1957 FIAT 500 engine

CHAPTER 6
GEARBOX AND DIFFERENTIAL UNIT
6:1
6:2
6:3
6:4
6:5
6:6Description
Removal of gearbox/differential unit
Dismantling — gearbox
Reassembly — gearbox
Dismantling — differential and final drive
Reassembly— differential and final drive6:7
6:8
6:9
6:10
6:11
6:12Final drive gear set adjustment
Replacement of gearbox/differential unit
Swing axle shafts and slip joints
Gear shift control mechanism
Modifications
Fault diagnosis
6 :1 Description
The gearbox and differential unit are housed in an
aluminium alloy casing made up of t w o parts which split
at the differential centre line. The output drive is trans-
mitted by means of t w o half axle drive shafts coupled
through wheel shafts and slip joints to the rear wheels (see
FIG 6 : 1)
The gearbox provides four forward-speeds and a reverse,
the fourth-speed being considered as an overdrive. All
gears except first and reverse gears, which are straight
toothed sliding gears, are in constant mesh and have heli-
cal teeth. No synchromesh is provided, gear engagement
being completed by sliding shifter sleeves of the dog
clutch type. The first-speed gear slides on the outside of
the third and fourth shifter sleeve, whilst the reverse gear
train moves on a fixed shaft. The clutch shaft is integral
with the third, top and combined and first and second gear
pinions, whilst the second gear pinion is splined at the
front end. An internal splined
coupling sleeve joins the
clutch shaft and the input shaft and transmits the power
from the engine to the gearbox. The mainshaft and
differential drive pinion are combined together and besides
carrying the constant mesh gears and the sliding first gear
pinion, it also has attached the sliding sleeves and hubs.
F50065 The speedometer drive pinion is located at the front end.
The gearbox/differential casing is attached to the engine
by six studs which locate in the crankcase. The front of the
unit rests upon the rubber mounted support which is
secured to the body floor.
The complete unit comprises three detachable parts
made up as follows:
1 The support for the connection of the gearbox to the
engine which also acts as part of the differential front
end and clutch/flywheel housing at rear.
2 A central body which is divided into two compartments.
The front compartment contains first, third, fourth and
reverse gears w i t h the primary shaft, layshaft and reverse
shaft as well as the necessary gear selection striker rods
and forks. The rear of this compartment also forms a half
cover for the differential unit.
3 The gearbox casing cover, which contains the second-
speed gears together with the relative fork, gear
selection rod and speedometer drive gears.
The central part of the casing is provided with a top
inspection cover. The primary shaft is coupled to the clutch
shaft through an internally splined sleeve and t w o pins
which are retained by rings. The primary shaft together
with the first, third and fourth driving gears form a cluster.

PRIMARY SHAFT-TO-CLUTCH
SHAFT MOUNTING PINCLUTCH SHAFT SEAL PRIMARY SHAFT WITH
1st, 3 r d A N D 4 t h SPEED
GEAR CLUSTER
2 n d SPEED
DRIVE GEARPRIMARY SHAFT
FRONT BALL BEARINGPRIMARY SHAFT
REAR BALL BEARING
PRIMARY
SHAFT-TO-CLUTCH
i SHAFT JOINING SLEEVEJOINING SLEEVELOCKRING
SPEED SELECTOR LEVER
CLUTCH SHAFT
LAYSHAFT WITH BEVEL PINION
SPEEDOMETER DRIVE GEAR
2 n d SPEED ENGAGEMENT
SLIDING SLEEVE
2 N D SPEED DRIVEN GEAR
LAYSHAFT FRONT BALL
BEARING
3 r d SPEED DRIVEN GEARHUB FOR
SLEEVE
3rd AND 4th/
SPEED ENGAGEMENT
SLIDING SLEEVE4 t h SPEED
DRIVEN GEARLAYSHAFT REAR ROLLER BEARING
LAYSHAFT-TO-PINION
ADJUSTMENT WASHER 1st SPEED AND)
REVERSE SLIDING GEAR
FIG 6:1Gearbox-differential unit longitudinal section
On the primary shaft extension outside the main central
body is mounted the second-speed driving gear. The
primary shaft is supported at both ends by ballbearings
whilst the clutch shaft rotates in a bronze spigot bush which
is press fitted into the end of the crankshaft. An oil seal is
fitted in the clutch shaft passage seat in the c o n n e c t i o n
support. The layshaft, together with the drive pinion of the
differential unit is supported at the front by a ballbearing
race. The layshaft carries the pinion adjustment shim, the
fourth-speed driven gear and its bushing, the hub and
relevant engagement sleeve for the t h i r d - and fourth-
speed w i t h first-speed and reverse-speed, the third-speed
gear and bushing and, outside the casing the second gear
and bushing, the hub with relevant second-speed engage-
ment sleeve and the speedometer drive gear.
The gears are operated by a gear selection lever mounted
on the tunnel situated between the two front seats. This
operates through a rod actuating the selector and shifting
mechanism which is housed in the gearbox casing cover.
Refer to FIG 6 :3 where it will be seen th a t the positioning
of the striker rods is ensured by a spring-loaded ball-
bearing. The risk of engaging two gears at the same time is
eliminated by three rollers which slide in suitable slots
machined in the rod (see FIG 6 : 4).
The differential unit and the final drive gear train are
housed in the t w o semi-covers which
have previously
been described, the final drive pinion being integral with
the layshaft. The differential casing may be split into t w o
halves. The bevel gear is fitted on one of the halves and is
66
secured by the same screws joining the two halves
together. The differential side gears are internally splined
into which are located the splined axle shaft ends which
are able to slide by means of a specially designed slip joint.
Two specially shaped rubber oil boots are inserted on the
swing axle shafts and fit over the side gear extensions to
ensure that there is no loss of lubricant or the ingress
of dirt.
The transmission and differential unit to suit the station
wagon differs from the sedan in that the transmission to
engine mounting plate and the bellhousing are modified to
suit the engine repositioned on its side.
6 : 2 Removal of gearbox/differential unit:
The complete unit may be removed whilst the engine
remains in situ and to remove this unit proceed as follows:
1 Disconnect the battery positive cable and jack up the
rear of t h e vehicle and place on firmly based stands.
2 Disconnect all control cables and wiring from the
starter motor and the clutch lever. Remove the starter
motor, the clutch lever reaction spring and the clutch
cable support on the gearbox.
3 Remove the three bolts securing each of the driving
shaft flanges to the flexible coupling at the wheel ends
and carefully take out the inner spring.
4 Disconnect the shifter rod from the gearshift lever at the
gearbox extension and also the
speedometer drive
cable. Remove also the flywheel undercover. Place a
suitable support under the engine.

FIG 6 :2 Gearbox gears, forks and striker rods
KeytoFig6:2 1 Rear roller bearing 2 Layshaft with bevel pinion 3 Front ballbearing 4 Front bearing plate
5 Bushing 6 Fourth-speed driven gear 7 Third- and fourth-speed sliding sleeve 8 First and reverse sliding gear
9 Sliding sleeve hub 10 Third-speed driven gear 11 Bushing 12 Bushing 13 Second-speed driven gear
14 Second-speed sliding sleeve 15 Second-speed sliding sleeve hub 16 Speedo drive gear 17 Reverse sliding gear
18 Reverse sliding gear shaft 19 Clutch shaft 20 Clutch shaft-to-primary shaft sleeve 21 Primary shaft rear ballbearing
22 Primary shaft with first and reverse, third and fourth gear train 23 Primary shaft front ballbearing 24 Second-speed drive gear
25 First gear fork 26 First and second gear striker rod with second gear fork 27 Reverse gear fork 28 Reverse gear striker rod
29 Third and fourth gear fork 30 Third and fourth striker rod 31 Gear selector and engagement lever
SPRING
GUIDE BUSHES
REVERSESTRIKER R O D
BALL SPRINGS
POSITIONING BALLS STRIKER R O D
BALL SPRING
COVER PLATE
1st A N D 2 n d SPEED
STRIKER R O D3 r d A N D 4 t h SPEED
STRIKER R O D
FIG 6 : 3 Detail of gearbox section through striker rod
positioning ball springs
F50067 5 Using a garage type hydraulic jack fitted with Fiat
support Arr.2076 carefully placed under the gearbox-
differential unit take the weight of the unit from the
front mounting. Carefully remove the nuts securing the
transmission unit to the engine and also the nuts that
secure the transmission front support to the body
brackets.
6 Carefully draw the transmission forwards away from
the engine taking very great care that no weight is
allowed to act on the clutch shaft until the end of the
clutch shaft is clear of the flywheel and clutch cover
assembly. Carefully lower the transmission to the floor.
7 Remove the front support together with its rubbers,
drain the oil from the transmission unit and thoroughly
wash the outside to remove all traces of dirt and grease
and dry using a compressed air jet. The transmission is
now ready for dismantling.
6:3 Dismantling— gearbox
Before dismantling the gearbox ensure that the exterior
is thoroughly clean and then proceed as follows:

1st A N D 2 n d SPEED
STRIKER R O D LOCK
ROLLER1st A N D 2 n d SPEED
STRIKER R O D 3 r d A N D 4 t h SPEED
STRIKER R O D 3 r d A N D 4 t h SPEED
STRIKER R O D LOCK -
ROLLER REVERSE STRIKER
ROD LOCK ROLLER
REVERSESTRIKER R O D
FIG 6 : 4 Detail of gearbox section through striker rod
lock rollers
2 n d SPEED DRIVENGEAR2 n d SPEED ENGAGEMENT SLIDING SLEEVE 2 n d SPEED FORK 1st A N D 2 n d
SPEED STRIKER R O D REVERSE GEAR3rd AND 4th
SPEED STRIKER R O DREVERSE STRIKER R O D2 n d SPEED DRIVE GEAR SPEED SELECTOR LEVER
FIG 6 : 5 Cross section of gearbox through striker rods
with the indication of the gear selector lever angular
displacement
68
AXLE SHAFT-TO-JOINT SLEEVE
OIL BOOT
RING GEAR
FIG 6:6 Differential unit complete with axle shafts
BEARING CONEADJUSTER LOCK RING BEARING HOUSING DIFFERENTIAL CASE
OIL BOOT RETAINER
AXLE SHAFT
1 Remove the speedometer drive support together with
its gears. Remove the front cover together with its
gasket and the gear selection rod (see FIG 6:2).
2 Remove the lock ring and carefully slide the splined
sleeve from the axle shafts. Remove the t w o roller
bearing housings together with the relevent rubber
boot fastening cover, the rubber boots and the adjuster
ring lock rings.
3 Detach the transmission mounting on engine support
and carefully remove the differential case assembly
complete w i t h the ring gear and axle shafts.
4 Open the fasteners and loosen all the shifter fork lock
bolts.
5 Engage t w o gears at the same time so locking the
input shaft and the mainshaft together. Remove the
cotter pins and the nuts on the front end of the input
shaft and the mainshaft.
6 Remove the retaining cover located on the lefthand
side of the gearbox and carefully take out the shifter
rod positioning balls and springs from their bores.
Remove the upper shifter fork shaft and shifter fork,
the middle shifter fork shaft together with its interlock
pin and also the third and fourth gear shifter fork.
Remove the plain washer and speedometer drive
driving gear from the layshaft.
7 Remove the second gear engagement sliding sleeve
together with the shifter fork, shifter fork shaft, sliding
sleeve hub, second-speed driven gear with relevent
bush and the first gear engagement
fork. Take very
great care not to drop the safety rollers whilst extract-
ing the striker rods.
8 Remove the second-speed driving gear from the input
shaft. Release the reverse shaft retaining screw and
remove the shaft together with the reverse gear cluster.
Remove the layshaft front bearing retaining plate.
9 Push the input shaft forwards until both ballbearing
races are pressed from their seating and the coupling
sleeve located between the input shaft and the clutch
shaft can be reached from above. Carefully remove the
retaining ring and a connection pin at the input shaft
side of the coupling sleeve and carefully withdraw the
clutch shaft and coupling sleeve.
10 Remove the input shaft front bearing race. Tilt the
primary shaft in the casing and remove it from the
gearbox housing. Remove the rear bearing. Carefully

3 Check the layshaft and the primary shaft between
centres and using a dial gauge ensure that there is no
distortion. The out of true reading for bearing seats
should be less than .0008 inch. Inspect the splines and
ensure that the side and outerfaces are not indented.
Replace if there are signs of wear. Also inspect the
reverse shaft to ensure that it is perfectly smooth and
not showing signs of pitting or partial seizure.
4 Carefully inspect all gear teeth for signs of excessive
wear or damage. The contact faces must be smooth and
show no signs of indentation marks. Also check that
the backlash between the gears, when correctly
mounted on the surface plate is not greater than .0039
inch. The maximum wear limit is .0079 inch. Check that
the quick engagement front teeth of the second-, third-
and fourth-speed gears are not damaged or excessively
worn. Renew if there are signs of gearchange lever
misuse.
5 Inspect the sliding sleeves and the relevent hubs, ensure
that all the working surfaces are perfectly smooth. The
clearance between the mating parts should not be
greater than .0059 inch. Also inspect the meshing teeth
and ensure that they are in good condition.
6 Check that the gear shifting selector forks are not dis-
torted and that the striker rods freely slide in their seats
in the gearbox casing.
7 Carefully inspect that all the oil seals are in perfect con-
dition and if there is any doubt they should be renewed.
8 Inspect the striker rod locking balls and the safety rollers
and ensure that they slide freely in their seatings. Also
check the ball load spring efficiency and if this shows
signs of weakness then it should be renewed. Any
faults with these items will cause difficulty in engaging
gears or autodisengagement during engine acceleration.
6 : 4 Reassembly—gearbox
To reassemble the components to the gearbox ensure
that all components are thoroughly clean and then pro-
ceed as follows:
1 Press t h e pinion rear roller bearing onto the layshaft.
Install the layshaft in the casing, and at the same time
fit the adjustment shim, the fourth-speed driven gear
together w i t h its bush, the sleeve and hub for third and
fourth gear engagement, the first-speed and reverse
driven gear and the third-speed driven gear with its
hub.
2 Install the front layshaft ballbearing securing the
bearing retainment plate w i t h the screws and finally
lock the screws in position.
3 Insert the primary shaft together with the first, third
and fourth driving gear train in the gearbox housing
and slide t h e rear bearing onto the shaft. Push the
input shaft forward to enable the clutch shaft coupling
to be inserted in t h e rear and to be pulled up the
primary shaft by means of the pin. Do not forget the
retaining ring.
4 Slide the primary shaft backwards so pushing the rear
bearing into its bore. Refit the front bearing onto the
primary shaft.
5 On the layshaft insert the second-speed driven shaft
and bush, the second gear sliding dog sleeve and the
hub. Also insert the second-speed striker rod and the
first-speed fork. Do not forget to fit the safety roller
into its seating.
70
6 Slide the second-speed driving gear onto the primary
shaft. Place the engagement fork on the third- and
fourth-speed engagement sliding sleeve, and insert
the striker rod, lock the relevent fork and fit the safety
roller.
7 Insert the third safety roller and install the reverse shaft
and insert the reverse gear cluster onto it and secure
the shaft by tightening its block bolt. Install the reverse
striker rod w i t h its relevent fork.
8 Now refit the speedometer drive worm gear onto the
layshraft. Tighten the nuts on the primary shaft and the
layshaft, not forgetting to interpose the plain washer
between the speedometer driving worm and the nut,
to a torque wrench setting of 1 8.1 Ib ft to 25.3 Ib ft
(primary shaft) and 28.9 to 36.2 Ib ft (layshaft). It is
recommended that the input shaft and layshaft are
locked together by engaging t w o gears at the same
time. Finally, fit the splitpins.
9 Lock the shifter forks onto their shafts by tightening
their respective bolts and bend up the special locking
plates. Install the three positioning balls and relevant
springs into their bores and refit the cover plate.
10 Install the casing cover together with its relevant
gasket. This will enable correct positioning of the shift
shaft lever so that it engages in the outer ends of the
shifter shafts protruding from the gearbox casing.
11 Install the speedometer drive support on the gearbox
casing and refit the upper gearbox cover.
For subsequent differential operations and adjustments
see Sections 6:6.
6:5 Dismantling—differential and final drive
For the removal of the differential and final drive unit
from the gearbox refer to Section 6:3. To dismantle the
differential assembly
proceed as follows:
1 Remove the retaining ring 2 (see FIG 6 : 7) retaining
the splined sleeve 4 and slide the sleeve off the drive
shaft.
2 Remove t h e retaining covers 7 and the oil boots all
together with the bushes and seals, adjuster ring lock
rings 13, adjuster rings housing 14, and bearing
adjuster and roller bearing outer races.
3 Separate the differential housing halves by unscrewing
and removing the six bolts that keep both the halves and
the crownwheel together. It is advisable to mark the
respective components to ensure correct matching
upon reassembly.
4 Remove the differential pinion shaft retainer ring, also
the differential pinions 10 by removing the shaft and
withdrawing the two axle shafts 1.
5 Remove the differential side gears 6 and relevent thrust
rings 8.
6 Using a press remove the differential bearing inner
races from their seats on the carrier halves.
7 Thoroughly clean all parts and dry using a compressed
air jet.
Inspection:
The components of the differential unit must be
thoroughly inspected for correct operation and to deter-
mine the presence of any wear, damage or other irregulari-
ties. To check the items concerned proceed as follows:
1 Check thoroughly the idle pinion carrier shaft for signs

TOOL A 62039
TOOLA. 62040 PIN WRENCH A. 52022
FIG 6:15 Adjusting ring gear-to-pinion backlash and
differential bearing play, using special wrench A.52022
reading on the dial gauge should be between .0031 to
.0047 inch. The actual clearance is adjusted by
screwing in one adjusting nut and screwing out the
other by the equivalent amount using Fiat spanner
A.52022 as shown in FIG 6:15.
4 Remove Fiat tool A.62041 and using Fiat support
A.62040 mount the special dynamometer A.95697 and
adaptor on the axle shaft. Rotate the axle shaft several
turns so seating the bearings and then check using
the dynamometer the rotation torque.
5 If necessary tighten or slacken the adjusters until the
specified torque of 1.01 ± .07 lb ft is obtained. This
operation must be very carefully carried out because if
one adjuster is set differently with respect to the other,
a variation in ring gear to pinion backlash may take
place, resulting in a variation of rotation torque. After
any adjustments always recheck on the ring gear to
pinion backlash and if necessary readjust and then
repeat the rotation torque check.
6 Finally check the tooth contact between the pinion
and ring gear as detailed in the following instructions:
Check and adjustment of tooth contact between
pinion and ring gear:
1 Carefully apply to the ring gear teeth a thin layer of
engineers' blue and gently rotate the differential whilst
holding the axle shaft firmly but allowing them to slip
slightly so as to have the unit working under load
conditions.
2 A contact impression will be left on the ring gear teeth
and the contact will be correct when the drive pinion
tooth contact pattern is evenly distributed on the ring
gear teeth as shown in FIG 6:16. Should the tooth
contact be incorrect the following observations should
be noted.
Excessive contact on tooth flank. Too deep
meshing — move pinion out from ring gear by reducing
thickness of shim.
Excessive contact on tooth heel. Too slight
meshing—move pinion in towards ring gear by
increasing thickness of shim.
74
6 : 8 Replacement of gearbox—differential unit
Installation is the reverse procedure to removal of the
unit from the vehicle as described in Section 6:2.
However, the following points should be noted:
1 Ensure that the clutch driven disc hub is correctly
aligned with the clutch shaft pilot bush.
2 The complete transmission unit should be carefully
pushed towards the engine and the clutch shaft
inserted into the driven disc hub splines and finally
home into the pilot bush. Extreme care must be taken
to ensure that no weight is placed on the clutch shaft
otherwise distortion may take place.
3 Carefully connect the gearbox rear housing to the
engine crankcase by using the studs, t w o of which
have special location dowels fitted. Screw home
finger tight the gearbox/differential to body to front
support mounting screws inserting the fibre washers.
Lower the hydraulic garage jack and pull it away from
underneath the vehicle. Screw in the four lower
mounting nuts and tighten to a torque wrench setting
of between 18.1 to 21.7 Ib f t.Finally tighten the front
support screws.
4 Reconnect the gear shift control rod and the speedo-
meter drive cable. Insert the springs between the axle
shafts and wheel drive shaft and tighten the
three
mounting screws of each splined sleeve on the
flexible joint to a torque wrench setting of 20.3 Ib ft.
5 Refit the flywheel housing cover. Replace the starter
motor together with its relevant cover and tighten the
two mounting nuts to a torque wrench setting of
18.1 to 21.7 Ib ft. Reconnect the starter control rod,
the t w o starter cables, the clutch control tie rod and
hook up the return spring and secure the clutch
control cable retainer bracket to the gearbox casings.
Reconnect the cable to the battery positive terminal
post
6 Lower the vehicle to the floor gently and then give a
thorough road testing.
6 :9 Swing axle shafts and slip joints
Description:
The t w o axle shafts are connected to the differential
unit through specially designed slip joints which allow
the shafts to swing and slide in the splined housing in
the differential side gear. At the other end, the axle shafts
are connected to the wheel drive shaft flexible joints
using a sliding sleeve. Excessive contact on tooth face. Too slight
meshing—move pinion in towards ring gear by in-
creasing thickness of shim.
Excessive contact of tooth toe. Too deep meshing
—move pinion out from ring gear by reducing thickness
of shim.
With all the above detailed cases, to adjust the pinion
by replacing the shim, the differential unit and drive
pinion shaft must be dismantled. This means that when
the unit is reassembled after the necessary adjustments
have been made, the backlash and bearing rotation
torque must be repeated.

FIG 7 : 1 Rear suspension assembly
Key to Fig 7 : 1 1 Brake shoe control cable and sheath 2 Coil spring 3 Oil boot 4 Axle shaft 5 Bumper
6 Flexible joint 7 Swinging arm 8 Cable adjusting nut 9 Swinging arm-to-front bracket mounting pin
10 Swinging arm front bracket-to-underbody mounting screw 11 Engine front support crossmember 12 Swinging arm
rear self-locking nut 13 Shock absorber-to-swinging arm lower nut 14 Sleeve screws 15 Axle shaft-to-flexible joint sleeve
9 Remove the three swinging external support fixing
bolts securing the outer suspension arm bracket to the
vehicle floor and remove the rear suspension assembly.
Remove the special rubber pad located between the
support bracket and the vehicle floor.
7 : 3 Servicing swing arms
Dismantling:
1 Remove the cotter pin and release the nut fixing the
flexible joint to the wheel shaft. Remove the plain
washer and the joint.
2 Using Fiat tool A.40005.1.9 or a universal two-leg
puller, remove the wheel shaft and brake drum.
Extract the t w o oil seals and both the outer and inner
bearing inner rings, thrust ring of the joint and the
resilient spacer.
3 Using Fiat tool A.6511, remove the t w o bearing outer
rings.
4 Disconnect the brake hydraulic line at the wheel
cylinder and remove the swinging external support.
The bearing housing and brake housing flange may
then be removed.
Inspection :
Thoroughly clean all the parts and install the swinging
arm on Fiat fixture A.66064 as shown in FIG 7 : 4. If the
80
swinging arm has not been distorted its installation on the
fixture should be straightforward. Tighten the clamp
screws 1 (see FIG 7 : 3) on the road wheel brake drum,
connect the swinging arm inner member to the seating
2 on the fixture and finally fit the swinging arm external
support holes on the fixture pins 3. Should difficulty be
experienced in either one of these three operations then
this is an indication that the swinging arm is distorted and
should be straightened or a new assembly fitted. If this
check is satisfactory proceed as follows:
1 Check that the 'estendblocks' are a snug fit in their
respective seatings in the swinging arm and that the
mounting pin slides in freely w it h ou t excessive play.
To renew the 'estendblocks' use Fiat tool A.66056
which is suitable for both their removal and installation.
2 Check that the inner and outer bearing outer rings have
no play in their seatings and that the rollers and cages
are not broken, cracked, show signs of overheating
or are worn.
3 Ensure t h a t the o i l seals f i t snugly on the wheel shaft,
also on the joint spacer or shoulder ring and on the
hub seats. If the oil seals should show any signs of wear
then these should be renewed.
4 Inspect the resilient spacer for signs of hair line cracks,
which if not evident the spacer may be used again as
it is not permanently distorted during assembly.
Should, however, new bearings or bearing housings
be fitted it is considered good practice to fit a new
spacer.

FIG 11:1 Battery location
CLAMP LOCKING NUTSIGNITION LOCK !
SWITCH CABLE*"? BATTERY CLAMP MINUS GROUND CABLE
STARTING MOTOR
PLUS CABLE
65
4 3
2 1
FIG 11:2 Cross-section view of battery
Key to Fig 11:2 1 Battery container 2 Sealing compound
3 Cell plug 4 Filler neck with vent slots 5 Terminal post
6 Electrolyte level sight on filler neck
To test the condition of the cells use a hydrometer to
check the specific gravity of the.electrolyte. The readings
obtained should be as follows:
For climates below 27°C or 80°F:
Cell fully charged Specific gravity 1.270 to 1.290
Cell half-discharged Specific gravity 1.1 90 to 1.21 0
Cell discharged Specific gravity 1.11 0 to 1.130
For climates above 27°C or 80°F:
Cell fully charged Specific gravity 1.210 to 1.230
Cell half-discharged Specific gravity 1.130 to 1.150
Cell discharged Specific gravity 1.050 to 1.070
112These figures are given assuming an electrolyte
temperature of 16°C or 60°F. If the temperature of the
electrolyte exceeds this, add .002 to the readings for each
3°C or 5°F rise in temperature. Subtract .002 if it drops
below 16°C or 60°F.
All six cells should read approximately the same. If one
differs radically from the rest it may be due to an internal
fault or to spillage or leakage of the electrolyte.
If the battery is in a low state of charge take the car for
a long daylight run or connect it to an external battery
charger set at an output of 4 amps until it gases freely.
When putting the battery on a charger, remove the vent
plugs and ensure that no naked lights are in the vicinity.
If the battery is to stand unused for long periods give a
freshening up charge every month. It will deteriorate
rapidly if it is left in a discharged state.
11 :3 The generator
An exploded view of the generator is shown in
FIG 11 : 3 .
Testing when generator is not charging:
1 Check that drive belt slip is not the cause of the
trouble. Tension should be such that the belt can be
deflected about
inch under a 22 Ib pressure as
shown in FIG 1 :49. To adjust the drive belt tension
remove the three nuts B, FIG 1 :49, on the generator
pulley and this will split the pulley into two parts
between which are placed spacer rings. The tension of
the belt is increased or decreased by either reducing
or increasing the number of spacers. Place the spacer
rings removed from between the pulley halves on the
pulley outer face so that the rings may be reinserted
when fitting a new belt. Tighten the three nuts to a
torque wrench setting of 14.5 Ib ft. Care must be taken
not to over-tighten the belt or excessive loading will
be placed on the generator bearings causing excessive
bearing wear and noisy operation.
2 Check the generator connections. Generator terminal
51 must be connected to the generator regulator
terminal 51 and the generator terminal 67 to the
regulator terminal 67. Switch off all lights and
accessories and disconnect the cables from the
generator terminals 67 and 5 1 . Connect the two
terminals with a short length of wire. Run the engine at
normal idling speed and clip the negative lead of a
0-20 volt moving coil meter to one generator terminal
and the other lead to a good earth on the generator
body. Gradually increase the
engine speed up to about
1000 rev/min. The voltmeter reading should rise
steadily and without signs of fluctuation, but do not let
it reach 20 volts and do not race the engine in an
attempt to increase the reading.
3 If there is no reading check the brush gear. If the
reading is about half to one volt the field winding may
be faulty. If approximately four to five volts the arma-
ture may be faulty.
4 If the generator is in good order leave the temporary
link in position between the terminals and restore the
original connections correctly. Remove the terminal
51 from the regulator and connect the voltmeter
between this lead and a good earth on the car. Run
the engine as before. The reading should be the same
as that measured directly on the generator. No reading