Lancia Beta Forum

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So this Friday we start in earnest on the mechanicals, ahead of starting on the cosmetics in September.

After my tyre thread I bought some Yoko C Drive 2s. It was a toss up between those and Toyo CF1's. Managed to get the Yokos at £50 a corner. Nowt special, but they're black and round and legal.
 
I was going to leave the Volumex untouched until this Friday when a mate is coming up to give me a hand to change the cambelt, but the weather has been so lovely I just had to get it out the past two evenings for jaunts to Hinton Charterhouse and Brent Knoll. Bliss.
 
So Fridays jobs are fit new rubber, change oil filter, engine oil, gearbox oil, cam belt, plugs, swap out rusty headlights, investigate gearbox baulking into 5th (if not solved by fresh oil and wiggle of linkage), fit new washer bottle, investigate why the windscreen wiper motor blinks the battery light on (gummed up mech, or buggered motor?), investigate why the coolant water is black and weld up the driver's seat frame ...

Hopefully in time for me to run it down to Sidmouth for a navigational exercise run my Exmouth motor club on Friday night.
 
Then MOT it Saturday morning for a run to a rally starting in Buxton Saturday evening ... wish me luck!

All that mileage should let me know if we've done the job properly. It'll be the longest run it has had for probably over a decade. Otherwise I'll have to take the Golf of Infinite Shonk to Buxton :(

Andy

jealous that yours is on the road and running, god knows how I ended up in this endless restoration thing .... Looking good if you need any part numbers etc. don't forget to ask i have the full microfiche for VX cars amongst others.

Well. Friday didn't go so well due to circumstances beyond my control, so I couldn't take it for its MOT.

Good news is that the cam belt is fine. Once the cover was off and we'd rocked it back and forth in gear, the belt looks fine. Changed the oil (old oil was like treacle) and filter. New washer bottle slotted straight in. Wiper motor issue is probabaly a bad earth, so that should be easy enough. The spark plugs that were in it were fine too.

New rubber arrived but no time to fit, got the seats out but no time to get the driver's seat frame welded up, and no time to change the gearbox oil either.

Bad news is the new headlight units I bought don't fit (tabs on the new units look completely different to the tabs on the originals - any tips?).

Then we started to investigate why it was seeping oil out of the top of the engine. It wasn't a lot so I'd assumed that the cam cover gaskets had gone. However, airbox etc removed we discovered that one cam housing cover bolt would not tighten. Removed to discover this:

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-lwmS3i7axw4/U3n7XLlCCtI/AAAAAAAAAUs/dGWPfhorEFw/s640/camhousingboltthread.JPG)

The threaded section of the cam housing has broken away, which is why the cam housing cover won't tighten. Very lucky indeed that the bit that had broken off hadn't fallen into the cams and engine, or it'd be toast!

So now I either have to try and source another cam housing, or try and find a good aluminium welder to weld it up, heat treat it, and retap the thread.

I've used some instant gasket and araldited around the head of the bolt to the cam cover, so the car drives still, but I don't really want to drive it far until I can get it fixed properly. I'm trying to remind myself that it is lucky I found the problem before it got much more serious and terminal.

I wouldn't trust having it tigged up, I took some cams off a VX a while ago, I'll see if I can find them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Which make of lights did it have? Universal fit lights will only fit in carello type bowls if you have siem lights they have funny unique fittings. Best long term option is to find carello fittings and swap them for an easy life in the  future.

By the way make sure you have searched on here about gearbox oil, it's very easy to put in the wrong stuff beta gearboxes need oil without ep additives plenty of old threads that give full advice.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ekzgzkdpzhrtn9b/9cam%20carrier.JPG (https://www.dropbox.com/s/ekzgzkdpzhrtn9b/9cam%20carrier.JPG)
https://www.dropbox.com/s/s6fzof0z37pqehc/10cam%20carrier.JPG (https://www.dropbox.com/s/s6fzof0z37pqehc/10cam%20carrier.JPG)


0930 refers to volumex 0085 to ie

Matt, that would be amazing if you could.

rosso, they're siem units in the car. I'll have to find some carello fittings then. I specifically sourced some ZC90 for the gearbox thanks. Huge thanks also for those microfiches - very useful indeed - I assume that the ie and vx part is the same (82353998 (0085)(0930)?)

Cam box discussion has moved here: http://www.betaboyz.myzen.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=2560.0 (http://www.betaboyz.myzen.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=2560.0)

So I seem to have sourced a cambox from droptop and significant help from rossocorsa. Now all I have to do is find someone local to Bristol, UK, who is familiar with the Fiat twin cam to do the work changing it all over. May as well do the gaskets on the other side, tappet shims, cambelt and bearing all at the same time - and that is going to be easier with the engine out methinks.

Thought I'd get on with some 'easy' jobs in the meantime, which means getting the drivers seat frame welded up, and taking the wheels off . So cracked the nuts off, jacked the car up to find I could not get it jacked up high enough to get the axle stands underneath. A few bricks later, wheel off, I was just grabbing an axle stand when a noise like someone ripping a loaf of crusty bread in half alerted me to the fact that the jacking point on the nearside had failed.

Result: big dent in the passenger door, and a wheel I could not get back on. Fiance had to lift the car up while I reseated the wheel and put a 999 call in to a mate to bring his trolley jack round pronto! One step forward, two steps back this Lancia lark  :-\

Got the seat out to sort mind. Passenger door skin had a huge rust hole under the mirror, so I'm think it'll be best to try and source another door skin now.

I would have thought you could do it in situ. Why not have a go at diy? It should be relatively straight forward. You have now learnt not to use jacking points! Better to use a trolley jack on proper load bearing areas instead

I have been meaning to buy a trolley jack for a while. One will be purchased tomorrow!

Didn't much like to look of the jacking points. Decided to give it a go and keep an eye on them as it was jacked up. Looked fine. Then suddenly didn't look at all good ...

I'd have a go DIY if I had the foggiest what I was doing. I have all the timing info for the Volumex engine, as the previous owner had sourced it all. I have a Haynes manual which has some dubious info, but good step-by-step guides and clear pics. But I am seriously out of my depth and well aware if I get it even slightly wrong, it will lunch the engine when I try to start it.

You should not be able to destroy it if you take care and make sure you can hand turn over the engine several times BEFORE you try to do anything like applying power to the starter, this will check for issues with cam timing/valve hitting piston and idler shaft ( does the VX have this?) timing.

The rest is about keeping everything clean and using correct assembly lubricants etc. Having a copy of the GC book would be useful, though for what you are doing a slight overkill, but does have some useful checklists.

Peter

I started this job a couple of years ago on my old 1300 (changing both camboxes to replace leaking gaskets).

Despite knowing what I needed to do it all went wrong when I couldn't get several bolts undone, including a couple of those locating the camboxes themselves. The main bit of damage I did was taking a tooth of the inlet cam wheel while trying to lock it in place with a screwdriver to undo the cam wheel bolt to replace the cam wheel gasket. Of course it will come off as a unit if you don't want to replace that particular gasket (if all the bolts will free off).

As an amateur mechanic I usually know what to do, but don't have the 'knack' to free off tricky fittings. Chris Bastow came to the rescue that time, but I had to tow the car to his workshop.

I'm in a similar boat at the moment with my crankshaft seal. It needs replacing, but I fear I will never free off the big pulley bolt. The last time I tried that I couldn't believe that a tonne of 2000ie Coupe, in gear with the handbrake on was inching across the garage care of the breaker bar I had on the pulley bolt, rather than the said bolt freeing off.

Then there is always the cambelt to worry about as well. So I will probably end up paying for this job doing too!

Exactly Neil, whereas I do not know what I'm doing. I don't mind paying to have it done right, it is just a case of trying to find someone competent and local-ish to do the work.

 Start with some easier jobs and work up.

A cheapish 50 litre air compressor and a nice quality (not misc Chinese brand) air impact gun (which can often be found on eBay not too expensively) are a good investment. Crofty's latest book is worth purchasing but it might scare you a bit as it is orientated towards racing engines but if nothing else it will give you an idea of how to organise your work and do basic stuff as well as the complicated. Personally I wouldn't rely on the Haynes manual too much, the official lancia beta manual in English that covers series 1 appears on eBay quite often and is still useful for later cars too (in the unlikely event that you can read Italian I have a nice copy in Italian you could have cheap)

I must admit an impact gun is on my list of wants, but this situation reminds me of my father when he worked at one of the local pits. He was the surface forman at the time, but still got called upon to wield a hammer as he had the knack to break a nut/joint etc by hitting it with the correct force at the right angle etc. I have of course tried to carry on the tradition, but have lots of practise to do........

The front hub nuts will be a case in point I think when changing the bearings.

Peter

Definitely get a compressor they are cheap these days and very very handy also much cheaper than a physio!

Yes, I have a compressor and a  couple of impact guns (both Chinese I fear, one has no humph at all). I also have a 12v impact gun that I found in my Father-in-Laws garage when I was clearing it. Is there is room to get a gun on the crankshaft pulley bolt?

I think so, it is a big nut though, from memory I think it's 38mm(??)

I have a compressor I got from Aldi, which is great for most jobs. The accompanying impact driver however wouldn't undo a sweet wrapper, so I took it back.

I think you need a larger compressor for some of these tools - I know my garage approached the hub nut issue with the approach of - 'it will either come undone or flip the car over' using a garage compressor.

Mark

Would have been amusing to see......

Peter

Mark

I got the Aldi compressor and impact driver as well. Similarly the driver was useless for anything more than spinning off loosened wheel nuts, but eventually its performance improved to the point where it will tighten up wheel nuts to full torque, I think they are packed with grease that slowly works its way out.

Still unlikely to shift that big pulley nut though.

From my experience you can buy a swish looking air impact gun of unknown branding for maybe 30 to 50 quid or so, I did it and spent too long thinking my compressor (netto 50 litre ...) wasn't good enough, anyway trawled eBay for a better quality gun at the right price got a fairly small ingersoll rand unit ( no sense to buy a larger one that will require lots of air) and the difference is like chalk and cheese absolutely effortless on most stuff.

Yes, the 'Aldi' gun that I have is on ebay in several different guises, including Sealey & Draper. I guess you have to pay £50+ for something that's actually any use, or go second hand. I'm tempted by some of the second hand Silverline/Snap-On ones.

They probably all look the same but might not be the same, the Chinese are very good at copying each other.

A lot of Aldi stuff is German or at least tuv approved.

I have a couple of windy guns one pro and one Aldi
both work fine, mind you I have a big compressor as
well. I run the guns through a regulator at 80 psi the
compressor runs at 110 psi , 150 litres capacity.

I don't think tuv approved means all that much, it's seems to be on a lot of Chinese junk. The problem with a lot of the Chinese guns is that they eat too much air with your posh compressor their poor performance is maybe disguised. it's cfm more than psi that matters. My posh gun is actually also made in China but to precise standards and it makes the most of the available air
I bought one of these http://www.ingersollrandproducts.com/eu-en/products/tools/impactools/maintenance-automotive-impactools/1-2-drive/236 (http://www.ingersollrandproducts.com/eu-en/products/tools/impact oold/maintenance-automotive-impactools/1-2-drive/236) off eBay for about 80 quid (bit of a bargain they are a bit more usually) and it's pretty good, compact and works well with a modest compressor although I think you really need at least 50 litres those 25 litre ones that are a favourite of the supermarkets aren't big enough even if they have a powerful motor

Fair enough I should have included the cfm it's 8

Sorry Geoff not trying to criticise i'm just a sad case!

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Well, as a little update, 10 months ago John Brain had time to take the Volumex off me to fit droptop's replacement cam housing, timing belt, gaskets etc for me. It came back to me 8 months later (!) (to be fair to John, he'd had an unexpectedly large amount of work turn up) and it is ticking over like an absolute beauty. Like a sewing machine  :D

Shortly after getting it back I spent a fair amount of time trying to find out why the new carello housings and lamp units I'd fitted where popping fuses every 5 minutes. Failed, ripped all the wiring out and started again:

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All working beautifully.

I'd had the rear gear linkage bushes fail on me just before John picked it up (front had been replaced by previous owner):
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I also now have a functional cigarette lighter, rear fogs and cooling fan override.

So the next job it to replace both rear bushes this Friday, parts from Mark W.

I also appear to have a pinhole in my manifold, right where the downpipes fit into a bracket. So I'm going to putty that up for now.

Then, as a little birthday present to myself I bust the left quarterlight (passenger side in a RHD car) pushing past the mirror trying to get at something in the garage this morning  >:(

So if anyone can help, please do!:
http://www.betaboyz.myzen.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=3130.0 (http://www.betaboyz.myzen.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=3130.0)

Andy

I have just this afternoon managed to source not one, but a pair of bronze tint VX quarterlights in nearby Chippenham! So I'm all set and not in need any longer as I've just got back from collection.

I thought I was going to spend years trying to trace a bronze tint replacement!

I also managed to pick up clear beta windscreen, tinted rear heated screen, Brian Long's Collectors Guide and the much vaunted Guy Croft Twin Cam book. So I've been spending my money, but I'm rather pleased with my afternoon's haul  ;D

Before:
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After:
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The eagle-eyed amongst you might just be able to spot a small bubble of rust ... I have some new doors and a few other bits in the roof of the garage to fit at some point.

Mirror was refitted shortly afterwards. Getting the new quarterlight in was like bleeding krypton factor! Ended up dismantling most of the door.

Couldn't get the nuts off the gear linkage in the end to fit the new linkage bushes, and I was running out of light. So I'll have to have another go at some point.

Good news is that there is no pinhole in the manifold, I just needed to do a better job of mopping the oil up that'd run down the back of the block with the damaged cam housing.

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Managed to replace both rear gear linkage bushes.

I can declare victory. I now have all 5 gears and reverse. The old girl moves under her own steam again!

So I pootled back and forth for a while, just for the novelty factor. Then I stalled it and it wouldn't start again until it'd cooled off ...

Good stuff - I'd be very pleased with that for a day's work...!

Thanks! I can't claim it was just a day: day and a half by the time I was done.

Didn't fancy taking the centre console out, so left the rear control rod in place, then pressed the new bushing in in situ. A fiddle, but it worked perfectly on the third attempt.

I guess your scavenge pump isn't working then?

I am also assuming this. Had no time to investigate thus far. It hasn't had a decent run for over a year now, so it is all coked up too. I think the tank and fuel lines are full of tat too, it def needs a new fuel filter. So much to do, so little time and money.

I can't decide whether to spend ages getting it running well, then send it down the body shop, or vice versa. I'm airing on the side of getting welding etc done, then fiddling with mechanics.