General oil filter questions...
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General oil filter questions...
I've never been there on the Amigo yet but it'a centrifugal oil-filter. This means you don't need to replace anything except maybe the giant "O"-ring under its cover. You have to physically scrape out compressed gunge from the compartments inside it.
I'm not sure if you need to remove the back engine support to get at it, but it's the round aluminium cover on the end of the crankshaft; there'll be maybe half a dozen 10mm-headed setscrews to remove and then it might need bit of gentle persuasion to lever off. You will see the all the crud in the cover and inside the fixed pulley.
If it's as similar to the 500 as I suspect, you needn't clean it every oil change.
I'm not sure if you need to remove the back engine support to get at it, but it's the round aluminium cover on the end of the crankshaft; there'll be maybe half a dozen 10mm-headed setscrews to remove and then it might need bit of gentle persuasion to lever off. You will see the all the crud in the cover and inside the fixed pulley.
If it's as similar to the 500 as I suspect, you needn't clean it every oil change.
It can be removed without disturbing the engine mount. Make sure you remove all the fixing bolts and gently lever off.
The o ring can be reused but if you find it has gone a bit hard order a new one. You could reuse it in the meantime anyway unless you break it.
Scrape the gunge out and wash with a can of de-greaser.
There is often a mark that lines up with timing mark to make timing easier.
The o ring can be reused but if you find it has gone a bit hard order a new one. You could reuse it in the meantime anyway unless you break it.
Scrape the gunge out and wash with a can of de-greaser.
There is often a mark that lines up with timing mark to make timing easier.
If it hasn't been done for a long time there may be a lot of dirt in the sump so remove that too and clean that.
I put a 850 sport aluminium sump on mine. Actually I got a worn 850 sport engine and put All the sport bits on it. Head, carb, exhaust, sump, camshaft. :slayer:
I put a 850 sport aluminium sump on mine. Actually I got a worn 850 sport engine and put All the sport bits on it. Head, carb, exhaust, sump, camshaft. :slayer:
I had to take the back panel off he van so I could do some welding, so I spent five minutes to show how easy this is. You can see the little, aligned raised lines on the aluminium cover and steel pulley at the three o' clock position, which is the only way the screw-holes will align when replacing.
MAL_0145 by Peter Thompson, on Flickr
The first thing is that removing the panel is not that difficult and as well as improving access to the filter it makes everything else a bit easier when you are servicing the van and checking everything is in the place it should be.
There is a little tab under which you can use a screwdriver or similar to lever the cover off after removing the six screws.
MAL_0146 by Peter Thompson, on Flickr
With the cover off a small amount of oil drops out and you see this:
MAL_0151 by Peter Thompson, on Flickr
The "O"-ring will be flattened and a new one fits over the rim of the aluminium cover.
MAL_0148 by Peter Thompson, on Flickr
If the engine is ready for a service there will be compacted black gunge in the base of the compartments of the steel and aluminium pulley halves.
MAL_0149 by Peter Thompson, on Flickr
It looks like I have had my first lucky break with the van because this filter is very clean. I think the engine was replaced with a good one relatively few miles before the van was taken off the road.
PS. The procedure is exctly the same on the Fiat 500 and Fiat 126.
MAL_0145 by Peter Thompson, on FlickrThe first thing is that removing the panel is not that difficult and as well as improving access to the filter it makes everything else a bit easier when you are servicing the van and checking everything is in the place it should be.
There is a little tab under which you can use a screwdriver or similar to lever the cover off after removing the six screws.
MAL_0146 by Peter Thompson, on FlickrWith the cover off a small amount of oil drops out and you see this:
MAL_0151 by Peter Thompson, on FlickrThe "O"-ring will be flattened and a new one fits over the rim of the aluminium cover.
MAL_0148 by Peter Thompson, on FlickrIf the engine is ready for a service there will be compacted black gunge in the base of the compartments of the steel and aluminium pulley halves.
MAL_0149 by Peter Thompson, on FlickrIt looks like I have had my first lucky break with the van because this filter is very clean. I think the engine was replaced with a good one relatively few miles before the van was taken off the road.
PS. The procedure is exctly the same on the Fiat 500 and Fiat 126.
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lovejoyantiques
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Excellent photos Peter, thankyou
and your Pandora is superb, I am fascinated by the toolbox unit
fitted inside the engine cover, was that an option, or created by
someone?
It certainly is a clever use of the spare space inside the tiny engine
compartment !
and your Pandora is superb, I am fascinated by the toolbox unit
fitted inside the engine cover, was that an option, or created by
someone?
It certainly is a clever use of the spare space inside the tiny engine
compartment !
Excellent photos Peter, thankyou
and your Pandora is superb, I am fascinated by the toolbox unit
fitted inside the engine cover, was that an option, or created by
someone?
It certainly is a clever use of the spare space inside the tiny engine
compartment !
Pandora...mine...
I wish.No, that was a minter which I missed when it came up for sale a few years ago. I have a suspicion that it is the same vehicle which I nearly bought a couple of years before that from Ebay for about a third of the price it eventually went for.
It had been originally bought by an engineer and he will be the one who fitted the toolbox.
My van is the sad (but getting happier) Bluebell with a very intensive write-up in its own thread.
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lovejoyantiques
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Aha ! Thanks for reply, I did wonder, as I had seen the green Pandora before
that came over from Ireland, on Irish plates, up for sale in Brighton...
Then again, having been re-registered with UK licence plates, and sold via ebay
for about 11,000 pounds, with a claimed 8000 miles or so...
So is that the same one... ?
When I work out how to post a photo, I will start a new thread on my Pandora,
Which has been MOT'd for the last 17 years but is far from mint, but very useable.
It gets laid up during winter months, and I purposely do not take it out in rain,
as I know The Italians used their finest pasta to build these vehicles,
and they start to dissolve near any water !!!
that came over from Ireland, on Irish plates, up for sale in Brighton...
Then again, having been re-registered with UK licence plates, and sold via ebay
for about 11,000 pounds, with a claimed 8000 miles or so...
So is that the same one... ?
When I work out how to post a photo, I will start a new thread on my Pandora,
Which has been MOT'd for the last 17 years but is far from mint, but very useable.
It gets laid up during winter months, and I purposely do not take it out in rain,
as I know The Italians used their finest pasta to build these vehicles,
and they start to dissolve near any water !!!
Aha ! Thanks for reply, I did wonder, as I had seen the green Pandora before
that came over from Ireland, on Irish plates, up for sale in Brighton...
Then again, having been re-registered with UK licence plates, and sold via ebay
for about 11,000 pounds, with a claimed 8000 miles or so...
So is that the same one... ?
When I work out how to post a photo, I will start a new thread on my Pandora,
Which has been MOT'd for the last 17 years but is far from mint, but very useable.
It gets laid up during winter months, and I purposely do not take it out in rain,
as I know The Italians used their finest pasta to build these vehicles,
and they start to dissolve near any water !!!
I'm pretty sure it's the same one whch previously had Irish plates. Incidentally, I get the impression that some of the 850/900 camper van ranges were sold disproportionately in Ireland; maybe because there was factory converting them on the Isle of Man?
Brilliant man to have kept one MOT'd for 17 years.:worship:
I agree; the design of the van invites rust to eat it.
Similarly with the Fiat 500 but i do keep that running all year round.Get a thread started and tell your story....please.
Just responded on your separate thread.
PS. I cleaned out my oil filter prior to putting the engine back in a couple of weeks back (see separate thread on Connie's rebuild). It was totally compacted and there was no room left for any more gunk to accumulate. I suspect that once its been running for a while it will have caught the gunk that's been sitting in the engine and will need a clean out.
PPS. The Haynes manual recommends using Paraffin to clean out the filter areas making sure not to allow any to drip back into the engine. I found simply soaking rags in the paraffin and giving a gentle wipe round clean off the residue. Although I did need to use a screw driver to get the impacted gunk off first - nearly 10mm thick.
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