That must have been a hell of a puddle, the intake is quite high on the panda..... unless you attacked it at 60mph 
General Project Peterborough
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General Project Peterborough
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That must have been a hell of a puddle, the intake is quite high on the panda..... unless you attacked it at 60mph
Headlight deep.
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Bartpanda
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Come on ! drowning panda in the puddle?
here is the challenge
So, the first two mods for your new 4x4 are:
1: forget about original intake rubber pipe, take air at least from the heater box level
2: move the ignition coil higher
{sorry for the poor picts.}
here is the challenge
So, the first two mods for your new 4x4 are:
1: forget about original intake rubber pipe, take air at least from the heater box level
2: move the ignition coil higher
{sorry for the poor picts.}
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That's brilliant! Stealth snorkel.
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The thing I really love to hate about Pandas is they're becoming classics. There are a few that have been cherished but most have been cheap transport. Used, abused, neglected and projects at best. My 4x4 and the "how the bloody Hell did this get through an M.O.T" is no exception. The rear drivers side brake cylinder was so bad I have no reason not to believe it was the 1988 original. Poor little van.
Before...
...two hours after...
...I think I may have done more than water damage to the van as well. Coaxing her home on three and a half cylinders may have blown the head gasket.
An hour into the drivers side brake rebuild the thermostat started leaking and the expansion tank had a lot of pressure. Driving off the ramps she was still lumpy and not exactly confidence inspiring. FrankenFiat II is ready to fit but I was hoping to not have to just yet.
Before...
...two hours after...
...I think I may have done more than water damage to the van as well. Coaxing her home on three and a half cylinders may have blown the head gasket.
An hour into the drivers side brake rebuild the thermostat started leaking and the expansion tank had a lot of pressure. Driving off the ramps she was still lumpy and not exactly confidence inspiring. FrankenFiat II is ready to fit but I was hoping to not have to just yet.
I was going to insult you for being wreckless but I would have done exactly the same to be honest.
i had fun fording once in talon. had water come up and over the bonnet but shockingly he didnt cut out. i had the rubber pipe bent up around the battery area and a rubber glove over the distributor though.
fallout though. wanna give him a snorkel and upgrade the electronics. maybe have a 4 coil setup and the dizzy turned into all low voltage stuff.. its a long way off and i can still dream. we will see.
fallout though. wanna give him a snorkel and upgrade the electronics. maybe have a 4 coil setup and the dizzy turned into all low voltage stuff.. its a long way off and i can still dream. we will see.
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Okay here we go. As usual this is how I did it and not a comprehensive guide.
Replacing the slave cylinder and brake shoes from a Panda 4x4.
Take your Fiat Panda 4x4 and...
...elevate the rear of the car (in my case van) using ramps...
...support the axle with a trolley jack and remove the wheel bolts.
Once loosened, remove the wheel and move the ramp out of the way.
Inspect the brake drum for possible signs of damage, warping and surrounding areas for brake fluid and axle grease.
Removed the 12mm locating pin and bolt from the drum...
...and with a little persuasion remove the drum itself.
Next we remove the pin from the handbrake mechanism...
...the "R" clip can be rusty so be prepared to grind it off and drill the hole in the pin later.
Next we remove the 10mm bolt and seal form the end of the half shaft. Undo the 17mm bolts at the back of the hub bearing...
...and take the hub bearing out freeing the backing plate from the axle.
Next I tilted the backing plate forward...
...because this slave cylinder is junk and I didn't want to leak brake fluid everywhere I used the grinder...
...to get the bleed nipple out of the way.
Next we get the brake line spanner and place it on the back of the slave cylinder...
...crank it loose and then turn the base plate to remove it from the car completely.
I do this because it's so much easier to strip and reassemble on a bench or sat on the floor with it in front of you.
The eagle eyed will have spotted there was nothing holding the front shoe on and a 10mm bolt holding the rear shoe in place.
At least it isn't black silicone for a change. Probably just as well the slave cylinder was knackered. If I had brakes I'd probably be dead from the first time I slowed from 50+mph.
Okay soap box away...
The whole brake assembly is now apart so I can...
...give it a quick going over with a wire brush and...
...make sure I have everything I need to put it all back together (good old shed. I had the shoe locating pins and spring clips from my old car, funny shoe and wheel cylinder kits don't come with new ones these days).
First of all I put the new slave cylinder in place. Held closed with a cable tie.
The rear shoe...
...springs...
...thread the springs into the rear shoe...
...pull across and locate with the pins and clips.
This is so much easier than faffing about with spring pullers and ripping your knuckles apart trying to replace the shoes with the backing plate on the car.
Remove the cable tie and line the ends of the cylinder up to the shoes.
Okay I close the cylinder so it doesn't get in the way when I stretch the shoes across. I've seen people rip the rubber seals with the shoes if they are left open.
Replacing the backing plate is the reverse of removal (obviously) but instead of grinding the nipple out of the way I simply remove it...
...rotating the backing plate and torquing it against the brake line spanner.
Once tight replace the bleed nipple finger tight so you can bleed the bakes later.
Always put the dust cover back on the nipple before putting the assembly back together. There's all kinds of crap in your wheel arches and a dirty nipple won't bleed properly later.
Finally put the backing plate in place, push the hub bearing back and secure with the 17mm bolts, cap off the end of the half shaft with the 10mm bolt and washer...
...the drum will go on a bloody sight easier than it came off. Bleed the brakes as usual and wonder why your rear axle now makes noise.
Okay I've also been getting to the bottom of why the 4x4 sounded like crap, worked on three and half cylinders and cut out every time I lifted off the throttle.
Number one and two spark plug recesses still had water in them. The car still had water in it and the slow running jet was blocked with a bit of sand from yesterdays puddle. All stripped apart, cleaned and reassembled. Stick your diagnostic probe in that.
The combination of removing the drag form the rear axle and the engine running properly for the first time the old girl is perkier than ever.
I know I keep going on about this but it's so good doing mechanical stuff. No ABS sensors, no diagnostic computermebobs, no faffing about. Find a problem; fix it. :slayer:
Replacing the slave cylinder and brake shoes from a Panda 4x4.
Take your Fiat Panda 4x4 and...
...elevate the rear of the car (in my case van) using ramps...
...support the axle with a trolley jack and remove the wheel bolts.
Once loosened, remove the wheel and move the ramp out of the way.
Inspect the brake drum for possible signs of damage, warping and surrounding areas for brake fluid and axle grease.
Removed the 12mm locating pin and bolt from the drum...
...and with a little persuasion remove the drum itself.
Next we remove the pin from the handbrake mechanism...
...the "R" clip can be rusty so be prepared to grind it off and drill the hole in the pin later.
Next we remove the 10mm bolt and seal form the end of the half shaft. Undo the 17mm bolts at the back of the hub bearing...
...and take the hub bearing out freeing the backing plate from the axle.
Next I tilted the backing plate forward...
...because this slave cylinder is junk and I didn't want to leak brake fluid everywhere I used the grinder...
...to get the bleed nipple out of the way.
Next we get the brake line spanner and place it on the back of the slave cylinder...
...crank it loose and then turn the base plate to remove it from the car completely.
I do this because it's so much easier to strip and reassemble on a bench or sat on the floor with it in front of you.
The eagle eyed will have spotted there was nothing holding the front shoe on and a 10mm bolt holding the rear shoe in place.
At least it isn't black silicone for a change. Probably just as well the slave cylinder was knackered. If I had brakes I'd probably be dead from the first time I slowed from 50+mph.
Okay soap box away...
The whole brake assembly is now apart so I can...
...give it a quick going over with a wire brush and...
...make sure I have everything I need to put it all back together (good old shed. I had the shoe locating pins and spring clips from my old car, funny shoe and wheel cylinder kits don't come with new ones these days).
First of all I put the new slave cylinder in place. Held closed with a cable tie.
The rear shoe...
...springs...
...thread the springs into the rear shoe...
...pull across and locate with the pins and clips.
This is so much easier than faffing about with spring pullers and ripping your knuckles apart trying to replace the shoes with the backing plate on the car.
Remove the cable tie and line the ends of the cylinder up to the shoes.
Okay I close the cylinder so it doesn't get in the way when I stretch the shoes across. I've seen people rip the rubber seals with the shoes if they are left open.
Replacing the backing plate is the reverse of removal (obviously) but instead of grinding the nipple out of the way I simply remove it...
...rotating the backing plate and torquing it against the brake line spanner.
Once tight replace the bleed nipple finger tight so you can bleed the bakes later.
Always put the dust cover back on the nipple before putting the assembly back together. There's all kinds of crap in your wheel arches and a dirty nipple won't bleed properly later.
Finally put the backing plate in place, push the hub bearing back and secure with the 17mm bolts, cap off the end of the half shaft with the 10mm bolt and washer...
...the drum will go on a bloody sight easier than it came off. Bleed the brakes as usual and wonder why your rear axle now makes noise.
Okay I've also been getting to the bottom of why the 4x4 sounded like crap, worked on three and half cylinders and cut out every time I lifted off the throttle.
Number one and two spark plug recesses still had water in them. The car still had water in it and the slow running jet was blocked with a bit of sand from yesterdays puddle. All stripped apart, cleaned and reassembled. Stick your diagnostic probe in that.
The combination of removing the drag form the rear axle and the engine running properly for the first time the old girl is perkier than ever.
I know I keep going on about this but it's so good doing mechanical stuff. No ABS sensors, no diagnostic computermebobs, no faffing about. Find a problem; fix it. :slayer:
ლ(ಠ益ಠლ) y u no paint back plate??
those things are really hard to find :/
those things are really hard to find :/
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No paint.
When I drop the axle for a jack up and new flexihose. I'll paint it all at the same time.
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Hmmm, another day another issue.
Roughly half way to work cold air from the heater?
I stopped at a petrol station to see where I was losing water from. Nowhere obvious.
Okay.
The van was a pig to start and the exhaust made the forecourt look like new romantics video.
I thought the head gasket was on its way out.
I guess I'm cycling to work for the rest of the week (if I make it home later) and the FrankenFiat transplant has to go ahead of schedule. Shame.
Roughly half way to work cold air from the heater?
I stopped at a petrol station to see where I was losing water from. Nowhere obvious.
Okay.
The van was a pig to start and the exhaust made the forecourt look like new romantics video.
I thought the head gasket was on its way out.
I guess I'm cycling to work for the rest of the week (if I make it home later) and the FrankenFiat transplant has to go ahead of schedule. Shame.
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Towed home and all is well. I guess.
I'd set my mind on the FrankenFiat II engine all day and my mate Kev' says...
"Oh I've a got a Brava 1.2 16V if you want the engine out of that".
:bang:
Decision time again.
I'd set my mind on the FrankenFiat II engine all day and my mate Kev' says...
"Oh I've a got a Brava 1.2 16V if you want the engine out of that".
:bang:
Decision time again.
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Oh dear. Just looked under the bonnet and it's a mess. The sump breather pipe has blown off and dumped oil/sludge over the battery and bulkhead. I'll go full CSI in there on my transition day Friday.
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Tyres arrived an hour ago.
Looking forward to cycling home later.
Looking forward to cycling home later.
I vote for the Bravo engine for ease of informing the insurance company
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Twas the morn' before All Saints Day and all about the house, someone was home so these...
...were delivered.
Just in case anyone was interested...
...they're road legal to.
...were delivered.
Just in case anyone was interested...
...they're road legal to.
Uuuuu...
Kingpin Extragrip, I had exact same onece as a second off-road set of wheels. When I've been doing the Mongolia Charity Rally (not Mongol Rally) this year. Had them fitted to suzuki carry, they were 155/80/13 IIRC. Swaped them over when we left the ferry in Kazhstan. They were bloody fantastic in terms of grip, not to lound on road either, but pain in the arse for ballancing as they are remoulds i had 115 grams at one point!!!! After doing approx. 100mile stage on tarmac at 35 degrees celcius one of them went busted ie.bowl totaly! The flat head surface was no longer flat, more like endoro bike tyre, so we still had kingpins at the rear axle (rwd car) they, done the job for 120 GBP per set. We did stuck only o onece when crossing the river. For winter use on panda they should be unbeatable, if its gona be really bad this year they are" studable" for icy conditions.
Kingpin Extragrip, I had exact same onece as a second off-road set of wheels. When I've been doing the Mongolia Charity Rally (not Mongol Rally) this year. Had them fitted to suzuki carry, they were 155/80/13 IIRC. Swaped them over when we left the ferry in Kazhstan. They were bloody fantastic in terms of grip, not to lound on road either, but pain in the arse for ballancing as they are remoulds i had 115 grams at one point!!!! After doing approx. 100mile stage on tarmac at 35 degrees celcius one of them went busted ie.bowl totaly! The flat head surface was no longer flat, more like endoro bike tyre, so we still had kingpins at the rear axle (rwd car) they, done the job for 120 GBP per set. We did stuck only o onece when crossing the river. For winter use on panda they should be unbeatable, if its gona be really bad this year they are" studable" for icy conditions.
man.. i'd love a set of those.
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They look like they have stud holes in the outer tread blocks.
Bring on the weather.
Time to begin the postmortem.
I know it's head gasket failure but...
...is it due to a neglectful previous owner...
...or abuse by me?
The number of bodges and cut corners I'm finding all over the car plus the fact I've only done a hundred and twenty miles in the car would suggest neglect but I did drive the car home with a misfire after the deep puddle incident. Could the delay in the spark have caused the head gasket to fail?
The only other time I've had a head gasket fail on a Panda was my Bianca. The timing belt went at 70mph and the out of cycle compression blew the gasket into the next cylinder.
Why is it always number 1 with the 8V FIRE engine and number 4 with the 16V Super FIRE engines?
If I find any trace of black silicone in the engine I'll dump it on the previous owners door step. :bang:
Bring on the weather.
Time to begin the postmortem.
I know it's head gasket failure but...
...is it due to a neglectful previous owner...
...or abuse by me?
The number of bodges and cut corners I'm finding all over the car plus the fact I've only done a hundred and twenty miles in the car would suggest neglect but I did drive the car home with a misfire after the deep puddle incident. Could the delay in the spark have caused the head gasket to fail?
The only other time I've had a head gasket fail on a Panda was my Bianca. The timing belt went at 70mph and the out of cycle compression blew the gasket into the next cylinder.
Why is it always number 1 with the 8V FIRE engine and number 4 with the 16V Super FIRE engines?
If I find any trace of black silicone in the engine I'll dump it on the previous owners door step. :bang:
Last edited:
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