1961 FIAT 500 speci

CHAPTER 1
THE ENGINE
1 :1
1 :2
1 :3
1 :4
1 :5
1 :6
1 :7
1 :8
1:9
1 :10
1 :11Description
Engine removal (sedan—all versions)
Engine removal (station wagon)
Engine disassembly (sedan—all versions)
Engine disassembly (station wagon)
Cylinder head removal, servicing and
replacement
Timing gear overhaul
Crankcase and cylinders
Piston assembly
Connecting rods
Crankshaft and main bearings
1 :1 Description
The 'New 500' two-cylinder aircooled engine operates
on the four-stroke 'Otto Cycle' and is fitted directly to
the transmission unit which incorporates the rear drive
assembly as shown in FIG 1 :1 and FIG 1 :2.
With the power unit fitted at the rear several advantages
are obtained including better load distribution to the
wheels when the vehicle is loaded, elimination of propeller
shaft reducing the size of centre tunnel and better use of
available space.
The cylinder block comprises t w o cast iron cylinder
barrels w i t h cooling fins. The bottom of the cylinders fit
into machined seats in the aluminium crankcase.
The aluminium crankcase carries eight studs on which
are located the t w o cylinder barrels w i t h the aluminium
cylinder head on the top.
A two bush crankshaft of special cast iron is fitted into
the lower half of the crankcase. The crankshaft is
F5009 provided with a counterweight and is hollow to allow for
lubrication.
The steel connecting rods have thin wall bearing halves
on the big-end, and bronze bushes in the small-end. The
offset piston pin is of steel and retained in the piston by
two circlips.
Light alloy pistons are used and are of the taper-oval-
shaped type with a maximum diameter at the base of the
skirt, along an axis perpendicular to the piston pin. Pistons
are fitted with four rings as follows, one compression at
the top, two standard oil scraper rings and one side slotted
oil scraper ring.
The one-piece aluminium cylinder head is finned to
provide a larger cooling surface and carries the inlet and
exhaust manifolds.
The inlet passages merge into a single centralized
flange onto which is mounted the carburetter. The exhaust
passages run almost parallel to the axis of the engine. 1 :12
1 :13
1 :14
1 :15
1 :16
1 :17
1 :18
1 :19
1 :20
1 :21
1 :22Flywheel and starter ring gear
The oil pump
Lubrication, oil filter, relief valve
Valve timing
Valve stem to rocker clearance
Engine assembly (sedan—all versions)
Engine assembly (station wagon)
Power plant mounting
Adjustment of generator and fan belt drive
Modifications
Fault diagnosis

FIG 1:1 Left side view of the power plant to suit
500 Sedan
10
FIG 1:2 Right side rear three-quarter view of the power plant for 500 Station Wagon Mounted on the top of the cylinder head is the overhead
valve rocker mechanism that is operated by a chain driven
camshaft through tappets and vertical pushrods.
The carburetter is of the downdraft type fitted with a
starting device that is controlled by a lever on the central
floor tunnel. A pleated paper element air cleaner and
silencer is fitted to the carburetter air intake. A mechanical
diaphragm type fuel pump operated from the camshaft by
a pushrod, supplies petrol to the carburetter from a fuel
tank located at the front of the vehicle.
Engine lubrication is provided by a gear pump driven
from the camshaft and mounted within the timing cover
drawing oil from the engine sump. The oil is cleaned by a
centrifugal filter situated at the rear end of t h e crankshaft
and pressure is controlled by a valve mounted on the
pump body. Crankcase ventilation is provided for through
a rubber hose connected to the top of the rocker cover.
The engine is cooled by air from a centrifugal blower
mounted on the generator shaft and housed in a specially
designed cowling conveying air to and around the engine.
The air temperature is governed by a special thermostat
fitted in the engine cowling.

13 Remove all the bolts and washers joining the sump
casting to the crankcase making a special note of the
location of bolts of different lengths.
14 Mark the flywheel and crankshaft to ensure correct
reassembly and release the six flywheel retaining bolts
together with the lockwashers and lift away the fly-
wheel.
15 Using Fiat tool A.60156 on the two central studs, lock
the t w o cylinder barrels in place (see FIG 1 :11).
16 Turn the engine upside down ensuring that no weight
is placed on the studs.
17 Mark the connecting rods and end caps to ensure cor-
rect reassembly and remove the end caps. Place the
engine on its side and remove the cylinder barrels
clamp. Ensure t h a t t h e studs are clean and carefully
slide off the connecting rod-piston-cylinder assem-
blies from the crankcase.
18 Remove the six screws holding the rear bearing hous-
ing to the crankcase and lift away the housing. Remove
the six screws holding the front main bearing housing
to the crankcase and lift away its housing.
19 Carefully ease t h e crankshaft from the crankcase
moving it diagonally to assist w i t h d r a w a l .
20 To ensure no damage occurs to the long cylinder
barrel mounting studs these may be removed using
Fiat puller A.40010 or a universal stud remover as
shown in FIG 1 :12.
1 :6 Cylinder head removal, servicing and replace-
ment
Description:
The aluminium cylinder head is finned to increase the
cooling surface. Through bolts secure the head and the
two cylinders to the crankcase. The valves are controlled
by a camshaft through tappets, pushrods and rockers. The
connection between the head and the crankcase is via five
sleeves mounted directly between the head and crankcase,
and these accommodate the pushrods, lubricating oil and
passage for the crankcase gases. The cylinder head has
been
modified for the 110 F and later 120 engines as
they now incorporate a heater safety device as described
in Section 4 : 4 .
FIG 1:15 Cylinder head
17F500
The cylinder head should be removed whenever the
valves require attention or the engine to be decarbonized.
To remove the cylinder head proceed as f o l l o w s :
1 Remove the air cleaner, carburetter, rocker cover and the
screws securing the blower conveyor to the cylinder Removal of cylinder head: FIG 1 :17 Installing a valve guide using Tool A.60153
provided with pilot bush TOOL A. 6 0 1 5 3 -
WITH PILOT BUSH FIG 1:16 Cleaning valve guides
W I R E BRUSH A.11417 / BIS

INTAKEEXHAUSTINTAKEEXHAUST
FIG 1 :18 Main specifications of intake and exhaust valves and valves guides (dimensions in mm)
head. Disconnect the t w o side exhaust manifolds.
Note the spark plug HT cables locations and dis-
connect from spark plugs.
2 Remove the rocker shaft pedestal- and lift away the
rocker gear. Extract the pushrods, making a careful
note of their location. Remove the cylinder head hold
down nuts in the order shown in FIG 1 :44 and using a
puller as shown in FIG 1 :9 lift off the head.
Dismantling the cylinder head:
1 Using Fiat valve spring compressor A.60084 or a uni-
versal spring compressor depress the valve spring as
shown in FIG 1 :14 and lift out the cotters. Release t h e
compressor and withdraw the lock cone, oil shield
(inlet valve only) upper spring cup, valve spring and
lower spring cup. Withdraw the valve from the under-
side of the head.
2 Dismantle the remaining three valve assemblies as
detailed above ensuring that all parts are kept in sets
for correct reassembly.
Inspection and servicing of the cylinder head :
1 Remove all carbon deposits from the combustion
chambers and valve ports using a rotary wire brush or a
set of scrapers.
2 Thoroughly clean the cylinder head and to test for dis-
tortion lightly coat the machined faces with 'Engineers
Blue' or lamp
black and place the cylinder head on a
surface plate. Carefully slide to and fro and any streaks
left behind will indicate a distorted surface. A distorted
head will not make a gas-tight seal with the cylinders
and must be entrusted to an expert for correction or,
in severe cases, renewed.
3 Carefully clean the valve guides as shown in FIG 1:16
using Fiat guide brush A.11417 bis. Should the guides
18Reassembly is the reverse procedure to dismantling.
During assembly utmost cleanliness must be observed as
any abrasive material could find its way to the pistons and
cylinder bores causing unnecessary wear. Check that the
cylinder barrel mating face is clean to ensure correct
gasket sealing.Reassembly of t h e cylinder head:
be worn then they should be removed using a press and
a suitable sized drift. The guides are press fitted with a
pinch fit of .00134 to .00244 inch. To install the guides
use Fiat tool A.601 53 as shown in FIG 1 :17. As the
guides have no stop ring during the press fitting, the
depth of insertion is determined by the Fiat tool. If the
tool is not available take the necessary depth measure-
ments before the old guides are removed. The normal
fit clearance between valve stem and guide is .00087 to
.00217 inch with a maximum wear limit of .0059 inch.
To check this see FIG 1:18.
4 The valve seats should always be reconditioned after
decarbonization. It is suggested that this operation be
left to a local service station with valve seat cutting
equipment. The valve seat angle for both inlet and
exhaust valves is 4 5 ° ± 5'.
5 Inspect the valves for soundness or distortion and if the
clearance between guide and stem is within the manu-
facturers wear tolerance of .0049 inch the valve may
be cleaned using a wire brush and the seating face
ground to an angle of 45°30' ± 5'. This again should
be left to the local service station.
Valve springs:
Thoroughly clean the valve springs of oil deposit and
inspect for cracks. It is advisable to check the free spring
height and if this dimension differs from the original
height, details of which are given in Technical Data, the
spring must be renewed. Any decrease in length indicates
that the spring has weakened.

Cylinder head installation:
To refit the cylinder head proceed as follows:
Place a new cylinder head joint on the cleaned faces of
the cylinder barrels. Insert the rocker pushrod and
lubrication pipe sleeves together with the relevant
gaskets and rings.
Fit the washers and nuts to the studs and tighten to
fingertight.
Tighten the nuts in the order shown in FIG 1 :44 and
FIG 1 :46 to a torque wrench setting of 18.1 Ibft. Reset
the torque wrench to a new setting of 23.9 Ibft and
tighten the nuts once more in the recommended order.
Replace the pushrods in the correct order.
Refit the rocker shaft ensuring correct location of the
lubrication tube to the rocker shaft and replace the
plain and lockwashers. Tighten the nuts to a torque
wrench setting of 15.2 Ibft. Reset the tappet to rocker
clearance adjustment.
Connect the t w o exhaust side manifolds to the cylinder
head. Using new gasket refit the spark plugs and HT
cables. Replace the rocker cover fitted with a new cork
gasket and blower conveyor to the cylinder head
securing screws. Refit the carburetter and reconnect its
fuel line and controls. Refit the air cleaner and elbow
and connect the rocker cover breather pipe (if fitted).
1
2
3
4
5
1 :7 Timing gear overhaul
Camshaft:
The cast iron camshaft is located in the crankcase and is
supported at either end in sets machined directly in the
crankcase. No bushes are used. The camshaft is driven by
a chain from the crankshaft at half engine speed and
operates the overhead valves through tappets, pushrods
and rockers (see
FIG 1 :20).During engine overhaul the camshaft journals and cam
faces should be free of score marks or signs of seizure and
have a bright mirror finish.
The distributor drive gear should be inspected for tooth
wear which if excessive means that the camshaft must be
replaced.
Tappets:
The tappets should be inspected for signs of seizure or
excessive wear. The end surface that is in contact with the
camshaft should be smooth without signs of excessive
wear. Any slight scratches or indentations may be
removed using a very fine oil stone.
Pushrods and sleeves:
The pushrods operate in special axially resilient sleeves
that are compressed on assembly between the cylinder
head and the crankcase. It is through these sleeves that
the engine sump is vented also through which the oil
returning from the cylinder head passes.
Two rubber O-ring seals are fitted to each sleeve to
ensure an oil t i g h t seal between the cylinder head and
crankcase. The sleeves should be checked for distortion
and exact equal length and when refitting new seals must
always be fitted.
The pushrods should be checked for straightness and
the t w o ends that contact the rocker setscrew and the
F50019
The crankcase is an aluminium casting suitably ribbed
to ensure correct air cooling. The main bearing and cam-
shaft bearing bores are machined as also are the tappet 1 :8 Crankcase and cylinders During valve gear overhauls the clearance between the
rocker shaft bore and the rocker must be checked. The
maximum permissable wear between these t w o parts is
.0059 inch. It is recommended that the part which is most
worn be renewed, or in extreme cases both parts. Rocker and rocker shaft: tappet seat must not show any signs of roughness or
excessive wear. 3 Oil shield (for intake valves only) 4 Snap ring
5 Rocker 6 Upper spring cup 7 Valve spring
8 Lower spring cup 9 Pushrod 10 Tappet
11 Oil seal ring 12 Pushrod sleeve 13 Seal ring 1 Intake valve 2 Upper cup lock Key t o Fiq
1 :20 FIG 1:20 Valve, pushrod and tappet assembly FIG 1:19 Camshaft. The arrow points to the lube oil
outlet port

FIG 1:21 Finned cylinder. Letter A stamped on cylinder
indicates the class to which cylinder belongs, as referred
to its inside diameter
CLASS LETTER
FIG 1 :22 Cylinder measurement points
seats, gearbox companion flange and timing gear cover
mounting flange.
The cast iron cylinders are finned radially to increase the
cooling air surface and are located symmetrically on the
crankcase, each being held by four studs. The cylinders are
installed by sliding into the crankcase bores and finally
held in place by the cylinder head (see FIGS 1 :8 and
1 :21).
Inspect the cylinder bores for score marks, wear and
any other defects or damage. The clearance between the
piston maximum diameter and the cylinder bore should be
checked to ensure that it is within the maximum wear limit
of .0059 inch.
20FIG 1 :23 Checking cylinder diameter by dial gauge
C.687 brought to zero w i t h ring gauge C.672 DIAL GAUGE C 687
RING GAUGE C. 672 The cylinder height must be checked between the seat-
ing face on the crankcase and the top surface and this
dimension should be 3.5433 ±0006 inch.
If this dimension is less than specified the cylinder must
be renewed to prevent possible carbon deposits on the
piston crown and underside of combustion chamber
causing the piston to strike the cylinder head (see
FIG 1 :24). Checking cylinder height: This operation should bring the bore size to correspond
to the oversize piston sizes in order to obtain the correct
clearance between the piston and cylinder. These
limits
are given in Technical Data. It will be observed that the
cylinders are divided into three classes depending on the
bore diameter. The classes are identified by the letters 'A',
'B
1 and ' C , one of which will be stamped on the mating
face with the cylinder head as shown in FIG 1 :21. Pistons
are divided into three classes to correspond with the
cylinder bore sizes. Naturally the piston and bore must
belong to the same class. The maximum available piston
oversize is .0236 inch.
Pistons and rings for the Model 500 sports engine are
not available in oversize dimensions so if the cylinder bore
diameter is above the maximum wear limit new parts must
be fitted.Honing or reboring cylinder bores: It is essential that the diameter measurements are taken
at t w o different heights in the cylinder bore along both the
longitudinal and transverse axles as shown in FIG 1 :22.
It is recommended that to zero the internal micrometer
Fiat ring gauge C.672 is used (see FIG 1 :23).
If bore wear or ovality is between .0059 and .0079 inch
the cylinder bore may be honed. Should however the
wear limit of .0079 inch be exceeded then the bores must
be recut.

Insert a .0079 ± .00197 inch thick oil paper gasket
between the crankcase and cylinder bottom face and a
.0236 to .0275 inch thick graphitized asbestos gasket
between the cylinder and cylinder head. The compression
of the gaskets on assembly will eliminate any very small
differences between the t w o mating surfaces.
Inspection of tappet seats:
The tappet seats should be checked for scoring and
correct clearance which must not exceed .00315 inch.
Should the clearance be greater than the maximum
specified the seating may be reamed to oversize dimen-
sions as detailed in Technical Data. Tappets are avail-
able in .00197 and .00394 inch diameter oversize.
1 :9 Piston assembly
Inspection:
Before inspection the pistons must be thoroughly
cleaned and the ring grooves and piston head decarbo-
nized. Check for deep score marks and signs of distortion
or fracture especially around the skirt and piston pin areas.
Using a feeler gauge ensure that the piston clearances in
the bore do not exceed a maximum of .0059 inch for the
Model 500 engine and .0079 inch for the Model 500
sports engine (see FIG 1 :25) . The measurements should
be taken at the bottom of the skirt and square to the piston
pin axis.
Should the clearance be greater than the maximum
permissible, the cylinders may be rebored and oversize
pistons fitted to m
atch them. Pistons are supplied in the
following oversizes, .0079, .0157 and .0236 inch. It
should be noted that oversize pistons and rings are not
available for the Model 500 sports engine so if the piston
to cylinder wall clearance is greater than the permissible
maximum limit the cylinder and piston assembly must be
renewed.
The piston ring to groove clearance must be checked as
shown in FIG 1 :26 and the ring gap when fitted as in
FIG 1 : 2 7. In both cases the readings should be
compared with the piston data. Piston rings are available
in the same oversize classes as the pistons. When
installing piston rings the gap should be placed opposite to
the piston expansion stops. Ensure that the ring gaps are
scattered and not in a line.
FIG 1:24 Checking cylinder head mating face f o r level
Out-of-true should not exceed .00315 i n c h
F50021
The installation of the piston and connecting rod should
be carried out on a clean workbench as shown in Reassembly of piston: Check that the f i t between the piston pin and boss is a
pinch fit. If excessive clearance is found the boss may be
reamed and a .0079 inch diameter oversize piston pin
fitted. The pin to bore pinch fit must be between .0000 to
.0039 inch. At all times the pins should be installed only
after the piston has been heated in hot water to a tempe-
rature of 80°C. Upon reassembly of the piston to the
engine the expansion slot must be placed facing the cam-
shaft.FIG 1 :26 Checking piston ring-to-land clearance FEELER GAUGE C.316
FIG 1:25 Using feeler gauge C.316 to check piston-to-
cylinder wall clearance

FIG 1:33 Checking crankshaft land-to-connecting rod
shoulder clearance
FIG 1:34 Engine f r o n t end without flywheel
Using an expanding reamer or Fiat reamer U.0307 ease
out the internal diameter of the bush to between .7874
to .7876 inch so that a standard piston may be fitted.
4
Piston-connecting rod assembly:
To assemble the piston to the connecting rod fit the
connecting rod to the piston so that the cylinder identifica-
tion number which is stamped on the connecting rod stem
and cap faces the expansion slot side in the piston as
shown in FIG 1 :32.
Lubricate the piston with engine oil, compress the
piston rings into their grooves and insert the piston con-
necting rod assembly into the cylinder barrel w i t h the
identification numbers facing to the side opposite to the
camshaft as shown in FIG 1 :32.
If one or both connecting rods have been renewed the
new connecting rod cap and body must be stamped w i t h
the cylinder identification number. The figures should be
stamped as shown in FIG 1 :32.
24
FIG 1:35 Camshaft end crankshaft supporting mem-
ber and bearing assembly, and spare main bearing
CRANKSHAFT
SUPPORTING MEMBER
(Camshaft end)
MAIN BEARING
Carefully inspect the crankshaft for minute cracks espe-
cially where there is a change in section. Should there
be any doubt always consult the official agents for
further advice.
Inspect the journals and crankpins. Should score marks
or ovality exist on the journals or crankpins they must
be reground and new undersize bearings fitted.
Undersize main bearings are obtainable in the sizes
.0079, .0157, .0236, .0314, .0394 inch ready fitted in
supports.
Undersize connecting rod bearings are obtainable in the
sizes .01, .02, .03 and .04 inch. The crank should be
reground to match the appropriate bearing undersize.
The clearance between the main bearing to journal
should be .00079 to .00256 inch and the connecting
rod bearing half to crankpin between .00043 to
.0024 inch.
2 1
The special cast iron crankshaft is hollow to allow for
the passage of lubrication oil. It is supported at its ends and
is provided with two cranks and a central counterweight.
The crankshaft plays an important part in the operation of
the lubrication system as its cavity provides a passage for
the oil flowing from the centrifugal filter.
Before inspecting the crankshaft thoroughly clean the
internal passage and drillings as well as the exterior and
then proceed as follows: 1:11 Crankshaft and main bearings Upon reassembly the connecting rod cap nuts must be
tightened to a torque wrench setting of 23.9 Ib ft.