fiat engine questions (1 Viewer)

[ralphman]

we have a fiat ducato maxi 1983 (a reg) 2.5l diesel motorhome.

the engine mounts have snapped, theres a crack in a housing (whatever that is)

and the starter motor is dodgy (you have to rock the van to start it cold )
my questions are :
A)would it be cheaper to buy a replacement engine (secondhand) ? if i can find one which so far i can't
B) can i replace it with a diesel turbo without replacing gearbox & other things
C) set fire to it (only joking at the moment)
thanks, any tips or info would be great
sam

 

[pappajohn]

hi Sam.

to be honest i dont know the answers but i would guess fiat have changed the engine design a few times since 1983 and the mounts as well.

unlike our motor industry they do improve things a lot......we just stick to tried and trusted designs.....ie the austin A series engine was used from the early 40's or earlier upto the early 90's in various guises.

the starter motor fault is probably just that...a faulty/worn starter.
i have seen this before....hot engine ..no probs. cold engine ..no start.
cheaper to renew the starter than the engine.

cracked housing......need to know what it is exactly.
may just be a superficial crack in an unimportant bit of the engine or it may be the engine mounting boss thats cracked though theres usually more than one bolt on each mount so it may not be such a problem.

i doubt very much a later turbo engine would fit the mounts or gearbox and little things like your exhaust isnt designed for a turbo engine so a full new exhaust would be required and it will need an intercooler and new air inlet system.

the gearbox and driveshafts may not be strong enough for the extra torque from a turbo even if the old 'box and new engine did fit together.

my opinion......fix what you already have....it'll be a lot cheaper.
a half decent second hand turbo engine complete (which it would have to be) would be probably £1k to £2k.

john.

 

[Peter JohnsCross MH]

Hi Sam,

Get in touch with these people

Delfin Designs - Motorhome and Camper Sales, Spares, Accessories and Repair (Powered by CubeCart)

They specialize in the older Fiats.

Peter

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[ralphman]

hi Sam.


cracked housing......need to know what it is exactly.
may just be a superficial crack in an unimportant bit of the engine or it may be the engine mounting boss thats cracked though theres usually more than one bolt on each mount so it may not be such a problem.


it is the bell housing, thanks for the info

 

[pappajohn]

hi Sam.


cracked housing......need to know what it is exactly.
may just be a superficial crack in an unimportant bit of the engine or it may be the engine mounting boss thats cracked though theres usually more than one bolt on each mount so it may not be such a problem.


it is the bell housing, thanks for the info

unless its a really big crack i wouldnt worry too much......theres enough bolts around the bell housing to hold it all in one piece:thumb:
a surefire way to stop a crack 'creeping' is to drill a small (4 or 5 mm) hole at the 'creeping' end of the crack.
spreads the stress of the crack over a wider area so has nowhere to go.
left alone it will grow bigger.

 

[ralphman]

thanks i will pass that piece of info onto the ones in trousers !

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[ralphman]

Hi Sam,

Get in touch with these people

Delfin Designs - Motorhome and Camper Sales, Spares, Accessories and Repair (Powered by CubeCart)

They specialize in the older Fiats.

Peter

thanks alot peter, very helpful site