I've been a bit busy with work, so the pace of progress has backed down a bit on the Lancia. The update isn't really in chronological order, as I've been grabbing random lunchtimes here and there and evenings to work on the car and have jumped around the place working on different issues.
First off, while there's not much to see of the progress I've made some leaps and bounds with the engine. After sorting the carbs and ignition system out, I was still feeling the engine wasn't giving me the performance that it should. And after the trip to Leeds and back to get the wheels last weekend, it was feeling rougher and more lumpy than ever.
The opinion on whether the s2 Fulvias valve seats are up to unleaded is split, and as it felt like it was running on 3 at times I was kinda worried. But checking the valve clearances showed that in the past 2,000 miles on unleaded they've not changed at all. I also did a compression test that came back with 130, 135, 138, 132 psi, so nice and even but low. The factory spec is 160-165.
I'd been meaning to check the cam timing since I got the car as I know it's something at can be a problem with Fulvias. Lancias marks on the sprockets are only approximate, you need to time the cams by measuring the lift at TCD on the exhaust stroke. Doing this showed my exhaust cam to be spot on, but the intake cam was 10-11 crank degrees late. As my cams are the later type my only option is to move the cam around one sprocket tooth, ~18 crank degrees. I figured it was worth a shot. Didn't take much time in the end and remeasuring I figured the intake cam had in fact only ended up about 4 crank degrees advances, so pretty close. The engine instantly felt smoother, and revved out better. Previously it had run out of power by 5750rpm. The redline is 6200, and owners on the forums seem to say ignore the redline and rev till they don't want to. With the cam now timed up properly it pulls happily to 6300-6400
But still it was feeling lumpier than before. Numerous attempts at balance the carbs and set the idle mixture didn't seem to make any difference.
And then I saw the problem. One of the first things I did to this car was to replace the carb rubber mounting. It was pretty damn expensive for a bit of rubber, and in the end it turned out mine wasn't leaking anyway, it was just beginning to split because the carb support bracket wasn't done up. And it looks like the new carb rubber has come apart. The carbs were vibrating around quite a lot and on closer inspection the rubber has come away from the metal almost entirely. It wasn't going to be long till the carbs totally separated from the engine :S The picture doesn't really show the extent of the damage, but I didn't wanna pull it apart for the sake of a picture.
I've gone back to using my old mount, and with a healthy dose of silicone and the carb support bracket now installed, all is well. She's running wonderfully smooth, and pulling cleanly at all revs and throttle positions, The best the cars felt yet ;D I'm hopeful that I'll be able to get a replacement carb rubber, as the new one must have been faulty to fall apart some catastrophically despite being installed correctly with all the right bracing etc.
After engine, lets move inside. I've been keeping an eye on the amount of water that's still making its way into the footwells, and I'm now confident it's the rear window letting the water in, which is dripping into the boot and then under the rear seat and down into the footwells. I'd felt this was the case for a while, but hadn't got a direct connection to water at the rear window, just that it was dripping into the boot. So i took some more of the interior out and dug a little deeper.
Mmmm the underside of the parcel shelf was soaked, and it's definitely coming in from both lower corners of the rear window. I don't think there's much I can do for now. Think I've gotta wait for a warmer & drier weekend where I can confidently remove the rear window and clean up the inevitable rust under the seal.
While we're talking about the interior, I've finally got some music to listen to. I bought a small 2 channel amp off eBay and I'm driving it directly from my phone into the speakers that a previous owner has butchered the door cards to fit. Wiring it in was shockingly simple, once I'd deciphered the Italian on my fuses!
It's wonderful how simple the dash comes apart on this car, much nicer than the hidden clips and millions of plastic pressed sections of newer cars. There were a couple of teething problems, such as finding someone had cut all the wires going to the passengers door.
Reconnecting them up blew the interior lighting fuse, one shorted door light wire later and all is well. Was it really nessesary to cut all the wires going to the door
The interior of the door looked pleasantly solid and rust free
And there we have it, temporarily taped to the underside of the ashtray till I get chance to paint the case black and make a bracket for it. It's much less noticeable in real like than in that photo, and it's so nice to have music in the car again. I'm pleased to have done it without having to cut the dash.
And now the moment, you've all been waiting for.....(well 4 of you anyway ) Wheel test fit time!
The wheels I picked up were a set of 14x7? modgies. Bit of surface rust in places but generally awesome for the money.
BUT I'm now doubting myself. Firstly I weighed them, 17.5kgs per wheel with tyre. My magnesium Cromadoras are 11.5kgs per wheel with tyres. That's a hell of a difference. Also I think to pull it off it'll need a fair hit with the lowering stick, arch rolling and de-bumpering.
Now I know it's sacrilege but I'm actually slightly loathed to lower the Fulvia much because I'm very happy with the balance of handling and comfort currently. It dances through corners beautifully and if I disturbed that with flipped leaves and shorter bump stops I'd be very disappointed. I think I need more time to think it all through.
Anyway while test fitting the wheels, I found the cause of the rubbing/grinding coming from the front that initially I had thought was a warped disc. There's definite play in the left front wheel bearing.
I've already shelled out for the expensive Fulvia specific hub nut tool, see the weird 3 pronged nut.
but to chance the bearing I'll need another special tool to remove the lock ring from the bearing, and a bearing itself which is £££.
I bought a new 3/4" drive breaker bar to use with the hub nut tool.
Makes my 1/2" bar look like a toy, but to add insult to injury even with the new breaker bar and a 3ft steel tube I can't get the hub nut to move. I thin it's time for a big scaffolding bar and some friends, or to go get a garage with a more powerful impact gun than me to free it off.
First off, while there's not much to see of the progress I've made some leaps and bounds with the engine. After sorting the carbs and ignition system out, I was still feeling the engine wasn't giving me the performance that it should. And after the trip to Leeds and back to get the wheels last weekend, it was feeling rougher and more lumpy than ever.
The opinion on whether the s2 Fulvias valve seats are up to unleaded is split, and as it felt like it was running on 3 at times I was kinda worried. But checking the valve clearances showed that in the past 2,000 miles on unleaded they've not changed at all. I also did a compression test that came back with 130, 135, 138, 132 psi, so nice and even but low. The factory spec is 160-165.
I'd been meaning to check the cam timing since I got the car as I know it's something at can be a problem with Fulvias. Lancias marks on the sprockets are only approximate, you need to time the cams by measuring the lift at TCD on the exhaust stroke. Doing this showed my exhaust cam to be spot on, but the intake cam was 10-11 crank degrees late. As my cams are the later type my only option is to move the cam around one sprocket tooth, ~18 crank degrees. I figured it was worth a shot. Didn't take much time in the end and remeasuring I figured the intake cam had in fact only ended up about 4 crank degrees advances, so pretty close. The engine instantly felt smoother, and revved out better. Previously it had run out of power by 5750rpm. The redline is 6200, and owners on the forums seem to say ignore the redline and rev till they don't want to. With the cam now timed up properly it pulls happily to 6300-6400
But still it was feeling lumpier than before. Numerous attempts at balance the carbs and set the idle mixture didn't seem to make any difference.
And then I saw the problem. One of the first things I did to this car was to replace the carb rubber mounting. It was pretty damn expensive for a bit of rubber, and in the end it turned out mine wasn't leaking anyway, it was just beginning to split because the carb support bracket wasn't done up. And it looks like the new carb rubber has come apart. The carbs were vibrating around quite a lot and on closer inspection the rubber has come away from the metal almost entirely. It wasn't going to be long till the carbs totally separated from the engine :S The picture doesn't really show the extent of the damage, but I didn't wanna pull it apart for the sake of a picture.
I've gone back to using my old mount, and with a healthy dose of silicone and the carb support bracket now installed, all is well. She's running wonderfully smooth, and pulling cleanly at all revs and throttle positions, The best the cars felt yet ;D I'm hopeful that I'll be able to get a replacement carb rubber, as the new one must have been faulty to fall apart some catastrophically despite being installed correctly with all the right bracing etc.
After engine, lets move inside. I've been keeping an eye on the amount of water that's still making its way into the footwells, and I'm now confident it's the rear window letting the water in, which is dripping into the boot and then under the rear seat and down into the footwells. I'd felt this was the case for a while, but hadn't got a direct connection to water at the rear window, just that it was dripping into the boot. So i took some more of the interior out and dug a little deeper.
Mmmm the underside of the parcel shelf was soaked, and it's definitely coming in from both lower corners of the rear window. I don't think there's much I can do for now. Think I've gotta wait for a warmer & drier weekend where I can confidently remove the rear window and clean up the inevitable rust under the seal.
While we're talking about the interior, I've finally got some music to listen to. I bought a small 2 channel amp off eBay and I'm driving it directly from my phone into the speakers that a previous owner has butchered the door cards to fit. Wiring it in was shockingly simple, once I'd deciphered the Italian on my fuses!
It's wonderful how simple the dash comes apart on this car, much nicer than the hidden clips and millions of plastic pressed sections of newer cars. There were a couple of teething problems, such as finding someone had cut all the wires going to the passengers door.
Reconnecting them up blew the interior lighting fuse, one shorted door light wire later and all is well. Was it really nessesary to cut all the wires going to the door
The interior of the door looked pleasantly solid and rust free
And there we have it, temporarily taped to the underside of the ashtray till I get chance to paint the case black and make a bracket for it. It's much less noticeable in real like than in that photo, and it's so nice to have music in the car again. I'm pleased to have done it without having to cut the dash.
And now the moment, you've all been waiting for.....(well 4 of you anyway ) Wheel test fit time!
The wheels I picked up were a set of 14x7? modgies. Bit of surface rust in places but generally awesome for the money.
BUT I'm now doubting myself. Firstly I weighed them, 17.5kgs per wheel with tyre. My magnesium Cromadoras are 11.5kgs per wheel with tyres. That's a hell of a difference. Also I think to pull it off it'll need a fair hit with the lowering stick, arch rolling and de-bumpering.
Now I know it's sacrilege but I'm actually slightly loathed to lower the Fulvia much because I'm very happy with the balance of handling and comfort currently. It dances through corners beautifully and if I disturbed that with flipped leaves and shorter bump stops I'd be very disappointed. I think I need more time to think it all through.
Anyway while test fitting the wheels, I found the cause of the rubbing/grinding coming from the front that initially I had thought was a warped disc. There's definite play in the left front wheel bearing.
I've already shelled out for the expensive Fulvia specific hub nut tool, see the weird 3 pronged nut.
but to chance the bearing I'll need another special tool to remove the lock ring from the bearing, and a bearing itself which is £££.
I bought a new 3/4" drive breaker bar to use with the hub nut tool.
Makes my 1/2" bar look like a toy, but to add insult to injury even with the new breaker bar and a 3ft steel tube I can't get the hub nut to move. I thin it's time for a big scaffolding bar and some friends, or to go get a garage with a more powerful impact gun than me to free it off.