Technical Camshaft Followup

[samuelbrr]

Hello,

RE: https://www.fiatforum.com/showthread.php?t=24192

Well my saga continues, I bought the car last week and so far have had to spend £340 on a new starter motor and cambelt and tensioners and after that was done the garage informed me that there was a noise coming from the camshaft area, just got the phone call that they think two of the followers are nackered and the car needs a £500 camshaft change but I am being warned now that there COULD be shavings in the there that could crap the engine out in like 3 - 6 months (its a 50/50 chance) and that a flush doesn't always remove them.

The noise isn't loud and is a slight to moderating tapping noise at the drivers side, at this time I am now fed up with repairs and worried that the repair itself will be for nothing

Any thoughts on this one?

 

[Steven]

Re: Camshat Followup

You've put a lot of cash into this car just to walk away. As you know by now this is a common problem.

AlfaNige has a brand new 1.4 engine for sale at the minute, I believe he's looking £600 for it.

 

[samuelbrr]

Re: Camshat Followup

Hello,

To be honest me and my wife have been sitting here talking about walking away but it comes back to the same old thing of not having the money to do so, paid £930 for the car, then £340 on starter motor and cambelt and tensioners and now £500 on the repair for the camshaft.

If I had the money I would have walked away and bought something else, there is a nice fiat punto (W reg) in the area from a local garage but its put me off fiat and now I want to cry!!!

 

[Steven]

Re: Camshat Followup

Unfortunately this goes to show that it pays to do your research before you buy, especially when it comes to buying a car. A quick look at a forum such as this or www.bravo-guide.co.uk will show that this happens relatively frequently to 1.4 12v Bravos and Bravas. The 1.4 12v was Fiats worst engine for years. They eventually dropped it and replaced it with the much more reliable 1.2 16v engine. Any Punto would have been much more reliable, or any other model of Brava without exception. Fiats are generally reliable if you look after them.

£500 seems expensive for this job though, who quoted you that? I was offered a 1996 Brava 1.4 recently for £100 with this same problem. I was quoted £300 all in for the work. You can buy a camshaft kit with followers on eBay for £140. Here's the link;

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=10382&item=4525078678&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

I didn't buy the car and it was eventually scrapped by it's owner. I reckoned the engine was seized which can happen if you drive the car with no oil getting to the camshaft. It's hard to know what to do...

 

[samuelbrr]

Hello,

I am walking away from it not paying any £500 for repairs or anything. Looks I am set to get a W reg punto from a local garage, not taking anymore chances.

 

[BIGLEE]

sometimes i wish i hadnt bought my brava lol its the 1.4 12 v engine bought the car last july on a P-reg 98 thousand miles 1 month after i got it the head gasket blew cost me 380 pound for gasket done new thermostat gasket set and bolts then the rad whent and nearly blew the gasket again needed a new pipe luckily got away with rad weld in the radiator last month part of the oil feed over the cam had blocked and my cam got slightly worn luckily i got away with just needing the new oil feed and yesterday my battery earth kinda stoped doing its job luckily managed to make one up at work i keep wondering what will be next lol just hope it starts tommorow when it goes in for its full stainless decat and flamer kit

 

[samuelbrr]

Hello,

So I will be picking up my new W reg FIAT Punto 1.2 16v HLX tommorrow, its a nice silver colour.

Can't wait!