Advice and opinions please.
My 124 Abarth is two and a half years old, although I've only owned it for the last three months. I've read the forum posts as well as watched all the relevant YouTube clips regarding the known valve issues. Consequently I took the time yesterday to free off and anti-seize grease the valve workings and spring. It was fairly easy for me to free off and so I was quite pleased that things would operate as normal. As with others though I noted that the spring is, in my opinion also, far too strong for exhaust pressure alone to allow activation of the valve.
As a result I concocted a test that my son, my neighbour and myself carried out earlier today.
At idle we noted gasses coming from all four pipes. When I manually activated the valve none of us could detect any difference to either the sound or the amount of exhaust coming from each pipe.
We then tried the same exercise at a constant 2000rpm and then repeated the exercise again at a constant 3500rpm. None of us could detect any difference whatsoever either in the noise or the proportion of gasses emitted.
I am at a loss to explain these findings. It suggests to me that either the valve is totally inoperative, broken internally, or even non-existent. I would be surprised if it were broken internally as the car has a low mileage and freeing off the valve didn't require great force in the first place.
Am I missing something obvious? I would love to get to the bottom of this because it clearly manifests itself in the 500 based Abarths with Record Monzas as well. Did Fiat/Abarth sell us duds here?
Please let me know your thoughts.
Regards,
Stan
My 124 Abarth is two and a half years old, although I've only owned it for the last three months. I've read the forum posts as well as watched all the relevant YouTube clips regarding the known valve issues. Consequently I took the time yesterday to free off and anti-seize grease the valve workings and spring. It was fairly easy for me to free off and so I was quite pleased that things would operate as normal. As with others though I noted that the spring is, in my opinion also, far too strong for exhaust pressure alone to allow activation of the valve.
As a result I concocted a test that my son, my neighbour and myself carried out earlier today.
At idle we noted gasses coming from all four pipes. When I manually activated the valve none of us could detect any difference to either the sound or the amount of exhaust coming from each pipe.
We then tried the same exercise at a constant 2000rpm and then repeated the exercise again at a constant 3500rpm. None of us could detect any difference whatsoever either in the noise or the proportion of gasses emitted.
I am at a loss to explain these findings. It suggests to me that either the valve is totally inoperative, broken internally, or even non-existent. I would be surprised if it were broken internally as the car has a low mileage and freeing off the valve didn't require great force in the first place.
Am I missing something obvious? I would love to get to the bottom of this because it clearly manifests itself in the 500 based Abarths with Record Monzas as well. Did Fiat/Abarth sell us duds here?
Please let me know your thoughts.
Regards,
Stan