This was for a Mk2b 8v but it looks very similar to a Mk1 and Mk2 8v setup.

Mk2b, 2003, typical symptom - loss of drive, clutch slipping. Ended up towing it home. I hadn't done a clutch on one of these before but always game for a new challenge. Borrowed Haynes from library and studied. I didn't have a trolley jack or axle stands, don't have a ball-joint splitter, don't have a hoist (to support engine/gearbox), don't have a level drive so it was a kerbside operation. Heck, you don't need all that gear, I managed with a couple of bottle jacks, a pair of ramps and a few bits of old timber. Only downer was that it was February and freezing - not nice when you can't feel your fingertips after a few minutes!

Here's how I did it (based on Haynes but adapted from my experience and to suit my minimal equipment):

REMOVING THE TRANSMISSION

1. Apply handbrake and place chocks behind rear wheels. Jack up front of car (place jack under transmission) and support on axle stands at side jacking points. Use wooden supports with suitably cut grooves to accommodate sill edges. Ramps (with slope towards centre of car) will suffice instead of axle stands. Ensure car is stable before proceeding further.

2. Remove both front road wheels.

3. Remove left hand wheel arch plastic liner.

4. Remove air cleaner assembly (spring clip and two bolts).

5. Remove battery. Prize cable-clip from top and remove battery tray (three bolts).
Note: If radio is coded, ensure code is known before disconnecting battery. Alternatively, use a "memory saver" or "code saver" device (a battery that plugs into the cigarette lighter socket).

6. Remove starter motor:
(a) Unscrew and remove upper mounting bolt located inside top of transmission bell housing.
(b) From under car, lift main solenoid terminal plastic cover. Remove the nut and two wires. Remove the small terminal nut and single wire.
(c) Unscrew lower mounting bolt then withdraw starter motor from transmission.
Note: Could probably just take the two mounting bolts out and leave motor in-situ.

7. Prize end fittings of gear change selectors from ball studs on transmission levers. Remove bolts securing support bracket for selector cables (three off).

8. Remove clutch slave cylinder (two bolts). Remove plunger/gaiter and fit cable tie round cylinder to prevent piston being ejected. May help to position a large nut over end of piston to push it in a little.

9. Disconnect reversing light connector (front of transmission).

10. Disconnect earth lead on top of transmission (nut).

11. 16V twin-cam engine: Remove exhaust manifold.

12. 16V twin-cam engine: Remove bolts securing ECU mounting bracket to throttle body and move ECU to one side.

13. Remove diagonal support brace linking transmission to rear of cylinder block (nut and bolt plus bolt in tapped hole at bottom, two bolts at top).
Note: Could probably just remove lower fixings and leave brace in-situ.

14. Remove bell housing lower cover plate (two small bolts, one nut and bolt through exhaust mounting bracket).
Note: Plate may be trapped by bolt through exhaust mounting bracket and lambda sensor may be in the way. If so, leave plate in-situ.

15. Disconnect wiring from speed sensor on top rear of differential housing.

16. Remove nuts retaining both track rod ends. Jack up under thread and strike arm with hammer to release.

17. Remove retaining clip securing LH driveshaft inner CV gaiter to joint body and release gaiter.

18. Remove two bolts securing RH swivel hub to suspension strut. Move hub assembly outwards. If bolts are tight, hammer out carefully.

19. Pull driveshaft out of joint body and move driveshaft clear of engine/transmission. Cover joint and spider to prevent escape of grease (use plastic bags).

20. Remove two bolts securing LH brake calliper mounting bracket to swivel hub. Slide calliper off disc and support (tie it up to the coil spring).

21. If ABS fitted, remove LH wheel speed sensor to swivel hub (one bolt).

22. Remove two bolts securing LH swivel hub to suspension strut. Separate hub assembly from strut. If bolts are tight, hammer out carefully.

23. Remove retaining clip securing LH driveshaft inner CV gaiter to joint body and release gaiter.

24. Remove clamping nut and bolt from LH lower suspension arm ball-joint. Lift swivel hub off. If necessary, wedge screwdriver in slot of clamp to release.

25. Pull driveshaft out of joint body and remove driveshaft and hub from car. Cover joint and spider to prevent escape of grease (use plastic bags).

26. From under car, remove nut and bolt securing rear engine mounting to transmission.

27. Support weight of engine using stack of wooden planks under LH end of sump.

28. Support weight of transmission on jack and a rope tied round a plank placed across inner wings. Cover ends of plank to protect paintwork. Avoid placing end of plank over washer filler cap on LH inner wing.

29. Remove transmission-to-engine fixings (three bolts and one nut at rear).

30. Remove bolts securing LH engine/transmission mounting to body (four off) then remove bolts from transmission (three off) and remove the mounting. Note: one bolt may be trapped in mounting.

31. Check that all brackets, pipes, hoses and wiring are moved clear then carefully pull the transmission away from the engine, keeping it level until input shaft is clear of clutch.

32. Lower the jack and release the rope gradually. Remove the transmission from under the car.

RENEWING THE CLUTCH

1. If pressure plate is to be reused, mark position relative to flywheel. I was fitting a new one because that was the part that had failed. It had lost its pressure and the fingers were not all level.

2. Remove the six Torx bolts securing the pressure plate, working in a diagonal sequence to ensure even release of pressure.

3. Remove pressure plate and friction plate.
Note: Friction material could contain asbestos - take care not to blow the brown dust. When cleaning contaminated parts, use damp cloth.

4. If necessary, remove discolouration or glazing from flywheel with emery paper.

5. Position friction plate (raised torsion spring hub assembly outermost) against flywheel using alignment tool. A substitute tool can be made from a short length of 15mm copper pipe with sufficient PVC tape wrapped round it to allow clearance in the driven plate splines. Wrap a similar amount of tape around the end of the pipe to locate in the flywheel.
Note: Hole in flywheel is larger than that in clutch plate but taped pipe will centralize in its countersunk hollow.

6. Mount pressure plate, aligning with the three flywheel dowels and secure with Torx bolts, finger tight. Centralize friction plate using the pipe (or tool). Remove pipe and visually check centralization.

7. Tighten pressure plate working in a diagonal sequence to ensure even application of pressure.

8. Renew the thrust bearing, applying a smear of high melting point grease to its bore and to pivot points on release fork.

REFITTING THE TRANSMISSION

1. Smear high melting point grease on gearbox input shaft splines.

2. Position transmission under car and support with a rope tied round a plank placed across inner wings. Cover ends of plank to protect paintwork. Avoid placing end of plank over windscreen washer filler cap.

3. Lift gearbox manually, taking up slack in rope to provide support. When sufficiently high, use jack under transmission to provide additional lift and support.

4. If bell housing lower cover plate was removed, reposition it.

5. Manoeuvre transmission into place, ensuring that cable/hose brackets are not trapped between bell housing and engine block.
Note: This may be a little hit and miss and requires observation of alignment from above and below the bell housing.

6. Refit transmission-to-engine block fixings (three bolts, one nut).

7. Refit engine/transmission mounting to transmission (three bolts) and to body (four bolts).
Note: Leave bolts loose until all in place.

8. Remove support from sump.

9. Refit nut and bolt securing rear engine mounting to transmission.

10. Refit LH swivel hub to lower suspension arm ball-joint and refit nut and bolt to the ball-joint clamp.

11. Refit CV joint to transmission and refit two bolts to secure swivel hub to suspension strut.
Note: It may be necessary to lift the strut by placing a stout bar under its lower end (above the driveshaft) and using a bottle jack at each side to apply even lift (or one jack and an arrangement of wooden blocks/spacers). Take care not to allow the whole assembly to jump outwards under pressure from the jacks. The lower suspension arm can be levered down a little to assist.

12. Refit the retaining clip for the CV gaiter (use of a new clip is recommended).
Note: If extra grease is required in CV joints, Fiat recommends Tutela MRM2 or equivalent.

13. If ABS fitted, refit wheel speed sensor.

14. Refit brake calliper (two bolts).

15. Refit RH CV joint to transmission and refit two bolts to secure swivel hub to suspension strut.

16. Refit the retaining clip for the CV gaiter (use of a new clip is recommended).

17. Refit nuts to both track rod ends. If necessary, apply downward pressure to ball joint to prevent tapered part from spinning.

18. Reconnect speed sensor to top rear of differential housing.

19. Refit fixings to bell housing lower cover plate (two small bolts, one nut and bolt through exhaust mounting bracket).
Note: Leave fixings loose until diagonal brace has been refitted.

20. Refit diagonal support brace (if removed).

21. 16V twin-cam engine: Refit bolts to secure ECU mounting bracket to throttle body.

22. 16V twin-cam engine: Refit exhaust manifold.

23. Reconnect earth lead to top of transmission.

24. Reconnect reversing light connector.

25. Refit clutch slave cylinder and plunger/gaiter.

26. Refit support bracket for gear selector cables and click both cable end fittings back onto ball studs.

27. Refit starter motor, its two cables and the plastic terminal cover (if removed).

28. Refit battery tray and battery. Relocate cable clip in top of tray.
Note: Ensure key is not inside car - central locking may be activated on power-up.

29. Refit air cleaner, ensuring breather pipe is located correctly.

30. Refit LH wheel arch liner.

31. Refit both road wheels.

32. Remove axle stands (or ramps if used) and lower car to ground.

33. Tighten road wheel bolts.

34. Perform a final check that all cables, pipes, etc. have been returned to their original positions and fixings and that no parts are left over.

35. Depress brake pedal to reseat LH pads onto disc.

GENERAL NOTES

Tighten fixings to specified torque (see below).

The engine may run unevenly at first because the ECU will have defaulted to factory settings without power and will have to re-learn optimum settings.

TORQUE SETTINGS

Clutch pressure plate 16Nm 12lbf ft
Engine-to-transmission attachment bolts 80Nm 59lbf ft
Engine/transmission mountings:
LH mounting bracket to transmission bolts 50Nm 37lbf ft
LH mounting to body bolts 25Nm 18lbf ft
Rear mounting to transmission bolt/nut 80Nm 59lbf ft
Lower arm ball joint to swivel hub 32Nm 24lbf ft
Strut to swivel hub 75Nm 55lbf ft
Track rod end to swivel hub 40Nm 30lbf ft
Starter motor 27Nm 20lbf ft
Road wheel bolts 85Nm 63lbf ft

PARTS USED

Clutch kit comprising pressure plate, drive/friction plate and thrust bearing
New (not refurb) Ferodo. Cost: £48, Feb-08, local auto spares shop.

SOURCE INFORMATION

Mead, John S, 2004, Haynes Service and Repair Manual 4066: FIAT PUNTO Oct 1999 to July 2003 (V Reg onwards) Petrol, Haynes Publishing, Sparkford, Yeovil, Somerset BA22 7JJ
ISBN 1 84425 066 0

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