Technical Leaking Cento...

[magijamarko]

Hi guys...(and the occasional girl)

I have quite a big problem with my 95 Cinq Sporting..

As my expansion bottle was porous(the material was so tired, i was able to scratch it out with my fingernail..) i changed it with the fancy Seicento one - the one with the blue cap, white, and with the small hose conecting on the upper right side (looking from the front of the car..). :idea: I got the air out of the sistem (bleed screw on rad, bleed screw on firewall..) and thought -YESS!!

It fitted perfectly..looks good, and i do not need to worry about coolant leaking out of the porous plastic...

But..the car started to DRINK coolant. And that big time..
So after pouring in a lot, i started to investigate..and found..:

As the sistem presurises (slowly..temp rises, goes slowly to 75..), water starts pouring out at the pipe(steam and all..) from engine to heater matrix (i think there are 3 pipes there..). Apart from being fiddly to get there, i think that it shouldnt be difficult to fix..Undo, reconect, new washers..is that ok..?

Ok..i thought..ill fix that over the weekend (read - my girlfriends dad fixes it over the weekend )

But this morning..i went to inwestigate some more..and found a trickle of water from above the oil filter..and..it seams it originates..between the block and head...Is that even posible..??Could it be the washer on the metal pipe on the cooling sistem-the one in front of the engine..??

So now i need help..How to fix this stuf..? is the expansion bottle the reason (wrong kind??) or is it just that the old one didn't hold its pressure, and the fault was already there, only smaller as the pressure didn't rise??

Water pump was changed in august, as was the cambelt and bearing..so..i think that can't be the reason.. so..any sugestions..without ripping the engine out?? :bang:

Thanx..as its my only car..

Greatings
Marko

 

[whitz]

id say borrow a pressure tester or take it to a garage to have it done there, so you can pressurise the cooling system without the car running and have a good look for the leak

if its a bad leak clean up all the water and moisture around the engine and see if you can any cracks in metal or pipes etc, also double check all pipes are on correctly and clamped on properly

water could be leaking from a pipe on the expansion tank and running down the engine mount to the side of the engine

Ash

 

[magijamarko]

Ok..
preasure testing...not posible..
GF-s dad thinks could be HG..any way..will try to figure it out ower the weekend..
Just sugested of not driving the car-obviously..and then we will see..after all a blown HG is not the end of the world..

Just hope to make it work ASAP.

Gratings
Marko

 

[magijamarko]

Hi...

Was hoping for some more suggestions...any ideas??

gratings..

Marko

 

[whitz]

have you checked to see if the core plugs are leaking?

its possible the HG as gone but i would try to rule out as many of the cheap ones as possible

i was going to suggest a leak from the intake manifold to head but then remembered oil filter is on the front of the engine not like a 899

Ash

 

[MazCinq]

i had a similar leak on my 97 sporting but i put it down to water pump changed that and all is good with the world again and dont have any leaks not even oil hehehehehehe

 

[magijamarko]

Hi..

So..after working on my flat and on the car, am here to report what is what..

The pipe goinh into the heater matrix was simple..undo, pull out the completly rotten plastic that was in there(conecting the two pipes...) and replace with a piece of copper plumbing . All done..

Run it up..no, not all is well - the rubber cross started leaking.. Shut it down, let it cool..take out the "cross". After closer inspection I(GF-s dad and me..)found out, that the pipes are completly done.. so - cut of the rubber protection of the cross - a nice peace of plastic inside there, all well, and reconect all pipes (some extendet, some only cleaned, cut a little bit..)

Run up again.. no more leaks (YESSS!!) get the air out.. the fan comese on...once..three times..All well...

Today I checked on the water..Less, and a small trickle from above the oil filter.. So..not splashing from somewhere alse.. What do you suggest...??
Put in some of that rad-seal stuff?? Or rip off the head and change the gasket...?? Any suggestions..?? Could it be the seal - between pump and the metal pipe...??

Any tips??
Greatings...

Marko

 

[magijamarko]

hi again..

just a quick report.. The leaking from the pipes got better.,.after some aditional tightening of the washers..

As to the leak above the oil filter.. i put some of that Rad-seal stuf into the car...and hear hear... the leak is no more

So..I hope this is it..as far as this problem is concerned..

Greatings...
Marko

 

[dronenrs]

i cant see that rad seal stuff lasting forever. keep an eye on it

 

[magijamarko]

Hmm...

The car leaks again...the same place..as before..

Was thinking..and got the next idea..as the engine gets hot..the metal expands..and the leak is sealed..as it cools down..it schrincks..and the leak is there again.. Could that be?? So..trying to tighten the head a bitt.. could that be of any use??

I know its risky..but..could it work??
As the last attempt before HG change??

Greatings..
Marko

 

[cc1]

Are you shure it's coming from the head? There's a lot of meat on the gesket before you hit a water channel. I'd check the metal water pump return pipe. The rubber seal goes hard. Fiat did a modification to address this issue.
I think the early ones had an O ring seal and later ones a full bung type.

 

[rallycinq]

Have you changed the cross engine water pipe or its seal.

I'd be wanting to get that sealant out of your system, its not the right thing to do at all.

Is the pressure cap compatible with your engine?

Cheers

SPD

 

[magijamarko]

Hi..

Am thinking about the pipe and O ring there..But the strange thing is that the rust stain (it is wisible..)starts below the mannifold, as it seams - between the block and head..

Is it posible for the WP to leak, and the water using capillary law..to get there..? Or the O ring? I am not a fan of that Rad-seal stuff..and am thinking of flushing the system as i change to antifreeze..

The presure cap is the same as on the Seicento-the blue 1,4 thingy...That cant be the problem..i think..

We were running the car yesturday..15minutes on the spot..no fits, no leaks...NOTHING... Hot home..nothing.. This morning.. A wet spot on the usual place..

Bent head??Loose head?? Am open to suggestions..
Greatings..
Marko

 

[magijamarko]

Hi again..

New report from the leaky Cento..
After putting in that rad-seal stuff..I thought..Yes..its done, and the car is leak free..
Unfortunely, the car gods have other things on their minds, so it was not to be..
Leaking-from the same place, above the oil filter- the car overheated today.. the temp gauge went above the 90dg mark..and kept rising and rising..

So after consulting with my GF-s dad, i ordered this..:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FIAT-CINQUECE...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item20b0035bc7

Which means - off with the head

While it will be down, I will have It refurbished..the punto 75 cam will be put in, and the 38TB will also find its way onto the car..:devil:

I hope it happens this week.. and ill try to make some pictures..
Anything to be EXTRA careful of...(have read the guide..even printed it)

Greatings..
Marko

 

[magijamarko]

Hi again...

The car got more and more hard to drive, used more and more water...and then last saturday someone drove into my back(broken rear bumper, rear light,a notch in the door...).

i had enough, an the car was towed to my GF-s parents.. As i was at work, her dad did all the dismantling, and found out that the head was toast... There was a hole, 2mm deep between 1 and 2 cylinder.., no way the head can be saved..

So i bought a used one..(thanx god for crashed puntos..) and over the last 2 days.. we changed everything..

Was really interesting..I learned quite a lot.. we even re-ground all the valves and re-shimed the engine..(tip...take the cam out..its a LOT easier..)

Put it together today..car wouldn't start...oops..re-arrange leads...there..that's better..
Runs really smooth... Cleaned up the engine (W5 degreaser...ROCKS)and water, but unfortunely...something went awry...

the car is runing great, the problem is it's bliping the throttle.. 4-5 times, than it settles on 1500RPM...and then again...and again...

What can it be..??Also, there are those little tubes, coming from the TB, going under the airbox...

We somewhat "misplaced" mine..anything that can go wrong??

Greatings...
Marko

 

[SlinkyCinqi]

you need to connect the hoses to the TB, sounds like you have a vacuum (air) leak.

Lenny

 

[magijamarko]

So....

Yesturday we took another look at the engine..and found out that the fuel purge line was on the wrong connector.. so the car was purging, and the RPM were jumping...

The engine runs great now, the power is good( i havn't driven hard jet..) the only thing...temperature..

I took a look at the radiator..after 15years...its falling apart, so have ordered a new one.. and than..i think it should be ok..

Gratings from Slovenia..
Marko

 

[magijamarko]

hi again..news from the cento front.. the radiator arived..was installed on friday...and the car runs SWEET!(knock on wood...)

Temperature - where it sould be..low..i like it like that..no leaks..the old rad fell apart in my hands, as we took it down..

Lovely to drive the car, without having to look at that dial all the time and dreading the moment it stars mowing up..
Very pleased...thanx for all the imput..
Greatings...
Marko