This is practically standard in a Panda, i wouldn't worry about it, you just get used to taking slower gear changes...
General New to pandering
- Thread starter abarth stabler
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General New to pandering
This is practically standard in a Panda, i wouldn't worry about it, you just get used to taking slower gear changes...
theres nothing like the sound of a crunchy 3rd on a cold winters morning. (well all the time really)
Talon, my 4x4 sisley also has a crunchy 3rd.
Talon, my 4x4 sisley also has a crunchy 3rd.
This is practically standard in a Panda, i wouldn't worry about it, you just get used to taking slower gear changes...
Not on mine :nono:
I'm also lucky not to have a crunchy box
Yeah mine's practically requiring double-clutching now :banghead:
Nope, Grumbleweed's 3rd gear is just peachy
Shame about the catastrophically wrecked first, but 3rd is spot on.
OP
OP
Used the 4x4 on it's first long run yesterday, drove from Bridlington to Durham relatively problem free.
Think there is still a bit of crap in the fuel tank however it's full of fuel at the moment, my plan until the tank is empty is to put a few fuel filters inline and hope this solves the problem temporarily until I can get the tank off and cleaned out as I didn't get time to do it during the build. Also my indicators have stopped working so I'm gonna check the bulbs and fuses shortly and see what the problem is.
All in all I'm still very pleased, and I've got the crunchy gearbox mastered now after a few days driving
Think there is still a bit of crap in the fuel tank however it's full of fuel at the moment, my plan until the tank is empty is to put a few fuel filters inline and hope this solves the problem temporarily until I can get the tank off and cleaned out as I didn't get time to do it during the build. Also my indicators have stopped working so I'm gonna check the bulbs and fuses shortly and see what the problem is.
All in all I'm still very pleased, and I've got the crunchy gearbox mastered now after a few days driving
if you are going to take the tank off for cleaning, i recommend sticking some "fuel tank sealant" in it..
its just like paint for the inside of the tank.. that is fuel safe!
i recommend this for a few reasons..
1, it stops ALL rusting inside the tank and that stops rust flakes blocking the fuel strainer.
and 2, it will stop your tank rusting through. (and it will rust through eventually)
these tanks are not made any more.. nowhere sells them new. if the tank gets a hole in it and you don't fancy welding it up.. it could be a while till a good one turns up.
save it while you can..
edit, this guide may be helpful to you..
https://www.fiatforum.com/panda-cla...stop-leaking-early-pandas-4x4s-marbellas.html
its just like paint for the inside of the tank.. that is fuel safe!
i recommend this for a few reasons..
1, it stops ALL rusting inside the tank and that stops rust flakes blocking the fuel strainer.
and 2, it will stop your tank rusting through. (and it will rust through eventually)
these tanks are not made any more.. nowhere sells them new. if the tank gets a hole in it and you don't fancy welding it up.. it could be a while till a good one turns up.
save it while you can..
edit, this guide may be helpful to you..
https://www.fiatforum.com/panda-cla...stop-leaking-early-pandas-4x4s-marbellas.html
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OP
OP
Still relatively problem free with the 4x4, I've got some time off work too so decided to play about on some green lanes and tracks, found some nice scenery too.
I do love living on the coast
I do love living on the coast 
Still relatively problem free with the 4x4, I've got some time off work too so decided to play about on some green lanes and tracks, found some nice scenery too.View attachment 148190 I do love living on the coast
:slayer::slayer::slayer::slayer::slayer::slayer:
Greatings from Scarb'ro
I love the time scale you've worked to.
Green lanes - was it round Woldgate
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OP
OP
Yeah I was in quite a hurry to get it done ( without cutting corners).
I went to daynes dyke and bempton and flamborough today.
I'm thinking about going up wold gate tomorrow. Do you take yours up there? I was in Scarborough yesterday trying to find somewhere to play but couldn't really find anywhere. Ideas?
I went to daynes dyke and bempton and flamborough today.
I'm thinking about going up wold gate tomorrow. Do you take yours up there? I was in Scarborough yesterday trying to find somewhere to play but couldn't really find anywhere. Ideas?
St@xton Hill (Wold Ln) is the best one for panda round here
All lanes round would gate were passable late spring don't know what is the state during winter. Few nice onece round Fordon / Kilham.
All lanes round would gate were passable late spring don't know what is the state during winter. Few nice onece round Fordon / Kilham.
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OP
OP
I will have to go and find that one on staxton hill. I've been on a few round near kilham before but that was in my 1.0 corsa. That thing was unstoppable off road haha
Think I've seen you driving around in your black panda a few times near Filey and when I'm at work (the dotterel). Do you use your 4x4 on a regular basis?
Think I've seen you driving around in your black panda a few times near Filey and when I'm at work (the dotterel). Do you use your 4x4 on a regular basis?
OP
OP
Been busy again today. Finally got the engine out of the red panda 900 with a bit of help from my old man. 
took one of the pistons out to check the state of the rings, they just crumbled in my hands. I knew it needed new rings anyway but didn't think they were that bad.
Next jobs...
Order new parts, such as seals, rings, cv boots, oil pressure switch, temp sensor, sump gasket and various other bits.
Going to steam clean and paint and polish the block and gearbox and other various bits in the engine bay.
And then...
Reassembly of engine, finish off the brakes and then down to the other garage for bodywork doing. And it should be done within a few days from there onwards
took one of the pistons out to check the state of the rings, they just crumbled in my hands. I knew it needed new rings anyway but didn't think they were that bad.Next jobs...
Order new parts, such as seals, rings, cv boots, oil pressure switch, temp sensor, sump gasket and various other bits.
Going to steam clean and paint and polish the block and gearbox and other various bits in the engine bay.
And then...
Reassembly of engine, finish off the brakes and then down to the other garage for bodywork doing. And it should be done within a few days from there onwards
great little engines them 903's. the one in the cinquecento is not bad too..
not sure if the piston rings are the same size as the cinquecento 899cc engine. it is basically the same engine with a different cylinder head.
maybe worth looking into..
not sure if the piston rings are the same size as the cinquecento 899cc engine. it is basically the same engine with a different cylinder head.
maybe worth looking into..
OP
OP
Yeah they have been used in a fair amount of cars over the years.
A local ish engineering firm say they can make/aquire the rings for £40 quid which seems reasonable. On eBay there is a set of high compression pistons with rings for about £120 quid with postage, think these would be a cool mod but not sure if they are the same size.
Think you mentioned a while ago about the 899 conversion been straight forward, it would be nice to do away with the choke and carb but don't think the 899 is as tuneable is it?
I was going to keep the red one original but then I saw this on eBay
decided I want a pandagarale of my own
A local ish engineering firm say they can make/aquire the rings for £40 quid which seems reasonable. On eBay there is a set of high compression pistons with rings for about £120 quid with postage, think these would be a cool mod but not sure if they are the same size.
Think you mentioned a while ago about the 899 conversion been straight forward, it would be nice to do away with the choke and carb but don't think the 899 is as tuneable is it?
I was going to keep the red one original but then I saw this on eBay
decided I want a pandagarale of my own
im not really sure what kind of tuning mods you can do to the 903 or 899. the older 903 with it being carb i guess could have bigger carbs and the like stuck on it.
the 903 and 899 are basically the same engine they fit both the same mounts and the gearbox will fit both 903 and 899. bottom end wise, i could not spot one difference between the 2 engines.
to get the old 903 running on EFI you'd need to find a way of attaching a crank position sensor to it. you can make a bracket out of some stainless (because its non magnetic) and have it held in place by a few sump pan bolts. then you just use the auxiliary drive belt pulley from off a fiat cinquecento 899 engine as the sensor uses that to detect when the engine is at TDC.
thats about the hardest part... just make sure you get an ECU from an early cinquecento as they dont have an immobiliser on them.
you'd need the water thermostat housing from off an 899 engine as it contains the water temperature sensor that the ECU uses.
you'll need to use the rocker cover from off a 899 cinquecento as that had part of the adaptor plate built into it, to make it so the SPI throttle body fits the engine. you can however, just cut this off the 899 rocker cover and have it stand alone and keep your nicer looking 903cc rocker cover. (this is what i was going to do)
oh and you would need an in-line fuel pump at 1 bar of pressure.
after that.. its all easy. simple plugging in connectors.
and to wire the whole thing in is only 4 wires!
large red wire goes to the battery, small orange wire goes to an ignition live (or old coil wire) the white with red stripe goes to the "injector" light (you can leave this disconnected its like the "check engine" light) the white with brown stripe wire goes to the fuel pump (i have seen this other colours though, sometimes green and blue or green and red its quite a thick wire with a single connector)
see how simple it is!
the 903 and 899 are basically the same engine they fit both the same mounts and the gearbox will fit both 903 and 899. bottom end wise, i could not spot one difference between the 2 engines.
to get the old 903 running on EFI you'd need to find a way of attaching a crank position sensor to it. you can make a bracket out of some stainless (because its non magnetic) and have it held in place by a few sump pan bolts. then you just use the auxiliary drive belt pulley from off a fiat cinquecento 899 engine as the sensor uses that to detect when the engine is at TDC.
thats about the hardest part... just make sure you get an ECU from an early cinquecento as they dont have an immobiliser on them.
you'd need the water thermostat housing from off an 899 engine as it contains the water temperature sensor that the ECU uses.
you'll need to use the rocker cover from off a 899 cinquecento as that had part of the adaptor plate built into it, to make it so the SPI throttle body fits the engine. you can however, just cut this off the 899 rocker cover and have it stand alone and keep your nicer looking 903cc rocker cover. (this is what i was going to do)
oh and you would need an in-line fuel pump at 1 bar of pressure.
after that.. its all easy. simple plugging in connectors.
and to wire the whole thing in is only 4 wires!
large red wire goes to the battery, small orange wire goes to an ignition live (or old coil wire) the white with red stripe goes to the "injector" light (you can leave this disconnected its like the "check engine" light) the white with brown stripe wire goes to the fuel pump (i have seen this other colours though, sometimes green and blue or green and red its quite a thick wire with a single connector)
see how simple it is!
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OP
OP
Yeah sounds like a straight forward swap and fairly cheap to do aswell.
For the 903 they did bigger carbs, higher lift cam shafts, higher compression pistons and then there is things like valve springs and then uprated ignition parts.
I'm pretty sure abarth did a tuned autobianachi a112 with a 903cc engine, think it was called the junior
For the 903 they did bigger carbs, higher lift cam shafts, higher compression pistons and then there is things like valve springs and then uprated ignition parts.
I'm pretty sure abarth did a tuned autobianachi a112 with a 903cc engine, think it was called the junior
Bartpanda
Established member
Bianchi abarth was 1050ccm 70 hp ohv , a big bore and stroke 903ccm.{ later models} or 982ccm ohv 58hp{early ones}.Junior was as far as I am concerned always 903ccm ohv, but 112 LX or Elite model had the same engine as in 4x4 mk1 965ccm ohv 48 hp.
