Lancia engine in Spider

[jlrice54]

The previous owner of my 1971 spider transplanted a 2.0 carb engine from a Lancia, replacing the 1608 it should have. I've read somewhere that the Lancia variant was designed to be installed transversely at an 18 degree slant and that when using the Lancia version in a RWD Fiat, you need to modify the head or cam boxes to control oil flow and scavenging. Conversely, I have assumed that the oil pickup and pan may be different as well because if the slant mounting arrangements.

Can anyone confirm my conclusions? Is it worth converting the Lancia engine, replacing the Lancia head with a Fiat head or should I just buy a use 2.0 Fiat motor to rebuild?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Thanks, James

[TX82FIAT]

James, I'm not sure of the answers to your questions but I'd like to see how the engine is currently installed from the top and bottom with pics if at all possible.

[jlrice54]

James, I'm not sure of the answers to your questions but I'd like to see how the engine is currently installed from the top and bottom with pics if at all possible.

I'll get pics in the next week or so. My PT Cruiser is currently on the lift getting a timing belt change and a complete suspension rebuild. After new control arms, ball joints, tie rod ends, wheel bearings, KYB struts, strut mounts and shocks, spring seats Watts links and all new bushings, it should be handling as good as new. Then it goes back to it's primary role of part runner vehicle. When I get it back on the ground I can put the Spider on the rack at take detailed pics.

James

[131]

In the Lancia the engine was FWD and slanted back towards the firewall. So in a RWD setup you'd need a different sump and oil pickup, the camboxes had different level drain holes for the oil return. Take the cam covers off and you'll soon see if you've got the right ones.

[BEEK]

a 124 oil pump and pan had to be installed for it to fit. the fwd pan will not work with the cross member. the cam housings for a lancia have lancia cast into them and a casting number. but they are easily detected by the oil return height inside the boxes, a simple removal of the covers will tell you what you are looking for.

[131lover]

Check out GC page, general tuning hints.
Alf

[Daniel]

Hi James

The Lancia oil pan wouldn't fit if it was left on the engine so the oil pump and pan must of been changed, on the oil
returns just as everyone said before yes they differ from the fiat cam towers 1 is much higher up inside the tower
the other is lower. Changing to a fiat head isn't needed but if the towers are still lancia that's an interesting scenario.
If you can take the cam covers off shortly after running the engine even just for 30 secs and take some photos of the
towers oil levels in them, post the pictures here that would be helpful. What I'd like to see is the oil levels and also
the locations of the flow back holes. If you have enough oil in the towers you should be fine. On one side your just
going to have more oil then normal it's the other side that concerns me.