Just a question

[Justin]

Hi - the only reason the shift from 1st to 2nd is hard is because the shift was done too many times without "mechanical sympathy" ie.cold oil.

If you were to dismantle a 'difficult' 5spd (dog-leg 1st) box you will
almost without fail notice that the 1st gear selector fork is bent.
I found this many years ago, and with the use of a big vice and a suitable
soft-face hammer, rendered it the smoothest 40 year old Fulvia gearchange ever.

New oil helps, and silicone variants are said to be beneficial, too, but a
direct, square push on the sync ring is all that works to restore the feel engineered-in by the factory.

Enjoy the project!
Regds,
Jus

[Johnny48]

I'll pay for coffee if you drop by & do it for me !!! Ha Ha...actually, I'll just keep using 2d as 1st 6 not be left behind by mothers pushing prams at the trefic light

[Justin]

Hi J
I'll happily rebuild your box if you pay the travel/accomodation/food/beer/entertainment bill !!
Really worries me if your car is as slow as you suggest.
An S11 1.3 Fulvia Coupe in top form, can easily stay with most modern cars of similar capacity, and often greater, in today's traffic.
Is there a problem with your Sport that you maybe aren't aware of?
With a little bit of treatment, a 1.3 can actually be made to fly, and a 1.6 already does!
Mine's a hybrid 1486cc S1 Coupe with Kugelfischer mechanical injection and other mods, and there aren't many little cars that saw which way I went!!
They are to be enjoyed so it is disturbing that you aren't enjoying yours as much as I believe possible.
Regds,
Jus

[Randy Adams]

Maybe the cams aren't situated correctly vis-a-vis each other. Or the accelerator pumps are MIA. A 1.3 Sport with the first series 4 speed will do a little stumble off the line if you don't gentle in the loud pedal but once it's at 3000 or even 2500 you can do what you want. I would expect a 5 speed to have less or none of the stumble phenomenon--assuming you use first gear.

Justin, your car sounds entertaining. How did you get 1486 cc? Is the Kugelfischer taken from the Flavia?

[Johnny48]

I'm sure I could afford your visit (if you live within 25 miles of my house); but paying for the beer `? That could be a stumbling block (get the joke?) ; at lease in Walldorf, Germany...where beer drinking stops (sometimes) only after the cows go home !
To answer your real question / comment::
when I leave home for the office I get to the only traffic light withing 2 minutes; so nothing is warm. Not only my Fulvia, but in any car I may be driving on a particular day...so i let anyone (in a car) who wishes to "out drag" me (my car) to the "2 into 1 lane" funnel, where many drivers seem to think they are out on the Hock- enheim Ring Race Track (which is 1/2 km down the road).

2 days ago I, for the 1st time ever, vigorously exercised my right to "blend into the funnel, 1 car from right & 1 car from left", as is standard, courteous driving practice ......boy oh boy - was the "hot-rod kid" ( about 60 yr old Gent) in a much smaller Van upset !!! He hassled me for 3 miles, until I (my car) turned off.
His horn was a blowin &his lites were a flashin; I couldn't hear what he was saying.
I never could / would have done than in a Fulvia. It was (slightly juvenile) fun, not a bit dangerous either, ;so I may have to leave the Fulvia home for the rest of my life !!!! I arrived at the office smiling !!!

[Justin]

Hi Randy
The 1486cc was achieved boring a 1.3 block out to 82.4mm (1.6 o/size), and making a headgasket to suit the 1.3 head with big holes.Oversize valves, cams, exhaust manifold, and the Kugelfischer (from a BMW 2002Tii, un-modified except to disable the 3D cam mechanism).
Injector tubes bored into a standard, flowed inlet manifold, and specially made throttle-bodies housing 42mm butterflies from 1.6HF Solex carbs.
I'm reliably led to believe the engine produces over 140BHP but I'm not sure by how much!
It is distinctively quicker than any 1.6HF I've driven, including some of the hotter ones, able to rev into the 7 and 8ks, which of course they won't! The 1.3 engine is definitely the one to develop for performance, for this reason, and so much more readily available.





These pics show only a fraction of the depths I have been to to find the optimum bore angle, having had 2 running for short periods, but then breaking out of their cylinder walls at the bottom!
There maybe isn't an optimum as the cores may shift in the original casting process, setting you up for a successful bore or not!
One thing is certain... you cannot use either the 1.3 or the 1.6 included angle of bore. Don't even try.
There is a compromise somewhere in between that a. leaves some wall thickness, and b. precludes bottom ring destruction in the cylinder overlap cutout.
You have been warned!!
Alll the best,
Jus

[Justin]

Hey you got it!
That's what Fulvias (and maybe all Italian cars are about) ~ driving pleasure.
I wish more manufacturers were more aware of this feature.
I've driven hundreds of cars, but never found anything as much fun as my Fulvia, and, come to think of it, the Kappa 20vt was a lot of fun, too.
Oh, and the Thema 8vt, before that.
They know/knew what they were doing at 'Lancia'
Regards,
Jus

[Paul de R. Leclercq]

In a good Fulvia, "you are driving on the road": the great thing about the Fulvia is that it speaks to you - you always know what the wheels are doing and the attitude of the car if you are driving hard is perfectly communicated.

On the other hand, the ride is superb for such a small car; sedans are even better.

Magic.

Paul

[Justin]

Huh! Spot the man who spent a small fortune on exotic front dampers/shock absorbers, so he could run over sleeping policemen at break-neck speeds, without knocking the ash off his cigarette!!
Regards,
Jus

[Paul de R. Leclercq]

Ho-ho! Un peu de trop peut-être?

It's true though: good dampers do make a difference, but I insist that a good Fulvia meets the criteria I mentioned.

Paul