Technical engine in a state! any help welcomed.

[Little Red Devil]

right hey guys and gals havent posted for a while but im back and as usual having problems with the car again. ever since i took it apart and did the head gasket it hasent run very well at all. it seems like its hitting some kind of limiter at about 4500 rpm in every gear and will only get to 60 in 4th and, tops out at 80 when it starts hesitating.

i managed to get the engine running again myself but took the cylinder head to a engine shop to have it skimmed. when i did manage to get it running again it was very tappety. i took it too my mate the fiat mechanic and he said in all the years he had been working with cars had never seen tappets so far out. so he sorted it a best he could using the thickest shims and also using washers on some which were too far out for shims. but it didnt make much of a difference. i have ran out of ideas that it could be so im taking life in the slow lane at the mo.

any suggestions or help is apreciated in advance

 

[rallycinq]

Is the cam timing spot on?

Cheers

D

 

[Dan]

My revs seem a lot lower than i think they are, could that be the same thing coz i had the cambelt replaced a while ago? Sorry for interupting the thread.

 

[dave]

worn cam?

 

[philbo]

if you've had the head off did you make sure the oil feed gallery was clear? if its partially blocked itll be starving the feed to the cam and tappets. was it the correct gasket? that could be blocking it. as for the hesitation that sounds like timing. has the timing belt been fitted a tooth out? its easy to do.
if i sound like im teaching granny to suck eggs im sorry but i hope ive given you some ideas.
good luck

 

[arseofbox]

Well...mines very noisy and thats primariliy because the head's fooked. I know the head was oil starved for a bit because I blocked the oil feed by using the wrong type of Instant Gasket.

But the mechanic who sorted the sump (and also the blocked oil feed) reckons the valves arent sealing right, and that attributes to the noise. Its believeable to me as I took that head apart and reassembled it in a very very hurried manner, and probably have the wrong bits in the wrong valve!

 

[paul_treg]

Hi,
What type of engine have you got, 900cc OHV or 1100cc OHC ?

The 900cc has part manual adjust, part hydraulic tappets, so the mechanic may have made a setting error with the tappets, this would definately cause a problem.

Paul T

 

[philbo]

But the mechanic who sorted the sump (and also the blocked oil feed) reckons the valves arent sealing right, and that attributes to the noise. Its believeable to me as I took that head apart and reassembled it in a very very hurried manner, and probably have the wrong bits in the wrong valve!

why didnt the mechanic sort the valves while the head was off? i take it he had to remove the head to sort the oil feed? if its the tappets then theres a bit in the haynes manual that tells you how to adjust the preload if the tappets have been disturbed. i tried this as mine were really noisy and it ended up just keeping all the valves open so ignore that. i adjusted all my tappets so they were just finger tight then tightened the lock nut. much quieter now and runs a dam site better!

 

[HP]

What's the mpg like, check the plugs - are they sooted up?

Is it misfiring? Does it tick over ok?

Daft one - plug leads on the right coils?

Has the alternator belt pulley been off? There's a locator pip that needs to be in the right place.

 

[arseofbox]

why didnt the mechanic sort the valves while the head was off? i take it he had to remove the head to sort the oil feed? if its the tappets then theres a bit in the haynes manual that tells you how to adjust the preload if the tappets have been disturbed. i tried this as mine were really noisy and it ended up just keeping all the valves open so ignore that. i adjusted all my tappets so they were just finger tight then tightened the lock nut. much quieter now and runs a dam site better!

Head wasnt off...

Needed rocker cover off to sort blocked oil feed

Tappets had been gapped as Haynes... Im sure the head is a bit screwed...Its gonna be replaced with a gasflowed item once the project head comes thru and I can be arsed putting it on!!