Engine Rebuild 1600

[zagatoboy]

Ok the time has come for me to rebuild the engine in the Fulvia, it's been blowing a bit of blue smoke out under load and has been sounding a little noisey from the bottom end since Goodwood  so this years resolution is to get the job done and I will be starting it this weekend but one question, where is the best place for parts? is it Omicron or is there somewhere else that's an option, i'm only going to be needing gasket sets, rings, bottom end bearings etc (Hopefuly), also going to gas flow the head, any ideas much appreciated as it's been a very long time since I did this even my old boss Nigel Hargreaves has offered to help put it back together should I get stuck 
Thanks in advance,
Tony.

[ncundy]

Cavaletto;  http://www.oldlanciaspares.com/fulvia_eng/ricambi.php
Pitline; http://www.spitline.com/
Martin Willams; http://www.martinwillems.nl/

are all good sources.

I would also check the valve guides and maybe fit some stem seals and a new timing chain.

[lancialulu]

And following from Neil...

You dont know what to expect until you strip the engine. Hopefully all OK, but the pistons may be worn in the lands where the rings sit, or worse cracked so dont buy stuff till you are sure... If the bores have wear then you will need a rebore as the new top ring will interfere with the wear step in the top of the cylinders.

Check the oil pump too for scoring, and the oil feed to the cranksheft timing sprocket. The main bearings on 1600 have tiddly tab washers on the cap nuts so best to replace with hard washers and locktight. Another weak point is where the oil feed bolts to the underside of the alloy sandwich piece. I have had to repair two blocks...

Good luck and keep us posted of your progress.

Tim

Also replace cylinder head bolts with hitensile cap bolts which can be torqued to nearly double spec.

I have found Omicron reasonable on price once shipping from europe has been taken into account, and they generally have all the bits.

[zagatoboy]

Thanks Guy's, as i said it's been a very long time since i worked on these (28 years ago)! Nigel Hargreaves reckons it will all come back to me once i get started, also in those days any parts we needed that we didn't have in stock was a quick drive down to 'Harrys' who would always come up trumps!
Will take some pics as i go along and will check the above mentioned points.

[ColinMarr]

I am sure Tim’s points of guidance are valid, and it could mean that you will need to re-bore and that will require over-size pistons and rings. A few years ago over-size pistons for 1600 engines were simply not available, except at ludicrously high prices.

Does anyone know what the current situation is on this? Also, I guess under-size mains and big-end shells could be difficult to come by.

Colin

[ncundy]

I think pistons are relatively easy to get hold of now, there seem to be a few people making them although I suspect they are not cheap.

http://www.pistonispeciali.it/set_epoca_4.htm
http://www.spitline.com/catalogo.asp?q=fulvia+pistoni&Cerca.x=0&Cerca.y=0 (price might make you squeak!)

Although if you need a re-bore you can pick your own over size anyway, in fact it's likely to be the availability of rings that dictates what size you go to.

One of the bearings (can't remember if it was mains or big end) is pretty scarce and you may have to go on a waiting list, although as the 1600 has a nitrided crank you'd be pretty unlucky to need a crank grind.

[zagatoboy]

Having spoken to Nigel he said drop off the bottom end and check the crank, if it doesn't need to be touched just rebuild the rest in situe. I do want to get the head gas flowed while off and do the valve guides and seats to take unleaded, is this best done by Omicron?

[lancialulu]

1600 valve seats are hard already so dont need to be changed. You definately can do the engine in situ unless you need a rebore or other machining.

Once the sump is off and the head/cam chain is off it is reasonablly easy to pop the pistons up out from the bottom. However with the head off you can then judge the bore wear as well.

It seems that the general bored out size is +50 which doesnt leave much left (but this is it seems down to ring size as Neil said). Standard main bearings are difficult to find and seem to go in and out of stock. I havent seen Vadervell or Clevite for a while but others are available especially at Cavellito).

Tim

[davidwheeler]

Any piston ring can be made by Clupet Piston Rings - see technical thread in the Aprilia section.

[Dilambdaman]

Any piston ring can be made by Clupet Piston Rings - see technical thread in the Aprilia section.

Or:  Cox and Turner Engineering    www.coxnturner.freeserve.co.uk

They have massive stocks of rings and can usualy find something that can be modified to suit.

Robin.