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Fulvia valve timing
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00364 Andrea+Nistri
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Timing the valves of the Fulvia engine is quite complicated and confusing, and it should not undertaken unless one is confident to know what he is doing. Personally I never used the Lancia manual method and always relied on the 2.2 mm method that I learned from Harry Manning. He actually used to sell these bespoke feeler gauges and of course the accuracy of timing depends on how accurate the gauge is. Basically the method relies on the maximum valve lift that is correct at 2.2 mm ONLY for 818.303 engines. This is important.
Assuming the camshafts, rockershafts, etc are all correctly refitted, the tappets screws of all valves must be wound fully inside the tappets. Then adjust valve clearance for inlet and outlet valves of cylinder 1 for maximum lift (2.2 mm) i.e. back of cylinder 1 cam lobes after turning (by hand) both camshafts in such position. Subsequently, turn by hand intake camshaft clockwise and exhaust camshaft anticlockwise until camshaft marks are aligned. If OK so far, there must be no free play for both valves of cylinder 1. Chain can now be fitted (if not done earlier) to both camshafts with its tensioner spring slackened.
Turn the engine until cylinder 1 is at top dead center (0 on the flywheel flange with 1/4 on the bellhousing) and make sure it is indeed at TDC. Easy to make mistakes here: I use a whistle fitted to the plug hole to signal TDC.
Turn again the engine one full revolution very slowly and check that tappet 1 play starts disappearing as flywheel 0 mark approaches. At 0 there should be no free play and as soon as 0 is passed slowly, there should free play for the exhaust 1 tappet. Retension the tensioner, turn the engine and recheck as above.
If these conditions are not attained for example on the intake camshaft, slacken the tensioner, don't shift the camshaft position and after lifting the chain by hand and carefully removing the intake sprocket wheel (and dowel if present), move it one or two teeth clockwise (advance) or anticlockwise (retard) for setting the intake timing correctly and refit it loose. Retension the tensioner and see if timing is now correct after turning the engine.
The procedure is essentially the same for the exhaust camshafts. If OK, set all valve clearances as per book (0.15 inlet, 0.25 outlet)
If the timing is correct, sprocket bolts can be torqued up and blocked with their locking tabs. It is very important to note that although working with cylinder 1, the distributor must be fitted with rotor firing cylinder 4.
The final check for everything done properly is:
rotor arm firing cylinder 4, timing marks aligned with marks on the camshaft front supports,
piston number 4 at TDC, flywheel zero aligned with 1/4 mark on the bellhousing, free play on inlet and outlet valves of cylinder 4.
I hope this helps. With Harry's method we never had any problems for a large number of 303 engines over nearly 40 years, Andrea
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Andrea Nistri
