy and tiredness.

The front bumper and radiator/headlamp bracket were easy to remove. Those large head torx screws just came out good as new. The first car I've owned that did that.
Wheel arch liners one ross head screws and two retaining nuts took 2x as long as the rest of the job. Why can't Fiat just use M6 bolts throughout".
Coolant pipes from water pump and from oil cooler were both looking ropey so they're off for dearest and repaint. They are Fiat only parts unlike the 1.2 petrol equivalent.
Turbo and exhaust manifold removed to reduce weight and avoid the turbo getting damaged. The turbo oil supply pipe is pretty ropey so that will get a replacement from HEL.
Intercooler is removed so I can clean up the rusty brackets. I's not seriously bad but it's easy to fix while it's all taken apart.
Intercooler to engine air pipe will get a spruce-up at the same time.
There was a fair bit sooty gunk inside the pipe but the inlet manifold is badly clogged with soot. **ing EGR has done its thing and sooted up the engine inlet. I will post pictures when I can get a camera shot at it. It's a mess. I'm looking for ways to reduce the EGR effect as deletion probably isn't possible.
Oil cooler and oil filter housing are coming off so I can lie the engine on its side. I don't have an engine stand and dont see any point in getting one for just this job.
My modified ball joint separator made short work of disconnecting the drive shafts from the gearbox.
The outer CV joint rubber boots feel very hard so they'll get changed. Inner boots seem OK.
Front struts need changing but I knew that already.

There are signs of rust starting on the front inner wings but an endoscope check shows there's nothing nasty going on inside the box sections. It will get the angle grinder cleaning routine followed by phosphoric acid, bah blah. The cavities will all get a dose of Lanoguard or similar to keep the dreaded worm at bay.

More to follow.

 

[Cinq999]

There was a fair bit sooty gunk inside the pipe but the inlet manifold is badly clogged with soot. **ing EGR has done its thing and sooted up the engine inlet. I will post pictures when I can get a camera shot at it. It's a mess. I'm looking for ways to reduce the EGR effect as deletion probably isn't possible.

EGR delete is possible.....although technically not legal.....not that anyone can tell, as emissions are actually better with it blanked off.

Simplest way is to put a solid blanking plate where egr bolts on to physically stop the gases, then to stop engine light coming on, either a plug in EGR simulator, or have it mapped out on the ECU (perhaps along with a cheeky remap )

 

[DaveMcT]

Thanks. That's what I suspected so its good to know. I was surprised to see the EGR has it's own exhaust port as part of the cylinder head casting. Im thinking a DIY manifold gasket with 1/4" hole where at the EGR port would give it enough gas to keep the electronic happy. But as Im thinking of a remap an EGR delete makes sense. I'm still stunned by the amount of gunk in the inlet manifold. Im surprised the engine can run at all. The lack of air must have made it smoke like a tramp steamer.

So far, the costs are minimal. Just a length of 4x2 for supporting the weight of engine on front suspension tops and bumper rails. Pictures to follow.

One it's out I'll do some compression leak-down tests. I probably should have done that first but ever the optimist.

 

[DaveMcT]

Here’s that sooted up inlet manifold. Access is near impossible in the car. No disrespect to previous owners. Fiat clearly never thought it through. How are is anyone supposed to keep that clean?

 

[DaveMcT]

The EGR is amazingly complicated with a large coolant supply. But I can see only one electrical connector with just two pins. I wonder how the engine ECU would know if the exhaust was blanked off.

 

[DaveMcT]

I've supported the engine on a 3/4 plywood stand on castors so it can be moved about.

The wiring and injector pipes are now off the engine (lots of photos). Inlet manifold is off and OMG - the carbon especially at EGR end. That lump in the image is the perforated bullet end of the EGR pipe. There was no exhaust gas flow whatsoever and frankly booger all air flow either. The manifold (plastic) will get soaked in drain cleaner. The inlet ports are another matter. Cleaning will have to wait until the cams and valve rockers are removed. That will set all valves closed so crud can be scraped out without dropping kak into into the engine. They can't be cleaned with caustic (aluminium head) so who knows if there's any easy way.

Next job is removal of sump, oil pump and cam chain, followed by cams and rockers. I'm leaving the gearbox in place (for now) as that provides the crank timing point.

 

[DaveMcT]

This is the coolant stub pipe on the thermostat that refused to release it’s QD connector. The O-ring sealing band is good. The cruddy end cleaned up nicely and now has two coats of rust converter. It’s back in place before I lose it.

 

[DaveMcT]

I’ve now got the sump off. Not too difficult TBH. A cheap-n-nasty paint scraper separated one corner then careful prying with a screwdriver separated the silicone sealant. No harm done.
The biggest job will be degreasing the thing. Yuk!
Timing chain pins were sitting in the oil pan. It’s shocking that the entire engine depends on these tiny pins.

 

[DaveMcT]

I’ve now broken my 1/2” to 3/8” socket adapter so job stopped. Serves me right for not getting the correct 1/2” socket.

 

[DaveMcT]

The sump came off easily enough with some help from and old paint scraper and careful levering. The oil is incredibly black, but there are no shiny sparkles. I've cleaned it by soaking in a bucket of water with a good dose of biological laundry liquid. It's got some light surface rust but will clean up and paint nicely. The oil pump crank seal is leaking so there's a black mess all over the bottom side of the engine. More bio and scrubbing needed.

For what it costs extra, I'm replacing the oil pump. But first to get the head off. It needs the valves out for a proper cleaning job and I can assess if there is any piston/valve damage. It's very unlikely but, to date, it's cost me next to nothing.

 

[porta]

The sump came off easily enough with some help from and old paint scraper and careful levering. The oil is incredibly black, but there are no shiny sparkles. I've cleaned it by soaking in a bucket of water with a good dose of biological laundry liquid. It's got some light surface rust but will clean up and paint nicely. The oil pump crank seal is leaking so there's a black mess all over the bottom side of the engine. More bio and scrubbing needed.

For what it costs extra, I'm replacing the oil pump. But first to get the head off. It needs the valves out for a proper cleaning job and I can assess if there is any piston/valve damage. It's very unlikely but, to date, it's cost me next to nothing.

Old Diesel engine oil is the worst, is as black as black can get, smells and gets into every pore

 

[A3jeroen]

Sounds (almost) like a Fairy-tale Dave

 

[bugsymike]

I repaired an old commercial steam cleaner, hot steam at high pressure does the job

 

[DaveMcT]

My jet washer motor did a smokey last summer. I really should have bought a Lidl 20V type when they had them in the shop. Less powerful than a mains corded type but probably good enough.

By the way, Fairy Liquid struggles to shift the black oily goo. It's unbelievably horrible. I've run out of PU gloves but they soon split so you might as well have not worn any. Cheap black builder's gloves (1.50 a pair in B&Q) seen to cope better, but they are a bit thick for fiddly mechanic jobs.

Lidl laundry liquid shifts the goo, but I don't want my skin taking with it so left that for the parts washing bucket. Ordinary water soluble degreaser is getting used on the engine exterior which has a liberal coating from the crank oil seal.

 

[bugsymike]

A friend of mine accused me of having a fetish for commercial steam cleaners when I was at a machinery sale. I still have three at home now, though the best one requires a 32 Amp 240 volt supply and that wasn't the biggest. I sold on a three phase 415 volt one from a council lorry workshop that I ran from a 7.5 Kw phase convertor at home. Great for cleaning your wheelie bins also.
Just remembered even that wasn't the biggest although only a pressure washer, it was mounted on a trailer with a twin cylinder Petter diesel and a Harben pump? similar to some you see on jetterdrain lorries, the diesel engine worked perfectly but it wouldn't pump. I gave up on that one when I found the repair kit for the pump housing was over £1000!!! I had paid less than fifty for the whole unit.

 

[DaveMcT]

When I worked at a power station, we used huge 415 volt pressure washer for pressure testing the boiler. I have no idea what it's purpose could be outside of that.

 

[bugsymike]

When I worked at a power station, we used huge 415 volt pressure washer for pressure testing the boiler. I have no idea what it's purpose could be outside of that.

Mine was in a very rusty steel cabinet and cost me less than £50 before repairing it. New they can approach £5/6k. This is the three steam ones I still have plus a three phase straight pressure washer with a CAT pump, only one is in general use. As you can see by the cra* in the garage. Up on the wall is my Phase convertor 10Hp/7.5Kw 415volt .



.

 

[porta]

My jet washer motor did a smokey last summer. I really should have bought a Lidl 20V type when they had them in the shop. Less powerful than a mains corded type but probably good enough.

By the way, Fairy Liquid struggles to shift the black oily goo. It's unbelievably horrible. I've run out of PU gloves but they soon split so you might as well have not worn any. Cheap black builder's gloves (1.50 a pair in B&Q) seen to cope better, but they are a bit thick for fiddly mechanic jobs.

Lidl laundry liquid shifts the goo, but I don't want my skin taking with it so left that for the parts washing bucket. Ordinary water soluble degreaser is getting used on the engine exterior which has a liberal coating from the crank oil seal.

Father in law has given us his karcher plug in one as he bought an Aldi cordless, he took it back as ‘next to useless’. So he’s now got a dewalt one, which uses his other dewalt tool batteries…it’s ‘next to useless’ he repeated…it isn’t any good for engine degreasing, but it’s fine for his block paving drive, cleaning car underneath and body and other general stuff, so he’s keeping it

 

[bugsymike]

Father in law has given us his karcher plug in one as he bought an Aldi cordless, he took it back as ‘next to useless’. So he’s now got a dewalt one, which uses his other dewalt tool batteries…it’s ‘next to useless’ he repeated…it isn’t any good for engine degreasing, but it’s fine for his block paving drive, cleaning car underneath and body and other general stuff, so he’s keeping it

Generally the DIY ones have 1500 psi but very low litres per minute so a bit like using the rubber on the end of a pencil for contact area and most are not steam which if cleaning grease makes a big difference, to the point that detergents are often not needed.
One of my daughters has one like that for cleaning screen printing frames and does what she needs, so horses for courses as they say.

 

[porta]

Generally the DIY ones have 1500 psi but very low litres per minute so a bit like using the rubber on the end of a pencil for contact area and most are not steam which if cleaning grease makes a big difference, to the point that detergents are often not needed.
One of my daughters has one like that for cleaning screen printing frames and does what she needs, so horses for courses as they say.

Yup…his dewalt is actually very good at doing what it’s supposed to do (much like the one he sent back) but it didn’t really do much on the hydraulic motor on our digger except the crud of oil soaked mud, but I never really expected it to remove the oil without first blathering it in engine degreaser!