ALFAGTV6.COM

Hey everyone, I just got the feeling that I wasn't getting everything from my 3.0 when I press the pedal to the floor. So I checked out the throttle plate with the gas pedal all the way down - the throttle only comes two-thirds of the way down from the top (from the side this would look like 10:30 on a clock). Is the throttle plate supposed to come down parallel to the ground?

Thanks,
Bill in Maryland

Bill,

The throttle should be flat with the pedal on the floor.....this is something i check on every car that i get anymore. On the injected cars there should be a stop at full throttle if you open the throttle by hand. Adjust the throttle cable so that there is just a little play between the throttle with the pedal on the floor and the stop on the throttle body....you don't want to strech or break your cable.

HTH
Scott

Indeed, when I lowered the stop under the throttle pedal to the point where it would allow the throttle plate to open fully it made a huge difference. More free power. Gotta love it.

Thanks,
Bill in Maryland

Guys actually there is an alternate school of thought on this one.I have read far more knowlegable people than me suggest that more power is produced with the throttle plate at a slight angle away from horizontal.My GTV6 throttle currently opens completely and if I slightly back off the pedal the engine does push a little better.I intend to adjust my plate to 17% off horizontal which is what I read was optimum on this sight.Comments gurus ??

Maybe it has to do with the fact that by opening the throttle to full position, you decrease the turbulence and decrease the manifold vacuum and change the air density. This in turn changes your air/fuel mixture. Perhaps the best mixture is found with the plate slightly less than wide open (does the throttle angle sensor register "full throttle" in this position as well as the 'wide open' position??)

It seems counterintuitive that the most laminar flow through the throttle body does not produce the most power if appropriate a/f mixture is maintained.

Also, the design of the intake manifold is important as perhaps a little turbulence is best for our manifold. Alfa GTV6 form vs. function...

That's a new one on me. But then I come from carbs mostly....we even thin the throttle shaft and knife edge the throttle plate to get more flow