Oil dump from top end on fresh rebuild - Thoughts?
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ORFORD2004
- Posts: 1120
- Joined: Wed Mar 17, 2010 9:48 pm
- Your car is a: 1983 PININFARINA
- Location: Sherbrooke, Qc, Canada
Re: Oil dump from top end on fresh rebuild - Thoughts?
Start by removing the valve cover to look if you see something and you can check your valves clearances.
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17alloveragain
- Posts: 11
- Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2021 8:28 pm
- Your car is a: 1978 Fiat Spider
Re: Oil dump from top end on fresh rebuild - Thoughts?
Update:
Sigh.
The diagnosis is that the oil saturated the timing belt, and it jumped time (while it looked ok to me, it was indeed off a few teeth and nubs on the newly installed belt were a bit rounded). Several valves are bent, and all 4 pistons show impacts. In cyl. 1, the impact caused something to break free and shrapnel from that did a number on that piston and combustion chamber of the head. The tight spot I was feeling turning it by hand apparently was from debris embedded in the piston coming into contact with the head. Fortunately, the cylinder bores themselves escaped any harm. They are good, the rods are straight and the bearings are good. It will get new pistons (again), rings (again), rod bearings (because why not), and a head.
It could have been worse. But it could have been better. First world problem, I suppose.
Thanks again for the responses and support. See y'all on the other side of rebuild part deux.
Sigh.
The diagnosis is that the oil saturated the timing belt, and it jumped time (while it looked ok to me, it was indeed off a few teeth and nubs on the newly installed belt were a bit rounded). Several valves are bent, and all 4 pistons show impacts. In cyl. 1, the impact caused something to break free and shrapnel from that did a number on that piston and combustion chamber of the head. The tight spot I was feeling turning it by hand apparently was from debris embedded in the piston coming into contact with the head. Fortunately, the cylinder bores themselves escaped any harm. They are good, the rods are straight and the bearings are good. It will get new pistons (again), rings (again), rod bearings (because why not), and a head.
It could have been worse. But it could have been better. First world problem, I suppose.
Thanks again for the responses and support. See y'all on the other side of rebuild part deux.
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18Fiatsandcounting
- Posts: 3798
- Joined: Fri Mar 15, 2019 11:23 pm
- Your car is a: 1969 and 1971 124 spiders
- Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Re: Oil dump from top end on fresh rebuild - Thoughts?
Wow, "sigh" is the right word here, although I can come up some versions that aren't as family friendly....
I know that the 2L is a non-interference engine in that if the timing belt breaks, the cutouts in the pistons are big enough so that the valves can never hit the pistons. Apparently not so in an 1800.
However, you might not need as many parts as you think. I had a valve lockup many years ago in my '69 spider, and the timing belt broke. I had many bent valves and 2 broken valve heads that were rattling around in the combustion chamber. Surprisingly, a new set of valves and guides fixed the problem, and the block and head continued to run fine for many years. Your situation may be different, so have it thoroughly checked out.
By the way, "shrapnel" in the combustion chamber is often a piece off of the lower edge of the valve guide that gets broken off when the valve impacts the piston.
-Bryan
I know that the 2L is a non-interference engine in that if the timing belt breaks, the cutouts in the pistons are big enough so that the valves can never hit the pistons. Apparently not so in an 1800.
However, you might not need as many parts as you think. I had a valve lockup many years ago in my '69 spider, and the timing belt broke. I had many bent valves and 2 broken valve heads that were rattling around in the combustion chamber. Surprisingly, a new set of valves and guides fixed the problem, and the block and head continued to run fine for many years. Your situation may be different, so have it thoroughly checked out.
By the way, "shrapnel" in the combustion chamber is often a piece off of the lower edge of the valve guide that gets broken off when the valve impacts the piston.
-Bryan