Overseas part supplier question.

[Zagato78]

As I have been researching rally parts for Fiats and Lancias, I have come across Avanti Motorsports. Any of our UK members familiar with them? The offer LSD and CR gearboxes for the Beta. The stuff is pricey especially with the conversion rate.

Are they a good company? Anyone seen their products?

Thank

DAn

[Pope1]

Have heard of them, believe they've been around a while, but have never bought anything from them. The exchange rate is a killer at the moment but look on the bright side. It was actually worse a few weeks ago.

[Wallace]

"Pricy" sums them up !

I have heard that there is a Quaife LSD that will go inside a monte/beta gearbox for about 500 UK notes - but don't know which one !

[Zagato78]

I'd love to know which one of those Quaife units will fit. Probably a VW or Alfa unit. Actually, Alfa Romeo 164 units should fit, they are the same tranny. I'll try to dig up some info.

[EVO92]

A friend of mine bought a cheap Non runner X19 with their Beta engine conversion and his comments were something along the lines that the workmanship was like a kart made by a kid in his garden shed.....I don't think he ever had the nerve to drive it as he didn't feel safe :(

I'm quite sure some people in the Delta Grale community have had problems in the past as i don't know anyone that uses their services :?

Earlier this yet i stopped in for a visit (Misses was down the road shopping so obviously needed some distraction :twisted: ). I just asked whether they had any tubular manifolds in (I just wanted to take a good look at one off a car) no luck, they could get me one in from Italy... We started chatting about Lancia's in general (Still selling well in holland etc etc) and he stated that he goes over to Italy every few months checking his suppliers for the latest deals on parts etc and keeping up to date on the new models coming out...i found this strange as they were suprised when i mentioned the new New Fiat Panda that they knew nothing about.. (The same new model my neighbour in Holland had been driving around for at least 2 months previous to this visit :o)

I think your best bet is to get yourself over to Italy and check out some suppliers. You could also try asking Keith and www.autointegrale.co.uk as i know he has done a lot of work on on some Beta Track Cars....

Regards,
Martin

[Wallace]

One of these days I'll go along to Quaife with a spare diff I have - I've never driven a car with a LSD - does it make that much of a difference ??

Final point about Avanti - I visited them years ago - just to see what they could do in the way of go faster bits - and they didn't even bother to come out and look at my car .. . there's also a line in Guy Crofts book about straight cut gears fitted to the Montecarlo Duckhams racer causing "endless problems". He doesn't do gears so hasn't got an axe to grind about selling his own either .. . !

[EVO92]

I've only driven 2 different types of cars with LSD's, integrales which i'm sure you will understand cannot be compared and Lancia Kappa V6 with Viscodrive, Its hard to imagine what it will be like in a Monte but it certainly helped the K get off the line! the wheels would only light up in the wet or if you really provoked it and then naturally its both front wheels......(My old Thema 8V turbo would just spin like crazy..).

Have you heard about the New Focus RS that apparantly torque steers quite badly which takes some getting used to? If it wasn't for the LSD it would just wheelspin all the time... Naturally you won't get torque steer in a rear engine car..

Then question you need to ask yourself wallace do you find it difficult transferring the power to the road.... on a relatively standard car it would be a waste of money, for those of us with monster power its a very usefull addition (You'd be rather pi**ed off spending lots on a powerfull engine just to find it wheelspins all the time...).

Regards,
Martin

[Wallace]

To be honest - no ! I was never to brutal with the clutch when pulling away - and the slight bit of turbo lag on my engine I think helped to keep the rubber stuck to the tarmac .. . and the monte does have the weight on the back which helps a lot.

New engine might be a different kettle of fish though - when it eventually runs that is . . . . :wink:

[EVO92]

I meant after you are already moving off the line ofcourse anything will spin the wheels pulling away if you are brutal enough (even an integrale with 4WD! ) My chipped 8v Thema Turbo would scrabble a little for grip in the first 2 gears in the dry in a straight line, if you were turning a corner at a relatively low speed in 2nd it would spin the inner wheel quite badly...My Kappa (215hp/little heavier but Visco) would only show similar characteristics in the wet.......

[Vx gunmetal]

I'd love to know which one of those Quaife units will fit. Probably a VW or Alfa unit. Actually, Alfa Romeo 164 units should fit, they are the same tranny. I'll try to dig up some info.

Alfa 164 did not have an LSD, Alfa must have thought it unnecessary. The Thema did on similar output, probably a cost and weight issue.

[Wallace]

If anyone can tell from a photo - there's one of a monte diff I've just loaded into my album.

[L666EVO]

I've recently fitted a plate type LSD into a Beta 'box for my Stratos replica. The diff is made for the Alfa 164, it uses the same bearings as the Beta and you can even fit the speedo drive!. The only thing you need to modify is the intermediate drive shaft - this needs to be lengthened as the spline pushes into the diff, plus you need a nearside diff to CV joint flange from a Thema/Croma or Alfa.

You can also get the Thema/Alfa gearset to fit in a Beta 'box, but there are a few mods to the casing and one of the selector forks.

If anyone is interested in any more details or a pic of the diff you can email me at chris@plcomms.freeserve.co.uk or ring on 0870 2346344 (daytime).

Cheers,
Chris

[Zagato78]

Chris, i've been doing some research. Well, more correctly i'm trying to do some research. The modification to the intermediate drive shaft, is this a spline issue, or a length issue?

Additionally, can you use an intermediate shaft from a Thema or 164? Or must the Beta item be mod'd?

Thank you.

Dan

[L666EVO]

Hi Dan,

It's a bit of both I'm afraid!!. The standard Beta item has a splined end that, as you are probably aware, slides into a splined carrier, which joins this shaft to the splined output of the standard Beta diff. The Thema/Alfa diff accepts the intermediate shaft directly, so the Beta item is too short.

Unfortunately, from memory, the Thema driveshaft is too long!. You could probably use it but would have to modify the carrier that attaches to the engine. I did the original conversion to standard open diff many years ago, but I still have the Thema 'shaft - I will double check it tonight.

Hope I haven't confused you with my explanation!

Chris