Technical Cam timing tools 1.3 Multijet.

[Brian j]

Hi.

My new-to-me Multijet is in 139k miles and the original timing chain which is noisy.

I am trying to replace it but have got stuck at the point of timing the cams.

The flywheel locking tool has slotted in nicely but access to the front cam timing locking point is severely restricted by the turbo and I can’t get my locking tool in the rear one either because the inlet manifold is in the way.

I am not sure the cam is perfectly timed anyway because there are some timing discrepancy codes showing.

Can anyone give a little advice on how to lock both cams so I get the timing correct with the new chain?

Is there a set of locking tools that fit the panda without taking off the turbo and inlet manifold?

How the heck do you see anything down the hole to see if the cam recess is in the right place?

 

[bugsymike]

On a 2006 Fiat Grande Punto 1.3 mj I used a timing tool kit similar to this.
However I understand the kit is different for 2009 onwards and changed again around 2015.
I loaned my kit for @DaveMcT to do his Panda but I am not sure what age that was.
Are you sure the kit you have is for your age vehicle?

 

[Brian j]

The set I bought was this one:
Timing tool set
It had no reference to year, but it did say it was for a Fiat Panda.
The tool is too long to fit between the cam cover and inlet on the rear cam
And it is WAY too long and way to fat to fit between the front of the cam cover and the turbo.

 

[Eltezz]

All the 2012 MJ engines use the same timing kit. You only need to get one of the tools into one cam, this will hold both cams in place while the job is done. Most people use the rear cam as access is easier. I am pretty sure you can move some of the assemblies on top of the engine enough to get the tool to fit. A small mirror on a stick and a torch will allow you to see the cam cutout.

Be aware that you need to remove the transfer box in order to get the gearbox bracket out of the way before you can remove the sump. There is a bolt hlding the bracket that is virtually inaccessable with the box in place.

 

[Brian j]

All the 2012 MJ engines use the same timing kit. You only need to get one of the tools into one cam, this will hold both cams in place while the job is done. Most people use the rear cam as access is easier. I am pretty sure you can move some of the assemblies on top of the engine enough to get the tool to fit. A small mirror on a stick and a torch will allow you to see the cam cutout.

Be aware that you need to remove the transfer box in order to get the gearbox bracket out of the way before you can remove the sump. There is a bolt hlding the bracket that is virtually inaccessable with the box in place.

Thank you.

Using rear only cam access for locking will make the job much easier.

I have everything stripped down and the sump off.
I had the propshaft off and was preparing to remove the driveshaft when I looked at the gearbox bracket and thought, that will come off. So I undid 5 bolts holding it and it popped out no bother. Not complaining at all but no idea why mine is different. It has fiat and 2012 staked in it and is definitely unmodified so I can only assume it’s been like that from the factory.

 

[Brian j]

If it helps anyone else, this video has been a game-changer for me.

YouTube video

He talks only about the challenges of doing the job on a fiat 500L and it really helps to see the tool issues and ways around them!

I have bought a borescope so I can see the cam cutouts and I am going to go for it. (I figure getting a mobile mechanic to pick up the job mid-way will be challenging anyway, and these days I find getting a trustworthy m chance is tricky at the best of times, so I’d rather work it out myself. I am not under a time pressure and I have more motivation because it’s my car…)

 

[Eltezz]

Great, I am glad it came off without any issues. I would be interested to know how this goes for you, especially if you have any problems while doing the job.

 

[Brian j]

Great, I am glad it came off without any issues. I would be interested to know how this goes for you, especially if you have any problems while doing the job.

Will do.
I will try to take photos along the way.

 

[Brian j]

The job is now done on mine. Sorry, no photos. It was tricky and time consuming but not awful. I am a fairly mechanically minded amateur, and it was ok working through methodically.
Points to note:
- Leave yourself a weekend to do it. I’m not the fastest but it took me most of the weekend.
- the Haynes online manual covers it well, but for better or worse, I did not remove the ecu and fuel pump and trusted the cam locking pins to hold everything to torque up.
- the transfer box does not need to come off on all 1.3 multijet panda 319s. Mine did not get in the way of removing the gearbox support at all. (Definitely an original Fiat part with the right date stamp for the car and no modification.)
-the job itself is not that bad (can’t speak about removing the transfer box because I didn’t have to.) there are lots of things to do, but none are really difficult in their own right.
- the biggest issues were that the Neilsen cam locking tools din’t fit at all. They needed shortened, turned down to size and filed to fit.
An 8mm bolt was much easier as a crank locking tool than the one supplied.
That seems very common for the budget tools.
- an endoscope (£29 from Amazon) was worth its weight in gold for finding the cam and crank locking points to fit the tools.
- you can’t lock the front cam without removing the turbo. Most people don’t bother. I didn’t. I just used the endoscope to check nothing had moved.
-The sump flange was well stuck on mine. I bent it trying to pry it off
-The upper engine mount is a total pita to get on or off. The bolts are easy, it just doesn’t fit through the space well. I managed from above, raise the front first, then back. On refitting back first then front.
No special tools were needed apart from the timing locking kit. (I bought click/click-r pliers to remove the coolant hoses but they were such a pain in the butt to use that I replaced them with jubilee clips on re-fitting.)

 

[Eltezz]

Excellent info, thanks. What did you use for re-tightening the crank bolt? I couldn’t find a reversible torque wrench that went to the torque required for a sensible price so that put me off.

 

[Brian j]

I did 50nm + 90deg. That is less hard to sort than 230nm.

Also the Halfords torque wrenches are relatively affordable and say they do both clockwise and anticlockwise.
Torque wrench