My new project, finally got my integrale.

[junior]

Not surprised your pleased, that is going great guns. Looks well too.

The glass fitting well after all your repairs must me doubly pleasing. Keep posting ta.

[KevJTD]

Not surprised your pleased, that is going great guns. Looks well too.

The glass fitting well after all your repairs must me doubly pleasing. Keep posting ta.

Cheers mate, will keep posting then


Tonight I thought I'd have an hour or so to start the block stripdown. I want to get it stripped down to all it's component parts then get stuffed checked before a rebuild.

All a bit grotty after nearly 30 years use.

The engine has a cast iron block with a double section sump, this is an alloy deep section that has a steel bottom portion where the sump plug is.

Big end shells look about ready to be changed! Luckily though the crank appears in good health but it'll all get checked out soon at the machine shop.

Bores look in great shape, minimal wear with no discernible wear lip should see them just need a hone once checked, new rings and shells is my hope.....

An hour starting the stripdown turned into a couple of hours and all done, saves me a job for Sunday I guess!

I'll get stuff ready to drop off on Wednesday with crossed fingers that all will be OK and with a bit of luck all back to me before Christmas

[rsfruitbat]

Looking good Kev.
Any problems with gaskets, shells, rings let me know.
Got areal good contact at a local company called MAR Motorsport.

Rsfruitbat

[KevJTD]

Looking good Kev.
Any problems with gaskets, shells, rings let me know.
Got areal good contact at a local company called MAR Motorsport.

Rsfruitbat

Will bear that in mind mate, cheers.
Stuff is relatively easy to come by though, far easier than a Sud for instance, but not as easy as anything with Ford before it!

[KevJTD]

Rob was up at the unit today sorting a few bits on the Imp, he's got quite a list of tasks for the winter.
Couldn't help but notice how big his Suzuki Swift looked next to the Brera...

[KevJTD]

Started off my day by building up the last remaining door, passenger front. The fitting of the seal took its usual lengthy pain in both fingers and time taken.

I'd made the decision that the dash ought to go in before the doors went on to aid access, trouble is the fitting of the dash is no small task and I really don't want to have to take it out again.

Whilst access was still good the pedal box, brake servo and linkages were all buttoned up.

Time for the brave pills then.

When I took the dash out two or three years ago I removed all the wiring from it then pulled the dash, this was very awkward as the heater channels amongst other parts also needed to be removed to aid the dash removal.
When I stripped the Delta HF last year that I broke to get the useful parts I left the wiring attached and dragged everything engine wise back through the bulkhead still attached to the dash, more bulky to handle but far easier in the long term. A while back I dragged the dash and wiring up to the unit and used the HF dash a s reminder of what went where attaching it all back together.


With a big dash and a mountain of wiring to feed through each side it wasn't a job I was looking forward to but it needed doing.
First off though I cut out some 20mm soundproofing and stuck that to the bulkhead, the original stuff just disintegrated when it came out.


Some huffing and tucgging but in reality it went in well, especially considering the amount of alterations the bulkhead has had where it mounts.

[KevJTD]

Quite a bit of wiring that had to be dragged through!

[KevJTD]

As the door was ready for fitting it seemed rude not to fit it!

Snug fit for the dash and 'screen

A tip for when tapping the roll pin in for the check strap, put a few strips of masking tape above it so your hammer doesn't mark the paint!

Heater box is about ready to go in, new wiper linkage from the scuttle conversion lines up nice, I'll test it before fitting though to make sure it actually works! May strip and grease it all anyway just so it can be on and stay on.


Then laid out the rest of the wiring for inside the car, labels I added are just about still readable so hopefully stuff will go back where it needs to...

Chuffed with my days work, getting the dash in was weighing heavily on my mind, never an easy task...fingers crossed it won't have to be repeated...

[junior]

Great effort , well done. That is a lot off the big list

[Johnboy]

This is really flying along now .top work kev

[KevJTD]

Cheers guys, yes was a good effort yesterday. Mind you another long day. At work in the morning for 8am until 12, home for food then up to the unit by 2pm. Didn't leave there until near 10PM, home for a shower and eating Lasagne and chips at 11PM isn't really the done thing I guess but needs must if this car is going to be on the road next spring

Having a lazy day today though, just washed the 145 and Brera so afternoon in front of the TV for me

Unless I pop down the shed to ticker with the remaining bits of the engine

[Kegsti66]

I am convinced you are some sort of time traveller Kev.
You seem to freeze time in your unit so that you can cram days worth of work into hours.
Lancia is really coming together now and will be great when you have finished it. You even find time to post as well. Amazing..

[KevJTD]

Don't know about time travel mate, it's sleep I really need!

Gonna turn in soon, an early night for a change, just catching up on some MotoGP stuff.

Am thinking about connection up a battery next time so I can check electrical stuff actually on the car, easy enough to isolate the stuff that would be live attached to the engine so I don't burn it down! Or at least in a few visits time once I start fitting stuff up. Realised that putting the front door windows in isn't a great idea yet with them being electric! Not so easy to move the car around without being able to steer so at least the drivers window will need leaving out, or down at least.

As you guys well know though, once you start the rebuild it brings more enthusiasm.

[alfadave]

Any photos of you eating Lasagne and chips!

[KevJTD]

Any photos of you eating Lasagne and chips!

I know I take a lot of pics mate, but I missed that!

[alfadave]

I would .....if I could......but I can't!

[KevJTD]

Engine all stripped down now, got the balance shafts and their bearings out tonight.
Decided that although the waterway core plugs looked in fine fettle on the outside the fact that they are now 30 years old they ought to be changed, so popped them out. They were in great condition underneath! Oh well, at least when the block gets flushed it'll flow nicely.
An end plate at the gearbox end also came off, look behind it! Hotspot city!!

Quite a build up of crud and sand..

Boot of the Brera loaded up with bits now to drop off tomorrow afternoon, every car has to earn it's keep

Hoping they'll be able to have a good look at least if not get things done before Xmas, at least then I'll be able to plan on rebuilding it in the new Year.
Loads of parts to clean up yet though, but thankfully nothing broken to repair...

[rsfruitbat]

how on earth does that much crud and sand end up inside the gearbox???

rsfruitbat

[KevJTD]

how on earth does that much crud and sand end up inside the gearbox???

rsfruitbat

That's the engine block mate, inside the waterway at the back of the block. Head face at top of picture, rear crank seal mounting plate at bottom of picture. There's a blanking plate that bolts over that hole where the crud has settled in the waterway. With all that muck sat there (was a good inch high) then the cooling would be compromised on that cylinder, OK near the bottom but still would affect the cooling abilities.



Took the parts to the local place this afternoon to get them checked and they no longer do engine work!
I've measured and checked stuff and it all looks good to me but I still wouldn't mind a second opinion at this stage whilst it's all apart. Simply no lip at top of bore and all in great order so confident the block will be fine.
Just would have been preferable to give the block and head a light skim to be sure.
Is another guy local who I used years back who I thought had packed up, heard tonight he's still going so I'll speak to him tomorrow.

Di clean the block down at work though which has come up a treat. Old Terry from up the units (Moggy owner) gave me a good tip for cheap degreaser a while back, oven cleaner! so I got a couple of quids worth from B&M and it took no time to eat the dirt away, powerwashed down and it's come up like new. Goggles needed though, that stuff is strong! Wiped my brow with my fleece and stung like crazy just from the splashback! Didn't dare use it on the alloy head, had visions of it melting

[Johnboy]

Yet more progress. Your flying chap . As for using oven cleaner . Used it a few times for degreasing. Works great doesn't it

[KevJTD]

Another busy Wednesday.
After having the morning at work I popped into Jims' to see him about some Fulvia parts he wants to sell, then onto a local engine builder that I'd forgotten about!
He did some work on my HF turbo some years ago which we sold when Rob was born as the boot wasn't big enough for the pram etc...that shows you how long ago that was!
Took the head in to him to give it a light skim, not that it's in any way warped but just to give it a fresh face.
Paul did remember me too which was nice, said he even thought about the Delta the other week when watching an old Top Gear...he usually builds up Ford Zetec engine for the Stock Car racing guys although he does also have a V8 Ferrari on an engine stand just now....reckons he'll sort the head before Christmas for me so that should get me able to build it all up...



So after all those delays it was about 3PM before I got to the unit..

[KevJTD]

Task for the afternoon was to fit the hatchback.
Before it could go on though there was some prep to do.
The wires for the reverse lights, wiper motor and number plate lights needed feeding back through the side pillars. I wrapped them in loom tape for some extra protection.

With that done and the grommets all in place the hatch got lifted up and bolted into place, a little adjusting and a decent fit was easily found.


Rear window got a clean down then the seal refitted which I'd cleaned last Sunday, all slipped back into the hatch without issue.


Number plate surround got stripped down last week and had the bulbs changed, wiring checked and everything given a good clean up.



Struts got cleaned and fitted with grease in the ball sockets, just the little details that make them last but take time sorting.



Latches fitted and adjusted, repaired handle went on then that was about done for the hatch fitting.

[KevJTD]

With renewed enthusiasm I set about one last job before packing up, the bonnet grilles.
They've been sat in the car for a while now and would be much safer attached to the car!

A long day, didn't leave the unit until gone 10PM but very happy with another big task done.
Just the front door windows then that's all the glass done.

In all likelihood it will be the New Year before I get back up there so nice to leave it on a decent visit.

Not that I'll be slacking off any, the engine being in complete exploded view at the moment and all the parts now ready for it to go back together will see me keeping things turning over the next couple of weeks while the Xmas distraction is going on.

Still confident that it'll be done in the spring

[Sud 145]

Looking like a proper car now Kev - you must be well chuffed with how that's looking. We will have to start a "book" on the MOT day, I'll go for March 18th.

[KevJTD]

I'd be happy at that date mate

[KevJTD]

Rebuild starts....got the balance shaft bearings changed and put the shafts back in, how come a "FULL ENGINE GASKET SET" contains no oil seals whatsoever

never mind, tomorrow afternoon I'll start to get the parts cleaned and test fit the new crank bearings.

[alfadave]

Hope you remembered to order the engine paint?

[KevJTD]

Not gonna paint this one Dave, the original paint is in good order and has nice features like the "turbo" stencil on the side.
Will clean and paint assemblies as needed though.

Managed to get up to the unit this afternoon despite thinking I wouldn't have time with other stuff going on.
Had a couple of tasks to sort out.
Finally I managed to get a nut sorted for the fuel tank breather pipe fitting I broke some time ago, M18 x 1.5 isn't the typical size! Original was nylon but a stainless one does the job, once I'd cut it in half to be thin enough to go around the elbow!


Other job was self inflicted and didn't come to my attention until the last visit. The hatch had a strange mar on it, couldn't think what it was until I realised, tyre marks! When the hatch had been painted it got stored on a pair of tyres for safe keeping. Had been hanging for ages to dry but not having a spray bake oven means it remains soft a little longer. Thankfully it came out with a rub of some G3 rather than having to be polished...

[KevJTD]

What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon.....

Bores honed which were in great shape anyway, cleaned up nicely.

Crank and pistons back in, everything checked for tolerances and all within spec. New big end shells, main shells, thrust washers and piston rings. All still standard sizes, original pistons etc still in fine fettle.

Original paint on the block will be staying, core plugs replaced in waterways.

Spent a few hours after that cleaning up multiple pieces of gunk covered parts in the parts washing tank. I use paraffin in the cleaning tank which is great at removing the crud quickly, is cheaper than water based degreasers and kinder to moving parts as the oily base doesn't harm anything that is left over.
Should be able to start building things back up soon enough so it's all ready for reinstallation...

[KevJTD]

Christmas is now over and gone and although I've not done much updating I have still been keeping things ticking along.

The search for a place to check the head face actually fell into place, a guy not 5 miles from my door who usually builds Zetec's and Pinto's for the F2 stock car guys was able to fit it in for me despite it being the off-season for racing so by far his busiest time. He actually did it for me over the Xmas break and lucky that I did get it done, was very slightly warped but nothing drastic.


The laborious task of cleaning, lapping in the valves, more cleaning, more cleaning etc takes hours.

I've been spending money like water too now it's come to buying parts rather than just welding bits of metal together, well over £1k now on parts just on the engine rebuild even though nothing more than a refresh has been done. Things like gaskets & oil seals came it at over £200, clutch kit over £220, the you ad in all the bearings, shells, rings, belts etc it's all added up. Still more spending to come too..


To set up the tappet shims requires a special tool. I'd done the Dedra turbo valves at Guy Crofts' place last time I did one as tools were impossible to find, I did manage to find a tool though out in Germany, another £50 or so spent!


Handy tool though.


First you wind the cam to open the valve fully then insert the tool which sits on the edges of the cam bucket,

You then turn the cam releasing the valve but the tool hooks under the camshaft and holds the valve open enough so that there is a gap o allow the shim to be removed and the correct size fitted.

This is the tool, expensive for what it is but the alternative would be to remove the whole cambox and hope that when clamped down again the new gasket would seal and the caps remain the same....