Kugelfischer MFI Lancia Flavia poor running,
Discussion
Hi all,
My father's Lancia Flavia has not been on the road for 20+ years (shame etc...) and we are currently looking over it to see what the situation is.
My father has plenty of experience of carbs and the mechanical stuff generally, though I have a limited knowledge so please excuse any poor descriptions etc. We do have an original Lancia maintenance guide, though nothing obvious leaps out from the troubleshooting.
There is a spark to all four cylinders (plugs are pretty sooty though and ignition timing etc hasn't been check thoroughly, fuel is supplied to the fuel filter (this is a mixture of a very small amount of very old petrol and regular unleaded which is all we had to hand at the time though there are only a few litres in the tank - this should probably be drained and refilled). There is audibly slightly uneven compression, and the engine has and still does run a bit smokey.
The engine starts and runs on some cylinders - it needs some throttle to around 1200 rpm to not stall. We suspect there probably isn't enough fuel to all cylinders, which points towards the injection not working well possibly.
Are there any straightforward checks or procedures to try with respect to the MFI equipment? I understand there could be issues with filters within the unit, and there are doubts over how well tuned it was last time it was running. Are there any problems likely to arise from the long period of dormancy?
As far as I know last time it ran several years ago it ran better.
We obviously need to have a better look and rule out all other possibilities, though any help with the system or links to useful guides would be greatly appreciated. We are in Cornwall, so probably a long way from most experts!
Thanks
Felix
My father's Lancia Flavia has not been on the road for 20+ years (shame etc...) and we are currently looking over it to see what the situation is.
My father has plenty of experience of carbs and the mechanical stuff generally, though I have a limited knowledge so please excuse any poor descriptions etc. We do have an original Lancia maintenance guide, though nothing obvious leaps out from the troubleshooting.
There is a spark to all four cylinders (plugs are pretty sooty though and ignition timing etc hasn't been check thoroughly, fuel is supplied to the fuel filter (this is a mixture of a very small amount of very old petrol and regular unleaded which is all we had to hand at the time though there are only a few litres in the tank - this should probably be drained and refilled). There is audibly slightly uneven compression, and the engine has and still does run a bit smokey.
The engine starts and runs on some cylinders - it needs some throttle to around 1200 rpm to not stall. We suspect there probably isn't enough fuel to all cylinders, which points towards the injection not working well possibly.
Are there any straightforward checks or procedures to try with respect to the MFI equipment? I understand there could be issues with filters within the unit, and there are doubts over how well tuned it was last time it was running. Are there any problems likely to arise from the long period of dormancy?
As far as I know last time it ran several years ago it ran better.
We obviously need to have a better look and rule out all other possibilities, though any help with the system or links to useful guides would be greatly appreciated. We are in Cornwall, so probably a long way from most experts!
Thanks
Felix
I'd start with the basics: drain off all old fuel and get some new in there plus a jerry can 5l to hand. New plugs, leads, battery, coil, king lead, distributer, rotor arm. All that for the Flav will probably give change from three or four hundred quid or so and all will be needed anyway if you're putting it back on the road.
No joy there I'd start looking at the fuel pickup pump and fuel lines.
No joy there I'd start looking at the fuel pickup pump and fuel lines.
What state is the Kugelfischer unit in? I believe they are sensitive to correct oil, and any water/prolonged dampness affects the seals. There are still folk that work on them (similar systems were more commonly fitted to sporting models of the Peugeot 404 and Peugeot 504, so specialists for these might be able to help)
Cheers guys - The car really is a bit of an unknown. It was a project that never got finished: my dad lost interest in working on cars for various reasons. The car doesn't particularly interest me, so will we are looking to sell it soon probably, and are really just looking to see if it can be made to run ok without needing to spend £100s. Were I keeping the car, the money would be spent on the parts mentioned to give it the best chance, but I can't see that happening now or in the future.
I guess I'm really just looking for a quick fix when there isn't one!
Felix
I guess I'm really just looking for a quick fix when there isn't one!
Felix
Ah, got you.
In that case I'd try my best on the cheap - look at the Lancia forums and post up the same question.
If you can sell it running it'll make more dosh, obviously.
So go on then, within the spirit/rules of the site, tell us about the interesting old car that will shortly be for sale
In that case I'd try my best on the cheap - look at the Lancia forums and post up the same question.
If you can sell it running it'll make more dosh, obviously.
So go on then, within the spirit/rules of the site, tell us about the interesting old car that will shortly be for sale
I dont have any current pictures - it was resprayed about 20 years ago, mostly put back together apart from some trim and has basically sat in a garage since. I'd probably get flak for this from people on the forums, but that's just the way it's happened. It was in a sorry state when my father bought it in 92, with the structural rigidity of a blancmange, this was sorted and the colour changed to cream, but there are some bubbles coming through, which is a shame. It has a huge amount of history with it including letters from the original owner (though I can't find this at the moment). The previous owner is active still on the Lancia Motor Club Forum, and has posted some pictures from the 80s up. I should probably consider joining that, considering there are Betas to sort too...
Speak to Mike at Lucas Developments, he knows his Kugelfischer stuff:
http://www.lucasdevelopment.co.uk/default.html
http://www.lucasdevelopment.co.uk/default.html
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