1978 Lancia Beta 1600 Coupe
Discussion
Mech reports -
" Lancia - wow it's almost like a new car, what a find! All the electrics are like new, a pleasure to see a car like this. The engine is very very smooth, amazing. I can smell a lot of fuel when engine is running, suggest air filter removed & engine cleaned up, check all fuel hoses & carbs for leaks etc. The wiper linkages look fine, I couldn't get any feed voltage to the wiper motor, so think it may be a relay or wiper delay module problem (if it has this option - wiring diagram shows one was fitted to some). Can carry on with this next time."
" Lancia - wow it's almost like a new car, what a find! All the electrics are like new, a pleasure to see a car like this. The engine is very very smooth, amazing. I can smell a lot of fuel when engine is running, suggest air filter removed & engine cleaned up, check all fuel hoses & carbs for leaks etc. The wiper linkages look fine, I couldn't get any feed voltage to the wiper motor, so think it may be a relay or wiper delay module problem (if it has this option - wiring diagram shows one was fitted to some). Can carry on with this next time."
gforceg said:
Careful Breaders, the treacherous viper might be fibbing to you so he doesn't have to do any expensive work on your old heaps.
FPWM! Typical sleazy mechanic saying "yeah that car is totes not broken so you don't need to hire me to fix it much". He saw me coming, sure enough. [Insider reference - this exchange is explained by a nearby Ford Granada thread.]
ks! Mech says "get a new fuel pump". All my previous Betas had electric fuel pumps, so I buy one of those. Mech arrives to work on car. "It's a mechanical pump". b
The Beta is almost ready for an MoT and transfer back from the IOM register to the UK register. It needs a tune up, and my mechanic is fabricating a new wiper stalk. It may become my main car for a bit, especially if I sell my SD1 (a bloke came up to me the other day and made me an offer while I was loading the car with cheap tat furniture from a junk shop).
New cam belt fitted as a precaution, although the old one didn't look very old. The wipers are currently run off a switch on the dashboard. They have two speeds: slow and extra slow. Now only the horn needs fixing to make the car ready for an MoT and re-registering. To celebrate all this I reversed the car into my neighbour's wheelie bin, but, hey, it's got bumpers.
Mechanic reports -
No need for a new horn, turned out the earth was missing a connection near the front headlight. Air horn now works fine. Have oiled the motor as it must be due some!
Carb linkage found to be missing two crucial bushes. Someone has left them out & the linkage was seriously floppy & preventing a steady progression of the carb butterflies.
Air filter missing completely!
Stripped carburettor & cleaned up. Found accelerator pump diaphragm completely broken inside - causing air to enter carb circuits & main venturi is dripping extra fuel into manifold. This is needed before car can be driven, explains the problem restarting the other day. Carb service kit is on order.
A few coolant hoses need new hose clips.
Checked points, gap fine & no oversized spark so condensor appear to be fine. Rotor arm good condition, distributor cap cleaned.
Checked ignition timing, runs at 7ºBTDC which is fine.
So, I shall return next week to service the carb, fit an air filter, fit a new fuel filter, fit new hose clips. Looking like Tuesday as long as parts arrive by then, otherwise will be Thursday. Car should then be fine to drive & no reason to be unreliable.
No need for a new horn, turned out the earth was missing a connection near the front headlight. Air horn now works fine. Have oiled the motor as it must be due some!
Carb linkage found to be missing two crucial bushes. Someone has left them out & the linkage was seriously floppy & preventing a steady progression of the carb butterflies.
Air filter missing completely!
Stripped carburettor & cleaned up. Found accelerator pump diaphragm completely broken inside - causing air to enter carb circuits & main venturi is dripping extra fuel into manifold. This is needed before car can be driven, explains the problem restarting the other day. Carb service kit is on order.
A few coolant hoses need new hose clips.
Checked points, gap fine & no oversized spark so condensor appear to be fine. Rotor arm good condition, distributor cap cleaned.
Checked ignition timing, runs at 7ºBTDC which is fine.
So, I shall return next week to service the carb, fit an air filter, fit a new fuel filter, fit new hose clips. Looking like Tuesday as long as parts arrive by then, otherwise will be Thursday. Car should then be fine to drive & no reason to be unreliable.
Latest mech report:-
Carb serviced - new accelerator pump diaphragm, top gasket, pump jet 'o'
ring (had been siliconed instead)!!!, float valve, seat & washer.
New fuel filter, air filter, carb linkage bushes trial fit. Linkage adjusted to give proper pedal freeplay & max throttle with foot down.
Replaced 2 coolant hose clips as originals were likely to leak. 1 left to replace but drizzle most of day made it too wet to get to it easily.
Exhaust silencer rear pipe holed/leaking, also mid pipe joint slight leak. Both sealed using galvanised sheet steel clamped over hole using exhaust paste. Should be fine for MOT.
Gave car 3 times round the block in village, did about 2 miles. Found only slight uneven acceleration but good response on full throttle.
Brakes feel very good, suspension not so comfy but perhaps meant to be that way for handling. Need to look next visit at that.
Carb serviced - new accelerator pump diaphragm, top gasket, pump jet 'o'
ring (had been siliconed instead)!!!, float valve, seat & washer.
New fuel filter, air filter, carb linkage bushes trial fit. Linkage adjusted to give proper pedal freeplay & max throttle with foot down.
Replaced 2 coolant hose clips as originals were likely to leak. 1 left to replace but drizzle most of day made it too wet to get to it easily.
Exhaust silencer rear pipe holed/leaking, also mid pipe joint slight leak. Both sealed using galvanised sheet steel clamped over hole using exhaust paste. Should be fine for MOT.
Gave car 3 times round the block in village, did about 2 miles. Found only slight uneven acceleration but good response on full throttle.
Brakes feel very good, suspension not so comfy but perhaps meant to be that way for handling. Need to look next visit at that.
- Work remaining*: 2nd edition throttle bushes to be fitted (ones on the car are fine but I need to make them a slightly better fit). Wiper stalk design still ongoing. Winder mech gear fits a treat, teeth slightly too short so back to re-design longer teeth, original gear was so worn it was impossible to tell the correct size.
I drove the Beta from South Oxon to London and it went well. The oil temp gauge is inop but I am not much bothered.
I was just parking outside my London flat when a dude in a cool black Lancia Montecarlo pulled out of a space a bit down the road and thrumbled past, but he didn't seem to see the Beta.
I was just parking outside my London flat when a dude in a cool black Lancia Montecarlo pulled out of a space a bit down the road and thrumbled past, but he didn't seem to see the Beta.
Arses. The car has decided to get stuck in reverse. I hope it's just something silly like a bush or whatever. Luckily this happened while parked.
http://www.betaboyz.co.uk/BBGB02.htm
http://www.betaboyz.co.uk/BBGB02.htm
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