As per my previous post, I had an oil cooler hose that failed and lost a lot of oil before I realised. I am a bit concerned that the engine might have suffered some damage. It sounds healthy and I did an oil pressure test today that looked good (1.5 bar at idle, 6 bar at 3.5 RPM at around 80-90°C).
Just for absolute assurance I would like to check the bearings as well so I can catch any damage early. I have to remove the sump to replace it in any case, as the oil drain hole thread is stripped and I found another good sump.
In the Fulvia Q&A pages I read that it is possible to check the big end bearings from the bottom of the engine, quote:
"If you are really worried, do what I have done to my white coupe: take the sump off, remove the oil strainer and after undoing the conrod caps examine the big end bearing for sign of wear. If you embark on this course of action, tell me first because there are a number of useful tips I can give you to save you time and hassle.
- Andrea -"
It does not however go into what the tips are. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I assume this will only be the big end bearings, or is it also possible to access the main bearings?
Inspecting bearings without removing engine
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Andrea Nistri
- Posts: 605
- Joined: 07 Jan 2009, 14:46
Re: Inspecting bearings without removing engine
A few extra comments.
To inspect the big ends of a Fulvia it is first necessary to remove the engine sump, a process which is somewhat different between S1 and S2 cars, and for the sake of simplicity it will not be listed here. Assuming that the sump is already off, note that one of the Allen key bolts carries the black ground lead that should be correctly refitted on reassembly. Remove the oil strainer paying attention to the Allen key bolts which can be very tight and might be rounded off if brute force is used. Remove the engine spark plugs to make rotation of the engine crankshaft easier. Use a good quality, six flat hexagonal socket (12 mm) to undo the bearing caps: work on one cap at the time and note that the cap carries the cylinder number on one side. When refitting it later, it is important that the numbered side matches the same number on the conrod. Furthermore, each conrod carries a Lancia number that indicates the torque necessary for refitting the cap bolts. Thus, it is essential to have a factory manual to find out the required torque for such a number. Once the cap is removed, the conrod can by pushed up with the wood handle of a small hammer to remove and inspect the big end in the conrod plus the one in the cap. Note the exact position of each big end in its housing. Big ends should be removed with care using just fingers. If necessary, replacing big ends with new ones liberally splashed with new engine oil. Refit the cap, torque it and by hand rotate the crankshaft to work on the next piston. I repeat that it is advisable to work on each piston at the time. Once all caps are in place, rotate by hand the crankshaft by hand to ensure free movement of all pistons. Refit strainer and sump as removed. Good luck, Andrea
To inspect the big ends of a Fulvia it is first necessary to remove the engine sump, a process which is somewhat different between S1 and S2 cars, and for the sake of simplicity it will not be listed here. Assuming that the sump is already off, note that one of the Allen key bolts carries the black ground lead that should be correctly refitted on reassembly. Remove the oil strainer paying attention to the Allen key bolts which can be very tight and might be rounded off if brute force is used. Remove the engine spark plugs to make rotation of the engine crankshaft easier. Use a good quality, six flat hexagonal socket (12 mm) to undo the bearing caps: work on one cap at the time and note that the cap carries the cylinder number on one side. When refitting it later, it is important that the numbered side matches the same number on the conrod. Furthermore, each conrod carries a Lancia number that indicates the torque necessary for refitting the cap bolts. Thus, it is essential to have a factory manual to find out the required torque for such a number. Once the cap is removed, the conrod can by pushed up with the wood handle of a small hammer to remove and inspect the big end in the conrod plus the one in the cap. Note the exact position of each big end in its housing. Big ends should be removed with care using just fingers. If necessary, replacing big ends with new ones liberally splashed with new engine oil. Refit the cap, torque it and by hand rotate the crankshaft to work on the next piston. I repeat that it is advisable to work on each piston at the time. Once all caps are in place, rotate by hand the crankshaft by hand to ensure free movement of all pistons. Refit strainer and sump as removed. Good luck, Andrea
Re: Inspecting bearings without removing engine
I too am contemplating dropping the sump on my Fulvia to inspect the big end and main bearings. The procedure does not appear too difficult but am more concerned about the sump removal. Mine is a series 1 sport. Is it simply a case of dropping the anti roll bar and undoing the sump screws? That appears too simple. What are the catches?
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Andrea Nistri
- Posts: 605
- Joined: 07 Jan 2009, 14:46
Re: Inspecting bearings without removing engine
On series 1 cars removing the sump is somewhat more difficult because you have to remove the transverse subframe member beneath the engine. Access to its bolts is quite limited and calls for a lot of patience. Removing the antiroll bar completely is usually unecessary: it is enough to to remove the two middle bushes, rotate the bar downwards and wedge it in position. Take care when removing the oil strainer as its fasteners can be damn hard to remove. Good luck, Andrea
Re: Inspecting bearings without removing engine
Thanks Andrea. I was planning to put the front end on stands and work on my back on the garage floor. Removing the cross member may be a job for a lift.
Re: Inspecting bearings without removing engine
The job can be done on the floor in both cases.
You may be lucky and someone may have swapped the early cross member by a later cross member.
The cross member is made from a flat strip of steel welded to a U shaped piece of steel. The flat piece is wider than the U. Initially the flat piece was on the top making the cross member wider at the top. You can't drop the sump in this case without removing the cross member. A typical thing to overlook in the design phase. With the flat piece at the bottom, you can just remove the sump without removing the cross member. The change may have occurred sooner than the S2.
You may be lucky and someone may have swapped the early cross member by a later cross member.
The cross member is made from a flat strip of steel welded to a U shaped piece of steel. The flat piece is wider than the U. Initially the flat piece was on the top making the cross member wider at the top. You can't drop the sump in this case without removing the cross member. A typical thing to overlook in the design phase. With the flat piece at the bottom, you can just remove the sump without removing the cross member. The change may have occurred sooner than the S2.
Re: Inspecting bearings without removing engine
The job can be done on the floor in both cases.
You may be lucky and someone may have swapped the early cross member by a later cross member.
The cross member is made from a flat strip of steel welded to a U shaped piece of steel. The flat piece is wider than the U. Initially the flat piece was on the top making the cross member wider at the top. You can't drop the sump in this case without removing the cross member. A typical thing to overlook in the design phase. With the flat piece at the bottom, you can just remove the sump without removing the cross member. The change may have occurred sooner than the S2.
You may be lucky and someone may have swapped the early cross member by a later cross member.
The cross member is made from a flat strip of steel welded to a U shaped piece of steel. The flat piece is wider than the U. Initially the flat piece was on the top making the cross member wider at the top. You can't drop the sump in this case without removing the cross member. A typical thing to overlook in the design phase. With the flat piece at the bottom, you can just remove the sump without removing the cross member. The change may have occurred sooner than the S2.
Re: Inspecting bearings without removing engine
Lets hope mine is a later cross member but knowing my luck it wont be as it is a fairly early (1968) Series 1. Is the cross member stressed in anyway? What I mean is can I remove it and then replace it easily? Also does the series 2 cross member simply bolt back in? If so probably a good idea to swap it. Who stocks them?
Re: Inspecting bearings without removing engine
I think I may be in luck. It appears the forward edge of the crossmember is about 1 cm behind the rear edge line of the sump so once the anti roll bar is out of the way it looks like it will wriggle free. Does that sound correct for a series 2/modified cross member or am I missing something?
Re: Inspecting bearings without removing engine
As you say, you have to wiggle a bit to get it free from the oil strainer. I don't remember if 1 cm distance is enough. I any case if your crossmember is narrower at the top than the bottom you are in luck.
If a lot of material has disappeared from bearings, it has gone somewhere. Usually that is inside the crankshaft. If the crankshaft is full inside it no longer passes oil to the big end bearings.
If a lot of material has disappeared from bearings, it has gone somewhere. Usually that is inside the crankshaft. If the crankshaft is full inside it no longer passes oil to the big end bearings.