Lancia Motor Club

We buy fuel in litres and my car has a km speedo but I still think of fuel economy in terms of mpg.

After a bit of maths I reckon my mpg from a couple of tanks used going to and from Belgium was 27mpg and 31mpg. My speedo isn't totally accurate so there is some tolerance to be applied.

Does this sound about right for a 1.3?

Thanks

Seems a bit thirsty. handbook says 31.7mpg

HBG, you are a senior member, like me so there is only one expression of consumption/economy:  MPG.
Also my speedo/odometer is in KM, very useful for last year's grand European trip of nearly 4,000 KM. The tank was filled to briming everytime and the litres converted to gallons and the distance converted into miles. We did not drive sedately and the MPG was always between 35 and 37, much better than the book. I have a 1.3S sport and take a lot of time cleaning, tuning and balancing the carbs every spring. That is using 98/99 octane fuel. On the few occasions I had to use 95 the MPG dropped to about 33/34.
The car performed perfectly, used less than a litre of oil. Driving over the Alps and decending to the Lakes is one of the marvels of owning an Italian sports car. Parking a Fuvia Zagato outside a busy Italian rstaurant does ensure getting a good table!
I took quite a comprehensive box of spares to ensure I did not need any of them.
Planning the next epic voyage now, but I think it will be the other side of Italy, Veneto district and may be a little way down into Croatia. Luckily my wife enjoys this kind of touring as much as I do and, much to my annoyance, drives the Zagato every bit as well as I think I do.
Roll on May/June

Senior? Early middle age perhaps! But mpg never the less.

So either I have a heavy right foot (quite likely) or it's a bit rich. Is that the way carbs would cause higher fuel consumption, by being rich? The carbs were balanced some months ago and the car behaves well, doesn't use oil, and recently passed a MOT with an emissions test showing pass. I should get the emissions results out and have a closer look.

Have to agree that driving over the alps is spectacular. Last year on the penultimate day of our bike trip we left Zurich heading south to the Furka and Grimsel passes. A previous day included the Stelvio with descent into Switzerland.

Nicole has yet to drive the Fulvia and doesn't find the seats that comfortable......not sure when our first full touring holiday in the Fulvia will take place but I'd certainly like to schedule one.

Would be keen to know how to perform carb tuning and how you measure the results.

This is for a 1.3 coupe. The Sport is slipperier and higher geared so will deliver higher mpg. My 1600 Sport will achieve over 33 mpg on a long continental tour at 130kph all day long.

Back in the day I ran a S2 coupe as a callow youth that without touching anything under the bonnet was doing 30mpg used as a daily driver and was deemed as far too thirsty. A quick look under the bonnet revealed a rather grubby air filter so this was changed and the mpg jumped to 35mpg so the car was kept as this was nearer to the 40mpg I was getting from the Hillman Imp I had at the time. I know it is a cliche but that car was the best handling car I have driven especially against things like vauxhall vivas and minis, the Hillman Imp is another story. A look at the Autocar road test of a 1.2 coupe would be interesting as it shows mpg at constant speeds.
Clarkey

Unless you have modifid your car to run Webers the solex carbs are a bit of a PITA to set up correctly. Getting the fuel level correct in the float bowl is tricky and the main jets are not acccessible without taking the carbs off.  I have taken the carbs off so many times I now know the little tricks to make it relatively easy.
Last year I sripped the carbs and put all the bits and the jets in an ultra sonic cleaner. It did make a big difference. Balancing the carbs is simple and getting the idle/slow running mixture is old school fiddling with a small screw driver with the mixture srews.
Omicron publish a good leaflet on how to set up these carbs and there is a lot of information here on the forums. It is not rocket science and worth while getting to know how they work.

Tim,
I dont have the figures but my 1.3 sport is S1 4 speed. Is this higher geared than a 5 speed S2 coupe?.

yes.... 10/37 v 11/43. book gives 1.3 Sport 33.6mpg

On Solex there is a relatively easy check on float level.... Never had to do main jet overhaul. If the there is rubbish then it finds the smaller galleries first. I suspect Howard's carbs just need a  tune. If the balance isnt spot on a lot more fuel is used.

I agree. Do the basics first. Change the air filter. Buy an airflow meter (£35) and balance the carbs, it is a simple operation and plenty of help on the web as to how to do it. Then adjust the idle mixture screws and balance the carbs again. Engine must be hot, not just warm when the mixtures are adjusted.
2 hours work will probably show a big improvement. Most of the 2 hours is taken up taking off the air filter box.

Howard,
where abouts are you? If you are not too far away I would be happy to come around and show you how to do it. I'm Surrey/Kent border

I'm in Finchley, North London suburbs but not adverse to a drive. Perhaps I can pop over one weekend? Would appreciate some direction.

Of course the old adage is before tuning the carburettors everything else should be maintained (tappets, ignition timing, distributor, valve timing).... If a 123 distributor is fitted has the correct advance curve been selected etc etc

Think all of those things are good/ recently checked. Haven't changed the air filter in my ownership however.

Howard, happy to spend some time with you getting your carbs set up, either up there or down here in Westerham.
The engine needs to be really hot with the engine running so it's a job for a warm dry morning. I have got some spare idle adjustment screws as they are often bent or blunted from being overtightened to find the bottom position, inwhich case it is virtually impossible to get the mixture correct. Roll on Spring!

Not sure but maybe Howard you have the later emission control carbs on your 3. More of a nightmare to adjust.

Spider2, thanks for your offer. When weather permits (bloody awful out there today!) I'd like to take you up on that offer and am happy to drive, unless you want to see the sights of North London?

I'll get a new air filter handy even though the current one may be just fine.

I'll get some photos of the carbs. Tim, are they visually identifiable? When the car was at Omicron much fiddling was done with the idle mixture screws and balancing was carried out. Presumably once off idle and driving along the  main jets are in play - are these adjustable and how would you measure the effect of any changes? Is this a rolling road job?

Thanks

My S2 1.3 with Dellortos and 123 ignition is averaging just over 34mpg over the last 3600 miles, it often does 38mpg or more on a long run on E5 fuel if available at a moderate speed, I would think you could get a few more mpg with yours.

Main jets are really not "adjustable". Stick with manufacturers recommendation unless you are seriously tuning then increase by say 5 (but at expense of mpg!!). Main jet comes into its own after around 2500. Before the the "idle" circuit is managing the transition from idle to 3000. Some folk have found increasing the idle jet overcomes a hesitancy in this transition phase (blamed on modern fuel being thinner). I was one who fiddled around in this area and got convinced increasing the idle jet cured (almost) the hesitancy on my 1600. Then I looked at the valve timing and while near spot on it needed a tweak. After that the hesitancy went away and I dropped back to standard idle jets. Obviously if you up the idle jet this will slightly increase consumption. You need to check that the idle jets have not been changed (easy to do) - they should be 47.5. Your engine has non vernier camshafts so timing this will not be as accurate as the earlier vernier cams fitted to the 303 engine.

Neil, was that your Fulvia at Brooklands? Such a smart colour.

Attached is the emissions results from the MOT. I didn't witness the test as I was snoozing in the waiting room so can't vouch for their thoroughness. Not sure if it gives much away.

Yes that was my blue Fulvia at Brooklands on New Years Day, with the Augusta and Aprilia, some other cars were also there, yours must have been the red Fulvia near Concorde.