Technical Best place to get valve springs and gaskets.

[thornebt]

I finally got round to removing the cylinder head on my 100HP Panda which had zero compression on one cylinder. The problem was a broken inlet valve spring. Luckily the valve and piston look untouched probably because the broken spring only allowed the valve to remain just slightly open.

I now need to get a new set of valve springs, cylinder head gasket, ten Ribe head bolts, an exhaust gasket and some funny little inlet gaskets.

Are the local motor factors like Euro Car Parts the best place to get these items please? Presumably the quality should be equivalent to Fiat main dealers (which might be the most expensive supplier). Or is there a Fiat specialist that would be better for these parts.

I must say that the Ribe bolts were awful! I understand manufacturers eventually stopped using them as they kept breaking. I had to drill the heads off three of them. Maybe I could replace them with conventional head bolts. Possibly whatever Fiat used after giving up on Ribe bolts.

 

[thornebt]

I think I've answered my own question by finding the gaskets on eBay at a very reasonable price. Head gasket £13.49. Exhaust gasket £8.02. Inlet gasket set £21.99. Head bolts also very cheap although I'm still interested in a different option than Ribe.

Can't find any valve springs on eBay though.

 

[koalar]

https://www.ricambio.co.uk/ for the valve spring, if you want new

Get a head gasket kit shop around, last one I bought I got of Amazon cheaper than eBay

No idea if the 1.4 16V are all the same

The 1.2 8v went through several changes, early, evo2 and euro 5 gasket kits are different

Comes with new inlet and valve stem seals

 

[koalar]

I'd buy something like this

But I would email the seller first to check compatibility

Online listings are often wrong

 

[thornebt]

Thanks Koalar. That looks good value. The thing I'm really struggling with is finding the valve springs. You mentioned Ricambio but they only do valve springs for 8v Fiats. I've tried most online major car parts websites. It's easy to buy the valves or the stem seals but I just can't find any valve springs for the 100hp!

 

[thornebt]

I guess that valve springs for the 100HP are a main dealer part only. However, I'm going to ask an engine reconditioner who has been in business for over a century if the can supply the springs or know where to get them. If they don't know of any suppliers then no-one will!

 

[koalar]

Needs double checking

Valve spring 1.4

Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Lancia, Jeep, Abarth

augustin-group.com

 

[thornebt]

View attachment 468709

I'd buy something like this

But I would email the seller first to check compatibility

Online listings are often wrong

I found that this is an Elring 431.590 gasket set but the cheapest I can find it is about £40. The price is shown as 'Netto price'. Do they still exist in the UK?

 

[thornebt]

Needs double checking

Valve spring 1.4

Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Lancia, Jeep, Abarth

augustin-group.com

Thanks. I didn't see this reply until after my last post!

 

[koalar]

I found that this is an Elring 431.590 gasket set but the cheapest I can find it is about £40. The price is shown as 'Netto price'. Do they still exist in the UK?

£40 sounds right

I just used the photo as an example of a kit which includes everything

I would email any seller first, I bought a 1.2 euro 5 gasket recently, most online sellers say 2003 to 2012 which is wrong, the oil feed has changed

I can't see any differences in the 100hp engine, but I am no expert

 

[koalar]

According to elring catalogue it looks to me like there's only one gasket used in the 100hp

Which lists the OEM as 71738337 if you want to try and find a cheaper brand

I have fitted a elring without issue onto a block and head that wasn't in great condition, no doubt other brand will be as good, but not having used them I can't say for sure

 

[thornebt]

Koalar. You were bang on with the link to the 1.4 valve springs. They are certainly listed for the 500 Abarth which is basically the same engine but I wanted to find the part number listed for the Panda. I didn't get anywhere searching for valve springs online and I didn't try Fiat as I thought they would be ridiculously expensive.

However, when I did get round to trying Fiat they quoted me £2.13 each plus vat so I ordered sixteen of them, total of £40.90. I think that's a very good price!

So if anyone is looking at this post because they need valve springs I can confirm the part number is 55272089 for the 100HP Panda. If you want some super uprated high performance valve springs they are about €230 online - and you will likely get clobbered for import duty and vat!