So the head gasket was the issue but I've concluded that neglect was the primary cause.
From the scratches left on the block face and head the gasket was changed possibly over a thousand miles ago, but when this task was carried out number eight stretch bolt must have sheered off either when removing the head or after the new gasket was in place. This bolt was drilled out and the damage to the treads repaired with car body filler.
I feared the black silicone would return and it did. It was used to hold the block and gearbox together as one of the mounting bolt holes had little to no thread. Still the other two engine mounting bolts and three starter motor bolts appeared to be fine.
Every single exhaust manifold nut was a quarter turn more than finger loose with only three proper washers, one wrong one and the other four had none at all. :bang:
The lower radiator hose was held on with welding wire...
...lucky the gasket went when it did because it would have rusted away made contact with the exhaust manifold and burned itself to pieces.
Right I've had enough slating previous bodges. Time to try and put some of them right. But first...
Removing the head off a Panda 4x4
This is not a definitive guide but how I did it.
Okay remove the airbox...
...disconnect (and in my case because it was covered in crap remove) the battery.
Next unscrew the front grille, unplug the fan and water level sensor, disconnect the radiator hoses, undo the nut and two bolts holding the fan in place and the two nuts holding the radiator top mounts in place. Carefully lift the radiator out and stick a hose pipe in one end to flush any crap out of the core.
Remove fuel lines, fuel pump and the distributor so you can get to the top hose on remove that as well.
Disconnect the accelerator and choke cables before carefully undoing the long 10mm bolts that hold the carb' in place.
Next undo the four 10mm bolts that hold the cam' cover in place. Remove that and starting in the middle remove the 10mm bolts that hold the cam in place. Once loose pop the oil line out and carefully lift the cam' from the distributor end so the timing belt falls from the cam' wheel.
Starting from the top centre and working your way outwards undo all the head bolts and carefully lift the head from the block.
If I were replacing the gasket I would have made a few precautions like locking the engine in TDC (not that much of an issue with the FIRE engine as it's non-interference) and giving the had a good clean and ensuring the block surface is free from debris, bits of old gasket and ready to refit the head later. Due to the damage to the block I can't use it again so...
...it's out. I removed the nearly new clutch from the 4x4 999cc block to try and fit it to FrankenFiat II but...
...the flywheel mounting holes were incompatible. So the FrankenFiat engine came with...
...an AP Racing clutch. I guess it will have to do.
Just as well I made the car a van. This load space has come in very handy indeed.
Two problems I'll need to address. There is no profile on the end of the 866 cam' to run a mechanical fuel pump. If I use an electric pump there's nowhere on the carb' for a return pipe.
