The Contessa

[frankxhv773t]

Like yours Jim the Birmingham Berlina has its fuel pump in the boot in the well opposite the spare wheel and it is a horizontally mounted one.

I had thought of adapting the Contessa to that setup until I saw how different the systems are. The Contessa is an 813-00 from June 1961 and has two fuel pick-ups at different heights then two copper fuel lines running straight forwards to a tap in the front footwell where you select main or reserve. The Birmingham Berlina is an 813-11 from November 1962 and has a single fuel pipe the immediately curls round into the boot to the fuel pump before then going forwards to the engine bay.

I do have a spare single fuel line set salvaged from the English Patient, but not the single outlet fuel tank, so a conversion may be on the cards for the future. At the moment reliable access to reverse gear seems more of a priority.

Pictures are the English Patient, Birmingham Berlina and the Contessa. My first Berlin, EJJ, can also be seen under a blue tarp next to the Birmingham Berlina.

[lancianut666]

Some serious heavy metal there Frank!

[lancialulu]

Frank

FWIIW my Fulvia 1600 HF has the Facet Silver top mounted in the engine bay in a warmer spot than your and over 20 years I have no problems (touching wood as I type). Indeed quite a lot of Electrically pumped Fulvias use Facet Silver top in the engine bay.

Maybe your pump struggles as there might be an air leak in the pipe work or a partial blockage? Have you air lined the supply pipe back to the tank?

[frankxhv773t]

An air leak sounds possible as I timed it at four minutes to build up enough pressure for the pump to stop throbbing when I turned on the ignition.

The exhaust noise turns out to be blowing both sides where the system joins the down pipes. I'm not convinced the down pipes and the next part of the system match properly as the exhaust pipe is larger diameter than the down pipe and is crushed together to hold it in place. I wonder if a slight increase in the diameter of the exhaust pipe is another of those little tweaks brought in on the 813-11 and 813-12 compared with the 813-00 and a later system has been fitted as a replacement. A pot of Gun Gum has been deployed so we'll see how that goes.

Next up is finding reverse gear. The motion goes from the gear lever behind the steering wheel via a sliding and rotating sleeve on the steering column through the firewall to a quadrant which actuates two rods which go to another quadrant at the bottom of the firewall which moves a long rod to the transaxle so lots of places something could go wrong. I like counting how many components Lancia used for things (the radiator badge disassembles into 17 pieces) and between your hand and where the gear shaft enters the transaxle the count is over 80 parts.

Shimming a sloppy bush on the first quadrant hasn't improved things but I noticed that in reverse the quadrant is hitting the carrier for the screen wash reservoir. Shimming the washer bottle out of the way hasn't helped. The gear lever goes forwards and down for reverse so I'm not sure if it wont go down because it can't go far enough forward but the latest discovery is that the rubber gaiter where the rod goes into the selector mechanism on the side of the transaxle is rock hard and splitting up but removing the remains of that hasn't helped either.

I hope the issue isn't inside the gearbox.

[frankxhv773t]

The dust cover for the gear selector input shaft has arrived. I decided to renew the vibration damper block too whilst I have it all apart.

My ex Alperton (allegedly) big axle stands have come in handy for jacking the Contessa up and the relevant bits of the gear linkage are dismantled. The good news is that once disconnected from the gearbox there is no obstruction to the movement of the gear linkage. The bad news is that it suggests the obstruction is inside the gearbox. Selecting first and third, moving the column lever upwards, has always been easy but moving it down for second and forth has always been a bit spongy and stiff. Moving it down for reverse felt obstructed which got worse till now selection of reverse is very occasional or non existent.

The metal bushes from the old vibration damper have to be swapped across and the metal plate behind is a bit buckled though I doubt that's enough to cause the problems. Trying to move the selector input shaft with everything disconnected is very hard though lack of leverage won't help.

Has anyone had problems with the gear selector in the past or have an idea of what might commonly go wrong?

In the absence of any suggestions I will just have to remove the selector assembly from the side of the gearbox and take it from there.

[lancianut666]

Hi Frank
On one of my spare boxes (very little oil in it) forward and reverse gears can be be selected by manipulating the shaft that comes out of the gearbox by inserting a screwdriver in the yoke end. Does this suggest as you mention an internal problem? What is the oil level like?
Clarkey

[frankxhv773t]

The selector shaft into the gearbox is almost impossible to move with the linkage disconnected so that does suggest an internal problem.

I hadn't thought to check the oil level so I will do that.

I have worked out that there is a plunger in the bottom of the selector housing (item 23 on Tav.43) so I shall pull that out to see if it is stuck.

[frankxhv773t]

Only 2 litres of oil came out of the gearbox so I've ordered some Millers Classic EP 80 to refill it.

It strikes me that the filler may not be easily accessible so is there any special technique for refilling with the box in situ?

[simonandjuliet]

These are quite useful

https://www.amazon.fr/-/en/BGS-8356-Transfer-pump/dp/B00871XO2K/ref=sr_1_12?crid=3OK19A8PAMZUV&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.NGIg57zY8XLIZWprJmaT5Nabc3AaEO3YrL_hb2g9TJHhhrwCkP8XD-d8hokLAdDghRzAfpv9OnjWZEeT2rTtD-3rxlT0IV-n_B2PCH5ppeYL2LeEX4f7LNeeLbn0MePzoyqAdXr7TG2dG_HaLdiVLXe_LAD0XeMih6palUhtCbFGiLppLeMbklr6hrBeEp6_T40-6dFzSzTmRTIV5_hjx3vAMqXAwb8TBFMC0D7jDpoDGdh928Q2Y0QEc1YtSJ5_syljn68sqnwZDmE-_bjlcLkiFla2hTC6zTei0C-Yo-0.qC2iXkjVS5xk6_ExC0gqoteTo4YIfbcD_Rdm1QYnCtA&dib_tag=se&keywords=oil+filler+pump&qid=1776873697&sprefix=oil+filler+pump%2Caps%2C246&sr=8-12

[lancianut666]

The filler is accessible through the hatch in the boot floor (allegedly) I think it takes 4 litres or so of oil. The reverse plunger unscrews from the casting bolted to the side of the gearbox and the gearchange shaft is locked in place with a bolt so if that has suffered a failure or is corroded that might be a factor.
Clarkey

[lancianut666]

Re Simons pump, I have a pump only with out the tank it is bright orange and black and does the business but is a bit slow but at least you do not have to stop to empty/refill the container. You might as well pour some oil over yourself from the start as my experience is it gets everywhere.
Clarkey
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/shopping?q=tbn:ANd9GcS5Hqqapc5PYFwNbfNwSgNcinmenjd-qxOtPAxgV_i4r2uP0KFEpnS2WTTy3e1SXNZLu6gH07rtmK-azvYE6qBIWE55CWK7

[frankxhv773t]

Having checked my handbook the transaxle oil filler is on top of the diff casing accessible through the hatch in the boot floor.

The two litres of oil was only what came out of the reverse plunger hole which I assumed being the lowest point would be all of it. Another litre came out of the proper drain plug making three litres in all so it was only three quarters full. There was quite a bit of swarf on the magnet in the drain plug, with oil gunk it was about the size of a coffee bean, but I have no way of knowing how long it may have been accumulating. I'd have preferred there to be none.

The oil filter really is a pain to get at. Coming out the back of the differential casing it hits either the De Dion bar or the Panhard rod when it is three quarters of the way out. No combination of jacking the suspension or gearbox would give clear access to I resorted to cleaning what I could expose which will be better than nothing.

Next week when I have the oil we will see if I have solved any of the problems.