Piston FIAT 500 1965 1.G User Guide

5 Using the graduated sector check that all the valve
timing angles are as detailed in Technical Data.
Readjust the valve stem to rocker arm clearance to the
correct setting.
1:16 Valve stem-to-rocker clearance adjustment
It is important that the clearance between the valve
stem and rocker is kept to the recommended figure
of .0059 inch, measured when the engine is cold.
If the clearance is excessive operating noise will occur
and if less than recommended the valves will stay open
too long which will result in damage to the valve face
and its seating.
Inspect the contacting surfaces for scoring or pitting:
if it is excessive, new parts must be fitted. Also check
the condition of the rocker-to-valve and rocker ball
head-to-pushrod contact surfaces are free from wear or
pitting. The faces must have a mirror finish.
The oilway in the rockers and shaft must be thoroughly
inspected and free from sludge, otherwise lubrication
failure will occur.
The assembly clearance between the rocker arm and
shaft should be .00063 to .00217 inch and the clearance
between the rocker shaft and the shaft support should
be .00020 to .00138 inch with a maximum wear limit of
0039 inch.
Turn the engine until the valves of one cylinder are in
balance, that is, the inlet valve opening and the exhaust
valve closing. The other cylinder will now have both valves
fully closed. Adjust the valves on this second cylinder by
loosening the locknut, and turning the
adjuster as shown in
FIG 1 : 43 to obtain the desired clearance measured with
a feeler gauge. Adjust the clearances on the other cylinder
in the same manner.
1 :17 Engine assembly (sedan — all versions)
To reassemble the engine proceed as follows:
1 Thoroughly clean and dry all the parts, ensure that all
drillings are free from dirt or sludge and place on a
clean dry surface.
2 Carefully install the cylinder-piston-connecting rod
assemblies w i t h new paper gaskets between the
cylinders and crankcase seats.
3 Refit the big-end bearing shells to the connecting
rods, ensuring that they are free from any dirt or
metallic particles. Carefully ease t h e crankshaft into
the crankcase, lubricate the main journals with clean
engine oil, place a new paper gasket between the
supporting member and the flywheel end of the
crankcase. Install the supporting member and bearing
assemblies. Secure the supporting members with the
screws and special toothed washers.
4 Locate the connecting rod big-end half onto the
crankpin journals, liberally lubricate the journals with
fresh engine oil, fit the remaining shell half, matching
bearing end cap and tighten the bearing cap nuts to a
torque wrench setting of 23.9 Ib ft.
5 Inspect the camshaft bearing bores and remove any
burrs w i t h a hand scraper wetted with oil. Carefully
slide in the camshaft ensuring the cam lobes or gear
teeth do not score the front bearing bore.
6 Fit a new timing gear cover paper gasket held in
place w i t h a little grease. Install the outer thrust ring,
F50029 inner thrust ring, shoulder washer and slide on the
camshaft drive sprocket, locking it with the Woodruff
key. Assemble the timing chain and driven sprocket,
ensuring that the timing marks on the sprocket are
indexing as shown in FIG 1 :41. Secure the driven
sprocket with six screws and lockplates and care-
fully bend down the lockplates.
7 Install the timing gear cover, the oil pump, oil pressure
relief valve and seal assembly. Secure w i t h nuts,
special toothed washers and plain washers located
in the same manner as was noted on dismantling.
Locate the oil pump suction horn and secure with the
nuts and toothed washers.
8 Install the flywheel in the same relative position to the
crankshaft as was noted on dismantling. Replace the FIG 1 : 4 3 Adjusting the rocker clearances using the
optional service tools. Refer to Technical Data for the
correct clearance on early and late engines FIG 1 :42 Graduated sector C.673 for valve gear
timing
TIMING MARK

FIG 1 :44 Cylinder head h o ld-down nuts tightening
sequence. 500 Sedan
TIMING CHAIN ENDCYLINDER No. 1 CYLINDER No. 2 FLYWHEEL END
CAMSHAFT
EXPANSION SLOT C/ROD NUMBERROTATION DIRECTION
FIG 1 :45 The correct position of connecting rod-
piston assembly on engine 120.000
30
screws and together with new lockplates tighten to a
torque wrench setting of 23.1 Ib ft. Bend down the
lockplates.
9 Slide the centrifugal oil filter mounting flange, the
oil slinger and the mounting screw together with its
lockplates onto the crankshaft and tighten the screw
to a torque wrench setting of 108.5 Ib ft. Bend down
the lockplate.
10 Assemble the clutch assembly to the flywheel and
using Fiat pilot A.62023 centralize the driven plate
to the pressure plate assembly. Secure the pressure
plate assembly using screws and toothed washers.
11 Fit new oil pan cork gasket, if necessary using a little
grease to hold in position and carefully fit the oil pan
securing with screws, toothed washers and lock-
plates. Bend down the lockplates onto the screw
heads.
12 Fit the oil cooling air conveyor on the oil pan and
secure with screws and toothed washers.
13 Carefully turn the engine over and fit the centrifugal
filter mounting flange rubber seal. Fit the oil filter
cover and secure with screws together with plain and
toothed washers to a torque wrench setting of
5.8
Ib ft.
14 Ensure t h e faces of the cylinder head and cylinders
are free from dirt and oil and carefully slide the
cylinder head gasket over the studs ensuring that it
is the correct way up. Insert the tappets in the same
order to removal together with the sleeves, pushrods,
oil delivery line to the rocker arm shaft and the casing
with its seal ring.
15 Thoroughly inspect the cylinder head to ensure that
it has been correctly reassembled, carefully slide it
over the studs and secure using the four cap nuts
internally and four standard nuts and plain washers
externally. Tighten the nuts in the order as shown in
FIG 1 :44 or 1 :46 to a torque wrench setting of
23.9 Ib ft.
16 Fit the rocker arm shaft and arm assembly together
with the two supports. Tighten the supports using
screws, plain and toothed washers to a torque
wrench setting of 15.2Ibft. Adjust the tappet-to-
rocker clearance as detailed in Section 1 :16.
17 Temporarily plug the intake duct hole to ensure that
no foreign matter finds its way into the engine.
Install the spark plugs having ensured that they are
clean and correctly adjusted.
18 Reassemble the engine cowling and air
exhaust
throttle valve assembly which should be secured on
the top side using t w o nuts, t w o plain washers and
two toothed washers, on the underside with two
screws and t w o toothed washers, and centrally using
one screw and one spring washer.
19 Fit the toothed washers on the end of the spark plug
electrode and tighten the terminals together with the
special rubber boots.
20 Refit the fan, generator and ground cable assembly
and secure the crankcase, also the warmed air intake
shrouding. Finally tighten the generator to fan nuts.
21 Fit both lower exhaust silencer mounting brackets
onto the crankcase but do not tighten fully. Fit the
air conveyor and secure to the engine cowling using
six screws, six toothed washers and one nut together
with a toothed washer. Join together the t w o

sections of the air conveyor securing with seven
screws, seven toothed washers and five nuts.
22 Slide the fuel pump control rod into its seating,
assemble the insulator between oil wetted graphite
gaskets and fit the pump to the crankcase using nuts
and toothed washers.
23 Fit the air conveyor cover complete with the accelera-
tor control relay lever and rod. Secure using eight
mounting screws, eight toothed washers, eight plain
washers and eight nuts. Fit the fuel line retaining clip
which is secured by one of the air conveyor upper
screws. Install the generator and fan drive pulley
having first placed four adjusting rings between the
pulley halves and the thrust ring on the outside.
Secure the pulley to generator shaft using three
screws and three toothed washers. Fit the generator
fan drive belt.
24 Refit the carburetter having first positioned the
bakelite heat shield between the t w o oil moistened
graphite gaskets. Secure the carburetter using t w o
copper washers and t w o self-locking nuts. Fit the
exhaust silencer and secure to the exhaust manifolds
with nuts and spring washers. Place the t w o graphite
gaskets between the manifold joints. Fit both exhaust
silencer upper mounting brackets and secure them
on the top side to the brackets already in place w i t h
nuts and toothed washers on the bottom side w i t h
screws and toothed washers.
25 Carefully position the distributor at a 10 deg advance
setting and secure w i t h a
nut, plain washer and
spring washer. Fit the fuel pump to carburetter line
complete w i t h mounting bracket rubber lining and
secure the line with two clamps. If difficulty is
experienced in positioning the fuel line into the pump
or carburetter funnels it is suggested that the line
ends should be heated in hot water and thoroughly
dried before installing.
26 Install the air cleaner elbow and rubber hose assembly
on the top of the carburetter using a graphite gasket
in between and secure w i t h nuts, plain washers and
spring washers. Carefully position the air cleaner, line
and hose assembly and connect it to the elbow.
Secure the cleaner to air conveyor cover using screws
and toothed washers.
27 Fit the spark plug cables complete with the rubber
grommet for cable mounting bracket on engine
cowling and connect the cables to the distributor
and spark plugs. Fit the oil pressure gauge sender
unit together w i t h its sealing washer.
28 Install the cylinder head cover and oil breather pipe
assembly w i t h a cork gasket inserted between.
Secure w i t h self-locking nuts and fibre washers.
Connect the accelerator control relay lever rod to the
carburetter and secure with the clip.
29 Fill the oil pan with the correct grade and quantity of
oil, insert the dipstick and the engine is ready for
refitting.
1:18 Engine assembly (station wagon)
Reassembly of this engine is straightforward as it is
the reverse procedure to dismantling. It is recommended
that Sections 1 :5 and 1 :17 are studied as the assembly
technique is similar for both the horizontal and vertical
F50031 cylinder engines. The following points should however
be noted:
1 Refer to FIG 1 :45 for the correct positioning of the
connecting rod-piston assembly on the 120.000
engine.
2 The sequence of tightening the cylinder head nuts is
different, the new order being given in FIG 1 :46.
Key to Fig 1 :47 1 Suspension arm 2 Screw,
rubber pad to bracket 3 Bracket-to-engine nut
4 Nut, arm to bracket 5 Arm bracket 6 Spring
7 Arm pin-to-support nut 8 Screws, pin to support
9 Pin arm to supportFIG 1 :47 Power plant rear suspension FIG 1:46 Cylinder head stud nut tightening sequence.
500 D. F and L Sedan and Station Wagon

4 Mixture too weak
5 Water in fuel system
6 Petrol tank vent blocked
7 Incorrect valve clearance
(c) Engine idles badly
1 Check 1 and 6 in (b)
2 Air leak at manifold joints
3 Slow-running jet blocked or out of adjustment
4 Air leak in carburetter
5 Over-rich mixture
6 Worn piston rings
7 Worn valve stems or guides
8 Weak exhaust valve springs
(d) Engine misfires
1 Check 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 10, 13, 14, 1 5, 16, 17 in (a);
2, 3, 4 and 7 in (b)
2 Weak or broken valve springs
(e) Engine overheats
1 Generator and fan drive belt too loose
2 Shutter or thermostat seized in closed position
(f) Compression low
1 Check 14 and 15 in (a), 6 and 7 in (c) and 2 in (d)
2 Worn piston ring grooves
3 Scored or worn cylinder bores
(g) Engine lacks power
1 Check 3, 10, 1 1 , 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 in (a), 2, 3, 4
and 7 in (b) 6 and 7 in (c) and 2 in (d). Also check (e)
and (f)
2 Leaking joint washers
3 Fouled sparking plugs
4 Automatic centrifugal advance not operating
(h) Burnt valves or seats
1 Check 14 and 15 in (a), 7 in (b) and 2 in (d). Alsocheck (e)
2 Excessive carbon around valve seat and head
(j) Sticking valves
1 Check 2 in (d)
2 Bent valve stem
3 Scored valve stem or guide
4 Incorrect valve clearance
(k) Excessive cylinder wear
1 Check 11 in (a) and see Chapter 4
2 Lack of oil
3 Dirty oil
4 Piston rings gummed up or broken
5 Badly fitting piston rings
6 Connecting rods bent
(l) Excessive oil consumption
1 Check 6 and 7 in (c) and check (k)
2 Ring gaps too wide
3 Oil return holes in piston choked with carbon
4 Scored cylinders
5 Oil level too high
6 External oil leaks
7 Ineffective valve stem oil seals
(m) Crankshaft and connecting rod bearing failure
1 Check 2 in (k)
2 Restricted oilways
3 Worn journals or crank pins
4 Loose bearing caps
5 Extremely low oil pressure
6 Bent connecting rod
(n) High fuel consumption (see Chapter 2)
(o) Engine vibration
1 Loose generator bolts
2 Blower blade assembly out-of-balance
3 Incorrect clearance for rear engine mounting rubber
F50033

FIG 3 : 4 Use of fixture Ap.5030/1 to check ignition
timing
Reassembly is the reverse procedure to dismantling but
the following points should be noted:
1 Lubricate the parts of the centrifugal advance mecha-
nism, the drive spindle and the part of the shaft which
accepts the cam w i t h Fiat VS oil.
2 Ensure that upon reassembly the slot in the rotor arm
housing matches the distributor driving dog. Lubricate
the felt pad in the rotor arm housing.
3 Fit the distributor back onto its support gently rotating
the rotor arm so that the drive dog engages w i t h the
drive shaft mating flange. Provided the crankshaft has
not been turned the rotor arm should finish up pointing
to No. 1 cylinder segment in the distributor cap. Tighten
the distributor retaining nut, refit the distributor cap and
leads to the spark plugs and the LT lead to distributor
body terminal.
4 Add a few drops of oil to the distributor shaft lubrication
fitting (see FIG 3:3).
3 : 6 Removing and dismantling distributor
(station wagon)
The distributor is located towards the top rear of t h e
engine and is bolted direct onto the crankcase rear cover as
shown in FIG 1 : 2 . It is driven direct by a gear in mesh w i t h
a corresponding gear on the camshaft. The basic design of
the distributor is the same as that for the sedan and sports
engine, except that the distributor cap has been redesigned,
there is a gear instead of the dog
drive and no distributor
support. To remove and dismantle the distributor proceed
as previously described taking great care about marking
the location of the distributor to rear cover and rotating
the engine until No. 1 cylinder is on compression. This will
ensure that reassembly is straightforward without loss of
ignition timing.
503:7 Timing the ignition
It is necessary to retime the ignition should the distribu-
tor shaft or camshaft have been removed. To retime the
ignition proceed as follows:
1 On the timing sprocket cover fit Fiat tool AP.5030/1 as
shown in FIG 3 : 4. Ensure No. 1 cylinder is on the
compression stroke with both valves closed. Rotate the
crankshaft until the mark on the centrifugal filter cover
lines up w i t h the 10° mark on the fixture. This setting
corresponds to a 10° static advance BTDC.
2 Check t h a t the points gap is correctly set between
.018 and .020 inch. Turn the distributor shaft until the
rotor points in the direction of No. 1 segment in the
cap and the points are just opening.
3 Without disturbing the distributor shaft, insert the lower
coupling on its toothed end, install the support and
tighten the locknut. Secure the distributor to the sup-
port using the mounting screw.
To check that the distributor is properly timed to the
engine and the centrifugal automatic advance is operating
correctly giving a
total advance of 18° to 28° respectively
proceed as follows:
1 Connect Fiat timing tester AP.5030 with a 220-volt-
single-phase power outlet fitted with a good earth
connection. It is important that the tester is earthed
before it is allowed to operate. Also ensure that the
tester earth terminal is connected to a bare metal part
of the vehicle.
2 Remove No. 1 spark plug lead, insert the strobe light
adapter and reconnect the spark plug lead. Using a
piece of white chalk mark the TDC position on the
centrifugal filter cover.
3 Start the engine and aim the strobe light beam towards
the chalk mark drawn on the centrifugal filter cover.
With the engine running slowly the mark on the centri-
fugal cover must correspond wi th the first white line
on the fixture (10°). Slowly increase the speed of the
engine so operating the automatic advance and the
chalk mark should move counterclockwise until at
maximum speed it reaches the second white mark on
the fixture.
It should be noted that the ignition timing for the model
500 sports engine the static advance is 10°, an automatic
advance of 12° giving a total advance at maximum engine
speed of 2 2 ° .
Should Fiat fixture AP.5030/1 not be available the
advance position may be set as follows:
1 Turn over the
engine until No. 1 piston is on the com-
pression stroke w i t h both valves closed.
2 Rotate the crankshaft clockwise until the reference
mark cast on the centrifugal filter cover is set .5118 to
.5512 inch ahead of the arrow cast on the timing
sprocket cover. This will give a static advance setting
of 10° BTDC.
3 Proceed as directed for ignition distributor timing and
mounting described earlier in this section.
3 : 8 Sparking plugs
The sparking plugs must be regularly inspected, cleaned
and the electrode gap adjusted to a gap of .019 to .023
inch.
The inspection of the deposits on the electrodes is par-
ticularly useful because the colour and type of deposit

1
2
6
3
8
11
13
17
19
22
25
27
29
31
33
36
35 323430 28
26
24232120 ,1816 15 14 12 10 .9 .15 4
FIG 8:11 Sectional view of shock absorber
Key to Fig 8:11 1 Threaded shank, floor mounting
2 R o d 3 Cylinder upper blanking threaded ring
4 Seal housing 5 Rod seal 6 Tab spring 7 Spring cup
8 Gasket packing spring 9 Casing gasket 10 Vapour
pocket drain and chamber 11 Rod guide bush
12 Vapour pocket drain capillary hole 13 Dust shield
92
14 Casing 15 Working cylinder 16 Vapour pocket drain
passage 17 Valve lift limiting disc 18 Fluid passage orifice
19 Valve lift adjustment washer 20 Valve star-shaped spring
21 Inlet valve 22 Piston 23 Compression ring
24 Inlet valve holes in piston 25 Rebound valve holes
in piston 26 Rebound valve 27 Valve guide cup
28 Rebound valve spring 29 Piston mounting plug
30 Compensating valve 31 Compensating valve annular
passage 32 Compensating-and-compression valve carrier
plug 33 Compression valve 34 Compression valve orifices
35 Lower plug 36 Threaded shank, lower mounting
FIXTURE
FIG 8:12 Leaf spring position under full static loads'
on fixture A.66061 or A.74061
no signs of distortion or cracking which, if evident,
new parts must be fitted.
2 Check the steering knuckle surfaces, that are in con-
tact with the bearing inner races for any signs of
scoring or seizure.
3 Inspect the condition of the two upper thrust rings and
of the lower packing ring. Parts which show sign of
excessive wear must be renewed. Lower packing rings
are supplied in service in the thicknesses tabulated
below.
Once the items have been reassembled no appreciable
clearance should be evident between the steering
knuckle and the kingpin housing. This adjustment
is obtained by installing the lower packing ring of
suitable size.
4 Check that the seating on the drums for the roller
bearing outer races are smooth as no clearance is
allowable between the races and their seatings. Care-
fully inspect that the bearing cages and the rollers
show no signs of chipping, breakage, or discolouration
due to overheating.
5 Carefully inspect the seal which must not be torn and it
should locate perfectly both on the drum and the
steering knuckles.
Reassembly:
Reassembly is the reverse procedure to dismantling.
OversizesUnder-
sizes
.002 .004 .006 .008 .010 .012
.0979 .1016 .1036 .1056 .1076 .1095
.100 .102 .104 .106 .108 .110
.002 .004
.0957 .0938
.096 .094
Stand.
in.
in..0977
in..098

8 : 7 Hydraulic damper:
Description:
The front and rear shock absorbers are of the telescopic
double acting type. Their dampening action takes place
directly on the suspension without the use of any
intermediate linkage. The shock absorber comprises a
cylindrical body formed by to coaxial tubes 14 and 15
(see FIG 8:11), the inner tube acting as the working
cylinder and the outer one as a casing. The fluid reservoir
being located between the two sections. A third outer
cylinder 13 shields the rod 2 from any road dirt.
On the top the cylinder body is enclosed by a bush 1 1 ,
oil seals 5 and 9 and a housing 4. The rod 2 slides through
the seals 5, the upper end is fixed into the vehicle body
floor and its lower end carries the piston 22 on which
rebound 26 and inlet valves 21 are arranged.
The bottom of the shock absorber is closed by a plug
35 with a threaded shank 36 for the shock absorber to be
mounted onto the suspension unit. The cylinder 15 and
carrier plug 32 is mounted with a compensation valve
30 and a compression valve 33. The piston is provided
with two rows of orifices. The internal row is blanked
underneath by the rebound valve which operates
downwards. The external row is blanked by the inlet
valve which opens upwards. Hydraulic shock absorbers
fitted since March 1959 are provided w i t h a vapour
pocket bleeder from the cylinder exterior. The bleeder
device comprises a capillary
hole 12 interconnecting the
inner cylinder 15 with the upper chamber 10 and also a
passage tube 16 from the upper chamber to the fluid
reservoir. Any vapour pockets in the pressure cylinder
are excluded past the capillary hole 12 into the chamber
10 from which they flow downwards during shock
absorber operation through the passage 16 in a light
fluid stream and up to the top of the reservoir with the
reservoir fluid.
Dismantling and inspection:
Normally during service if a shock absorber becomes
weak in operation then a new unit should be fitted.
Should however, it be necessary for the original unit to
be overhauled proceed as follows:
1 Thoroughly clean the outer casing in petrol and blow
dry using a compressed air jet.
2 Firmly clamp the lower shank of the shock absorber
in a vice and telescope upwards the outer casing and
using Fiat wrench A.56024 unscrew the upper
threaded ring 3 (see FIG 8:11).
3 Remove the shock absorber from the vice and carefully
remove the inner cylinder 15 using a screwdriver
inserted in the cylinder bottom chamfer and remove
the lower plug 32 which carries the compression and
compensation valves.
4 Push the rod i n t o the cylinder 15 and clamp the upper
shank in a vice. Unscrew the plug 29, and carefully
remove the piston 22 together with the inlet and
rebound valves. Withdraw the rod 2 from the cylinder
15 and remove the seal gasket, the housing, and
threaded ring. Thoroughly wash all parts in petrol and
carefully blow dry using a c
ompressed air jet. The
following parts should be inspected as follows.
Check that the inlet, rebound and compensation valve
discs are not deformed or show signs of cracking.
F50093 Inspect the surfaces of the piston, the seal ring and the
compression valve to ensure that they are smooth and
hydraulic fluid tight. Check that the rebound and
compression valve springs and upper seal gasket
springs are not broken or weak. Carefully inspect the
t w o seal gaskets for damage or wear and it is recom-
mended that they are renewed upon reassembly.
Check that the rod and the cylinders show no sign of
deformation and that the air pocket evacuating
passage is not blocked. Also check that the capillary
hole 12 is not blocked. Any parts which show signs
of wear or damage must be renewed.
Reassembly:
Reassembly of the shock absorber is the reverse
procedure to dismantling. Special care must be taken
when refilling the shock absorber w i t h Fiat SA1 oil
otherwise its operating characteristics will be altered.
The hydraulic fluid capacity for the front shock
absorbers is .112 imperial quarts.
The hydraulic capacity for the rear shock absorbers is
.088 imperial quarts. Only Fiat—SA1 oil must be
used.
To insert the components into the shock absorber
body proceed as follows:
1 Mount the piston on the rod, and insert the piston and
rod assembly into the cylinder 15 (see FIG 8:11).
2 Push the piston against the bush 11 and then very
carefully pour the correct amount of hydraulic fluid
up to about j inch from the edge.
3 Press f i t t h e plug 32 and pour the remaining fluid into
the casing 14.
4 Insert the cylinder 15 into the casing 14 and tighten
the upper threaded ring 3.
8 :8 Front suspension assembly and installation
1 Attach Fiat fixture A.66061 to the springs as shown
in FIG 8:12 and load it using the centre screw on the
fixture until the index 'Nuova 500' appears below
the crossbeam lower edge. It is in this position the
spring attains the full static load setting as on the FIG 8:13 Installing right front wheel hub cap by tool
A.66059TOOL
A.66059

2 Using Fiat puller A.46023 as shown in FIG 8 : 9
remove the wheel grease cap.
3 Using a universal t w o leg puller or Fiat puller A.40005
together w i t h items 1 and 9 remove the wheel hub/
drum assembly having first extracted the splitpin if
fitted and released the hub retaining nut (see FIG
8:10).
Dismantling brake unit:
1 Using a compressed air jet thoroughly clean all com-
ponents of the brake assembly.
2 Make a note of the location of the shoe return springs
and gently ease the shoes away from the brake
backplate (see FIG 10:2).
3 Disconnect the hydraulic line from the rear of t h e
wheel cylinder and remove the t w o cylinder retaining
bolts. Lift away the hydraulic cylinder.
Brake shoe lining:
Check the lining thickness and if found to be exces-
sively reduced service replacement shoes must be fitted.
The minimum allowable brake lining thickness is .059
inch.
Thoroughly check the linings for signs of oil or grease
which, if evident, the shoes must be renewed and the
drums and oil seals thoroughly inspected for the cause
of oil ingress and the cause remedied before reassembly.
Do not fit odd brake shoes and do not mix materials or
unbalanced braking will result.
Do not allow grease, oil or paint to contact the friction
linings.
Brake drums:
Whilst servicing the brakes, thoroughly inspect the
drums for scoring, ovality or distortion as well as inspect-
ing for minute hair line cracks. The drums may be refaced
by using a centre lathe and finally finishing by lapping
the drums to smooth out possible tool marks. The
maximum permissible oversize beyond the nominal drum
diameter of 6.702 to 6.712 inch is .039 inch. This limit
must never be exceeded otherwise the strength of the
drum will be impaired or a reduction in braking efficiency
caused by the increase of shoe expansion travel and the
consequent diminished contact pressure.
No brake adjustment will be required on the new 500
Saloon models after the drum has been reassembled as
the self-adjusting device will accommodate for the shoe
position to the new drum diameter during the first
operation of the brake pedal.
Reassembly of front brakes:
This is the reverse procedure to dismantling. Ensure
that the pull-off springs are correctly fitted to the holes in
the webs of the brake shoes and that the shoes register
correctly in the slotted ends of the pistons and the
side
mounting plate.
Upon assembly of the hub and brake drum assembly
liberally pack the space between the two bearings w i t h
Fiat MR grease, and remount the hub according to the
instructions in Chapter 8.
F500
FIG 10:3 Section view of left side f r o n t brake assembly
(500 Station Wagon)
Key to Fig 10:3 1 Wheel cylinder 2 Shoe return spring
3 Adjusting cams 4 Shoe guide pin 5 Shoe with lining
6 Drum 7 Housing flange
BRAKE SHOE
ADJUSTING DEVICE
SHOE WEDGE
SELF
WHEEL CYLINDER
SHOE RETURN SPRING
PARKING BRAKE
SHOE CONTROL
RETURN SPRINGS
LEVER
SHOE LOCK PLATEBRAKE SHOES
SHOE RETURN SPRING
SHOE MOUNTING PLATE
FIG 1 0:4 Right rear wheel brake assembly (500 Sedan)
10:4 Rear brakes
Rear brake drum removal:
1 Remove the wheel trims and carefully slacken the road
wheel retaining bolts. Using a garage hydraulic jack
raise the rear of t h e vehicle and place on firmly based
stands. Remove the road wheels.
2 Remove the four drum to hub retaining bolts and
spring washers and carefully withdraw the drum from
the backplate assembly.
Dismantling brake unit:
1 Using a compressed air jet thoroughly clean all
components of the brake assembly.
105

FIG 10:5 Section view of right side rear brake assembly
(500 Station Wagon)
FIG 10:6 Sectional view of a self-adjusting device for
automatic brake shoe-to-drum clearance take-up (500
Sedan)
Key to Fig 1 0 : 6 1 Pin 2 Friction washers 3 Load spring
4 Bushing 5 Shoe 6 Self-adjustment slot 7 Stud
2 Make a note of the location of the shoe return springs
and gently ease t h e shoes away from the backplate
(see FIG 10:4)
3 Disconnect the hydraulic line from the rear of t h e
wheel cylinder and also the shoe operating lever return
spring, the pin, washer and clevis from the lever so
releasing the handbrake inner operating cable.
4 Remove the t w o cylinder retaining bolts and lift away
the hydraulic cylinder.
106
Brake shoe linings:
Refer t o Section 10:3.
Brake drums:
Refer to Section 10:3.
Reassembly of rear brakes:
This is the reverse procedure to dismantling. Ensure
that the pull-off springs are correctly fitted to the holes
in the webs of the brake shoes and that the shoes
register in the slotted ends of the pistons and the side
mounting plate.
Carefully retract the position of the brake shoes and
ease t h e d r u m towards the hub ensuring that the four
bolt holes line up correctly. Replace the four bolts
together with their spring washers, reconnect the hand
brake cable. Refit road wheel and wheel trim.
10:5 Master cylinder
Operation:
Hydraulic fluid is admitted to the master cylinder
through hole 8 (see FIG 10:7), it seeps through the gap
between the valve carrier ring 17 and the master cylinder
dowel and flows through the valve carrier ring holes 15
so reaching the hydraulic lines, therefore filling the
system w i t h fluid. When the brake pedal is depressed the
plunger is moved forwards by the pushrod 12. This
forward action of the plunger 9 and valve carrier 17 brings
the valve 16 to rest against the valve front face. The
forward movement is continued so causing the valve ring
16 to pass over the compensation hole 5 and cutting off
communication with the fluid reservoirs. From this point
compression of the hydraulic fluid commences.
Hydraulic fluid acting on the front and inner faces of
the valve enables perfect valve sealing even under high
operation pressures. When the pressure reaches the fluid
in the wheel cylinders (see FIG 10:8) , it forces the
plungers 3 apart and through the plungers stems so
operating the brake shoes.
After releasing the brake pedal, the combined action
of the brake shoe and master cylinder plunger return
springs sends the fluid back to the master cylinder and
all parts resume their original position. The connection
between the hydraulic
system and the reservoir is
restored.
As there are no conventional valves fitted in the master
cylinder and the communication orifice between the
system a n d the reservoir is amply dimensioned the
bleeding operation is very straightforward.
Master cylinder removal:
1 Disconnect the stoplight cables from the pressure
operated switch.
2 Using a tapered w o o d plug of suitable size blank t h e
hole in the brake f l u i d reservoir.
3 Screw out the four front and rear cylinder brake fluid
delivery line connections at the master cylinder.
4 Remove the t w o master cylinder retaining nuts and
spring washers and carefully ease the hydraulic
cylinder from the body.

When the pedal is applied, it moves the rear (primary)
piston to pressurise the front brakes through the rear port.
This, in turn, forces the front (secondary) piston down the
bore to pressurise the rear brake circuit through the front
port. In the event of a failure in the primary circuit, the
primary piston moves into direct contact with the second-
ary piston and full braking is still available on the rear
wheels. If a leak occurs in the rear circuit, the secondary
piston is moved to the end of the bore, sealing off the out-
let port and full braking pressure is applied to the t w o front
brakes.
With two fluid reservoirs connected to the inlets 3 and 5
the two circuits are fully independent.
The remaining components in the braking system are
similar to those used in the earlier single circuit layout.
10:13 Fault diagnosis
(a) 'Spongy' pedal
1 Leak in t h e system
2 Worn master cylinder
3 Leaking wheel cylinders
4 Air in the system
5 Gaps between shoes and underside of linings
110
(b) Excessive pedal movement
1 Check 1 and 4 in (a)
2 Excessive lining wear
3 Very low fluid level in supply reservoir
4 Too much free movement of pedal
(c) Brakes grab or pull to one side
1 Brake backplate loose
2 Scored, cracked or distorted drum
3 High spots on drum
4 Unbalanced shoe adjustment
5 Wet or oily linings
6 Worn or loose spring fixings
7 Front suspension or rear suspension anchorages
loose
8 Worn steering connections
9 Mixed linings of different grades
10 Uneven tyre pressure
11 Broken shoe return springs
12 Seized handbrake cable