Fiat 2.0 16V bottom end failure.

[sumplug]

A very sore subject for me after purcashing a fully maintained example. Why do these bottom ends scrap themselves so much even when they are very well maintained??? Are there pointers to watch for and also anything recommended to alleviate this problem??











AC

[Guy Croft]

There is cerainly no inherent problem with the 16v Fiat/Lancia engine Andy. They are fantastically well designed/built.

But - people don't maintain the oil and the oil level properly, most notably with the turbocharged engines, not realising how much more oil the turbo unit uses especailly when driven hard.

Unfortunately service records and ell-maintained' means nothing if the oil level is periodically allowed to fall too low, because nothing short of a rebuild can repair the damage the bearings suffer under that condition.

GC

[sumplug]

Well one idea passed to me is that due to the design, the 4th cylinder can run dry with hard cornering which causes the bearing to "grab" causing the rod to bend and wreck the bottom end.
Ive come across numerous 16v engines with scrapped bottom ends. there is something going on somewhere for so many engines to do this.
Later post 1994 engines as fitted to MK 2 tipo and coupe, seem better though.
I wonder if its a sump problem, or the oil cooler getting blocked perhaps. Seems to be furthest away from the oil pump, making me think there is a starvation problem. Dipstick giving a wrong reading perhaps?? :)

[Guy Croft]

Hard cornering - you know this is a very different thing to different people. People expect too much of their road cars. I can certainly say that no production wet sump will cope with all conditions, and the things they do on Top Gear on TV make me wince. People copy this. I know that 'no end' of F/L 16v Units have been thrashed round circuits.

I am not signing up for some 'failure legend' here, all those engines are fit for duty as road transport, none of them are designed for 'flat out' driving under all conditions, that's not driving, that's racing, whether on the road or the circuit. I say again - the problem is assuredly misuse or neglect, period.

GC