Advice for putting 2L beta engine into a 124 spider

[Sambo]

Hello all - and my apologies for treading on well-worn turf already with my questions but I can't seem to find the answers on the quick searches I've done.

My situation - I have a 1600 124 spider that I am putting my spare 2L beta engine into since the block and heads have been redone and are in great shape. A couple of quick questions to address the issues that have come up so far....

1) sump, oil pump and oil pickup. I am planning to put in a 131 sump and (sadly) buy a new oil pump and pickup to go with it (sadly since the beta oil pump was renewed...) My backup plan was to buy the Fiat sump and cut/weld the 1600 pickup onto the beta oil pump. If I have to revert to this backup plan is it hard to cut and weld? Does the angle and depth of the pickup need to be left exactly the same? Is all of this better than cutting a chunk out of the beta sump to accommodate the crossmember?
2) camboxes from the beta engine. To my inexperienced eyes the oil drain holes look identical for both inlet and exhaust boxes but I assume they must be different given the angling of the beta block. Is there any way of modifying the drain holes or do I need to go straight to Fiat camboxes?
3) have I missed anything else that will trip me up down the track?


Thanks for any and all help.

Sam

[Guy Croft]

I've advised on this more times than anyone on earth, the best advice I'd give in the time I have at present is ditch the Lancia and get a Fiat unit, but before you do be aware conerting a 1600 to a 2liter there are likely to be bonnet clearance issues.

GC