Everyday Appia

[simonandjuliet]

A couple of photos for David showing the wooden bit, all that to support the front of the seat and provide a bit more sound deadening ! That was probably an hour's work for somebody at Lancia in 1962. I suspect it will take me half a day to restore it !

Second, a picture of the side showing the windows down - why ?? Because they can ! Non of the windows worked, a couple moved a few inches, but after lots of WD40 and cleaning of the runners,  refitting the winder mechanism and generally making sure that it was all correctly put together, they all work now .... they still need new felts, but I can do that once she is back on the road, I am trying not to get too distracted by detail ! Whilst at it I got the door handles and locks working as well, everything was gunked up with 50 years of grime. The doors now close with a lovely clonk ! Next is to repair and paint the inside of the doors and frames , then fit the door trims

The seat runners were quite stiff and wouldn't slide easily so I dismantled them, cleaned everything and re-assembled. The little al/rubber wheels had obviously not been turning, the rubber had become distorted and swollen. I trimmed off the lumps to make them round again and then greased them using brake grease so as not to cause further distortion. Not ideal , but they slide nicely. Pet hate is a seat that is impossible to move !

I think the seats must have come from a RHD car because the lever is on the passenger side now. It is connected to the other side by a long bowden cable. A certain amount of driver passenger cooperation will be required to adjust the seat

Last picture, Dog has  just started on the bodywork, an hour yesterday working on the crumpled front wing

[DavidLaver]

I'm impressed by the rollers in the seat runners.  Same for all series?  What other models have that?

David

[simonandjuliet]

I was chatting with someone earlier who asked why I removed the gearbox by undoing the bolts via the plate under the gearbox - I referenced that I do the same on the Aprilia and he asked why (he has an Aprilia) ?

I suppose I do it that way because it was the way I was first shown. However, I am assured that on an Aprilia you can remove the gearbox by undoing the bolt on the fork and releasing the gearbox , leaving the clutch and cover plate attached to the flywheel.   It should be possible to do the same on the Appia.

The advantage by doing it with the bolts on the flywheel is probably more evident when you put it back together , because there is no need to centralise the clutch plate because it is already on the splines.

I hope that makes sense !

[chugga boom]

YOU , ARE A BAD INFLUENCE !!!!! I've been looking at my s2 today and thinking of just putting it on the road and using it, its rough but better on the road than sat there looking sorry for itself , needs brakes overhauling, exhaust replaced and a starter motor, weekends work really

[simonandjuliet]

Good !

The more cars up and running the better ..... I know you can only drive one at a time, but if it's raining (or more likely, snowing in Wrexham !!!) , you don't want to use the nicest, but you do want to turn up in a Lancia 

[chugga boom]

EXACTLY!!!!

[simonandjuliet]

I suppose it was inevitable, but I have ended up stripping the engine completely ! The cam followers were utterly gummed up and I could not remove the last two. No amount of WD40 and wiggling/tapping etc would get them out , so to access them I need to remove the cams and then tap them out.

Obviously the block was separated from the crankcase in order to replace the core-plug, and at that point I still intended keeping the crankcase intact, but couldn't shift the followers .....

To remove the rear main, first you remove the flywheel, followed by the rear oil seal (although i think you can still remove the bearing with it in place) then the bearing. Once you have undone the nuts holding the casting, there are 3 threaded  holes (M8 x 1.25) into which you fit bolts 40mm min, then tighten slowly, in rotation - 1/2 a turn at a time to keep the bearing square.

When the rear bearing is out, the crank can be easily withdrawn (having removed the timing chain and wheels)

All very nice, the front bearing is perfect, nicely run in , the rear has just touched the copper in a couple of places. If I can find a standard main, I will replace it , but otherwise it can go back as it is.

Still got to remove the front cam bearings, they are very tight as well. It seems that the water in the engine has made everything sticky, not corroded, but a pain to dismantle. I think it may be easiest to remove the caps behind the flywheel and push the cams out.

The pistons are sitting in paraffin to try and free off the rings, the block has been cleaned - in and out,  and the rest of the bits are waiting to be cleaned

I now have a very long list of bits to send to Don Cross at the Appia Consortium !

If anyone has a "Janet and John time the valves on an Appia engine" I would be very pleased to hear from them !

[Parisien]

A bit more grief and cost Simon, but when the extra few bob spent and hours added to project, you've an engine for life!


P

[DavidLaver]

From a selfish point of view I'm delighted.  A real treat to see it come to bits.  I love that chunky little crank.

Fingers crossed its mostly "clean it up and put it back together".  As you say with one of the bearings "nicely run in".

David

[simonandjuliet]

Some more engine-porn for David !!!

Removing the rear plugs for the camshaft was done on the floor so I could stand on the crank-case to hold it still. I used a Fulvia wheel brace to remove the nuts, I don't have another 14mm Allan key, plus it meant that I could get a spanner close to the casing and support the key at the same time. The plugs were v tight. Once off the cams tapped out easily and then I could finally get at the followers ......

Started the cleaning up process, it is probably the dirtiest, stickiest most gunged up engine I have ever had to clean ! First step was a scraper and stiff brush in the parts cleaning sink (paraffin) and then a degreaser (Swarfega) and pressure wash, final step will be to scrape off the last bits of gunk and then clean with acetone. All the oil ways have been cleaned through as well

[DavidLaver]

Yum!!

[Dikappa]

Hi Simon,

I have a factory appia shop manual, any help if I make a copy?

[simonandjuliet]

If it is in English , I would love a copy !

[Dikappa]

It is!

[simonandjuliet]

Thanks, hopefully a workshop manual is on its way ........

A couple of hours today whilst the girls were away. The frame for the front seat has been rubbed down and painted, ready for the trim to be glued back on. Also finished cleaning up the crankcase. Not perfect but I can't spend anymore time on it. Found a nice set of followers out of my spares because I cannot be 100 % sure the ones I took out will be OK. I had to hit some of them quite hard.

I ran a flexihone down the follower guides to remove any vestiges of the varnish/glue that caused them to stick. All nice and clean now.

Whilst the hone was on the drill I deglazed the bores. Finally I removed the core plugs from the block and have given it all a final wire brush and degrease, ready for the block-paint when it arrives.