Lancia Beta Forum

Hi Everyone

I have a kit car with a lancia beta 2.0 engine running twin pot webbers.

I'm trying to ensure that my engine's running how it should but to be honest I don't know how it should run.  If I try to accelerate in too high a gear I'm hearing a rapid clackerty sound (I know not the best description) its not especially loud and I drop down to a lower gear immediately but it seems to me something is slightly off but I don't know.

The pistons have just been re-ringed/bores honed and the head's been overhauled but their aren't any timing marks on my timing belt cover and the alignment points normally on the bracket between the cam shaft drive wheels have been removed.  So the timing could be off and/or the belt could be slightly out of position or something else could be the culprit or it might be perfectly normal.

Any comments would be good to hear

I'd also love to know what the normal running oil & water temperatures are.

Additionally I was wondering if there were any Beta owners close to where I'm based in  South Yorkshire, UK?

Hi Tom

I can think of two folk who are local, Neil and Tim from memory. I am at Newark, so not that far away. I am sure they will be along to say hello.....

As to the setup of the engine, you need to go through the cam positions and the distributor position. If you do not have any crib position marks, then you are faced with doing it the hard way I guess. Hopefully someone who has done this can elaborate.....

Hopefully the noise is not the big ends.

Peter

Not pinking is it?

rapid and quite high pitched?  If so it could just be ignition timing or mixture.

If you've no timing marks you'll need to get hold of a dial gauge and a 360 protractor or timing wheel. It's the only way to know for sure. It would also help to know if the cams are standard.

First though have a look at the camboxes right behind the pulleys they may have little raised lines on them which should line up with the hols in the pulleys at TDC if you've got these then you just need to establish TDC.

There's a mark on the block/front crank cover which lines up with the key on the crank to show this  - but it's almost impossible to see with the crank pulley in place. Essentially the key should be pointing straight up the block to the centre line of the head. In practice it's probably easier to sick something down No.1 plug hole and feel the piston as it comes up. There is a viewing window onto the flywheel (if you've still got the beta gearbox) but that's not always reliable.

Hello, there are a couple of us in West Yorkshire, and Tim Weston in Sheffield. Why not bring your car to Betameeta in the Peaks on 9th July (see events). We can all have a listen to it then!

Is it using electronic ignition? Most of these units don't have the marks on the cam belt cover as they are meant to be set up in a different way, I suspect your ignition timing is out a little.

Thanks for all the responses.

I'm guessing its pinking but I didn't want to pre-empt the discussion.  After the rebuild I had the engine set up by a garage who said they didn't think they'd got everything 100% but wanted me to get everything bedded in before they really put it under pressure on their rolling road.  

How far off does the setup need to be to get pinking, does it sound like a candidate?

I'm definitely not a mechanic but I did the rings and fitted the head that I had professionally rebuilt a company at Bawtry.  They also inspected the lower block (said it was in good shape) and did the honing at mine to keep the costs down.  I fitted the timing belt aligning with the marks I could see and counting teeth from pictures but without all the alignment marks it feels a bit like I've been putting a watch together in the dark.

I may well have the timing belt on tooth perfect but if the cams were a tooth either side would it be immediately noticeable?

Its a 1976 block with the original mechanical ignition and gearbox.  I don't know the full history of the engine but the rebuilders told me it had Guy Croft cams.  Pre-rebuild I'd had an overheating problem, possibly linked to excessively lean mixture and/or a poorly bleed cooling system, and the head gasket either had gone or was pushed over the edge and went.

Its a rear engine setup and the cooling system is non standard but after a lot of swapping and changing and reading the coolant has sat at a steady 80c with the oil up around 98c for the last couple of test runs (both about 25 miles)

I probably will bring it to Chatsworth but meanwhile all advice gratefully received.

Hi Tom,

I'm in Sheffield, but my Beta is in the South of France (don't ask, it's a long story)...  ;D

Whereabouts in Sheffield are you? I'm in S2, just behind the Park Hill flats.

Cheers,

Graham

Hi Graham

I'm from Maltby on the other side of Rotherham

That's interesting - I'm currently building a kitchen up that's being supplied in stages by DC Interiors in Maltby.

If your out this direction Graham MP me I'd be happy to put the kettle on and show you the car : )

Sounds like a plan!  ;D

hi there im in sheffield s13 near the asda  still trying to find a beta coupe   

Have you seen Chris Mace's Coupe in the for sale section?