Technical 2009 MultiJet engine out cam chain repair

[DaveMcT]

A diesel that's driven slowly will be clogged with soot. A diesel that's used firmly will maintain good airflow and will give better consumption than a slow driven petrol. Parts costs for a cam chain kit are about £90 & replaced at 100,000 miles with no age limit. It's good sense to add the rockers and lifters. Cam belts are supposed to last 70,000 miles or five years and cost about £50. How many Pandas do 15,000 per year. Most will get done on age rather than miles.

Bear in mind the 70bhp diesel remaps to 95 bhp. The 75 remaps to 110. Making full use of all the clout would not exactly extend the gearbox life (or your driving licence) but it sure sounds like fun.

I bought a well-used diesel for 2p and have used time and money to make it good. Result is still a cheap car. Just keep a look out for one that's been treated right and pay a more normal price for it.

 

[EcoActive]

Agreed, I think the 1.1 Eco Active is probably best for pottering around locally. My 1.1 is 09 with 65k and the cambelt and water pump were done a few k miles back. I am thinking perhaps a 500 diesel might be good for longer trips at motorway speeds, but only if it has been well maintained. I have noticed the odd low mileage FSH diesel advertised but then you cannot know how they have been driven. Then again the cost of a new cam chain is a big hurdle. Difficult to find the right car given those constraints.

 

[varesecrazy]

500 styling makes most tasks harder than with a Panda..
Ive had the 70hp in a Grande.. goof MPG and few issues..
wouldnt buy a 500 derv though

 

[EcoActive]

Yes, I see what you mean. Perhaps a Punto Grande might have been driven more appropriately than a 500 and have better accessibility plus a better chassis for higher speeds than a 500 which is just a rebodied Panda?

 

[DaveMcT]

Please dont use my cam chain experiences to judge the cam chain job on these engines. it is MORE WORK than a petrol cam belt but it's not THAT bad.

Drain the oil
Remove gearbox brace frame and remove sump pan all easy access (ish). Biggest annoyance will be the exhaust pipe.
Clean and degrease the sump pan with rags and cheek for metal bits. Mine had a few tiny needle rollers. They are from worn out valve rockers.
Remove all four glow plugs.
Lock the crank (9mm pin into flywheel from front of engine).
Remove the crank end bolt (left and thread and VERY tight). The timing is now screwed. Leave that pin in place and DO NOT TURN THE ENGINE. Put gaffa tape over it.
Support engine on scrap wood blocks and a jack. It's a clever beast because the bottom half main bearings are held in a single aluminium casting. Just avoid bending the windage cover.
Remove engine mount and its bracket to the engine block.
Remove cam chain/oil pump cover bolts and remove the cover. It comes out complete with oil pickup tube and strainer.
Clean the gasket face on engine side.
Use a holding tool into the cam sprocket to brace against while loosening the end bolt (normal thread).
Remove cam sprocket, crank sprocket, pulley hub, chain tensioner, chain guides and oil spray bar. All to be replaced.
Fit the new parts - cam sprocket, crank sprocket, pulley hub, chain tensioner, chain guides and oil spray bar. All to be replaced. Chain is free to rotate.
Tighten the cam sprocket bolt (not replaced). Use the same tool to hold it while torquing the bolt (torques are way back in this thread).
Pull the tensioner retaining pin to tension the chain.
You now have what should looks like a complete new cam chain kit but the crank sprocket is still free to turn.
Check the crank is still locked. Lock the cam using a FIRE engine cam lock. You could use two but the cams are geared together 1-to-1.
Fit a new oil seal to the cam chain cover. I had to drill the seal and use a wood screw and prybar to get mine out.
Check the head to block joint lines up flat. It it's slightly stepped (as mine was) apply some silicone instant gasket to the low side.
Ensure cover joint face is clean and refit using the new gasket. It has tube dowels so can't be fitted out of line. Fit all of the screws.
Insert the NEW belt pulley hub. Some kits dont include one. Part number is 73500417 (per forum ePER).
Fit the new LH thread bolt and torque to 240 Nm though the GM standard is 150 plus 90 degrees. It's a heck of a load but the crank timing pin is at flywheel radius so has some leverage compared to a centre mounted lock tool.
Remove both lock tools and VERY carefully turn the engine 2 full turns. There's no compression so should be smooth.
Reassemble everything else. I used Loctite instant gasket on the sump joint face.

The sump pan is dirt cheap so if it's rusty just replace. I've primed and painted mine. I also used large head stainless socket screws to refit the cover as they are easy to fit and low cost. A dab of sealant under the head flanges avoids galvanic corrosion.

 

[EcoActive]

Please dont use my cam chain experiences to judge the cam chain job on these engines. it is MORE WORK than a petrol cam belt but it's not THAT bad.

Drain the oil
Remove gearbox brace frame and remove sump pan all easy access (ish). Biggest annoyance will be the exhaust pipe.
Clean and degrease the sump pan with rags and cheek for metal bits. Mine had a few tiny needle rollers. They are from worn out valve rockers.
Remove all four glow plugs.
Lock the crank (9mm pin into flywheel from front of engine).
Remove the crank end bolt (left and thread and VERY tight). The timing is now screwed. Leave that pin in place and DO NOT TURN THE ENGINE. Put gaffa tape over it.
Support engine on scrap wood blocks and a jack. It's a clever beast because the bottom half main bearings are held in a single aluminium casting. Just avoid bending the windage cover.
Remove engine mount and its bracket to the engine block.
Remove cam chain/oil pump cover bolts and remove the cover. It comes out complete with oil pickup tube and strainer.
Clean the gasket face on engine side.
Use a holding tool into the cam sprocket to brace against while loosening the end bolt (normal thread).
Remove cam sprocket, crank sprocket, pulley hub, chain tensioner, chain guides and oil spray bar. All to be replaced.
Fit the new parts - cam sprocket, crank sprocket, pulley hub, chain tensioner, chain guides and oil spray bar. All to be replaced. Chain is free to rotate.
Tighten the cam sprocket bolt (not replaced). Use the same tool to hold it while torquing the bolt (torques are way back in this thread).
Pull the tensioner retaining pin to tension the chain.
You now have what should looks like a complete new cam chain kit but the crank sprocket is still free to turn.
Check the crank is still locked. Lock the cam using a FIRE engine cam lock. You could use two but the cams are geared together 1-to-1.
Fit a new oil seal to the cam chain cover. I had to drill the seal and use a wood screw and prybar to get mine out.
Check the head to block joint lines up flat. It it's slightly stepped (as mine was) apply some silicone instant gasket to the low side.
Ensure cover joint face is clean and refit using the new gasket. It has tube dowels so can't be fitted out of line. Fit all of the screws.
Insert the NEW belt pulley hub. Some kits dont include one. Part number is 73500417 (per forum ePER).
Fit the new LH thread bolt and torque to 240 Nm though the GM standard is 150 plus 90 degrees. It's a heck of a load but the crank timing pin is at flywheel radius so has some leverage compared to a centre mounted lock tool.
Remove both lock tools and VERY carefully turn the engine 2 full turns. There's no compression so should be smooth.
Reassemble everything else. I used Loctite instant gasket on the sump joint face.

The sump pan is dirt cheap so if it's rusty just replace. I've primed and painted mine. I also used large head stainless socket screws to refit the cover as they are easy to fit and low cost. A dab of sealant under the head flanges avoids galvanic corrosion.

Thank you for that explanation, so yours was pretty much a worst case and usually the job is not so bad? I will be interested to learn how you get on once the car is in daily use.

 

[chris3234]

Thanks for the lowdown on costs. I currently have the 1.1 Eco Active but was thinking the 1.3 diesel sounded an attractive proposition with the excellent fuel economy. Having seen the amount of work you had to do on yours I am now thinking that the diesel would not be worth the risk for me as a camchain replacement would probably be prohibitively expensive carried out by my local garage. As you say it is never just the camchain. I fully agree that the project makes great sense in your case as you have no labour costs and the replacement parts you have fitted will give you confidence that it will remain reliable for a long period.

On a car that's not had a broken chain
The work should be many times less then that carries out here as long as the engine is in good condition otherwise

 

[irc]

On a car that's not had a broken chain
The work should be many times less then that carries out here as long as the engine is in good condition otherwise

It's definitely a comparatively trivial job when it's just swapping a noisy chain, providing that is the only issue.
Sadly I have one at the moment which is basically a lump of coal with an engine round it*, so even though it still works it will end up being almost as big a job as @DaveMcT had.
As far as I can tell, it doesn't actually need the cam chain changing, but by the time it has come out, been mostly stripped and cleaned, it seems silly to not change it as it is on about 120k miles. The car's a keeper anyway, so it's an investment rather than an expense. (I picked up a few SKF chain kits for £53 each a while back and I put one aside for this car)

I think the last MJ chain change i did was 3 hours plus overnight sump drying time, using a 2-post ramp, in a nice warm fully equipped workshop, (sadly no longer available).

*Previous owner may well never have gone above 55mph, always with light throttle. EGR is dead, inlet manifold is probably nearly solid, wastegate keeps sticking despite being freed-off in the usual way, etc. Fortunately pre-DPF otherwise that would be screwed too.

 

[DaveMcT]

My old cam chain has fractured a link. I've not put it under a strong lens but expect others will be cracking. However, when drooped sideways its really not badly worn. I think these chains can handle the loads well beyond 100K miles but cannot handle the fatigue stress. Failure to fit a twin row chain was a mistake. It's a shame Fiat did not stick up for itself and stay with a timing belt as they have successfully done throughout the FIRE engine history.

If you have a lump of coal in the engine bay, it's really not "THAT" much more work to remove the engine/box lump. Everything is easy access and you'll do all gearbox oil seals as a routine part of the project. Inlet manifold is plastic and air pipes are steel so soak them in a strong caustic soda solution. I took the head off but really should have found a way to blast out the crap with walnut shell fragments. The inlet ports have a considerable curve but worth a try.

The Panda bumper and radiator carrier are easy to remove and you get clear access. I took the manifold and turbo off to make life a bit easier. It was coming off anyway so no worries. Also removed the oil filter/cooler. My cam chain kit included all gaskets but I had to get the alternator belt pulley hub separately. Strangely, the gasket suppliers had no idea what I was asking for. Thank-goodness for FF ePER.

Let me know if you need an injector puller.

 

[shlaptop]

Check your turbo waste gate moves when you load up the engine. You'll need a manifold pressure gauge to see that.

The inlet manifold boost sensor is on the top at the driver's side end. Mine looks a bit battered but it's not thrown up any errors (yet). ECU controls boost pressure by cutting fuel flow. The turbo waste gate actuator is 100% mechanical but has to be within ranges the ECU map can cope with. I had a VW TDI-90 that ran flat as a fart. The turbo was over-boosting so ECU was cutting fuel. Adjusting the waste-gate made a huge difference. I'm expecting this issue with my Multijet but we will have to see how it goes.

Apart from the engine work, the car has also had a minor restoration. I've fitted 100HP front discs (as I already had the calipers) and the Multijet discs had been butchered with an angle grinder. It's got braided hoses on the front brakes all the way from ABS to calipers. It's getting 15 inch steel wheels so no clearance issues. The original 13s were leaking air.

The broken clutch hub was not the previous owner's fault but checking that stuff was part of why I took the engine out. The mechanic had used the wrong clutch - probably a 100HP or Fiat 500 1.4 version. The centre was falling apart and close to separating itself. I also replaced ALL of the gearbox seals especially the input shaft as it always gets ignored.

yes it was the wastegate, passed MOT last thursday!

 

[DaveMcT]

yes it was the wastegate, passed MOT last thursday!

If you had to adjust the wastegate operating arm, do you have any tips for getting a spanner on the locknut?

 

[DaveMcT]

MoT tomorrow and I've had to fit the space saver spare as I've just spotted a tyre with a well embedded screw. It's holding air but I don't want it failing the test for that. Hopefully I've not missed anything.

 

[jrkitching]

I've just spotted a tyre with a well embedded screw

Bummer. After the way you've persevered with this car, you deserve better luck than this.

MoT tomorrow and I've had to fit the space saver spare

Unfortunately it won't pass an MOT with the space saver fitted.

 

[DaveMcT]

Unfortunately it won't pass an MOT with the space saver fitted.

Dead right, I should have called the garage, but there was time to nip back home and fit the tyre with a hole plugged by a screw.

It failed the MoT rear wheel bearing (surprisingly not noisy) and some issues with loose bolts at the front. I checked everything this afternoon but found nothing so will have to call and ask what he actually means. There's also a scruffy CV joint retaining nut that I had could not remove without wheels on the car and had frankly forgotten about it. I've had a go at it today but so far it's fighting back all the way.

 

[DaveMcT]

I drilled the scruffy CV joint nut with a 4mm cobalt drill. The shaft end has two notches that look like keyways. Drilling at an angle using the notch as a guide wont catch the threads further in. It was enough to break the old nut loose. New nut fitted and staked.

 

[DaveMcT]

The MOT said the diesel has a bad rear wheel bearing (it hasn't but why argue). So I've swapped the axle for the 100HP. It was going to happen eventually anyway. Also swapped the 100HP seats. Door cards to follow.

The MoT test complained about loose bolts on a front shock. I fully checked everything but found nothing wrong so decided to ask where problem is when it's retested.

He likes the back axle and found nothing wrong on the front. So I now have a valid MoT test. Car is taxed and on the road. I'm getting a clunk on 2nd gear shift probably the dog bone mounting. It looked fine when fitted and there's no engine wobble at tick-over but diesel will give it a hard time so that's a job to do. Also got the rear shocks to replace. It passes the bump test but kicks back over road bumps. A sure sign the dampers are worn.

It's on the roads and already getting tarted up. Yay