Fiat X1/9 - Lancia Delta Turbo engine swap.

[markp38]

Hi

I¢ž¢m in the process of transplanting a Lancia Delta turbo motor (1.6 HF ie) into my Fiat X1/9 (Guy I spoke to you on the phone early Dec 2006)

I have most of the work and mods planned out but would like to have the gearbox more custom than ‹Å“Heath Robinson¢ž¢, I want to find a box that has the gear selector shaft facing the right way for the X1/9.

Is it possible to use a gearbox from a Lancia Montecarlo and mate this to the Delta block? Or can anyone think of a way of adapting the standard gearbox or another car with the right facing gear selector?

Thanks
Mark

[Julian]

Going by what has been said by my American colleagues who run X1/9s in road racing (circuit racing to us) and autocross (solo one in the UK), the original gearbox does not hold up well to the sort of punishment the 1.6 turbo engine would dish out.

I've always relied on a modified gearbox as that is what my car came with when I bought it and it hasn't let me down other than a damaged synchro ring (note not a pair - just one of them).

The gearbox supplied with the 1.6 turbo has (from memory) ZF internals which seem to do a very nice job of handling the load (not everyone agrees so it may be a point of contention). Personally I would try to keep the internals and look at having a suitable selector arm fabricated to take the selector action from the opposite site of the gearbox and the housing modified to accommodate the same.

The alternative is find a different gearbox and you are basically looking at the Montecarlo/Scorpion box or the original X1/9 box (already discounted above). The question I can't answer is if it is possible to build a hybrid from the Delta box and a Montecarlo box.

[Guy Croft]

Mark, hi

well, you can definitely bolt the MC box straight to the Delta block you're using. All the TC engines have common bellhousing mounting points. If knowing that helps that's one problem sorted.

How you marry driveshafts MC to X19 - I have no idea; have to leave that to your ingenuity I'm afraid!

Gc

[markp38]

Thanks for that, what i think i will do is see if i can pick an old MC gearbox and strip it and then see if its possible to make a hybrid, at least i now know its possible to connect the housing to the delta block. worst case is a little bit out of pocket but a little wiser.

Julian nice to know that there is someone else in the NW who likes fiats and lancias, everyone in the X1/9 club for some reason are based in Scotland or down south.

[SteveNZ]

You would need to set the engne up for the massive rear tilt the MC has. Delta had a foward tilt.

MC and Delta boxes are quite different. I doubt a hybrid would be possible.

It maybe possible to make a hybrid out of the X19/130TC/Uno turbo/delta turbo carb gearboxes.

[markp38]

Hi
Which uno turbo box, I think the 1.3 uno turbo box is pretty much the same as the standard x1/9 box,

Mark

[sumplug]

The 1500 X1/9 used a 5M gearbox as used on the Delta, but with different internals. So you should be able to make a Hybrid box.
All twincam Stradas used this box amongst others.

Andy.

[SteveNZ]

Hi
Which uno turbo box, I think the 1.3 uno turbo box is pretty much the same as the standard x1/9 box,

Mark

Only the early 85-88 gearbox. Yes its pretty much the same. I cannot remember where the selector is. If its in the main case, you cau use a 130TC/delta turbo bell housing for the TC engine and fit an X19 centre case and selector with your choice of UnoT/130TC/delta gearset.

[markp38]

Thanks all for that i have a spare x19 gearbox so will strip it and the delta box down and see if its possible to build a hybrid.
Keep your fingers crossed.

Mark

[abarth]

Hi Mark if its any help I have fitted several of these engines in X1/9's and have always used a Delta Turbo Carb Gearbox, which is the same as a Strada 130tc unit. This has the stronger ZF gearbox internals that the later injected cars don't. All the boxes I have used I have remachined to reverse the selector shaft and selectors, so that it comes out forwards lining up with the standard X1/9 Lollypop. I have sadly finished with X1/9's for a while and am selling everything that I currently have. My abarth replica shell is currently on an internet auction site and I have just sold my Guy Croft 2.1 litre engine. I do still have a gearbox left which has been modified if your interested. I used it for sometime in a yellow x1/9 with a snorkel back in the eighties which was proberbly the first to have this conversion done within the x1/9 owners club. It was running one of Guys engines built for my uncle Rod Bennett of the Lancia Integrale fame in the back of Guy's Book. That was putting out 200+ bhp at high boost levels and the ZF box never let me down. If your interested send me a post. Giles

[markp38]

Hi Giles
Very interested in the gearbox, will PM you, thanks everyone for advice, spent the last week reading page upon page about delta gearbox and strip down, my wife thinks ive gone mad.
Mark

[Linear121]

Hi, I am just finishing this exact same project, I have used the delta G/box but used twin cables for the linkagewhich go around the engine, It works really well, so basically you can use any g/box without getting hung up on the casing for the selector, You will need to adapt the clutch arm to keep it hydralic though, if you send you emal address to linear121@aol.com I will send some photo's that you can use as idea's if you wish.
Tim.