Well the time has come for me to start my next project. I bought it just after buying my other Fiat 500 called Franko.
I have been busy completing various tasks around the house before I was allowed back in the garage. This isn't going to be completed as fast as Franko but it is most definitely going to be as much as a challenge.
My aim is to return it to its original factory condition or as close as I can get it. This poor little D was imported from Italy and has clearly been neglected.
So its going to be fun getting this one right.
Ive decided to split the restoration up into different sections as it will be easier to record and will be easier as reference for other 500 owners.
So lets start with the engine. I always knew there was going to be something wrong with the engine when I saw the photos of it in Italy before it came back to the UK. The engine had been removed and was inside the car.
A good friend on this site called Peter identified that it was indeed a 500D engine as opposed to the usual change over to an F/L or 650 engine. The person who sold it to me had the engine put back in for selling purposes, but on first physical inspection I could see the engine was seized.
It has sat in this state for over a 1&/2 years whilst I was rebuilding Franko. I was so tempted to pull it out and find out what was wrong!
So today I removed the 2 bolts holding the engine to the gearbox, removed the rear panel and took the engine out.
I decided to dismantle the engine. All the nuts and bolts have all come apart so easy. Far better than any Polish 126 engine that I have dealt with so far.
Straight away there are quite a few noticeable differences from the L or 650 engine.
1. Tappet cover has a smaller length neck.
2. The engine breather goes down the back of the engine rather than into the air filter.
3. The air filter housing is a smaller diameter. My filter cover was missing but I managed to source one a while ago on ebay.
4. The cylinder head does not have the ring machined on the face or the hollow bolts.
5. The cable brackets are different on the cowling.
6. The clutch and flywheel appear to be different.
7. The crankshaft pulley is different. It is more detailed and is the complete reversal to the later type.
8. The valve rods are totally different shape, actually a hollow tube.
I tried filling the cylinders with oil a few weeks ago to see if it would help free the engine up. But there was no moving it today. So off with the head! I had to cut the 5 tubes as they were the steel type and were preventing the head coming off.
The head appears to be ok, but will be fully dismantled and checked. I may end up changing it for a later type unless I get new valves & seats fitted to use unleaded with.
But what was the problem with the engine? I cleaned the oil out of the cylinders to find something unusual inside. It was full of what looked like small bright red coffee beans in one cylinder and a load of gungy stuff in the other. That's not going to help.
Well that's as far as I got today. So hopefully next time I will get the engine fully stripped ready to clean and check.
I have been busy completing various tasks around the house before I was allowed back in the garage. This isn't going to be completed as fast as Franko but it is most definitely going to be as much as a challenge.
My aim is to return it to its original factory condition or as close as I can get it. This poor little D was imported from Italy and has clearly been neglected.
So its going to be fun getting this one right.
Ive decided to split the restoration up into different sections as it will be easier to record and will be easier as reference for other 500 owners.
So lets start with the engine. I always knew there was going to be something wrong with the engine when I saw the photos of it in Italy before it came back to the UK. The engine had been removed and was inside the car.
A good friend on this site called Peter identified that it was indeed a 500D engine as opposed to the usual change over to an F/L or 650 engine. The person who sold it to me had the engine put back in for selling purposes, but on first physical inspection I could see the engine was seized.
It has sat in this state for over a 1&/2 years whilst I was rebuilding Franko. I was so tempted to pull it out and find out what was wrong!
So today I removed the 2 bolts holding the engine to the gearbox, removed the rear panel and took the engine out.
I decided to dismantle the engine. All the nuts and bolts have all come apart so easy. Far better than any Polish 126 engine that I have dealt with so far.
Straight away there are quite a few noticeable differences from the L or 650 engine.
1. Tappet cover has a smaller length neck.
2. The engine breather goes down the back of the engine rather than into the air filter.
3. The air filter housing is a smaller diameter. My filter cover was missing but I managed to source one a while ago on ebay.
4. The cylinder head does not have the ring machined on the face or the hollow bolts.
5. The cable brackets are different on the cowling.
6. The clutch and flywheel appear to be different.
7. The crankshaft pulley is different. It is more detailed and is the complete reversal to the later type.
8. The valve rods are totally different shape, actually a hollow tube.
I tried filling the cylinders with oil a few weeks ago to see if it would help free the engine up. But there was no moving it today. So off with the head! I had to cut the 5 tubes as they were the steel type and were preventing the head coming off.
The head appears to be ok, but will be fully dismantled and checked. I may end up changing it for a later type unless I get new valves & seats fitted to use unleaded with.
But what was the problem with the engine? I cleaned the oil out of the cylinders to find something unusual inside. It was full of what looked like small bright red coffee beans in one cylinder and a load of gungy stuff in the other. That's not going to help.
Well that's as far as I got today. So hopefully next time I will get the engine fully stripped ready to clean and check.