Technical Valve clearance adjustments for 2017 1.2 8v

[andrewpsmith]

Hi,
I own a FIAT 500 1.2 (2017) Engine Code 169A4000 / 312AXA1A. According to the service manual the valve clearances need to be checked and if necessary adjusted as part of the service. Can anyone tell me whether the valve clearances require manual adjustment on this engine? If so it would also be really helpful to know what diameter shims are required (e.g. 31mm, 33mm, etc) and what the valve clearances need to be for INLET and EXHAUST (e.g. 0.35 / 0.40 ). Apologies if this is on the site already but I've had a good look around the forum and found discussions on the topic but I couldn't find info for my specific engine.

Thanks,
Andy

 

[A3jeroen]

Hydraulic lifters. IMHO they seldom need to be adjusted. I used to do 200.000 Km in 2 1/2 years and although I asked the dealer to check at 120.000 they never had to be adjusted.

gr J

 

[andrewpsmith]

Thanks for the feedback Jeroen, that's some major miles!!! My engine sounds pretty good so I suspect the valves are fine but the service guide says to check at 36K and 72K (Miles) service. My car now has around 45K miles and they have never been checked, so I'm keen to check them if I can get hold of the procedure/specs. Hopefully if my car is anything like yours they won't need adjusting.

 

[Ralf S.]

If it has hydraulic lifters then they won't need adjusting, unless the lifters are worn to the extent that they need to be replaced, of the lifter is jammed in which case that's a "failure" so also a replacement job.

Ralf S.

 

[jrkitching]

Valve clearance on the 1.2 500 is set by shims. If the clearance is outside limits, the existing shim has to be removed, measured with a micrometer and a replacement shim of suitable size inserted.

Fortunately they almost never go out of tolerance over the working life of the engine.

You can check them in the usual way (remember you'll need a new cam cover gasket), but if they are out of tolerance, you'll need a micrometer, a shim removal tool, a source of replacement shims, and the means to go get them with the car in bits.

The VVT 1.2 can sometimes be a bit tappety when first started from cold, but unless the engine is unduly noisy once warmed up, then personally I'd just leave well alone. Valve train failures/ burnt valves on the 1.2 are almost never reported on the forum (though it's a different story for the TA with its hydraulic valve operation).

DIY owners would probably check these at cambelt replacement time when the cam cover is off anyway. It's much easier to position the crank accurately with the plugs out, so it makes sense to do this check at the same time as a full service.

 

[The Panda Nut]

I had both my 1.2s checked at 35000 and 50000 miles respectively and both were not needing any adjustments.

 

[andrewpsmith]

That's a big help Guys. Thank you. My car is 6 years old in a few months so I need to replace the cam belt due to its age at the 45K service - makes sense that would be a good time to check the valves and hopefully I won't need any adjustments.

 

[varesecrazy]

The old FIRE motors were very durable..as using established tech

VVT is too new for my experience.. but probably not much different in potential wear.. all we would all be hearing about it

My recently purchased 500 is similar to yours.. so will also get them checked in the warmer months along with Cambelt kit and Waterpump

 

[koalar]

There fairly easy to check

But normally good for 200,000 miles, without adjustment

You can buy a large selection of shims. I haven’t checked if these are correct just the first that came up with a google search

Tappet Shim Set (Diameter 31mm) - Fiat,Lancia - | Italian Car Parts Specialists

Tappet Shim Set (Diameter 31mm) - Fiat,Lancia - - - Brand New There are 124 Shims in this kit (4 of each size) Set of Shims from sizes 3.20mm to 4.70mm Diameter 31mm to fit: All FIRE Engines including Fiat Uno,Panda,Punto,Y10,New 500,New Panda If you ha

www.ricambio.co.uk

Or you measure how much it’s out then measure what’s already installed and order the correct one at £4 approximately

You will also need a cam cover gasket and set of o rings

There a couple of tools that make the job easier

1a

Lever

1.860.443.000

	Name	Country
1b	Lever	1.860.747.000

But unless there is an abnormal tappet noise I would say it’s a waist of time and effort

 

[varesecrazy]

Ive Checked my OHC FIAT cars..
FIRE and the previous X1/9 era motors

Checking is an hours work.. not too involved

Swapping shims is more complex..but Ive always found things 'ok'

 

[andrewpsmith]

Thanks for that feedback. It sounds like there's a general consensus that they rarely need adjustment. I've got to swap the timing belt anyway so will check when I do that. Useful to have the links to those tools . If I can find some at a reasonable price I might get them anyway as I I'm sure if I need them in a hurry they won't be anywhere to be found . As for the shims, I think I'll be buying those if and when I need them. I've got myself a new gasket set so all good to go ...just need the weather to warm up now. Thanks again.

 

[koalar]

Thanks for that feedback. It sounds like there's a general consensus that they rarely need adjustment.

Correct

I've got to swap the timing belt anyway so will check when I do that. Useful to have the links to those tools .

Take the full stops out of those part number I posted above yielded more google hits for me

It’s easy to damage the aluminium casting if you slip off, so use caution. Apparently engine builders see damaged heads due to the incorrect tools being used

Here some better instructions

Reparaturanleitung - Fiat Cinquecento: Ventilspiel prüfen/einstellen - Motor - Reparaturanleitung

www.fiatde.com

The translate button worked fine in my. Browser

Wrong car but the principals are the same

Here a photo of the correct tool stolen of the internet and I also believe the Kawasaki shim tool (cheaper) also works but I have never tried it so can’t confirm

 

[andrewpsmith]

Thanks for that info, those instructions you pointed at are excellent..very clear. I tried looking for someone selling those fiat tools or something similar (the article names a few companies that sell similar ones) but certainly none in the UK with stock, I did find the reference for the ford version (303-1457) but even that drew a blank, and the DE ones won't post here.... I'll take another look at that later. That laser tool (6517) looks like it'll do the job so I might get one of those and give it a try.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

We've had Pandas in the family for many years. Starting with my daughter's 750 with points type ignition and working on through several others including the purple one - Felicity - you see in my avatar picture right up to Becky our present one 2010 1.2 Eco Dynamic. They all had/have the FIRE engine so like yours with solid cam followers and shims for adjustment. My boy also has a 2012 1.4 VVT Punto, but this is still basically the same engine with the same design of cam follower. It's worth knowing that they can be briefly a bit "tappety" on startup because the oil supply to the cam spray holes takes a few revolutions of the engine to find it's way up to the top of the engine, but as long as they run quietly thereafter it's nothing to worry about. Typically they'll rattle a bit if not started for a few days.

Checking is easy with a normal set of feelers after you've removed the cam cover. Just rotate the crankshaft until the cam lobe is pointing up on the one you want to check and try the clearance with a feeler. If it's not within tolerance you need to remove the old shim and measure it, I would use a micrometer for this. Then you need to acquire a shim which is thicker by the amount needed to bring the clearance back within spec. Normal wear, if any, would be for the clearance to have opened up a little but if the clearance has closed up you might expect there to be a problem with the valve seat or valve head so don't just fit a new thinner shim. You need to examine the condition of the seat/valve face as erosion might be a possibility. A good place to start is to do a compression check - or better still a cylinder leak test - before you start removing any nuts and bolts.

It's not unusual, if you have a keen ear, to be able to hear some valve noise but unless the clearances are a long way out I'd just leave them alone. Cam follower/valve problems on these engines are very unusual and even with a wee "tick" from the cam followers they seem to run on very happily for years without any problems.

If you are taking shim measurements look carefully at the middle of the shim where the cam rubs and compare thickness in the middle with the thickness on the outside where it won't be worn. You may find that the thickness in the middle is a few thou thinner than at the outside - this is why I like using a micrometer, it's difficult to measure this with calipers for instance - If your shim is thinner in the middle then this is the figure you need to work with. Simply taking the etched in number on a worn shim as "gospel" can land you in trouble with new shims that are not correct.

Another thing to look for is the condition of the peak of the cam lobe. Is it nice and smooth or is it scored in any way. It should be really smooth, almost like a mirror finish. Compare them all, they should all look the same. Any damage at all means a new shaft. If you find just one lobe in poor condition check the oil spray holes in the cam cover as it may not be getting an oil feed. I like to apply compressed air to the feed hole at the side, where it takes the oil feed from the middle of the head (on the exhaust side) and check if air is freely coming out of the spray holes. When you buy a new gasket for the cover make sure you get a kit that includes the four wee rubber O rings which seal between the cam cover and camshaft journal housings, cheaper offerings tend to only have the gasket itself without the O rings. Early engines had a tubular spray bar which was separate from the cover - their cam covers were held down with 4 bolts, later engines have covers held down with 8 bolts and the oil flows through drillings in the cover. Just be a little careful slackening these wee 6mm hold down bolts as they are known to sometimes shear off, especially if they've not been touched in a few years.

So, checking is easy.
Altering the clearance is not unless you have previous experience in which case I'd say this engine is one of the easier ones to do.
But most of all it's actually rare to find one that needs attention so unless it's really clacking away to itself you're pretty safe to ignore them.

If you're doing a cam belt at the same time another way of doing this is to measure up all your clearances and carefully record them on paper. Then slacken and remove the cam journal housings which will let you lift the cam out altogether thus making removing and working with the shims a "piece of cake". Probably a new camshaft lip seal on reassembly is desirable and a wee bit of silicon sealant in all the corners of the cam cover when fitting the new gasket should stop later oil leaks - fitted dry they tend to leak slightly at the corners.

 

[andrewpsmith]

That's helpful information, thank you, Useful to know how to check for signs of wear during this process. I am doing the cam belt anyway so removing the cam is certainly a good option for me this time if any adjustment is needed (which seems unlikely) . Certainly cheaper than buying fiat special tools to do it!!