Lancia Motor Club

We're just about to start building up a cylinder head for my 1.3s and thanks to my good friend Richard Fridd I've got a choice of two, one of which is going to be treated to new valves, springs etc. There's a slight difference between the two heads and I'm curious what the significance is.
One of them carries the following identification code; 818 140 2239540 and appears to carry a 1970 date stamp. At the rear of the head , located at 90 degrees to the distributor drive is a cast boss which protrudes from the head. This has a large brass blanking plug screwed into it whereas on the other head this boss is blank and un-machined with no blanking plug. Does anybody know the purpose of the brass blanking plug? Was it a drive for an alternative distributor perhaps...
The second head has the following code 818 302 2286649 and a 1972 date stamp.
Thanks in anticipation,
Rob

The 818.140 is an earlier S1 head, 1.2HF I think,  the blanking plug is for a mechanical rev counter for S1 cars, you could probably use either as the earlier HF was 1mm narrower bore, but those with better knowledge on here could better advise I am sure.

Hi Rob

Interesting as I think the 1.2 head is what is being sought in this thread which I started the other day.

http://www.lancia.myzen.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=8504.msg61083#new

If you or Richard are not going to use it then maybe could be offered to Simon?

Peter

Thanks for the clarification Neil...
Peter, I'll probably be using the later head in which case the early head will be surplus to requirements. If Simon is still looking for a head please ask him to get in touch and I'll try to help him out. bob@adventureride.co.uk
Rob

Those earlier heads were cast by Lancia and were of prized quality. Later heads were cast by Fiat and the alloy was occasionally found to be softer, and sometimes porous. This manifests itsself in failure of the cam/rocker caps which have the added responsibility of holding down the cam cover. The combined tourque on the head threa inserts is above the helicoil rating and failures occur (I speak from experience of 1600 heads). Look carefully at the later head.....

 Hi Rob,Andy,
I've just sent an email to Simon regarding the head.
Brian
8227 8)

I suppose I should check my Fulvia literature, but didn't the earlier smaller engine heads have smaller valves than the 1300cc versions as well?
The comment about the quality of the S1 heads also applies to the quality of the S1 Fulvia  cars whether Coupe or Berlina  generally as well in my opinion.
Chris

Hi Brian

Thanks

Peter

The heads both came from s2 cars and have s2 timing sprockets and non vernier camshafts.

I thought S2 had vernier camshafts?? Certainly my S2 parts books shows them like that???

Whilst on the subject of vernier cams and such like can anybody confirm whether the S1 had a different engine sprocket than the non vernier equipped cars? Am I correct in saying the S1s had a different pitch timing chain?

Correct, s1 has a different pitch and more pointed teeth . Verniers- Maybe a crossover between s1 and s2 to use existing stock? Series one and a half?

Or might there have been previous work on the engine combining parts from different sources? This is just an academic point as to whether Lancia built a Series 1 1/2 engine or it has been created by chance post production. Alternately if the provenance of all the parts is known it might indicate Lancia that did produce a Series 1 1/2.

Frank T

I am fairly certain from the parts book (and my limited experience of handling S2 engines) the non vernier cams were introduced after S2.....