Lancia Flavia Coupe 2000 - hardened valve seats

[msh2908]

I'm thinking about getting the valves seats hardened in my Flavia 2000 coupe, so it can run on unleaded - is it a straight forward job to remove the heads and are gaskets sets available?  Any guidance greatly received.  Mark

[lancialulu]

Lancia had a habit of fitting hard valve seats so maybe a waste of time unless your are going to spend the next 30000 miles hammering up and down the Autobahn!

But yes as a push rod engine albeit tight you can do the heads in situ and you can get gaskets (Omicron?).

[Kevinlincs]

Alloy heads aren't they? So it will have hardened steel valve seats already I'd have thought..

[Derek Creasy]

Both replies correct , completely unnecessary

[bobhenry999]

Agreed,

With alloy heads the valve seats will have been hardened from new. Additionally, we only use our old Flavias for limited mileages at mostly gentle speeds, so I wouldn’t bother unless of course you have the engine apart to replace the head gaskets for example.

My current coupe has been running on unleaded since I imported it from Italy back in 2012 with no issues whatsoever.

Bob

[DavidLaver]

Mention of mostly gentle speeds made me remember the scene in Rush:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Kl0UBS4ZaM

[bobhenry999]

David,

I’ve never really driven any of my Flavia/2000s that quickly, except when I had my first 2000 coupe in my misspent youth 40 years ago, when I used to thrash it everywhere.

Nowadays the gentle speeds that I stick to reflect my old age and deference for my almost 60 year old coupe. Besides, I am just a mere mortal and not a legend like Nike Lauda.

It is a great clip from a smashing film though.

Bob

[GG]

I'm not sure anyone has ever driven a 2000 that quickly.

There was an afternoon in Australia where I was relieving a man with his 2000 coupe from having to drive more, and we decided to see if the front end could be broken away on the winding, hilly roads through the woods. Try as we might, the front end just stayed stuck to the road (with a bit of squealing....). We weren't at Lauda speeds, but not slow either...

[msh2908]

I'm thinking about getting the valves seats hardened in my Flavia 2000 coupe, so it can run on unleaded - is it a straight forward job to remove the heads and are gaskets sets available?  Any guidance greatly received.  Mark

Thank you every one for your guidance - the car is running fine so not changing these will not only give me piece of mind, it'll save me a bob or two!

Mark

[frankxhv773t]

May I respectfully suggest you may be grateful for "peace of mind" not a "piece" of someone's mind, the two things being rather opposite to each other.   

[Kevinlincs]

My mate Terry from the unit next to mine and his friend were extras in that film Rush for the scenes shot at Cadwell Park as part of a local classic car club as they wanted period cars in the background shots, whilst there they were asked if they wanted to be extras sat at trackside posing as fans waving programmes!
Spent about 3 or 4 days there filming all dressed up and in make up every morning by all accounts, not that he can even spot himself in the film 
I'd have liked to have been there though, the cars were pretty special he tells me and had a team of mechanics on hand to fettle them..and were driven by some quick drivers, a great time had by all