New Member Suffolk

[peterbeta]

Hello to everyone. 
Just over 20 years ago I came across a Beta Spyder in a scrap yard which had had an engine fire & sitting next to it was a Beta Coupe written off with a side impact.  Having plenty of enthusiasm (and not much money), I bought the pair for £200 and used the Coupe as a donor car to restore the Spyder.  I had a lot of fun with the Spyder for the first decade of ownership, but it has not been on the road for 10 years.
Having seen that the 40th anniversary is approaching fast, I am now on a mission to get the car on the road again.  There are a number of things which need attention in the engine department, so I took advantage of the good weather yesterday to drop the assembly out on the sub-frame.
The list I have is:
1.   The lower exhaust cam box gasket leaks oil (which runs onto the exhaust manifold creating a whiff of burnt oil).  I would prefer to take the complete cylinder head to someone to have it re-built as it may need new shims.  Is there anyone in the east of England the forum can recommend?
2.   The Front Struts are very rusty where the bolt onto the hub – are new ones available, or does anyone have some decent spares?  The inserts are gas and in good condition.  Also wondering if top bearings are available.
3.   Clutch is seized and it has always been an issue since I rebuilt the car.  If I did not drive the car for a couple of months I had to start it in gear and drive for a mile or so with my foot on the clutch before it would start working.  I suspect I got something wrong when fitting it… any suggestions?  I can post some pictures when I split the gearbox from the engine
4.   Brakes – I have freed them off but think they need reconditioning.  Is there anyone in the East of England the forum can recommend?
5.    Carb.  This has done 20,000 miles since brand new.  However the throttle linkage is very stiff - again can the forum recommend someone to refurbish it.  The last
time I drove the car you could buy “lead replacement” petrol. Is super un-leaded the same thing?  Any changes needed to the carb, ignition timing?
6.  I will replace the the cam-belt & tensioner while the engine is out!
 

Here are a few pictures …
Peter

[Hawk]

welcome to the forum and good luck

someone will be along soon with a recommedation for people near to you (not my part of the world I'm afraid)

[MattNoVAT]

Welcome to the forum Peter,

HF Stuart may be able to help you with more local people, but www.Lanciabetaparts.co.uk will be a good place to start.

I would be inclined just to replace the lower cam box gasket for sterters.  Thats fairly easy to fix without stripping the head down. You can do it but if will likely cost if you want it all done before the Beta 40th in May.

Clutch - I'd strip it down and rebuild it properly if you have a feeling that its incorrectly fitted many of us on here have done clutches so theres plenty of advice available.  Buy some copperslip and post pictures when the box is split.  Make sure the cltcu release arm moves freely and the release bearing is new/fitted correctly.

Front struts - there are a second hand set on www.LanciaBetaParts.co.uk  - DO NOT THROW AWAY YOUR OLD ONES!Brakes - a refurb is a good idea but I would clean them up as best as possible first and change the fluid, then see how they perform as its quite expensive to have them refurbished.

Cam-belt & tensioner - its a must, plus I'd treat the engine oil and give it a good flush to get rid of any sludge & build up. Plus a good service (plugs, filters etc) and some fresh super unleaded and see how it runs.

Keep us posted !!

[peterbeta]

MattNoVAT,

Thanks for the advice.  I distinctly remember NOT using copperslip (or any other kind of grease)  when I fitted the clutch, so that's probably the problem... I will post pictures when the weather allows me to resume work (no garage at the moment).

[HFStuart]

Peter,

First welcome. Nice looking car  - how's the body on it? Second what part of Suffolk are you from? I live in Bury.

The head is actually pretty simple to DIY shim and overhaul  - it will need new shims as the cambox is very unlikely to sit in exactly the same position. The only special tools you'd need are a shim tool (which I can lend you) and a valve spring compressor (which you can buy!). I can recomend a specialist near Snetterton if you really don't want to DIY.

The struts doo look rusty but the metal is thick and they may not be past it if you clean up the bottom section so long as there's no bulging or perforation they are probably good enough to be stripped and powder coated. Plenty of people to do that  - I'd go for Tranic in Thetford

Clutch  - take it apart and find the fault. The engine is out so you've done 90% of the work. In fact I'd recomend replacing it as a matter of course unless you know it's nearly new.

The Carb linkage is simple - you just need to find out which bit is stiff. Does the pedal move freely? Is the cable stiff What about the pivot on the cam cover and the carb itself? The car runs fine on super unleaded with no mods. If you're going to do big mileage an addtive might be a good idea but it's a matter of personal choice.

Good luck and don't be a stranger 

[raz1966]

i am in norfolk so not far away, my cam gasket leaks a bit at the back, quite common, it has got alot better since i been running the engine more often, my car stood for 15 years,so maybe yours may be ok.  The brake calipers are quite easy to sort out, i did my own, fitting new seals etc. the hardest part is trying not to ring off the bleed nipples, new discs and pads are cheap so you may want to try that first. the best advice i can give is avoid cheap parts from ebay. you end up buying the stuff again after a week when it fails.

[WestonE]

Hi Great to see a Beta coming back to the road. On the cam base gasket I recommend getting it from Guy Croft in Lincoln because he sells an improved design. When they went asbestos free the later gaskets had major issues and whilst you are there do both cam boxes and replace the cam wheel seal as well for a leak free life. Again get the late pattern cam oil seal as the earlier design leaks on the edges. You can even get all new stainless bolts if you are keen and you do not need to remove the head to do this and it is pretty simple really with a bit of haynes manual reading.

Eric

[VXdeMayo]

Welcome to the forum Peter, and nice looking Spyder!
As you live in Suffolk I can recommend one of our members "Milleman", (look up his details on the forum and send him a message). He has a Spyder in the same colour as yours along with a HPE and a big barn full of spares to match.  He lives in Suffolk as well.
He has been very helpful to me on sending spares etc.
Finally, how did you manage to drop the whole subframe out like that as I don't see any heavy lifting gear anywhere? I want to do that (long term) to finally finish cleaning our HPE up. (When I have absolutely nothing else to do that is!)
Best of luck,
Chas,
(VXdeMAYO).

[MattNoVAT]

The copper-slip is for the clutch release are mechanism - I strongly recommend that your remove it, and clean up & C/slip the base section and also where it sits inside the plastic collar where it comes through the metal housing.  It's very easy to do and is the first thing I do once the gearbox is out. A freely moving arm & a new release bearing do wonders!

I have some pictures somewhere - might throw together a "How to" if a get an hour or so spare.

[Dodgems]

Hi Peter

I was really pleased to read you have been inspired to get the Spyder on the road for the Norwich Beta 40th weekend. It is the first weekend event the club or myself has organised and it is great to know we are
getting more Beta's out of their garages to attend. Good luck with the work, as you have seen there are lots of good folk willing to help you!

Amanda

[peterbeta]

A big thank you to everyone for their posts & apologies for not responding sooner.  I have split the box from the engine this morning and here are some pictures.  The cover has some fairly deep groves in it and having gone through this amount of effort would it be best to replace the whole lot – clutch disc, cover and release bearing?  The flywheel whilst slightly rusty has no grooves.  Hopefully MattNoVAT can guide me through the refit – the release arm assembly seems good but I will copperslip as suggested.  I don’t see a clutch listed on the www.lanciabetaparts.co.uk website – any recommendations on where I can get the new parts? 
I think I’ll worry about the cam gasket after the summer (if we get one) – it’s not leaking too badly and all the other seals are fine.  I’ve got a lot to do already - if it gets worse perhaps I’ll take the head off this winter and give it to Guy Croft to recondition.
HFStuart – I’m Suffolk/Essex borders (East Bergholt) between Colchester and Ipswich.  Do you have a number for Tranic as I can’t seem to find them on the Internet?  It’s the carb itself which is stiff, but some liberal application of WD40 seems to have improved matters.
VXdeMayo – having removed the front exhaust, radiator, unbolted the steering arms, gear linkage, etc.. I lowered the car down so the subframe was resting on some blocks of wood, removed the 4 subframe bolts and then jacked up the bodywork so I could just pull the whole assembly out.  I have always done it this way as it saves having to hire any heavy lifting gear! I used to have a frame on wheels to lower the sub-frame on which made it easier.
Plenty to get done next week!

[HFStuart]

I wondered where you'd gone! Nice part of the world BTW.

Guy will do a great job on the head for you but if you're not modifying/tunning it you could probably get it done for less.

You couldn't find Tranic as I gave you a name they changed about 5 years ago - oops. Try this:

T & B Blasting Services, Barnham, Thetford, 01842 890777  http://www.t-bblasting.co.uk/

Given where you are you could also try Northgate Restorations in Waltham Abbey, It's a bit further but probably quicker to get to down the A12.

The wear on the clutch fingers is typical of what you get when someone rests their foot on the clutch pedal (or the pedal is badly adjusted)  - it's scrap and I agree you should replace the whole lot.

Stuart

[peterbeta]

Thanks for the recommendations.  I took the front struts to Lee at Northgate Restorations and as you can see they are considerably improved!  There was a Facel Vega body & chassis in for blasting when I went to pick them up.  A nice bloke called Dave who runs an engineering workshop next door got the shock absorbers out for me.  He also made up a tool so I could remove the retaining collars and do it myself next time.
I have also had one of my spare (bosch) starter motors reconditioned as the existing unit had been a bit unreliable (clicking solenoid and not turning over).
There are a few bits of rust which need sorting out – a hole in the inner wing and on top of the sills when I open the doors (I think this is a common problem with the Beta).  I am going to give Barry from Atkins Welding in Ipswich a try as he offers a mobile service. 
In the meantime I have sent the brake calipers off for reconditioning and I am working on engine (new cambelt, tensioner & water pump).  I have a new clutch cover and plate but I have been unable to find a new thrust bearing.
It’s looking quite tight to get the car ready for the 40th anniversary, but I think it is achievable!  The main problem is the weather - it keeps raining.

[MattNoVAT]

Hi Peter,

How much was your starter motor recon and how long did it take?   I have two that I need sorting as they have the dodgy solenoid / clicking issue.

[WestonE]

Peter

The Monte Hospital have the Clutch Release Bearings in stock. I recommend you call as it is urgent.

Eric