Technical Stilo 1.8 16v Timing belt, Variator, Water Pump

[RedBravoTjet]

Hello to all this my first post on the forum, however i am no stranger to italian cars mainly 20 valvole ones.
I am about to undertake a major service on my 192.A4000 1.8 16v stilo and would like some advice. The car has only covered 35,000 miles but is 10 years old.
I have bought the camshaft setting templates/locking tools and a flywheel lock. My question is, do i need a dti to measure top dead centre also?
I plan to turn the engine from the brake disk, while engaged in fifth gear to the timing marks for the crank, if they exist? Then attach the cam shaft templates/locking tools, possibly having to tweak the position turning the engine slightly using the above method. Then i plan to put the flywheel lock on to hold the crankshaft position. Will locking the flywheel prevent the crank from moving?
Then i believe you must undo the camshaft pulleys to allow the belt to tension correctly, is this necessary? I will have to undo the inlet camshaft to do the variator, but do they need to be free to turn anyway when tensioning?
Surely you could just count the teeth and mark between pulleys accurately? Because it will be held in position so its not going to move?

Any advice and help would really be appreciated

 

[Yellow Peril]

You want my advice? Take it to a good FIAT independent, don't DIY. So may people on here have had issues after changing a belt badly on Stilos. Not worth the hassle in my view...

 

[RedBravoTjet]

I appreciate what you are saying but in my opinion if you want something doing properly its best go do it yourself. I just need a few pointers from someone that has actually done it to check my method is correct. I realise its not a walk in the park. I think by reading threads it seems more mechanics have mucked it up than diy jobs. i think this is down to not timing the camshafts with templates. I cant realy warrant paying someone to do it as its a second car. But thanks for the advice. Unfortunately I am stubborn and its a weakness as much as it is a strength.

 

[RedBravoTjet]

Come on where are all the people who treat their cars like their women and don't want anyone to touch them?

 

[katanabandit1]

I took mine to a local garage to to do. Think it cost about 100 in labour charges. I supplied the kit from shop4parts. Always service my car myself every year but I think when it gets to the timing belt time its worth putting it in experienced hands then if it does go wrong they should be insured if it goes wrong. Not worth chancing having a lunched engine in my honest opinion.

 

[RedBravoTjet]

I'm not just talking about the timing belt I want to do the variator and water pump too. Does nobody time their own engines then?

 

[katanabandit1]

Again not worth the risk unless your 100 % sure you know what your doing and have the correct lck up tools etc. Only needs doing every 6 years or so so better to pay a proffessional on that one.

 

[RedBravoTjet]

Well I finally undertook this work today and what a beautiful day to do it. I must say I disagree with this "just pay a man to do it" attitude. But then I would start a debate on the subject of what is the forum for? If its not for people who don't just put petrol in their car and drive. I think there are many teqniques of timing the engine that work but using the correct tools is my choice. Purely because otherwise you cannot accurately time it based on a visual of where the cams are based on their profile, if they move from their original timed positions. Basically you cannot check your work, I like to check my work. I used a DTI gauge to check piston position and a set of cam templates to check the camshaft positions, in relation to piston position. Could not be a safer way to do this. I took the variator out in situ with a socket and appropriate tool, and replaced the camshaft seals. Water pump was easy as pie, three bolts. The most fiddly job of all was removing the hose clamp on the bottom of the rad . . . Seriously! I did add a bit of sealant to rocker cover but not much. These alunium engines have such beautifully machined faces and the rubber gaskets are really quite good if treated correctly. So good that I bought a new gasket but decided to leave the old one as it was in great condition and I can always change it another day in 20 mins.
I think I should have added when starting the thread that I am a tool setter, so I have an understanding of engineering theories. I think it's an easy job if you have an understanding of engineering principals and the correct tools. If you want to pay someone to do it fair enough but for me it's not about the money it's about not having a reliance on somebody else to do it for me. I am after all a proud Italian like most of my cars.

 

[Yellow Peril]

Props to you for doing it. And apologies for my earlier post. Didn't know your level of expertise...just wanted to save you some heartache if you'd not been sure what you were doing. Lots of people on the forum have caught a cold doing cam belt DIY.

 

[RedBravoTjet]

I think it's completely understandable people are cautious about stuff, but if your are prepared to learn and possibly make mistakes no job is beyond you.

The reward for this job is being able admire how beautifully engineered your engine is. Coupled with inspecting it for how well it has been manufactured!

Mine was manufactured in Germany and I found a little boo boo one of our German friends made in my rocker cover. Probably when he/she drilled the holes in it. Nothing serious at all but proof that cars manufactured in Germany are no better based on where they are manufactured. Just something I liked knowing when I find myself in the company of somebody claiming our Italian cars are not as good as overpriced German equivalents . . . Like golf people.

I might make a guide for work

 

[Yellow Peril]

Mine was manufactured in Germany and I found a little boo boo one of our German friends made in my rocker cover. Probably when he/she drilled the holes in it. Nothing serious at all but proof that cars manufactured in Germany are no better based on where they are manufactured.

Eh? You're saying your Stilo 1.8 engine was made in Germany?

 

[RedBravoTjet]

Yes it's a German import and its right hand drive. I guess I have no proof the engine was made there but I have noticed stickers on parts like behind the door card all written in German. Which would strongly suggest it wasn't assembled in Italy at the very least. Dunno if anyone knows whether their was production there for a fact.

 

[Yellow Peril]

Yes it's a German import and its right hand drive. I guess I have no proof the engine was made there but I have noticed stickers on parts like behind the door card all written in German. Which would strongly suggest it wasn't assembled in Italy at the very least. Dunno if anyone knows whether their was production there for a fact.

Strange. If Wiki is to be believed, FIAT have never had a plant in Germany:

[ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Fiat_Group_assembly_sites[/ame]

I think the old Panda 4x4 was assembled in Austria, but other than that (and Brazil of course) I'm pretty sure all Stilos were made in Italy.

 

[burtontrent]

Hello to all this my first post on the forum, however i am no stranger to italian cars mainly 20 valvole ones.
I am about to undertake a major service on my 192.A4000 1.8 16v stilo and would like some advice. The car has only covered 35,000 miles but is 10 years old.
I have bought the camshaft setting templates/locking tools and a flywheel lock. My question is, do i need a dti to measure top dead centre also?
I plan to turn the engine from the brake disk, while engaged in fifth gear to the timing marks for the crank, if they exist? Then attach the cam shaft templates/locking tools, possibly having to tweak the position turning the engine slightly using the above method. Then i plan to put the flywheel lock on to hold the crankshaft position. Will locking the flywheel prevent the crank from moving?
Then i believe you must undo the camshaft pulleys to allow the belt to tension correctly, is this necessary? I will have to undo the inlet camshaft to do the variator, but do they need to be free to turn anyway when tensioning?
Surely you could just count the teeth and mark between pulleys accurately? Because it will be held in position so its not going to move?

Any advice and help would really be appreciated

I happen to have come by a 2006, 1.8 16V Stilo because it had broken the cambelt, so got the car for NZ $500. So I bought 8 new exhaust valves to replace the 8 bent ones. replaced the head with a new gasket, done all the hard work and its back together. I have been a mechanic on Euro's for over 40 years, now 69 years old. I bought a whole kit off Ali Express, but already have the 'Dark green Cam lobe lockers' which do not come in the 1.6 set with Alfa and Lancia tools for timing also. So, now I have found that the crank mark is at 11'o'clock on the 1.8 16v. which is wrong for the locking tool in the set. Also the cams is a mystery, to find anything on where they sit, although the locking lobe lockers should sought that. But its hard to understand the whole cam settings, it does'nt make sense to me. As the cam mark on Exhaust is, or should be at 3 o'clock, but the sensor is not at that point? Any ideas anyone I really need help. I can post pics if you need them to show where I am at? lobe lockers are on 3 & 4 fit perfectly!

 

[burtontrent]

I appreciate what you are saying but in my opinion if you want something doing properly its best go do it yourself. I just need a few pointers from someone that has actually done it to check my method is correct. I realise its not a walk in the park. I think by reading threads it seems more mechanics have mucked it up than diy jobs. i think this is down to not timing the camshafts with templates. I cant realy warrant paying someone to do it as its a second car. But thanks for the advice. Unfortunately I am stubborn and its a weakness as much as it is a strength.

If you are still doing this job happy to work together to sought it?

 

[aschiuta]

I happen to have come by a 2006, 1.8 16V Stilo because it had broken the cambelt, so got the car for NZ $500. So I bought 8 new exhaust valves to replace the 8 bent ones. replaced the head with a new gasket, done all the hard work and its back together. I have been a mechanic on Euro's for over 40 years, now 69 years old. I bought a whole kit off Ali Express, but already have the 'Dark green Cam lobe lockers' which do not come in the 1.6 set with Alfa and Lancia tools for timing also. So, now I have found that the crank mark is at 11'o'clock on the 1.8 16v. which is wrong for the locking tool in the set. Also the cams is a mystery, to find anything on where they sit, although the locking lobe lockers should sought that. But its hard to understand the whole cam settings, it does'nt make sense to me. As the cam mark on Exhaust is, or should be at 3 o'clock, but the sensor is not at that point? Any ideas anyone I really need help. I can post pics if you need them to show where I am at? lobe lockers are on 3 & 4 fit perfectly!

From manual:

 

[burtontrent]

From manual:

From manual:

Thank you Ashiuta for the pics and info that will be really helpful. Much obliged for your kindness. Burton Trent

 

[aschiuta]

Thank you Ashiuta for the pics and info that will be really helpful. Much obliged for your kindness. Burton Trent

You're welcome!

 

[burtontrent]

Thank you Ashiuta for the pics and info that will be really helpful. Much obliged for your kindness. Burton Trent

I bought that Elearn manual yesterday, it had 25% discount with it, but am having trouble opening it up with the software from Oracle. I have a young lad coming to help me open it. Then it all will be easy! Hopefully

 

[burtontrent]

You want my advice? Take it to a good FIAT independent, don't DIY. So may people on here have had issues after changing a belt badly on Stilos. Not worth the hassle in my view...

I am begining to think that way myself even with over 50+ years as a mechanic on Euro. Finding info on Fiat's is hard.