Technical 2009 MultiJet engine out cam chain repair

Currently reading:
Technical 2009 MultiJet engine out cam chain repair

I've just called Shop 4 Parts - rings are £50 (or £75 from Fiat) - per PISTON. Ouch! I'll check the ring widths and probably get those from eBay.
Search for 71729503

I can’t recommend any as I haven’t used them

£15 a set looks achievable

Probably doesn’t need them though
 
I've decided to get those German SM piston rings. It's a full set for £50.

The pistons look great with minimal blow-by. I love how Fiat relieved the middle of the contact area so it retains oil. The oil control rings are starting to get sooted up, so while they "could" be cleaned, replacement makes more sense.
 

Attachments

  • 59F995FD-4871-4E82-BE9F-1C07C8E9E30D.jpeg
    59F995FD-4871-4E82-BE9F-1C07C8E9E30D.jpeg
    1.2 MB · Views: 45
Last edited:
The cylinder head has had the joint face cleaned with a diamond sharpening, block. Injector seats are recut and the valve seats tickled with a seat cutter and lapped. Thanks to Mike for the loan of tools. It's going back together with new stem seals but I pinged a valve collet - gone. :( So that's another item for the shopping list (6mm three groove type).

But there's plenty to do. Piston rings will probably get done next, then I can box up the bottom end.

The copper seat washer for the problem injector was well stuck. Suitable size screwdriver don’t touch it. A tool intended for removing stripped cross head screw did the job. This is the washer, which came out flat. The top (injector) side has a clear groove where hot gas has eroded the copper. The other side has a strange wavy shape. Was it fitted faulty? Who knows.
 

Attachments

  • 5EA537AB-4AEA-4AE3-8148-3773BF834489.jpeg
    5EA537AB-4AEA-4AE3-8148-3773BF834489.jpeg
    1.8 MB · Views: 37
  • 84004CE4-02DA-4F67-A369-E4B74BF20D05.jpeg
    84004CE4-02DA-4F67-A369-E4B74BF20D05.jpeg
    2.4 MB · Views: 30
  • 1908683E-43BD-4462-9F03-A70D3006FE58.jpeg
    1908683E-43BD-4462-9F03-A70D3006FE58.jpeg
    1.5 MB · Views: 33
Last edited:
The new rockers arrived. £79 for 16 is near enough £5 each.
Actually they are levers rather than rockers. The fulcrum is at one end with the cam acting against the roller in the middle.
 

Attachments

  • A3C6E441-6283-4722-BAC3-D31D2F393358.jpeg
    A3C6E441-6283-4722-BAC3-D31D2F393358.jpeg
    3 MB · Views: 30
This morning I was at Teignmouth rugby club with the under 12 girls and Leanne Infante (Rugby England Scrum Half) giving a training session and later a talk about how she got to where she is today. Wet, cold, muddy and they all had a great time. Plus food in the clubhouse afterwards.

My lad was with Mum in Okehampton. He's in Under 10s demonstrating his slide technique for putting down tries. Their game was cut short (sleet and hail). :-(

leanneriley2702a.jpg


This afternoon, I've checked the new piston rings gaps (same as the old ones) and fitted them to the pistons. Lots of careful cleaning needed, but nothing unexpected turned up. The old oil control rings are solid with carbon so she should be good on oil for a while. Hopefully tomorrow will see the pistons back in the engine and maybe the head back on the block.
 
Last edited:
Well, I goofed with the rockers and lifters failing to check every lifter for wear.

Some (but not all) of the lifters are worn on the top ball joint. I’ve ordered a full set but could have saved money buying lifters and rockers together.
 
The new lifters arrived so if I can stomach the cold, they'll be going into the cylinder head.

Anyone doing this job should order rockers and lifters as a set. Also get a new front main seal sleeve as that's probably developed a seal wear groove. These are hard to find outside Fiat main dealer but they do come with some cam chain kits. Unless yours is clean, make sure you get the full set.

Old vs new lifters. The brown plastic band is presumably to protect the oil feed drilling. but they are supplied in nice little pots belt & braces I guess.
 

Attachments

  • 29F06E0D-5F92-4E60-9F56-C83E3E3C5B8E.jpeg
    29F06E0D-5F92-4E60-9F56-C83E3E3C5B8E.jpeg
    1.6 MB · Views: 30
Last edited:
The cam chain is now in place. The sprocket holding tool supplied with timing kits makes no sense so I made one using flat steel bar and some old high tensile brake disc bolts.
The sprocket is fitted with a new bolt (supplied with the chain kit). The cam locks remain OUT at this point. Hold the sprocket from turning and tighten to 150Nm. That’s really tight by the way.
Fit the oil spray tube. Its tiny M6 banjo bolts are not supplied in the kit so be very careful.
Fit the cam chain along with the crank sprocket the latter stays loose for now.
Fit the chain slipper guides and chain tensioner. Pull the tensioner retracting pin.
The chain cover complete with oil pump are next. I’m pausing here because the oil pump pickup gets in the way and I’ve got other stuff to do.
 
The cylinder head has had the joint face cleaned with a diamond sharpening, block. Injector seats are recut and the valve seats tickled with a seat cutter and lapped. Thanks to Mike for the loan of tools. It's going back together with new stem seals but I pinged a valve collet - gone. :( So that's another item for the shopping list (6mm three groove type).

But there's plenty to do. Piston rings will probably get done next, then I can box up the bottom end.

The copper seat washer for the problem injector was well stuck. Suitable size screwdriver don’t touch it. A tool intended for removing stripped cross head screw did the job. This is the washer, which came out flat. The top (injector) side has a clear groove where hot gas has eroded the copper. The other side has a strange wavy shape. Was it fitted faulty? Who knows.
It recommended to change the copper refractory washers every 50k miles as a preventative measure

It’s important they are the correct height. Other wise there will be black smoke but no error code
 
One injector seat (and its washer) was damaged by the gas blow-by. The coppers looked very old. I would be surprised if they are not the factory originals.

I recently bought a set of copper washers. There's no mention of different thicknesses being on offer. How do you accurately measure the height? Is that the injector height?
 
One injector seat (and its washer) was damaged by the gas blow-by. The coppers looked very old. I would be surprised if they are not the factory originals.

I recently bought a set of copper washers. There's no mention of different thicknesses being on offer. How do you accurately measure the height? Is that the injector height?

I’d measure with a micrometer the original fitted ones

Seeing as you can buy them 0.1 mm different


If you look on the Vauxhall forums burning out causing soot blow by is very common
 
I had no idea the copper washers are different so just bought a set of four. They measure at 1.5mm. The originals are 2mm. :(

I'm going to anneal and fit the 1.5s and see how it goes. I know what to look out for.

My No 4 was badly jammed with hardened soot and there was hard carbon all-around the area. No 3 was very dirty but had not got jammed. 1 and 2 were both fine so maybe the 3-4 clamp was not properly fitted. No 4 seat had a "burn" groove across the injector side of the washer and a wrinkle in the other side opposite the groove. I've reamed the seat as leaving it as found would invite more trouble. Minimal metal has been removed but I have no idea how to measure if there's an appreciable difference.
 
Last edited:
Timing chain is now on the engine. Injectors are going in soon.

The sequence is - sprockets, chain, chain guides, tensioner and oil sprayer tube using new bolts as provided. For some reason the 6mm banjo bolts are not provided so take care to not over-torque them. Pull the tensioner pin after the chain guides are fitted.

The cam sprocket bolt (normal RH thread) is tightened to 150Nm with a tool to hold the sprocket from turning. I drilled some flat bar and fitted a pair of old M8 brake bolts (high tensile) with nuts either side of the bar. This allows the bolt heads to keep the tool in place. The torque setting is 150Nm (very tight). The cams should not be locked. When done, pull the tensioner pin.

You now fit the oil pump/timing cover (with a new seal) along with the aux belt pulley drive boss. Leave the (left hand thread) bolt finger tight, until the crank lock and cam looks are fitted. If the cams have not been removed, the exhaust cam lock is enough. With engine out and flywheel removed, you need a locking tool. With gearbox attached, a flywheel locking pin can be used adjacent to the crank sensor.

This is where I part company from the books. We are told to torque the crank end bolt to 230 Nm or 150 Nm plus 90 degrees. That is EXTREMELY tight and I don't feel happy putting that much force through the whole length of the crank. I intend to use 150 Nm, then remove the timing locks and use my reaction bar that bolts to the aux belt pulley boss for taking it to the full 230 Nm. I will check the timing when done but don't expect any problems as the engine wont have been started.
 
I put the engine on it's side the bench and fitted timing cover/oil pump, windage tray and sump. I set the crank lock at the flywheel end (it can only fit one way) locked the cams. It was now quite easy to fully tighten the left-hand threaded crank end bolt to the correct torque.

Injectors are in but glow plugs, not yet. I'll be giving it a good cranking on the starter to circulate oil before they get fitted.

I had a few moments of panic when I found a lovely surface ground bar with sliding sleeve but had no memory of taking anything out like that. Eventually I realised it's part of the cam chain tensioner, replaced as a unit with the timing chain kit. Phew!!!

Next job to clean the filthy gearbox, change input shaft seal and check the bearing. Then change the other seals while access is easy.
 
I had no idea the copper washers are different so just bought a set of four. They measure at 1.5mm. The originals are 2mm. :(

I'm going to anneal and fit the 1.5s and see how it goes. I know what to look out for.
I don’t know a lot about diesel

I am guessing it’s to compensate for remanufacturing. Maybe ?
 
I don’t know a lot about diesel

I am guessing it’s to compensate for remanufacturing. Maybe ?
I've no idea so annealed and fitted the 1.5mm washers. I believe the blow-by (and carbon build-up problem) is caused by the hold-down clamps having to retain two injectors. I screwed in the studs then fitted injector pair with clamp. I've used two M8 nuts locked to the stud rather than the one long nut originally used. Hopefully less likely to shake loose.
 
Release bearing ordered £20 delivered from Belgium. It will be about 2 weeks but I've got plenty to do before then.
 
I've had to buy a new clutch as the splined centre is wobbling about. Never seen that before. No wonder I couldn't get the gearbox onto the engine. New clutch on order.
 
Back
Top