ALFAGTV6.COM

[Jim K]

Yeah.... I found a Motronic starter on German ebay: http://www.ebay.de/itm/ANLASSER-ALFA-RO ... 33964d0b96
As far as I know, the anti-friction coating is silk-screened on the skirts. You can apply your own Molykote by spraying and drying in the oven. The CPS pistons have it screened on.
I prefer not using anything but oil on new bearings, prime engine full of oil and that's it.
Jim K.

[Saabretooth]

This looks like a very lean mean 3.2 Machine......


Too bad we can't fly you to Malaysia or Singapore to set up cars for us

Maybe it could be a plan for you next winter?

[Jim K]

My $$$ days are over, especially in our country with its financial problems. I haven't even been to the 'Ring in 3 years after 12 years in a row!!!!
You want an engine? Send me all the parts and I'll build one for you here! Or better, HO-HO-HO!
Season's greetings to all!
Jim K.

[Saabretooth]

Let me speak to my buddy and see if we come up with a plan do to that.
Will definitely need to ask you for the list of parts we need to gather before sending it up to you.


I've attached a picture of a 147 GTA in Japan, taking part in the Alfa Romeo Meet there.

This is a 3.8 set up with a Dual Plenum and don't know what else is in there.


Do you think you'll be going to this extreme?

[Jim K]

I believe in staying within factory engine size. If that's not enough, its time for a Nissan 350/370, Maser or GTR. Funny thing about most people wanting big powerful engines is they never ask whether they are capable of really driving their cars... A 3.2 with reasonable mods (like what I'm doing) and 100% streetable can make ~300-350hp, which can be very fast in a 1100kg (2200lbs) chassis with proper gearing.
In my opinion, the only excuse for going to 98mm bore (3528cc) is the overly large ports of the 24v heads. At one time, Arricambi was offering 98mm piston/liner sets (by Venolia) but apparently, these sets have been totally nonexistent for a long time now.
Jim K.

[kevin]

Jim you will easily sort out the 350/370 and the Mazer but sadly not the GTR . That pic above of 147 has individual throttles and that's just the airboxes . Anyway that's not about this thread .
Which diff ratio is going to be in the back of this car ? And which brand of cambelt you going to use ?
To many questions now that you have consumed the whole Christmas pudding and nodding off into Alfa dream land

[Jim K]

Kevin, I'm not talking about beating those cars but buying them ($$$) instead of trying to get lots more power from an Alfa.
My 24v has a TS box (10/41 diff) with 3rd/4th gears from the Alfetta box. Almost a proper close-ratio box! My mechanic wants me to get a 10/43 box from the 75 1.8, modify it to LSD and then also put in Alfetta 3rd/4th. 5th is a bit more difficult to do as the splines are in the wrong place unfortunately. Since our main track is ~600km from Athens, I'd rather leave 5th as is for the trip and suffer in the track due to the large 'hole'.
Why the issue with cam belts? I use either Gates or the one supplied by Alfa parts stores, never gave it much thought.
On the management side, I got a Lancia Kappa (3liter 24v) ecu, which is same generation as the 164Q4 (Motronic M3.7.1) but is 2wd and therefore not having the weird 4wd fuel cutoff parameters. Unfortunately, I'll have to pay some genius here to disable the immobilizer. After dyno mapping, this will be the alternative system to the Emerald K6. It will be an interesting comparison as I always preferred factory jobs properly remapped. There will be back-to-back dyno curves when all is done.
Jim K.

[kevin]

Jim there's no fun in owning a Datsun where everything works properly .
Mapping with aftermarket ecu for the 24v motor is no problem when the guys have got lots of history files and base maps to get going on the new motor . But I get worried when you have to start fresh ( with no history on the Alfa 24v) as you don't want all the over feuling on new liners which the rings have not even bed in yet .
Some times we just did an idle map on new motor let it go through one heat cycle then retorque following day before going onto the dyno ( rolling road) . And straight after that it was a oil change again and head straight to the track .
Now I can see why you prefer the factory set up if you can get in to it .
The 10/43 pinion is really small and teeth don't look nearly as strong as the 10/41 . Your current box sounds ideal for your new motor .

[Jim K]

My preference for factory ecu's mainly has to do with everything but the main fuel/spark maps. Its next to impossible for any privateer with a dyno to generate proper cold start/battery voltage/altitude maps... Anyone with a good dyno and mapping software can calibrate factory fuel/spark tables. What I do is to break-in the engine with the std factory ecu which is not far off the final values after all. My 24v ran perfectly on the std 164Q4 ecu albeit with a low idle ~750rpm. It was no problem driving the first ~600km with it and then properly map it. Mapping takes ~2hrs and the poor engine heaves and bucks until the end... I thought I would have to take a cab home!! In the end, 272hp wasn't too bad from the 3liter with Renault Williams production cam profiles. I aim to use this ecu for the 3.2 break-in and (after saving the current chip) remap to suit the new requirements, after which the Emerald will also be mapped consecutively.
As for head retorquing... I do this every 2 days before the engine is ready to go in the car. Believe me, the nuts advance a bit every time! After 5-6 times it is ready and this is with std Reinz/Goetze head gaskets.
I haven't checked the 10/43 diff, but there's no chance I'll go this way as there's too much work involved in properly converting to LSD.
Jim K.

[75evo]

Why do you and Santa like Hos so much?

Speaking of gears I drove my car with the new box:
2.87 / 1.72 / 1.25 / 1.04 / .95

Feels like a race car from 2nd to 3rd, RPM barely drops. Not suitable for highway, as I reckon I'd be driving at 4000 rpm at 70+ mph.

Hope the boys at Autolusso shipped my bearings over, I'm anxious to get my 3.2 up and running.

BTW, for the torquing of the 24v do you still need measure in torque and angle? I'm itching to get one of those digital torque/angle readout adapter

BTW I read in another forum that 20nm + 40nm + 90deg + 90deg + 90deg is almost like 140nm! Don't know how true, perhaps I should just do it like the 12v and re-torque after a few days of use?

[Jim K]

I have nothing to do with angles, I torque the 24v to 110Nm according to what I just outlined.
The TS+Alfetta box comes out to: 2.87/1.72/1.37/1.04/0.78 Where did you get your 5th gear from? Is the whole set special? Bacci wants ~2800€ for a complete gear set!
Jim K.

[75evo]

Whoops sorry boss, 0.84 5th, not 0.95. But 0.95 is possible but would cost more due to more work needed. I dunno where the 0.95 would be sourced from.

[Jim K]

That's more like it, you have the Alfetta 5th gear also. Yes it can be installed with some work, but as you say, highway driving sucks!
Here is a table of the DIY TS+Alfetta box with the Alfetta 5th also, with Toyo 225/45-15 tires:

Jim K.

[Jim K]

Slowly crawling along here, got done with the cam gears today. Ok, they're 950gr vs 780 of the std ones but I don't mind -12v cam gears are way heavier at 1350gr! Tomorrow I'll go install the valve guides with my nice new special tool (lower pic). The short punch is the removal tool. Guides have been shortened by 3mm and they are all in bronze alloy, std diameter.
Jim K.

[75evo]

Hey Jim,

I want a set. Can we do an core-exchange? How much for it?

BTW, why did you shorten the guides? Is it for extra cam lift?