battery FIAT 500 1971 1.G Workshop Manual

The interior of the car can be heated by the engine
warmed air being ducted into the front compartment and
controlled by a lever on the heating system tunnel.
Engine ignition is by a battery, ignition coil and distribu-
tor which is driven by a gear on the camshaft. The engine
is started by an electric starter motor which is mounted on
the gearbox casing and is controlled by a lever located
behind the gearchange lever.
The complete power unit is mounted by a spring support
at the centre of the rear b o d y crossmember and by t w o
rubber pads mounted laterally to the gearbox.
1 :2 Engine removal (sedan—all versions)
To remove the engine from the car proceed as follows:
Raise t h e rear of t h e car and place on firmly based
stands placed under suitable brackets on the underside
of the body.
Disconnect the battery positive terminal clamp from the
battery terminal post. Release the clip securing the main
petrol pipe to the tank sender unit and ease t h e pipe
from the unit. Drain the oil from the engine sump into
a suitably sized container.
D i s c o n n e c t t h e rear number plate light wire (see
FIG 1 : 6) . Release t h e engine compartment lid check
strap from its slot and separate the lid from the body by
sliding the hinge apart.
Remove the cables attached to the ignition coil, also
to the generator and the starter motor. Remove the
starter motor control tie rod.
Release the oil pressure
indicator cable, the main petrol pipeline at the pump,
the accelerator and starting device controls.
Remove the t w o hoses of the heating and cooling
system which are the input hose to the blower and the
hose for the car heating system. Release and lift out the
engine apron. Remove the starter motor mounting bolts
and carefully lift away the motor.
Using a garage hydraulic jack with suitable cradle (see
FIG 1 : 7) or a rope sling relieve the engine weight
from its mountings. Remove the nuts securing the
gearbox to the engine and the flywheel protection
apron.
Remove the bolts fixing the elastic support to the cross-
member. Remove the rear crossmember mounting nuts
noting that the engine earth cable is held by one
mounting nut and lift away the crossmember.
Carefully ease t h e engine away from the gearbox
ensuring that there is no strain placed on the clutch
shaft. Lower the engine to the floor taking care that no
weight is allowed on any of the attachments. 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
1 :3 Engine removal (station wagon)
To remove the engine from the station wagon proceed
as follows:
1 Raise t h e rear of the vehicle and place on firmly based
stands placed under suitable brackets on the underside
of the body.
2 Disconnect the battery positive terminal clamp from
the battery terminal post. Release the clip securing the
main petrol pipe to the tank sender unit and ease the
pipe from the unit. Drain the oil from the engine sump
into a clean dry container of suitable size.
3 H o l d t h e rear door open and secure using string to stop
it swinging to the closed position. Secure the luggage
compartment floor panel in its upright position.
F50013 4 Remove the cables attached to the ignition coil, also
to the generator and starter motor. Remove the starter
motor control tie rod. Release the o i l pressure indicator
cable, the main petrol pipeline at the pump, the accele-
rator and starting device controls. Disconnect the air
filter housing.
5 Remove the hose connecting the car heating system
to the engine cowling. Disconnect the clip holding the
air pipe to the blower and carefully disconnect the pipe
from the blower cowling. Remove the starter motor
mounting bolts and carefully lift away the motor. FIG 1:5 120.000 engine assembly: cross-section view
through a cylinder

FIG 1 :48 Power plant front support cross-section
FIG 1 :49 Checking the generator and blower drive
belt tension
1 :19 Power plant mountings
The combined power and transmission unit is elastic-
ally mounted on two supports.
The front of the unit rests on a crossmember which is
secured under the car floor through two rubber block
mountings that are bolted to the gearbox casing as
shown in FIG 1 :48. The position of the rubber blocks
on the crossmember is adjustable so that the assembly
can be correctly aligned.
W i t h t h e rear of the unit the engine crankcase is sprung
to the b o d y rear crossmember through an articulated
swinging arm that compresses a coil spring as shown in
FIGS 1 :47 and 1 :49. A rubber bump pad is mounted
inside the spring to give a progressive action.
Whenever the power and transmission unit is being
serviced the condition of the mountings should be
checked and any worn or damaged parts renewed.
1 :20 Adjustment of generator and fan drive belt
The centrifugal oil filter cover/pulley on the crankshaft
transmits the drive through a V-belt to the generator and
centrifugal fan pulley.
32
(b) Engine stalls
1 Check 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 1 1 , 12, 13, 14 and 15 in (a)
2 Sparking plugs defective or gaps incorrect
3 Retarded ignition 1 Defective coil
2 Faulty distributor capacitor (condenser)
3 Dirty, pitted or incorrectly set contact breaker points
4 Ignition wires loose or insulation faulty
5 Water on sparking plug leads
6 Corrosion of battery terminals or battery discharged
7 Faulty or jammed starter
8 Sparking plug leads wrongly connected
9 Vapour lock in fuel pipes
10 Defective fuel pump
11 Overchoking
12 Underchoking
13 Blocked petrol filter or carburetter jets
14 Leaking valves
15 Sticking valves
16 Valve timing incorrect
17 Ignition timing incorrect
(a) Engine will not start 1 :22 Fault diagnosis
Since its introduction the Fiat new 5 0 0 model has
been continually developed. The main modifications that
have been made are as follows:
1 Heating system safety device
2 Recirculation device for the blow-by gases
3 Cylinder head modified to incorporate item 1
4 Double valve springs fitted
5 Cylinder barrels modified to incorporate item 1
6 Flywheel modified to incorporate new type diaphragm
spring clutch mounting
7 Larger air cleaner container.
Details of these modifications are to be found in the
relevant sections if they necessitate a change in service
overhaul procedure. Other information is to be found in
Technical Data.
1 :21 Modifications
When the V-belt has been correctly adjusted the belt
should sag 13/32 inch under a hand pressure of about 22 lb
as shown in FIG 1 : 4 9.
Should the belt be too slack the generator and
centrifugal fan will not operate at the correct speed
causing overheating and a discharged battery. Also the
belt will slip causing rapid wear of the belt. Conversely
if the belt is too tight excessive loading will be placed
on the generator bearings causing excessive bearing
wear and noisy operation.
To adjust the belt tension proceed as follows:
1 Remove the three nuts ' B ' (see FIG 1 :49) on the
generator pulley and this will split the pulley into two
parts between which are spacer rings.
2 The tension of the belt is increased or decreased by
either reducing or increasing the number of spacers.
3 Place the spacer rings removed from between the
pulley halves on the pulley outer face so that the rings
may be re-inserted when fitting a new belt.
4 Tighten the three nuts to a torque wrench setting of
14.5
lb ft.
Key to Fig 1 :49 A Normal give-in: about 13/32 inch under
a 22 Ib pressure B Nuts securing the pulley halves with
spacer rings

3:1
3:2
3:3
3:4
3:5Description
Operation
Routine maintenance
Ignition faults
Removing and dismantling distributor (sedan
and sports)
CHAPTER 3
THE IGNITION SYSTEM
3:6
3:7
3:8
3:9
3:10
Removing and dismantling
(station wagon)
Timing the ignition
Sparking plugs
The distributor drive spindle
Fault diagnosisdistributor
3 :1 Description
The ignition system fitted to all the models covered by
this manual consists of an ignition coil, ignition distributor
fitted with contact breaker points, a centrifugal automatic
advance system, condenser, low- and high-tension
wiring, spark plugs and a power supply provided by a
generator and battery. The wiring diagram is shown in
FIG 3 : 1
1 The low-tension circuit which is sometimes called the
primary circuit includes the power supply, contact
breaker points, condenser and ignition coil primary
winding.
2 The high-tension circuit which is sometimes called the
secondary circuit includes the ignition coil secondary
winding, distributor rotor, distributor cap with terminals
and the central brush, high-tension cables and the spark
plugs.
3 : 2 Operation
The contact breaker unit in the distributor interrupts
the primary circuit by the points opening. The sudden stop
in the flow of current in the primary winding, does not cause
arcing at the contact breaker points because it discharges
into the condenser connected in parallel w i t h the contact
F50047
breaker points. With the sudden collapse of the primary
circuit, the intensity of the magnetic field drops causing
an induced high-tension current in the ignition coil
secondary winding. The high EMF is distributed to the
sparking plugs by the ignition distributor rotor.
The automatic advance mechanism comprises a plate
carrying t w o weights which are symmetrically pivoted on
the plate at one end. Also attached to the weights at
opposite ends to the pivots is the cam carrier shaft with
special tension return springs. Under the action of centri-
fugal force as the rotational speed increases, the weights
move outwards causing the cam carrier shaft to move
angularly compared to the distributor drive shaft thus
causing advancement of the ignition timing.
The contact breaker assembly comprises the cam on the
drive shaft and t w o contact points, one of which is
stationary while the other is under the influence of the
cam, the action of which is transmitted by a rubbing block.
The cam has t w o lobes to control the opening and closing
of contact points. The stationary contact point is mounted
on an adjustable support to enable the contact breaker
point gap to be adjusted.
The HT current reaches the distributor cap central
terminal, from the ignition coil and is distributed to each
of the spark plugs at the correct time by the rotor arm.

FIG 3 : 1 Ignition system wiring diagram
BATTERY
SWITCHBREAKER COIL
SPARK PLUG
CONDENSER
FIG 3 : 2 Ignition distributor in place on engine with
cap lifted offCURRENT CONTACT
TO SPARK PLUG
BREAKER A R M
STATIONARY
CONTACT
CARRIER
ADJUSTING
SCREW
CONTACT POINTS HIGH TENSION)
CARBON CONTACT
3 : 3 Routine maintenance
Refer to FIG 3: 2 and remove the distributor cap and lift
off the rotor arm. Lubricate the cam spindle felt pad using
Fiat VS oil. There is provision for the oil to make its way
downwards. Squirt a few drops of oil into the distributor
shaft lubrication fitting, the location being shown in FIG
3:3 Smear a little grease on the cam and a small drop of
oil to the contact breaker point pivot.
Adjusting the contact breaker points:
Refer to FIG 3 : 2 and slacken the stationary contact
carrier adjusting screw. Slowly rotate the engine until one
one of the t w o cams has opened the points to the fullest
48
extent so that the gap is measured at the position of the
maximum opening. Reset the gap to a correct clearance of
.0185 to .0209 inch and tighten the contact carrier screw.
Cleaning the contact points:
If the contact points are dirty or pitted they must be
cleaned by polishing them with a fine carborundum stone
taking very great care to ensure that the contact faces are
flat and square. Afterwards wipe away all dust with a cloth
moistened in petrol. The contacts may be removed from
the distributor body to assist refacing and cleaning refer-
ring to Section 3:5. If the moving contact is removed
from its pivot, check that its operation is not sluggish. If it is
tight, polish the pivot pin with a strip of fine emery cloth,
clean off all dust and apply a tiny spot of oil to the top of
the pivot pin. If a spring testing gauge is available the
contact breaker spring should have a tension of 16.8± 1.8
oz. measured at the points.
3 :4 Ignition faults
If the engine runs unevenly set it to idle at a fast speed.
Taking care not to touch any metal part of the sparking
plug leads, pull up the insulator sleeve and short each
plug in turn, using a screwdriver with an insulated handle.
Connect the screwdriver blade between the plug top and
the cylinder head. Shorting a plug which is firing properly
will make the engine uneven running more pronounced.
Shorting a plug in a cylinder which is not firing will make
no difference.
Having located the
faulty cylinder, stop the engine and
remove the plug lead. Start the engine and hold the lead
carefully to avoid shocks so that the metal end is about
3/16 inch away from the cylinder head. A strong regular
spark shows that the fault might be with the sparking plug.
Remove and clean it according to the instructions in
Section 3 :8. Alternatively substitute it with a new plug.
If the spark is weak and irregular, check that the lead is
not perished or cracked. If it appears to be defective,
renew it and try another test. If there is no improvement,
remove the distributor cap and wipe the inside clean and
dry. Check the carbon brush located as shown in FIG 3 : 2 .
It should protrude from the cap moulding and be free to
move against the pressure of the internal spring. Examine
the surface inside the cap for signs of 'tracking' which can
be seen as a thin black line between the electrodes or to
some metal part in contact with the cap. This is caused by
sparking, and the only cure is to fit a new cap.
Testing the low-tension circuit:
Before carrying out electrical tests, confirm that the
contact breaker points are clean and correctly set, then
proceed as follows:
1 Disconnect the black low-tension cable from the
ignition coil and from the side of the distributor.
Connect a test lamp between the t w o terminals. Turn
the engine over slowly. If the lamp lights when the
contacts close and goes out when they open, the
low-tension circuit is in order. If the lamp fails to light
the contacts are dirty or there is a break or loose con-
nection in the low-tension wiring.
2 If the fault lies in the
low-tension circuit, switch on
the ignition and turn the crankshaft until the contact
breaker points are fully open. Refer to the wiring
diagram in Technical Data and check the circuit with

a n 0—20 v o ltmeter. If the circuit is in order the meter
should read approximately 12-volts.
3 Battery to fuse box terminal 30. Connect the volt-
meter between the terminal 30 and earth. No reading
indicates a faulty cable or loose connection.
4 Fuse box. Connect the voltmeter between the other
auxiliary terminal 30 and earth. No reading indicates a
broken or loose connection.
5 Fuse box auxiliary terminal 30 to terminal
number 30 on ignition switch. Connect the meter
between terminal number 30 on the ignition switch
and earth. No reading indicates a damaged cable or
loose connection.
6 Ignition switch. Connect the meter between termi-
nal 15/54 and earth. Switch onto the ignition position,
when no reading indicates a fault in the switch.
7 Ignition switch to low-tension cable connection
on the coil (blue cable). Connect the meter
between ignition coil terminal (blue cable) and earth.
No reading indicates a damaged cable or loose con-
nection.
8 Ignition coil. Disconnect the black low-tension cable
connecting the coil to the distributor side terminal at
the coil and connect the meter between this terminal
and earth. No reading indicates a fault in the primary
winding of the coil and a replacement coil must be
fitted. If the reading is correct remake the connections
to the coil.
9 Ignition coil to distributor. Disconnect the thin
black low-tension cable at the side of the distributor
and connect the meter between the end of this cable
and earth. No reading indicates a damaged cable or
loose connections.
10 Contact breaker and capacitor. Connect the
meter across the contact breaker points. No reading
indicates a faulty capacitor.
Capacitor:
The best method of testing a capacitor (condenser) is
by substitution. Disconnect the original capacitor and
connect a new one between the low-tension terminal on
the side of the distributor and earth.
If a new capacitor is needed, fit a new one complete
w i t h bracket, but if necessary unsolder the original bracket
and solder it onto the new capacitor using as little heat as
possible. Capacitor capacity is .15-.20 microfarads.
3 : 5 Removing and dismantling distributor (sedan
and sports)
To remove the distributor proceed as follows:
1 Rotate the engine slowly until the distributor rotor arm
is opposite the brass segment in the distributor cap
connected to No. 1 plug lead. This will provide a datum
for replacement.
2 Disconnect the cable from the low-tension terminal on
the side of the distributor body. Mark position of distri-
butor on support. Release the distributor retaining nut
and washer from the underside of the top flange of the
distributor support and carefully lift away the dis-
tributor.
3 Pull off the rotor arm. Remove the insulated terminal
assembly from the side of distributor body. Release the
contact breaker carrier plate retaining screws and con-
denser flange screw from the outside of the distributor
F50049 body. Carefully lift out the contact breaker plate
assembly.
4 Before further dismantling note the relative positions of
the driving dog and the rotor arm driving slot at the top
of the distributor cam spindle. The driving dog is offset
and can only engage its driving spindle in one position.
Then when the cam assembly is fitted to the centrifugal
weights during reassembly the timing is not 180 deg.
out.
5 Take out the cam lubrication felt pad recessed in the
rotor arm housing on the end of the cam spindle.
Remove the retaining screw, carefully disengage the
springs and lift out the cam spindle. It should be noted
that there is a small retaining ball and spring located in a
drilling nearly at the top of the drive shaft spindle.
Carefully lift away the weights.
6 Thoroughly clean all parts and inspect for excessive
wear. The distributor cap must not be cracked or show
signs of tracking. The cap terminals, rotor and contact
breaker points can be cleaned with a very fine file.
Emerypaper must not be used. If the clearance between
the rotor and distributor cap segments exceeds .0118
inch both the rotor and distributor cap must be replaced.
Inspect the contact breaker arm rubbing block for exces-
sive wear and also the points for wear so that if the gap
exceeds the last setting limit of .0209 inch and adjust-
ment through the stationary contact carrier screw is no
longer possible (see FIG 3 : 2) , the contact breaker set
must be renewed.
If the distributor drive shaft side or vertical movement is
excessive the distributor must be renewed.
Weak centri-
fugal weight springs or damaged weights must be
renewed using original Fiat spares otherwise the auto-
matic ignition advance characteristics could be altered.
FIG 3 : 3 Ignition distributor in place on engine SPARK PLUG CABLES
IGNITION COIL CABLE!
DISTRIBUTOR CAP
DISTRIBUTOR BODY
GROUND CABLE
CONDENSER
DISTRIBUTOR SHAFT
LUBRICATION FITTING
DISTRIBUTORSUPPORT-TO--CRANKCASE NUT
[MOUNTING SCREWDISTRIBUTOR
DISTRIBUTOR SUPPORT

indicates the condition inside the combustion chamber
and may be used as a guide to engine tuning.
Before the spark plugs are removed b l o w away any
loose dirt from the plug recesses using a compressed air
jet or tyre pump. Store the plugs in the order of removal
ready for inspection.
Examine the gaskets and if they are about half their
thickness they may be used again otherwise they must be
replaced.
Inspect the electrode end of the plugs and note the
type and colour of the deposit. Normally it should be
powdery and range from b r o w n to a greyish tan in colour.
There will also be slight wear of the electrodes and the
general effect described is one which comes from mixed
periods of high-speed and low-speed driving. Cleaning
and resetting the gap is all that will be necessary.
If the deposits are white or yellowish they indicate long
periods of constant-speed driving or much low-speed
city driving. Again, the treatment is straightforward.
Dry, black, fluffy deposits are usually the result of
running with too rich a mixture. Incomplete combustion
of the petrol air charge may also be a cause and this might
be traced to a defect in the ignition system or excessive
idling.
Overheated sparking plugs have a white blistered look
about the centre electrode and the side electrode may be
badly eroded. This may be caused by poor cooling, wrong
ignition timing or sustained high speeds under heavy load.
To clean the sparking plugs effectively they should be
cleaned using an abrasive blasting machine and tested
under pressure once the electrodes have been reset. File
these until they are clean, bright and the faces parallel and
set the gap to .019 to .023 inch. Do not try to bend the
centre electrode.
Before replacing the plugs use a wire brush to clean the
threads taking care that the electrodes are not touched.
Thoroughly clean the spark plug in petrol, and dry using a
compressed air jet or a tyre pump. If difficulty is found in
screwing the plugs into the cylinder head by hand run a
tap d o w n the threads to clear away any carbon. If a tap is
not available use an old sparking plug with crosscuts d o w nthe threads. Finally tighten the plugs to a torque wrench
setting of 18 to 21 Ib ft.
Sparking plug leads:
The spark plug leads and the lead from the coil to the
distributor cap must be regularly checked for cracking of
the insulation and also correct seating in the distributor
cap and coil top. It is recommended that silicone grease is
smeared around the sockets before the leads are replaced
to ensure no moisture may enter causing difficult starting.
3 : 9 The distributor driving spindle (sedan and
sports engine)
If for any reason, the driving spindle has been removed
from its housing in the crankcase, it must be correctly
meshed w i t h the camshaft gear otherwise it
will be impos-
sible to set the ignition timing.
3:10 Fault diagnosis
(a) Engine w i l l not fire
1 Battery discharged
2 Distributor contact points dirty, pitted or maladjusted
3 Distributor cap dirty, cracked or tracking
4 Carbon brush inside distributor cap not touching rotor
5 Faulty cable or loose connection in low-tension circuit
6 Distributor rotor arm cracked
7 Faulty coil
8 Broken contact breaker spring
9 Contact points stuck open
(b) Engine misfires
1 Check 2, 3, 4, and 7 in (a)
2 Weak contact breaker spring
3 High-tension plug and coil leads cracked or perished
4 Sparking plug(s) loose
5 Sparking plug insulation cracked
6 Sparking plug gap incorrectly set
7 Ignition timing too far advanced

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.

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.

CHAPTER 9
THE STEERING SYSTEM
9 : 5 Relay lever and support
9 : 6 Steering rods
9 : 7 Front wheel toe-in
9 : 8 Fault diagnosis 9:1 Description
9 : 2 Steering wheel removal and refitting
9 : 3 Steering box removal and refitting
9 : 4 Steering box dismantling and reassembly
9:1 Description
The steering gear fitted to the new 500 range of
vehicles is of the worm screw and sector type with a
steering ratio of 1:13. The steering gearbox is located on
the front lefthand side of the dash wall on the scuttle as
shown in FIG 9:1. The steering gear comprises a pitman
arm and relay lever pivoting on a pin supported on the
body. A central track rod connects the pitman arm to the
relay lever. T w o track rods connect the pitman arm and
relay lever to the knuckle arms.
9:2 Steering wheel removal and refitting
To remove the steering wheel proceed as follows:
1 Disconnect the battery positive terminal clamp and
remove the horn control from the steering wheel.
2 Remove the cable from the push button seating and the
cable insulation sleeve.
3 Using a suitably sized box spanner or Fiat wrench
A.8279 unscrew the steering wheel to shaft nut as
shown in FIG 9:2.
4 Using the palm of the hands against the back of the
steering wheel rim gently tap the steering wheel
forwards so releasing it from the inner shaft.
F50097 5 Reassembly is the reverse procedure to dismantling.
Care should be taken to ensure that the front wheels
are located in the straight ahead position when the
steering wheel is being replaced otherwise the steering
wheel spokes will not be correctly positioned.
9 : 3 Steering box removal and refitting
To remove the steering box from the vehicle proceed
as follows:
1 From inside the vehicle remove the steering column
clamp bolt 6 (see FIG 9 : 3) after flattening the lock-
washer 7.
2 From the underside of the vehicle remove the t w o
tie rod locking nuts from the pitman arm and then using
Fiat tool A.46006 or a suitable t w o leg puller withdraw
the pins from the seats.
3 Remove the three nuts holding the steering box to the
body panel. Ease out the worm screw from the
steering shaft and lift away the steering box.
4 To refit the steering box is the reverse procedure to
dismantling. The steering box to body mounting nuts
should be tightened to a torque wrench setting of
14 Ib/ft to 18 Ib/ft.

CHAPTER 11
THE ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
11:1 Description
11:2 Battery
11:3 The generator
11:4 The starter
11:5 The control box
1 1 : 6 Fuses
1 1 : 7 Flasher unit
11:1 Description
All models covered by this manual have 12 volts
electrical systems in which the negative battery terminal
is earthed. There are three units in the regulator box to
control the charging circuit; a cut-out, a current regulator
and a voltage regulator. These are adjustable but it must
be stressed that accurate moving coil meters are required
when checking or altering the settings. Cheap and
unreliable instruments will make accurate adjustments
impossible.
There are wiring diagrams in Technical Data at the end
of this manual to enable those with electrical experience
to trace and correct wiring faults.
For t h e U.K. Market the headlamps are of the double
filament dipping renewable bulb type with adjustments
for individual beam settings.
The battery is located in the front compartment
forward of the petrol tank and the fuses to the rear o f the
petrol tank.
Detailed instructions for servicing the electrical equip-
ment will be found in this chapter, but it must be pointed
out that it is not sensible to try to repair that which is
seriously defective, electrically or mechanically. Such
equipment should be replaced by new units which can
be obtained on an exchange basis.
F500111
11 :8 Windscreen wipers
1 1 : 9 The lighting system
11:10 Panel and warning lights
11:11 The horn
11:12 Lighting and flasher switch
1 1 : 1 3 Fault diagnosis
11.2 The battery
This of the 12-volt lead/acid type and has to meet
heavy demands for current particularly in the winter. To
maintain the performance of the battery at its maximum
it is essential to carry out the following operations.
Keep the top of the battery and surrounding parts dry
and clean, as dampness can cause leakage between the
securing clamps and the battery terminals. Clean off any
corrosion from the metal parts of the battery mounting
with diluted ammonia and paint them with an anti-
sulphuric paint. If the terminal posts are corroded,
remove the cables and clean w i t h diluted ammonia.
Smear the posts w i t h petroleum jelly before remaking the
connections and fit the terminals securely. High electrical
resistance due to corrosion at the terminal posts is often
responsible for lack of sufficient current to operate the
starter motor.
Ensure t h a t the filler plugs are in good condition and
show no signs of cracks. This may cause leakage of
electrolyte and consequent corrosion. Test the condition
of the cells after topping-up the electrolyte level with
distilled water to just above the tops of the separators as
shown in FIG 11 :2 . Never add neat acid. If it is
necessary to make a new electrolyte due to loss by
spillage add sulphuric acid to the
distilled water.
It is highly dangerous to add water to acid.