The Paul Atkinson - Augusta - news update [etc] ...

[MichaelElsom]

Re the photo at Brooklands, I wonder whether the device is some sort of direction indicator. I can't blow it up large enough to say definitely but the colour and the presence of two horizontal bars inside the lens might be a clue.

[Kari]

Mark,
I am sorry to distract you from the device at the front of the radiator grille.
I had a long look at the very good picture 0939 further up in this tread. Perhaps one of the reasons the front fenders look or are asymmetric is that the radiator grille seems to be not in the vertical axis. I have tried to mark it on your picture. It may be as little as one or two degrees, but when viewing the car from the front, its visible. I did have the same on my car, as a result of a bad  repair of an accident. In my case the wheel base on the left side was 30 mm shorter than the one on the right hand side. I also had to correct the position of the front axle by installing distance washers on one side of the front axle attachments. This has been sorted at my last restoration about 10 years ago.
Also visible on your picture is, that the car sits low at the front. It's clearly visible that the sliding pillars are halfway compressed in contrary to the factory settings of 35 mm. As you had the sliding pillars disassembled, the main springs are not broken, but might have gotten tired by age or are after market.

I hope not to bother too much, but I am sure you want a good car in the end.

Cheers  Karl

[Mark Dibben]

Hello Karl,
Thanks eh. There's no doubt that it's been in some sort of front end shunt. No doubt. The shock absorbers were completely rebuilt with all new main and short springs and guides both sides, as we explored (a long way back!) in the thread. Attached the springs themselves in the advert and the description of them. It says they were made to standard spec though.
So it's a puzzle why the car would be sitting low as you say. Of course without having another car next to it, I don't know myself as this is the only one I have any real acquaintance of. It certainly handles very well, which is why I'm doubtful anything out of shape to any great extent. I can get the guys at AKVR to check the wheelbase easily enough when I am in again. I'll be able to go back in on Friday morning and the wings and perhaps still even the radiator grille will still be off the car; I'll try and remember to take some photos of the struts - that might help show what the story is.
At least some of the problem with the way it looks is that the wings are a absolutely a different shape. The right wing forward of the headlight support strut for example is 80% filler. When you put a slide rule that adjusts for curve against them this is very obvious.
The other intriguing thing is that the radiator cowl is not at right angles, it's slightly bent out of shape, so what you might be seeing is that. We know this because in making the bespoke wire mesh grille, to fit Bugatti-esque over the top of the cowl leaving everything in place underneath it on purpose, the wire mesh (which is of course at right angles to itself) 'runs out' along the bars that support it. It's only a very,very small amount, about a quarter of the width of one of the wire mash 'diamonds' across the entire width of it, but it's been enough to make painting the grille a nightmare! :-)
I'll get some more photos up when I can.
Thanks again,
Mark

[Mark Dibben]

I remembered that Chris McPheat and I had had the thought to check alignment of everything and I have found the email he sent about it and the suspension plumb-lines correctly, the car is square and also the wheelbase is the same both sides. I asked Piers for his thoughts this morning when I went and his sense of it is the car absolutely straight. It's just the fact that the wings have been repaired and so too has the radiator cowl and none of them are quite the shape they should be. So it's an optical illusion.

Anyway, here's a picture of the first part of the signwriting that was done yesterday. The enameled LANCIA script is a direct copy of how it is written on the front cover of the owner's handbook. Any bigger and it would have 'swamped' the rocker box, any smaller and it would have looked too small; it's unlike a Bentley rocker box cover, for example, whose sheer size is the dominant factor rather than the Bentley lettering. So we went for the relative size of the script on LAGONDA rocker box covers. Just finishes the engine bay off nicely :-)

Sorry it's upside down but, whatever I do with the original photograph, the post always displays it thus!

[Mark Dibben]

Called in today and the monocoque 'boxes' have been treated and painted and the wings are back on on - properly this time. All looks very good. As it should do.
In fact this was done last week and Piers Trevelyan took her for drive on Friday afternoon. He tells me it drives 'very well.' That's good enough for me! It's certainly come together very nicely and with the wings painted in the old fashioned way, which of course took longer to dry, they have a deeper shine but are also more are in keeping with the rear ones, so it doesn't look like two halves of two different motor cars. Otherwise the front of the car 'would have [technical description] looked like a boiled sweet!'
The second ambient temperature gauge (internal) arrived today, so all we're waiting on now is an internal map lamp and a new rear hydraulic suspension adjuster unit as the seals on the original had dried out, unsurprisingly, and it's leaking fluid. So best just to get a new unit; by the time the, erm, time is taken into account of removing and stripping the old one and making and fitting new seals and then rebuilding it and refitting it...
Now it's just a question of going around and doing the last little bits and pieces ready for the VSCC stand at the Classic Motor Show. Of which one is giving the leather yet another liberal dose of AutoGlym Leather Care cream - my job tomorrow morning! I'll try and remember to take some photos and also get the documents out of the boot. So I can scan them and get them up for you in the fullness of time. I'll add the photos to this post tomorrow anyway.

[Mark Dibben]

The Gearbox Modification Materials
I finally got to clear the boot and vacuum the boot carpet of the little Lancia this morning as well as doing the leather. Which means I got hold of the large file of materials on the car. Here is a scan of all the material and info on the 2nd gear modification I promised a while ago.
Cheers - Mark

[Kari]

Now, that's interesting that a letter I wrote 17 years ago, has turned up. I can say that in all the 17 years the modification has worked well for me. I also can say that it lasted about 40'000 miles and then had to be replaced. Of course, it depends how the second gear is used. Perhaps less in a relatively flat country, but here where I live, sometimes second gear has to be used uphill for some length of time.

The modification may only be successful when the the bearings of main shaft and lay-shaft are in reasonable condition and the gears themselves are not worn too much. And it is to note that the noise will not stop completely as the first and second gears are straight cut.

Lesson learned: rollers or balls running on chromed races doesn't work long, no use!

Cavalitto sells first and second gear sets.   https://www.oldlanciaspares.com/augusta_eng/transmission.php

Karl

 

[Mark Dibben]

Yes, there's still a bit of a whine but much quieter than many I've heard on youtube!
I now know why it may be that someone rolled the car into a fence or a wall, or even another vehicle, because it takes a fair bit of peddle pressure to get the brakes to bite. Once they bite, they're good, but you have to be careful until you get used to it. Ha - nearly shot myself through the windscreen when I got back into my modern C3 Citroen!!
A very lovely little car to drive, but after only a few miles to a coffee shop and on to where it's being kept, it's too soon to say much yet. Other than I shall slacken the adjustable rear suspension off a touch as it's set up a bit too stiff, and she's running way too rich at the moment too.  Also, have decided to go back to an aqueous coolant (4Life), rather than the waterless one we put in it on account of the amount of sludge we found in the radiator three years (ye, three years!) ago. I sense it's not giving the best performance. My local garage chap Andy at Lechlade Services thinks that's the right call; he had waterless in his Ford Poplar and had the same feeling about it there too. So we'll do that after the Classic Motor Show; it won't matter just being started up, rolled off the transporter and pottered around being maneuvered in and out of the Halls at the NEC. It'll warm up quicker in fact. Good.
But a lovely little car, with an amazing amount of torque for a 1200. Pulls ever so well. Feels more torquey than the FIRE engine I had in my '87 Fiat Uno in, err, well, 1987. 43 year's difference... That's what a V engine does I s'pose! :-)

[Mark Dibben]

The little Lancia's been much admired at the NEC Classic Car Show, with many people amazed it is a V4 - with the inlet bonnet side opened up, they keep on thinking it's a two cylinder car...! Picture of it on the VSCC stand; the leaflets are all about synthetic fuels and carbon emissions recovery schemes as she is the poster girl of the Vintage Sports-Car Club's sustainability initiative (https://www.vscc.co.uk/page/carbon-offsetting). The piece of paper behind the windscreen is the new VSCC Green Form - Originally-Embedded Carbon Recovery Certificate, which stays with the car in-perpetuity. Like a Buff Form - Competition Eligibility Certificate, but re sustainability :-)  And the wire mesh grille and stone guards and for just that purpose - to stop stones from our poor roads. Plus it meant we could do a number plate (with hole for the starting handle) for the car that worked properly, without the bumpers... Looks better in reality that in the photo I have to say.

[Mark Dibben]

Well it's been a while, apologies.
In January, Andy at Lechlade Services (my local Lanoguard agent) completely Lanoguarded the underside of the car ("very good condition, to be fair" said Andy, and what a difference! See attachments in a zip file for before and after), changed the coolant to 4Life and changed the oil to a Morris multigrade rather than the Castrol monograde that Chris had her on. After that, once the weather had warmed up a bit, she went to Omicron. They have carried out the following work:
1. replace rear diff seals - both the seals that were in there were (differently) the wrong size for the lips (i.e. yet another bodge, poor little car), so no wonder it was 'sweating'. We were amazed oil wasn't pouring out;
2. change the freewheel lever seal on the gearbox;
3. change the starter motor - new Wosp one fitted although this also required a re-fabrication of one of the mounting holes on the block as this failed along a crack when removing the old starter motor;
4. new battery;
5. get the rear interior light working;
6. make a starting handle as none came with the car - it'll not be needed, but just in case it is;
7. new sparking plugs (B6L says the NGK book) as two of the B6S were actually faulty(!);
8. timing adjustment as it was way too advanced;
9. brake adjustment as they were pulling right;
10. change the propshaft-gearbox seal as this failed when the propshaft was being removed to do item 2);
11. rear nearside door adjustment;
12. front nearside window winding mechanism stripped, re-lubricated and reassembled;
13. trace and correct an intermittent fault on the new gauges - loose connection under the bonnet;
14. sort out the mixture as it was running very rich;
15. make an extension piece for the accelerator pedal, to bring it more into line with the brake pedal, as the vertical distance between the two was so great that one caught the edge of one's foot on the brake pedal moving from the accelerator to the brake (this having the inevitable brown-trouser effect) - very clever bit of work;
16. anti-rust and paint anything that needed doing, e.g. the running board edges etc;
17. top up the front shock absorbers;
18. complete tightness check;
19. oh yes, almost forgot, check the oil pressure gauge for accuracy (a tiny little bit optimistic but perfectly usable) and service the oil pressure relief valve;
20. umm, something else wot I cannae remember Captain.

The one thing we haven't sorted is the freewheel, which only seems to work intermittently. It'll work and then it won't and then there's a 'clunk' and it works again. As the lever in the cockpit is correctly adjusted via its cable to the actuating rod, this can only be because:
a) it hasn't been used for ages and needs use to free off the internal mechanism;
b) it is worn and needs adjustment within the gearbox itself;
c) it is completely worn out and needs rebuilding.

We cannot find any information on servicing the freewheel device anywhere. Andrew is dropping the car back on Tuesday, so I shall try a bit more and see if it can be persuaded to behave per a) above. Failing that, we'll run as it is over the summer in disengaged / normal mode and when she goes back to Omicron for the Autumn service, it'll be a question of taking the gearbox apart to discover whether it's b) or c). Any ideas anyone?

Sorry it's been a long while since I posted an update. But I do begin to think, after nigh on four years and don't ask on the pound signs (sigh), we're finally getting there. By which I mean, she's now something close to being 'two years old' mechanically, so now it should be possible simply to keep her there from now on. That was the plan all along of course. I shall hopefully report back later in the week!

All best cheers,
Mark

[MichaelElsom]

Dear Mark
I have some material provided by Morris when I had problems with my gearbox - which was eventually traced to the freewheel.
The material is probably too bulky to attach to this reply but if you can send me your e-mail address to michael.elsom@btopenworld.com I will attempt to get the material to you.
Michael

[Kari]

Mark,
Very good hearing of all the works done on the Augusta.

Regarding the freewheel, it seems to be the classical freewheel symptome. This is the case when the 6 sprockets which carry the load when the freewheel is locked out, are worn badly. The sprockets become tapered, causing the lockout sleeve pushed backwards into the selector fork. To check the condition of the parts, the gearbock has to be opened, requiring removing it from the engine. The box can be removed from the car leaving the engine in place.
The late Andrew Maclagan wrote an excellent article in the Augusta Newsletter No. 7, January 2013. If you dont have it, I can send it to you.
For the time being, I suggest to drive in freewheel mode, unless you need engine braking.
Karl 

[Mark Dibben]

Hello Kari and Michael,
Right, so it's option c) then!
I've just emailed you Michael, thanks.
I don't have that article Kari, no, that'd be a help indeed.
The problem occurs only when the freewheel is engaged. It's fine in normal mode. So the plan is to use it over the summer as a normal car, practicing my double-declutching and throttle blipping, and then we can have a look at doing it during the Autumn service.
All best cheers and thanks again both,
Mark

[Kari]

Mark,
I'm a bit confused about you call "normal" operation.

Basically, the freewheel is operating all the time unless it is "locked out" by 1) the lever on the dash to the left or 2) reverse gear selected (automatically)
Lancia has meant the freewheel mode as normal and the lock-out mode only when going down hill and needing engine braking.
So, if the cable breaks, it will go into freewheel mode but the reverse gear still can be used.
I hope that will help.
Karl

[Mark Dibben]

Hello Kari,
In the owners manual I have it says "The insertion of the free wheel is obtained by moving to the right the lever fitted on the left of the dashboard. The normal position of the handle is to the left (freewheel not in use)."
The car works normally, ie. as any other car would, perfectly fine. With the freewheel 'inserted', however, it does not; it only works intermittently and you hear a 'clunk' as it re-engages.
All best cheers,
Mark