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1985gtv6
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Early and late driveshafts compatible?

Post by 1985gtv6 »

I'm merging a 1987 Milano parts car with My 1985 GTV6. The GTV6 sat for 10+ years apparently due to bad liner o-rings and head gasket failure... and a PO with no cash or motivation. Anyway, found a junker Milano with a lot of good parts. Both engines are pulled and the GTV6 has the pinch-bolt collar style driveshaft with the small spigot bearing, the Milano has the no-collar style with a big bearing thing (round cylinder with internal spring/circlip) on the end of the driveshaft. The good Milano engine is going in the GTV6 and it happens that the Milano driveshaft is perfect while the guibos on the GTV6 are toast. Can I use the Milano driveshaft in the GTV6? This would be my easiest option since to use the Milano engine with the GTV6 driveshaft It seems I'd have to pull off the flywheel and fit a bearing in the end of the crank.

I moved the bigger sway bar from the Milano to the GTV6, any other parts I should consider moving before scrapping the Milano? I already pulled the transaxle and all of the FI stuff as spares. Looked at the clutch slave and brake booster, but wow are those a pain to get out.
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MD
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Re: Early and late driveshafts compatible?

Post by MD »

Good to see another project under way and saving yet one more GTV6. That is not to say I do not like the Milano because I naturally do. Shame you cannot save both.

Anyway getting onto your questions:-

1 Apart from the specific driveshaft connections, I would expect that the Milano driveshaft would be too long if the Alfetta sedan is a measure to go by. You would have a few choices here. More than likely you have to shorten the rear half of the shaft and then rebalance it.
2 Make a new shaft re-using the dedicated Alfa end connections including centre bearing fixings
3 Modify the GTV driveshaft to match your Milano connections and re-balance.

The final possibility maybe to use the front section Milano and marry that to the GTV6 rear and rebalance.

Regarding other parts.

The GTV6 has a 4.1 final drive whilst the Milano has a 3.5 something. If you install that boat anchor Milano box, you would have lost all the performance gain of the engine upgrade. By all means keep the box for the synchromesh parts down the track..
If you can instal the Milano radiator fan, that would be useful.
You should keep such things are window wiper motors,
Callipers
Adjustable steering rack if nothing else for the ignition key
The alternator
I am guessing the starter motor maybe interchangeable so keep it anyway
The Dedion/A frame and drive shafts/watts links assembly
The heater/air con. fan motor (they are interchangeable)
You will need a Dakota signal converter to make your GTV speedo work if you don't use the original gearbox.
Always good to keep the pedal box assy. for any future brake modifications or projects.
The fuse box is useful if you want to completely rewire the GTV.

That should keep you head scratching for a while.. :D
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Giuliettaevo2
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Re: Early and late driveshafts compatible?

Post by Giuliettaevo2 »

The engine has no bearing in the crank, that sits in the flywheel. :wink:

milano shaft is something like 4-5 inches longer, don't remember which half is longer/shorter.

Just drop the entire rear suspension and gearbox for spares! synchros and clutch are becoming harder to buy for instance. Everything you toss away now you'll probably need in the near future. :lol: Ask me how i know. :evil:
Drive it like you stole it...
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Re: Early and late driveshafts compatible?

Post by MD »

I am sure it's the rear portion that is longer to cater for the longer wheel base of the sedans. Well, I am going by the thinking in the Alfettas vs the coupes. And yes I recollect something in the order of 100mm longer for the sedans which is obviously what the Milano is. ( wow now that IS a revelation :oops: )
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Re: Early and late driveshafts compatible?

Post by Giuliettaevo2 »

Difference in wheelbase is 240 cm vs 251 cm, so 11cm difference. All sedan models have the 251 cm wheelbase, Milano/75 / Giulietta 116 and Alfetta sedan.

I'm thinking you're right about it being the rear part of the axle that's shorter. Since the torsionbars are the same length it makes more sense that the wheelbase was shortened between the torsionbar mounting points on the body and the dedion-mountingbeam.
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1985gtv6
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Re: Early and late driveshafts compatible?

Post by 1985gtv6 »

Great, thanks for all of the info. Pretty sure I would have noticed the 4" difference eventually, better now that I can plan for it. So, sounds like I need to move just the flywheel over to the new engine, or maybe just the bearing if that's possible. Then fit the good guibos from Milano driveshaft to the GTV6. Maybe have it balanced before instal?

I grabbed the Milano's transaxle only for parts. It has a crunch going from 3-2nd so I wouldn't use it as-is, and it sounds like the differential ratio isn't a good choice anyway. I agree, it'd be worth pulling the good synchros and sliders out of it at the very least. I'll grab the wiper motor. The calipers have already made their way onto the GTV6 and I pulled the ignition switch and wiper/turn signal controls. It has a power steering rack in it. I grabbed the pump but left the rack. Are you suggesting that I keep the steering column?... looks to be about the same as the GTV6 in terms of adjustability. I managed to pull the entire engine harness (still attached to motor) complete back to the ECU without cutting anything. It's in better shape than the GTV6 stuff so I thought I'd leave it on the engine and try to fit it. Also moving the Milano's De dion stuff over to the GTV6 since it looks to be in better shape. My GTV6 had a large radiator with two fans. Is it better to use the single Milano fan? It also has an A/C system with a condenser sitting in front of the radiator. Anyone want to vote on keeping or ditching the non-op A/C system?

My GTV6 had been sitting in a driveway for at least 10 years. When I drained the "oil" out of the pan, the first 5 quarts were antifreeze, the second 5 quarts was chocolate milkshake. I don't (yet) know where the crank sits with respect to the bottom of the pan, but it may have been sitting in coolant all that time. The Milano's engine had been rebuilt with not too many miles on it. Compression tested 160-170, has the new head gaskets and mechanical tensioner. It's still a 2.5 so no bump in performance.
1985gtv6
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Re: Early and late driveshafts compatible?

Post by 1985gtv6 »

Okay, figured out the drive shaft and input bearing thing. The bearing is the same between early and late. Evidently the bearing on the old shaft had pulled off during engine removal and fell in between the flywheel and crank. It's just a press fit on to the end of the shaft.

Both front guibos have hairline cracks around the bolt holes. So now I'm on the hunt for a new guibo. These things are getting hard to find...
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Re: Early and late driveshafts compatible?

Post by kevin »

Just check before you assemble that the rear guibo fits over the clutch yoke pin as there have some difference in diameters between some early GTV and late 75s . Its normally around 19mm but we have discovered two sizes which is totally strange . This results in the bush inside the rear guibo been forced back inside unknown to the installer but a lovely prop vibration will occur above 4000rpm .
The difference in size on clutch yoke pins are not from deformation in abuse from clutch removal from housing from incorrect removal procedures .
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