Everyday Appia

[simonandjuliet]

First breakdown that I have had so far, but at least it wasn't raining , more in a moment ......

It is pruning time and we have about 4,500 vines in total, not many by local standards, so when I can I take the Appia. EDF have been replacing the wooden electricity poles due to sanglier (wild boar) damage, but they chose the wettest period for nearly 3 years and our track has been churned up so I can't always get through in the Appia !

Today is lovely though - please excuse the selfie, but just to show what the best-dressed-pruners wear !

A couple of vine pictures ,before and then the same vine about 30 seconds later. I have electric secateurs which are about as scary as chainsaws - apparently there is a surgeon permanently on call in Montpellier to reattach fingers !

But when I came to start the Appia she started and then spluttered and stopped. On inspection I saw petrol POURING from the carb and not stopping when the engine had stopped, obviously siphoning through

First thought was stuck float valve, but no amount of tapping stopped the flow, so off with the top of the carb. The only problem was that I didn't have (have now) a 9mm spanner in my toolbox. I think it must be the only 9mm on the whole car. The top 2 bolts are easy because they are slotted and you can undo them with a screwdriver, but the bottom one is a pain. Solution eventually found.

Then I spotted the cause, the level of petrol was high and the cause was a split brass float, so it was full of petrol and didn't float anymore !

I have never had this before.

I don't carry a spare float in the car, so I made the hole bigger, drained the petrol from the float, bent the float lever so the float would work sooner and lower the level of petrol in the chamber. Put it back together, jumped in and started the engine and drove off straight away ...... idea being that once I got moving and kept the throttle open, if she ran a bit rich she should get me home.

It was a bit hairy when she went sideways in the mud , but we made it.

All mended and running nicely again - reckon I deserve a cup of tea !

[simonandjuliet]

Not posted here for a while, so a couple of pictures whilst pruning the Syrah last week. Lots of rain over the weekend so won't get much done today - off to the garage !

[stanley sweet]

Yes, I can imagine the conversation. "Oh dear Juliet, it's raining again. What am I to do?".

[simonandjuliet]

And it did rain for much of the day - We are not complaining though, last winter we had less than 200mm of rain (Oct - Mar) and this year we have had nearly 400mm so far, so everything is green and lush !

On Friday , I fulfilled a lifetime ambition - to drive a double-decker bus !

Friends who own a "pick your own" fruit and veg farm in the next village (you may have seen them on the James Martin programme recently) have just bought a bus to use as a shop and "ice-cream parlour"

Dog and I are going to do the transformation .....

Apparently the Gardner engines are good for a million miles !

[Parisien]

"Return to Walthamstow please"

Surely you mean 1 million kilometres now its an ex-pat bus?!

P

[lancianut666]

Don't they have a demand for doubler deckers over there? or is just the engine UK derived

[simonandjuliet]

For only the second time, the Appia thwarted me ! She still gets used very regularly and yesterday as I set off for the bus inauguration I noticed a petrol smell.

Tim H had alerted me to the problems he has encountered with braided fuel hose and I have replaced most of mine now, but the last one had sprung a leak so I changed it quickly and set off. Unfortunately there must have been some dust in a poorly stored (??) new pipe so the carb blocked.

Anyway , carb stripped and plugs cleaned whilst I was at it and she is happy again

The braided pipes I have been using came from reputable UK suppliers (no names) and I think that are just not up to modern petrol

So learning points - no braided hoses and blow through any petrol hoses before I fit them ....

[the.cern]

It is horrifying how much there still is that we have to learn!!!!

I am just pleased it was diagnosed and sorted without, apparently, too much drama!!!

                                          Andy

[peteracs]

Hi Simon

Glad you sorted it quickly and without too much of a problem.

From what I have read you need to use hoses with the following spec

SAE J30 R6

Or go for high pressure racing type hoses, but they need special connectors I understand.

I would be interested in knowing if this is not correct as there are a few reported cases of new hoses becoming porous with modern petrol and that is never a good thing....

Peter

[simonandjuliet]

Peter, I may have confused everyone, I was talking about the fabric-braided hoses. It appears that the inner rubber tube degrades and splits ....

[lancialulu]

Ah the braided hose strikes again......

[peteracs]

Peter, I may have confused everyone, I was talking about the fabric-braided hoses. It appears that the inner rubber tube degrades and splits ....

Hi Simon

I do not think I misunderstood, I bought some of the fabric braided rubber petrol hose which was for modern unleaded, but having read a few scary tales of how long they can last before becoming porous (less than 6 months in one case) I decided to not fit them and to buy the ones with the correct rating on them. The ones I bought were of the type where the 'braiding' is enclosed within the rubber. I guess it is possible to find it with braiding on the outside, or to retrofit some if the look is important.

No idea if the SAE rating is pan EU or a worldwide rating.

Peter

[simonandjuliet]

Impromptu Lancia-Lunch chez Tim and Sarah Heath with Mike and Denise Jennings in their beautiful Fulvia Sport. T&S's equally beautiful Delta and our Appia

We had representatives of the 40's,50's, 60's , 70's , 80's and 2000's if you include the people present as well as the cars !

Lovely lunch , thanks

[stanley sweet]

Lancias, sun and wine. Takes some beating. Dropped to about 15 here with a nippy wind, shorts temporarily off duty.

[simonandjuliet]

Long time since I posted here, but finally I have taken the front suspension apart.

Here is a a very brief summary - I am writing a full "Janet & John do Appia Front Suspension" guide for the Appia Consortium newsletter later in the year

A couple of problems on one side - broken spring and jammed damper and then a replacement spring on the other in order to even it up

Overall it isn't a difficult job if you have the correct tools and typical Lancia, there are quite a few of them. Plus you do need very long levers and heat - occasionally lots of it !

Re-assembly is more about care, some of the threads are very fine and easy to cross

A couple of pics :