Fettling
It takes time to get it right. But when you do, it is very rewarding. Silk.
Remember the line:
“when she was good, she was very good, and when she was bad….”
The B20 is now out on the road from months of slumber. The gearbox was rebuilt by Buck Williams in Pittsburgh, son of Bob WIlliams (Aurelia restorer). Apart from nashing his teeth on Harleys, Buck also knows Aurelia gearboxes. Seems like there were a few old bearings, and some tolerances that weren’t as good as they could be. A bit more fine tuning, and its now as an Aurelia box should be – crisp, tight, and right on the mark.
The car has been out and about. After finding the right switch arrangement so the electric fuel pump actually supplies fuel to the carbs (in case of vapor lock), things are looking up. Retorquing the head from last year’s engine rebuild, tightening up the valves, and all is well. The new spin-on oil filter and bigger pump gives high pressure but the oil stays very clean. The 2 liter engine runs cool, never really over 165º, even in traffic. All in all, a really nice combination.
Went to a small auto lineup show (coffee gathering) in the northern suburbs on Sunday, where three (!) Lancias came together – a Fulvia Coupe of Sam Dannenberger, and Mark Schaeffer’s Integrale. All in the Chicago area, very nice cars. Hard to believe. Picture will be added.
The B20 is beginning to settle into a happy mode. Some clutch balancing eliminated driveline vibration – heck, at highway speeds you can’t even tell there’s a driveshaft. Cruises nicely at about 65, and then settles again very nicely at about 4300 rpm, around 80+. The engine just gets on its hind legs and starts to spin freely up high. It will be fun to share this with other Aurelia owners, and the differences between the 2 and 2.5 liter motors. Its pretty interesting that the performance from the 2 liter is so interesting with the stock cam. Says something about factory development.
The car and I are off to northern Michigan for a vacation. Will see how it goes.
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