Fiat Engine Recovery Project

[jrg05a]

Hello All,

I cannot figure out what is wrong with my fiat and I miss driving her. So I'm going to explain all that is happening and has happened and hopefully we can pinpoint what the problem is and get her moving again.

All my problems started when I split oil on top of the engine, pooling up in the 1st, 2nd, & 3rd spark plug areas. I concluded that the plugs weren't tight enough as the oil made it past the plugs. So over doing some talking and searching on here, I decided to burn the oil out and just keep cleaning or replacing the plugs.

But since this happened, She has a very rough idle and will get so low that she dies if I don't hold the gas pedal to keep her running. There is also oil around the exhaust manifold but I search and found this is somewhat common on these engines. I have replaced plugs and wires.

Currently she is a pain to start and I have to hold the gas down to keep her running. For some reason, I keep fouling up the 1st cyln plug with gas( all the others are fine)

The last time I drove her was awful. She would barely go over 3400 RPMS. and had no power for the most part.

Please help me solve this and I hope it's not a major engine problem. Please ask any questions and I will test them out as I really want her running again. She ran fine before.

I just don't know where to even start.Thanks all

[divace73]

the oil is shorting out your spak plugs, clean the oil out and it will be fine

[124JOE]

1 what year?
2 carbed?or FI
id think the idle circut is cloged.but start with fuel filtter
however you may have jumped a tooth on the timing
3 how old is the timing belt?
4 have you pulled the cap to inspect it and the rotor?

[baltobernie]

David, I think the noob needs some more details ...

Get some aerosol engine cleaner or generic "orange" spritz cleaner. Also a can of aerosol carb cleaner. All are available at "big box" auto parts stores.

Cover the engine air intake with a plastic bag. If you don't know where this is, post a photo of your engine compartment here, and we will show you. Outside, spray the engine cleaner onto the engine while it is Off and cold. Make sure you get plenty in the spark plug wells, on the exhaust, and anywhere else the oil spilled. Wait 30 minutes.

Hose off the engine cleaner with a garden hose on "Hi". Then hose off the car body, as this cleaner is harmful to your paint and top finish. Don't get this stuff in your eyes.

Now you've got to get the water out of the spark plug wells and wherever else it is pooling. Don't remove the spark plugs or wires. You can use compressed air, a leaf blower, a turkey baster, or dry rags cut into small pieces. Get all the water out of the four wells completely. One at a time, remove the spark plug wires from the spark plugs, and spray the inside of the wire cavity with carb cleaner. Pull the wires off the plugs by grasping the thick part (the "boot") attached to the plug. Never pull on the wire itself. (If you've pulled on the wires in a previous attempt to fix the problem, you may have broken the internal connection. You'll know when this cleaning is complete, as the car will not run any better. If so, re-post) Use the tiny hose attachment on the spray can to thoroughly douche this opening. Careful not to get this stuff on your skin or in your eyes; wear glasses and gloves. It dries quickly. Replace that wire, then do the next one. Don't do more than one at a time. Make sure both ends of each spark plug wire are secure at their intended locations.

Remove the plastic bag covering the intake, and you're good to go. Drive the car until the engine is thoroughly warmed up before putting the car away.

Find a mechanic for all of your maintenance needs.

[jrg05a]

he is a 1979 Carb spider 2000.

1. how would I go about checking the timing to see if I skipped a tooth?

2. if I pulled the cap off, what should I be looking for or watching out for?

3. baltobernie I appreciate the advice. The engine is pretty clean(I cleaned it up pretty well after I spilled the oil. Would there be a reason to follow through on the cleaning process other than to just remove any oil that may be on the enigine?

I will grab a can of carb cleaner from autozone today and use your advice on the wires. Thanks again.

[vandor]

Hi,

I hope this is not your problem, but if a large enough amount of oil entered the engine through the plugs, and then the engine was cranked, it's possible that the connecting rods got bent. As the piston moves up in the cylinder it compresses the air/fuel mixture. But oil cannot be compressed, so if there is too much oil in there something has to give.

If I accidentally get any fluid into the cylinder, I take the plugs out and spin the engine with the starter a few times.

You could run a compression test, just to be sure everything is OK.

It's pain to clean the top of these engines, as fluid sits in the spark plug wells. I usually use a screwdriver to push a rag down there to soak up the fluid.

[131]

Currently she is a pain to start and I have to hold the gas down to keep her running. For some reason, I keep fouling up the 1st cyln plug with gas( all the others are fine)

If your leads are long enough, swap 1 and 2 leads, if your problem moves to cylinder 2 you have a lead or dizzy cap problem. If it stays on 1 you have a plug or cylinder problem.

[jrg05a]

Here's where we have tried

I pulled the cap and the points have gashes in them. (Could that prevent spark?)

I replaced the wires after the spill so I don't believe they can be giving me problems.

I want to check the timing to see if it has skipped a tooth. However, to remove that beautiful yellow cover it looks like rad. hoses have to come off. Am I going to lose a lot of fluid there?

My father told me a method to check and see if there are any bent rods. Basically remove all spark plugs, Stick a skinny wooden rod in each cyln, and turn the engine by hand until I feel like the rod is all the way up. Mark it, and do the other cyln the same. If one doesn't come up as high than there may be a bent rod. What do y'all think?

Thanks once again for the input and advice. Please keep it coming.

[131]

You don't need to pull the belt cover off to check the timing, if the cover has timing marks on it (should be 3) the longer mark is TDC, align the timing mark on the crank pulley with that mark. The timing pulleys should then line up with the marks cast into the cambox, if they are a long way out, 180deg, turn the crank one full turn and start again. If you can't find timing marks on the crank pulley or cover, pull #1 plug and use a small piece of dowel down the plug hole to feel when the piston is at TDC.

[majicwrench]

I see no reason to clean engine.
I would not use carb cleaner on the wires, if that is what I understand. You have new wires.
Odds of enough oil ran past plug to cause hydrolock and bent rod zilch. Don't bother checking rods.
Take a really good fresh look and make sure you have firing order right.
With engine running (poorly I assume) remove air cleaner slowly cover top of carb with hand. Does idle improve??
Take 4 short (4") hunks of 16gauge wire. Strip 1/4" off both end of all 4. Bend them into a tight "U" shape. Now stick these in the dist cap along with the plug wire. You should now have plug wire back in your cap, and 4 short hunks of wire sticking out where you can access em. You will use these wires to short the individual cylinder. THEY WILL GIVE YOU A NASTY SHOCK if you touch them engine running. Take a long piece of that 16gauge wire and ground it to engine. Now start engine. Touch the long piece to the short pieces one at a time. As you touch em together, you should see the spark jump, and you should feel the engine slow down and miss on that cylinder. All 4 cylinders should do this. DO they??
Keith

[124JOE]

look in the back side of the cam gears they have holes that line up with the casting
when the crank is in place like this pic

[baltobernie]

As the sheriff said, "What we have here is a failure to communicate." I'm as guilty as the others. Didn't see your line about replacing wires, so check and insure correct connection. Distributor cap is numbered; make sure "1" on cap goes to #1 cylinder, which is toward the front of the car.

I pulled the cap and the points have gashes in them.

Are you referring to the ignition points, or the distributor terminals? The terminals inside the cap are semicircular in shape, machined to exactly mate with the rotor. The conducting surface of the rotor does eventually wear a groove in the terminals. Is this what you are talking about?

Others on this thread are talking about ignition timing and cam timing, and may be confusing you. Start by checking your firing order as described above, then make sure you aren't shorting the spark with contamination in the spark plug wells, then check for continuity (integrity) in the wires. You did not bend your connecting rods ... if your spark plugs were so loose to allow enough oil to leak in to the cylinders, they would have long ago been fired thru the hood of your car.

[jrg05a]

Alright everyone, I believe my timing is off. Now I am trying to figure out how to set it again.

I was just planning on removing the rad. hoses, Removing the cover, loosening the tension bolt, and turning the games till they are lined up with the pointer.

Please pipe in if this is the wrong way or if I'm missing anything.

[bradartigue]

Not to point out something terribly basic, but if you spilled oil in the holes and your plugs were too loose - and then you burned it out - you probably fouled the hell out of the plugs. Have you pulled them out and looked at them? Foul plugs = no run good.

[jrg05a]

I have pulled them, cleaned them, & even replaced them. That's why I have been trying to figure out what else could be wrong because she wouldn't run with new plugs