Flavia Vignale 1800ie convertible

[Peter Offer]

Hi all,

I have recently purchased the above vehicle and wonder if anyone has some tips. Car has been stored for 9 years, but looks sound. All is present (even the spare wheel cover and owner manuals!).
I plan to restore the car, but not too much (it is nice and original apart from colour).

Does anyone have any hints about:
sources of spares?
whether to strip the engine, or try to start it (it has been dry stored)?
rust areas (floorpan was attended to just before storage)?
any others I can see?
anyone to have a chat with?

many thanks

Peter

[Florent BIDET]

Hi Peter,

I've got the same car and I am now at the end of its mechanical restoration as I bought it in 1999 with a worn engine.
For the parts, Omicron have found all the parts I was looking for, even some special bearings ( the injection engine of the Flavia has many special parts, it is quite a specific engine, not just a simple adaptation of an injection pump on a carb engine ). Andrew from Omicron will give you more hints than I could do, but I feel like you shouldn't have to strip your engine.
Apart from the engine, you will have brakes problem, Flavias doesn't need a 9 years storage to have some !
I can send you pictures of my car if you want to see some details (and maybe I would have to see some on yours !!)

Florent

[Bert Ewalds]

Remove the spark plugs, crank up one side, put it in fourth gear and try to rotate the road wheel, this tells you imediately whether the engine is stuck or not!
Note, rotate the front wheel only in forward direction,(if in fourth) else your timing chain could jump a notch and you can indeed dismantle the engine.
If it moves, just spray a small bit of engine oil in the cilinder head through the spark plug holes to make sure it moves more freely
check al the fluids, OIl and water, also in the injection pump(oil= Shell Fluid 4 or 41, BP energol SHF-LT or Esso Univis N)
Then just give it a try!
As Florent mentionned, the brakes will probably be gone, I expect this to be more of a problem than starting the engine!
Note that there is an English Flavia website that contains the complete dunlop brake manual (under the header Hartbrakes) to help you along, I believe it is in the Links page.

Bert

[Peter Offer]

Florent,

Thank you very much for your reply (and advice) and in excellent English too. Better than my French, I suspect!

I am pleased to say that I have managed to get the get the engine running, although not very well (one cylinder!). It appears the cold start injector works, so it tries to tick over on 3 or 4 cylinders, but only one cylinder injector is feeding petrol to the engine. I have stripped the injectors and cleaned, but the problem is in the distribution unit or pump has too low pressure.

Omicron are very helpful, but it would appear spares are scarce.

I hope that tomorrow I will be able to remove manifold and gain access to the distrubution unit. Hopefully it is this and not the pump (sealed at factory).

Pictures would be great! Please mail to: Yvette@yoffer.freeserve.co.uk when you have a minute. I would love to see another that is running....

I have much to do, but car is basically sound (93,000kms). I guess I am lucky as the interior is very good and all original (I even have the spare wheel cover in perfect condition, amazing). Body needs a little work, floorpans & sills look o.k. (so far).

I am travelling next week (back on Friday 1st June) so can reply then. Hope you had a good vacation.

best regards

Peter

[Peter]

Bert,

Your advice is absolutely correct - by the time you had sent the information, this is exactly what I had done.

As you will see from my reply to Florent, I have the engine running (sort of) and will be working on it tomorrow.

I have noted your information about oil types, as it is useful information. I was lucky and got a complete set of user manuals (including one very good book on brakes). If you want copies, please email address and I will send you one (work for Xerox - I supply paper and can copy the books).

Good to finally have a Lancia again ( I had 2000 coupe for many years and loved it). This is nicer, as it is a little older and has more charm and style.

I travel a lot with work, so please excuse delays in replies.

Best Regards Peter

[Florent Bidet]

Peter,

I have had such problem on my Coupé engine ( I also have a 1800 injection Flavia Coupé, I restored 10 years ago ) and the problem was that the injection pump pistons were stuck, so, as they were'nt moving, there was no fuel in 1 or 2 injectors.
Maybe when you tried to start your engine, the pump cam pushed one piston wich is now moving easily and gives you fuel in only one injector.
Pistons are in the "hydraulic head" of the pump wich is quite easy to remove (seems like you're on the way to get it out of the car), but you will need a special tool to remove air from the injection line (if you have the workshop manual dedicated to the injection system, you will find the informations you need to do so).

Let us know if you need help.

Best regards

Florent

[Bert Ewalds]

Peter,

Thanks for the offer of copying the manual
But if it is the Lancia Flavia & Flaminia Duplex Brake system manual, I've already downloaded a copy from the Internet.

I read your troubles on the Injection system.

Omicron supplies the Flavia Injection manual off the shelf, I could copy mine but it is already a copy so the final result would not be very usefull.

By the way,
Before you start taking apart the Injection system , did you check BOTH fuel filters?
One under the bonnet, just after the fuel pump, but the other one, underneath the spare wheel in the boot!
I spend long hours, testing my injection system, only to find out that the filter in the boot was clogged.

If you do not trust yourself on the Kugelfisher, contact the claimed experts

Koller+ Schwemmer
90408 Nurnberg
Rothgenssteig 21
Germany
Phone +49 911 3610325

Bert