General panda timing belt

[Giacosa]

Hi everybody this is my first post and i got a real problem> im having a hell of a time getting the belt on I think I have the marks lined up perfectly but its terrible it gets hot too fast wont run at all well. Its made harder by the fact you have to look at the marks from an angle because the engine is still in the car. Is there any foolproof way of doin it? And how can you use the marks on the flywheel? Cheers lads n lasses hope to hear from you

 

[dave]

Hi welcome to the forum

on a punto you take a wheel off to see bottom mark

 

[sammiboo]

hello welcome to the mad house

 

[John H]

Hi welcome to the forum

on a punto you take a wheel off to see bottom mark

Agreed for the Panda too:
but you also need to take off a plastic cover, which is held on with three self-tapping screws, once the (UK drivers side) wheel is off to see the pulley area at the bottom of the engine.

 

[Giacosa]

Thanks for the response guys I think its fixed now i used the timing mark on the flywheel which worked better. Do you have any tips on using a strobe light? I am not quite sure how to set it up and what it is supposed to do.

 

[John H]

If it's a boring old (cheap) one you unplug the sparkplug lead from number 1 cylinder and put the leads in series:
sparkplug lead to timing light lead, other timing light lead to the spark plug.

doesn't really matter which plug, as they (should) all fire at the same point in the cycle (IE just before TDC).

It will flash when the plug has its spark - this flash will freeze the movement of the flywheel: you should see the timing marks appear static.

Adjust the timing, the relative positions of the timing marks will move.

Probably set to 2 degrees advanced with the vacuum advance disconnected and plugged, or around the 12 degree mark with it connected (and working).

 

[Giacosa]

Thanks for the tips John. One thing tho, I take it its not good if u cant see the flywheel timing mark with the strobe light on. I tried moving the distributor first advancing ignition and then retarding it but i could bring mark into view Gulp!!!! Im feeling more fiddling with the timinfg belt might be in order

 

[dave]

Thanks for the tips John. One thing tho, I take it its not good if u cant see the flywheel timing mark with the strobe light on. I tried moving the distributor first advancing ignition and then retarding it but i could bring mark into view Gulp!!!! Im feeling more fiddling with the timinfg belt might be in order

sometimes you need to put a little bit of tipex on the mark to see it better

 

[John H]

sometimes you need to put a little bit of tipex on the mark to see it better

Spot on:
did mine ages ago, and forgot to mention it...

 

[Giacosa]

By Heck! I never want to change another timing belt i my life. If the marks are even microscopically out its got no go at all. Makes u wonder how many belts fitted in high street garages are slightly out. But hell thet'd prob do it better than nme anyway! Cheers for all the help u given. do we have such a thing as a national panda event? Invade mallory park perhaps!

 

[John H]

By Heck! I never want to change another timing belt i my life. If the marks are even microscopically out its got no go at all. Makes u wonder how many belts fitted in high street garages are slightly out. But hell thet'd prob do it better than me anyway!

AIUI

You can "only" be out by multiples of the teeth on the pulleys the belt runs on, and as far as I can recall it works out to about 12 degrees on the bigger one, which mucks up the valve timinig, and the ignition timing on most Pandas.

Agreed there are mis-fitted belts out there,
but regarding garages versus home repairs - it's swings and roundabouts...

I'm probably smarter than the average mechanic,
but they have lots of experience of routine work,
I can mess about until I'm happy,
but they charge by the hour,
I sometimes have to improvise tools,
they should have the proper tools for the job,
I'm interested in what I'm doing,
they might not be...

 

[Giacosa]

Hi Guys jus back from big trip round scotland. The little box was cool chasing audis at 90 or so. I have buggered the clutch tho is it easy to change? Also I saw i really strange Panda in Fort William. I didnt manage to get a pic but it looked like a stretched, taller Panda. It kept the same features so it still looked like a panda tho ih had a curved windscreen. It was based on a mk1 panda 4x4. It had LRC on its bonnet and torino on its grille any ideas?

 

[John H]

Clutch is a heavy dirty job:
need some lifting gear too.

It has been done single-handed
(actually a gearbox change by SteveYensen)
but would be easier with two.


Was the car in Scotland one of these??

 

[Giacosa]

Clutch is a heavy dirty job:
need some lifting gear too.

Ok I think il do the unthinkable and get garage to do it. As for the weird panda no it wasnt that. Thats a Nissan van isnt it. The thing i saw was prob a kit car based on a mk1 cos it had a mk1 panda dash. I thought an Italian coachbuilder might have built it cos of the torino name on its grille. I must do some door knocking next time im in fort william

 

[John H]

Indeed a Nissan. Not officially imported.

S-cargo (!)

Who says the Japanese have no humour?


The only Panda based kit I can find is the firefly:

http://www.dartcars.co.uk/

Not one of those...

 

[Giacosa]

Hi John took good look at firefly site but whati saw was no sports car. I reckon its on www.carsfromitaly.com If you go to the section on other makes and look at the very bottom of the SAVIO section. The silver special bodied panda is pretty much what i saw. Its really cool I want to go have another look at it but my clutch is still buggered It would be very unusual for a special bodied fiat to be in Britain. Also look under BIZARRINI and MORETTI for other special Pandas.

 

[John H]

Never seen one of those -