So you want a bit
more power from your 650cc engine?
This "D" has had the twin-port head treatment plus the addition of a 40 DCOE Weber and special manifold
Step by step guide to fitting a twin port head to your
650cc Fiat 500 or Niki.
The 650cc engine which powered the "R" 126 and Niki cars was eventually
fitted with a twin-port head and twin-throat carby when fitted to the Fiat
Panda 30 to give it a bit more power for 80s & 90s motoring conditions.
The Panda 30 was a front wheel drive car that looked a bit like a Daihatsu
Charade.
THE JOB
1.
Get hold of a Fiat Panda 30 head. They were only sold in Europe and most of
them were for the local market. The Club occasionally gets a number of these
in from Italian car wreckers but you can get your own quite easily.
Make sure you get the complete head assembly including manifold, carby, air
inlet tube and 2 short head studs as well as the 5 push-rod tubes.
Overhaul the head and carby if necessary then,
2.
Strip the top tin-ware from your engine and remove the complete head.
This Niki engine bay shows what is left when the tin-ware and head are removed. The job can either be done in situ or with the whole engine removed
3.
Modify all 4 pieces of tin ware to take the larger Panda 30 head.
As you can
see, the Panda head is very different in size and shape from the original,
especially on the air outlet side. You will need to cut, bend, heat, stretch,
weld and hammer your old tin-ware to allow for a good air-flow. Alternatively
you can make up a new outlet fairly easily from some sheet metal.
4.
Remove the two center head studs from the fan side of the engine and replace
with the shorter studs.
5.
Remove the existing push rod tubes and replace with the shorter Panda 30 ones.
Be careful as the center tube is longer than the other 4.
The Panda
30 has shorter push-rod tubes than the 650 engine. You can cut down your old
tubes if you don’t have the Panda ones.
Note that the centre oil-feed tube is about 13mm longer than the 4 push-rod
tubes.
6.
Fit Panda 30 head and tin-ware as necessary and fit the rest of the components,
ie manifold, carby, air inlet etc.
This Niki
is using a RamFow air filter as the head did not come with the necessary hose
to utilize the existing air inlet system.
Note that the existing air cleaner tower has been removed.
7.
Adjust valve clearances and other settings and GO, GO, GO!!!!!!
Why not fit a nice sports muffler at the same time? ANSA make a good one with
twin chrome outlets for around $200.
Don’t forget to run your new rocket
on Premium fuel only.