Lancia Beta Forum

And I should also add - suitability to mildly tuned (approx 160bhp) Beta 2000 engine. I'm slowly getting to the point where i can think about gearbox options for my planned Beta 2000 engine upgrade. It will have twin DCOE 45s, approx 10:1 pistons, Kent fast road cams and Eric's ex-Evo cylinder head. I'm hoping for about 155-160 bhp and a nice broad torque curve. Which of the various gearbox options would suit it best and why?

I have the original Spider gearbox sitting on blocks in my cellar that could be re-used and there is also the (as yet unknown quantity) of a 2000 i.e. gearbox that (along with the engine) has recently been fitted into the Spider in an attempt to get it back on the road again. There is also the possibility of acquiring a VX gearbox, althought they are pretty rare, I believe.

Of the three, which would be best suited to my intended state of engine tune? The car will be purely road only and journeys of reasonable length on French aiutoroutes will be likely, as well as more spirited driving around some of the excellent D roads we have in the region...

Graham

Use the 2000 IE box if it proves to be OK when you use it. The later boxes had better tolerances stronger shift forks and needle rollers on the gear clusters. A VX box would be too tall on the ratios for your engines torque level.

I recommend you change the gearbox oil hot for Redline 75w90 NS oil. This will protect the brass synchro rings and give excellent cold shifting.

Eric   

Thanks Eric. That sounds reasonable. Were the final drive ratios the same for carb and i.e. gearboxes? I wouldn't mind a slightly more relaxed top gear cruising speed on longer journeys.

Hi Graham

You may find this of interest.

http://www.lancisti.net/forum/showthread.php?2133-Beta-gear-ratios&highlight=Beta+differential+ratios (http://www.lancisti.net/forum/showthread.php?2133-Beta-gear-ratios&highlight=Beta+differential+ratios)

Peter

If I only had an VX box I would install it. That would be the best cruising option. At least for me. My present gears are much to short. I suspect my box is wrongly from a carb version ( I have 90km/h @ 3000rpm @ 5gear).
As far as I know there were differences in the final ratios even with the same engines but dedicated for different markets. Definitely German vs. UK market.
In the attached table there are numbers I have spotted in various manuals.

Hi Peter,

Thanks for that link. It certainly seems a bit of a minefield with ratios changing during production runs. Assuming I can get my i.e. engine/gearbox to work in the Spider it will be instructive to see how the i.e. gearbox differs from the carb 2000 one.

Graham

Graham

Look on the side of the main casing and see if it says 18 65 then you know you are really lucky and have the more relaxed cruising IE box. The other IE ratio is the same as Beta 2000 really. BTW 18 teeth on the pinion 65 teeth on the crown wheel in the diff.

Eric

Thanks Eric. The engine and gearbox are in the car now, pretty much all plumbed in apart from coolant and battery. Will the numbers be visible with gearbox in situ? By 'side of the main casing' do you mean the end casing of the gearbox at the narrowest point?

I have three gearboxes and none of them has such marks :(

Graham

Normally stamped into the long section of casing near the drive shaft output. some late boxes also had the ratio in white stencilled text near the bell housing. I have re-built 5 of these boxes and probably stripped 15 over the years and not yet seen a box without the markings. However it is possible to have different internals from a re-build obviously.

Eric

THanks Eric. I'll give it some close inspection when I'm next in France (which almost certainly won't be before spring 2017...)