[john a milne]

I was talking to a mechanic friend and he Strongly urged me to make sure that I was running coolant in the rad to ensure the aluminum head does not corrode.

First time anyone has mentioned it to me, but it makes sense.

Any comments?

[arun1100]

My car is heating quickly!! I don't say overheating... But the temp goes up quickly just after 3 or 4 kms... Running on water...

My car's Water pump looks fine.. How to verify if its working?

The water level in the radiator decreased just by a cm even after 50 kms of driving in a week.

What could be the problem...?

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Dear Samsag12 - WHY DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE THE CYLINDER HEAD GASKET? JUST FOR THE HECK OF IT? NO WAY! IF YOUR ENGINE IS WORKING PROPERLY, JUST LEAVE IT ALONE, CYLINDER HEAD GASKET IS SUPPOSED TO LAST FOR THE LIFE OF THE ENGINE. Kya yaar!. Kuch bhi karta hai tum log! Please ask me specifically or else you will spoil your car.

Dear John - Just use good water, nothing will happen. Just ensure that you drain and refill once a year. I have used only water for 35 years now. Specific heat of water is slightly more than that of coolant..

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[arun1100]

Behram Sir, Please give a solution to my car's heating problem...

[funkykar]

Behram sir, whats the best way to verify that the entire cooling system is working as expected?

Why dont you put a profile picture.

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Dear Arun / Karthik - Yes, I will do so. Give me some time to type out the whole thing. By the way, go to the 4*4 vehicles section and see the CJ3B thread of the car Jaggu has purchased. I have given fuel system improvement recommendations today. By the way, how did you like the left hand drive with the stickers? Both Rony's car and my car won the first prizes in our categories.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[arun1100]

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

Dear Arun / Karthik - Yes, I will do so. Give me some time to type out the whole thing. By the way, go to the 4*4 vehicles section and see the CJ3B thread of the car Jaggu has purchased. I have given fuel system improvement recommendations today. By the way, how did you like the left hand drive with the stickers? Both Rony's car and my car won the first prizes in our categories.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

Link to the 4*4 section.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/1790402-post68.html

LHD looks great sir. Had posted my comment too in the LHD thread but no reply.

[samsag12]

Originally Posted by DHABHAR.BEHRAM

Dear Samsag12 - WHY DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE THE CYLINDER HEAD GASKET? JUST FOR THE HECK OF IT? NO WAY! IF YOUR ENGINE IS WORKING PROPERLY, JUST LEAVE IT ALONE, CYLINDER HEAD GASKET IS SUPPOSED TO LAST FOR THE LIFE OF THE ENGINE. Kya yaar!. Kuch bhi karta hai tum log! Please ask me specifically or else you will spoil your car.


Behram Dhabhar

Dhabhar Sir i am not going to change any gasket in my car till its blown. I am just getting it serviced at the pump and getting the oil and filter changed. Even i am not going to flush the old oil with any type of flushing agent. I am leaving whatever is working as it is. I even Pmed you sir few months back regarding some problem but i think you didn't got time to reply. Anyways from now on i will get the advice from you whenever i am in doubt.

[chanu]

[quote=DHABHAR.BEHRAM;1790429]Dear Samsag12 - WHY DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE THE CYLINDER HEAD GASKET? JUST FOR THE HECK OF IT? NO WAY! IF YOUR ENGINE IS WORKING PROPERLY, JUST LEAVE IT ALONE, CYLINDER HEAD GASKET IS SUPPOSED TO LAST FOR THE LIFE OF THE ENGINE. Kya yaar!. Kuch bhi karta hai tum log! Please ask me specifically or else you will spoil your car.

Wow!! this is what I love in you sir, you are just there to rescue us. I salute the admiriation/love you have for fiats/PP, I specially deem myself to be lucky to be in this forum and to add up to my luck you are there for us. My/Our FIAT/PP's are lucky.

[funkykar]

Absolutely magic Behram sir is. If you look back at this thread, Behram has contributed so much, it pretty much covers almost everything to keep a Fiat in excellent running condition. The CORRECT way, mind it.

[arun1100]

Upgrading the Battery charging system of a Fiat 1100/Premier Padmini. -- By Behramji

Dear all - I have read about starting issues due to battery issues. Please do as indicated, your cars will work properly. If you don't do as indicated, your cars will not work properly. This is for upgrading the charging system.

Use Lucas TVS SA15 brand new alternator. These were supplied as OE to brand new carburettor driven Maruti 800 cars and are freely available across the country. Go to an authorized Lucas TVS dealer and purchase. Some guys will try to sell you the same alternator but with the packing box indicating as being for tractor use. You can buy this alternator also, it is exactly same but tax is less due to "agricultural use" (approximately rupees 2200 to 2500). Then please see if you can lay your hands on an S1 alternator mounting bracket and brace. The bracket is made of cast iron and then machined. The brace has 2 bends in 2 planes. I will post photographs shortly when I am in Mumbai (I am in Nasik just now). I have around 10 sets lying at home. Use only good quality TVS make 8.8 grade bolts to mount the alternator. I pick up alternator mounting brackets whenever I get them. Please wire the new alternator as follows:

If the car had a dynamo, it would also have a voltage regulator ("cut out" in garage jargon). Remove this regulator and throw it out. It will have a thick brown wire going to a point marked "D" (dynamo). There will also be another thin wire attached to this thick wire with a common terminal. Cut the common terminal and throw it out. Splay the ends of both the wires with a good 6" Taparia make plier. There is a thin black wire going to a point marked "F" (field coil) with an open ended terminal. Cut this terminal and throw it out. Splay this wire and connect it to the thin wire which came fromthe "D" terminal. Tape the connection with a good insulation tape properly. There is a thick pink wire going to a terminal marked "B" (battery), equipped with a round terminal. Cut the terminal and throw it out. Splay this wire. Connect it to the thick brown wire which came from the "D" terminal. Tape the joint securely. Now tape all the joints thus formed securely using the wiring harness quality black tape. This tape is freely available. The name of the manufacturer is "Notre". Bring the dynamo ends of the thick pink and the thin red wires up, clean them and tape them properly. Buy one Maruti 800 2 point connector having a composite base having 2 connectors at 90 degree orientation. Press this connector in the alternator slot marked "L" and "IG". Do not connect the "IG" wire anywhere, just hide it inside the tape to prevent it from touching anywhere. Connect the thin black wire of the wiring harness formed after discarding the dynamo voltage regulator to the "L" terminal of the connector coming out of the alternator. Tape this joint properly. Connect the round connector of the thick pink wire of the harness to the main output point of the alternator and tighten this M6*1.0 threaded nut by using a size 10 spanner. Use a slightly longer fan belt to drive the alternator. Ask for an old Matador size belt. They are freely available. Start the engine and check the headlights for brightness etc. If your old dynamo was an almost dud, you will be amazed at the transformation of the electrical system.

All above was normal work which I expect any self respecting electrician to know and do properly (easier said than done though!). IF you want still better performance as I do because all my cars have 140/110 watts headlights with GE bulbs (daylight in front of me!), you will need to shunt the alternator. For this, it is necessary to purchase only "FINOLEX 84" size wire in suitable length (25 mts costs around 1500 rupees at current rate), solder correct sizes of terminals at both ends and CONNECT THE MAIN OUTPUT OF THE ALTERNATOR DIRECTLY TO EITHER THE BATTERY POSITIVE TERMINAL OR TO THE POSITIVE TERMINAL OF THE SOLENOID SWITCH. I prefer the direct shunt to the battery but you must be very careful to locate the shunt, route it and tape it properly. Also please read the thread in the "Technical Information on Premier Padmini" thread for further details. Also read my comments on page 60 of the hadlights thread elsewhere on the forum.

If any doubt, please ask.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Thanks Arun and all - taking a cue from Karthik's post no 595, now I will cover everything one by one. For example, do you know how clutch setting is done? Do you know the correct way to prepare the front suspension? Do you know how to set the gear shifter in the column shift cars? Do you know which hose clip to use where and how to tighten a hose clip? Do you know how many leaves are there in the original leaf spring assembly of a 1967 model Fiat 1100 delite? Do you know how to wash the cylinder block after machining during engine overhauling? I think I will write in this thread only. Be prepared to get bombarded.

THIS IS GOING TO BE MY TRIBUTE TO MY 3 MAIN TEACHERS - LATE MR.FRAMROZE NARIMAN, MR.ANIL PATEL AND LATE MR.SHASHI MOHILE. I REVERE THEM. I WORSHIP THEM. THEY ARE GOD TO ME. You don't get such teachers today. You don't get such students also today. Sad but true! There were others too, to name a few - Morris (electricals), Sadanand Mankame (carburetttors), Narayan Kanoja (heavy vehicles), Bhagwandas (antique piece of perfection), Vasant (differential preload setting without special tools / transmission) and Kersi Cama (you choose, he delivers), Mario & Wilson (heavy vehicle transmission), Barrokh and Baretto (bench fit working).

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[arun1100]

Most of us don't have the answers for all the technical questions.

This is exactly what we wanted. You are the only one who can teach us with such sheer passion.

Sir, also include "Solution to heating problem". This is one problem most of us face.

[Sujith1100]

Originally Posted by arun1100

My car is heating quickly!! I don't say overheating... But the temp goes up quickly just after 3 or 4 kms... Running on water...

My car's Water pump looks fine.. How to verify if its working?

The water level in the radiator decreased just by a cm even after 50 kms of driving in a week.

What could be the problem...?

Arun, the heating problem is not actually a problem. Your radiator and water level, hoses are all OKAY(O.K). Its because of the summer heat and the slow city traffic conditions that the engine is operated in very hot and humid environmental conditions.
Arun, you have noticed my car's temperature gauge hardly reach 1/4th mark after all the Heat-Flow modifications I did to it. But now the needle is always at 1/2 mark, and thats because the Air blowing on to the radiator and the same Air hitting the Engine bay is quite HOT, so the Heat-Extraction/Dissipation magnitude is very low. Hence the needle show above the 1/2 Mark and its the normal operation range.

[adheesh]

Originally Posted by arun1100

Most of us don't have the answers for all the technical questions.

This is exactly what we wanted. You are the only one who can teach us with such sheer passion.

Sir, also include "Solution to heating problem". This is one problem most of us face.

There are various factors for overheating some of which may not even be related to the cooling system at all. A well tuned engine with correct parameters is elementary. Incorrect ignition timing as well as air fuel mixture ratio does lead to overheating. These factors need to be eliminated first. Proceeding to the actual cooling system, a good cooling system consists of a standard original design non-'leaky' radiator with a strong core, strong robust hose pipes secured with good hose clips (originally patti clips, however the new generation mechanics don't know how to use them correctly.). The water pump should be of Autolec. The standard yellow coloured four blade fan (manufactured by Excel Auto) is also enough for the engine cooling needs in the most severe of weather. The reason behind people replacing the standard fan with a 6 blade one (it saps lot of power as well as gives a silly hum sound at high revs) is beyond my imagination.One of the most important and most neglected part of the cooling system is the pressure cap. It should be of TECIL make ONLY, nothing else will work. Most of the cars have a malfunctioning pressure cap which doest even retain 1psi of pressure let alone 7psi which it is supposed to, so these cars constantly throw out water from the overflow pipe and hence the need to constantly refill the radiator arises. Be careful which replacing an old pressure cap since the new pressure cap will significantly increase the pressure inside the cooling system to about 7 psi, the system if not in a good shape will not tolerate this pressure and will start leaking in the most undesired place and time. Ensure the integrity of the radiator and the hoses before replacing the pressure cap. The use of water alone is fine but it should be of highest purity available to avoid sedimentation and salt deposits in the cooling system) Also the use of degassing tank (More details here) is highly advisable but not inevitable (People used this car for over 40years without one and without problems !!). If everything works fine, the delta T should be around 323 K (50 degrees centigrade) at operating temperature.
If all the above parameters are correct believe me, the temperature needle wouldn't cross the 'normal mark' (90 degrees C) and topping up water everyday would be a thing of the past.

Regards,
Adheesh Parelkar