Flandy Posted December 10, 2023 Share Posted December 10, 2023 This is such a cool car! I came across a 33 1.7 cloverleaf permanent 4 in the scrapper umm, 20 years ago (bloody hell) and had the sweet Recaros out of it for my Golf at the time. Wasn't too badly damaged, and would probably fix ok if you could find all the parts. Bloody rare beast now! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted December 10, 2023 Author Share Posted December 10, 2023 How many left suggests 34. Should be 35 now mines here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Anthony Regents Park Posted December 11, 2023 Share Posted December 11, 2023 My Mum bought a 16v new in 1990, H994EFC. Now long dead but at the time is was OK. Never a fan myself tbh. The 1.5 with 105 bhp was the sweet spot. I'll never forget driving away from the dealership I worked at (SGT) with a new 145 1.6 demo car and checking that the handbrake wasn't on. 😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted December 11, 2023 Author Share Posted December 11, 2023 I believe mine is the 105 bhp engine - 1.5 twin dellortos 👍 My grandad and dad had various fiats (600s, 850s, 125 etc) so had previous with italian cars and when grandad treated himself to his first brand new car in 1978 a 'Sud was on his list but instead plumped for a red mk2 capri 2.0 Ghia - he had that zeibarted from new as he would have done the sud if he'd bought it but as he didn't we will never know if it would have lasted but i look at this with some sort of circularity there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted December 15, 2023 Author Share Posted December 15, 2023 Number plates have arrived - i feel some festive tinkering coming on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted December 17, 2023 Author Share Posted December 17, 2023 Cam belt and tensioners arrived today so plan is over xmas: Fit UK plates. Engine oil & filter Gearbox oil & additive Coolant change Fuel filter Brake fluid and brake check Check timing Top mounts and swivel plates plus good look over. Cambelt and tensioner Refit stripes Sort parcelshelf and fit rear seat belt trim. if dry and sunny drive it like an arse! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted December 25, 2023 Author Share Posted December 25, 2023 Plates on - little xmas day drive with the kid - made me smile. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Anthony Regents Park Posted December 28, 2023 Share Posted December 28, 2023 Cambelts are easy on these - electric fan out, both covers off (there is a 10mm underneath), cam covers off and line up the cam to cam box notches. I think my record was about 90 minutes start to finish. They are a very easy engine to work on. That one will have either shimmed buckets (removable 4 bolt cam covers) or hydraulic but I'm 99.9% sure it'll be non hydraulic. All 1.7's were hydraulic and 1.5's went that way on the later i.e engine from 1990. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Five oh Posted December 28, 2023 Share Posted December 28, 2023 (edited) Andy....Not so. In typical Italian style, very early 1.7 sprints and I'm sure 33's, did have the solid, shim adjustable tappets, with the solid cam lobes. This was really just a 105bhp 1.5 with the larger cylinder capacity. However the cylinder heads moved to a much more flat surface with a more heron'esque chamber in the pistons. After the sprint stopped production circa 1988, they indeed all went over to the hydraulic set up with the weird shaped cam boxes. The race boys back then always wanted solids to avoid the pump up issues that the hydraulic tappets suffered with at ultra high RPM. Many years ago, I'm sure around 1995, I went down to Southampton to acquire said 1.7 from an Alfa specialist, they weren't at all easy to get hold of back then.... i once saw someone selling a holed 1.7 block for almost £400 at an aroc meet around that time..... Ridiculous.... Anyways, I'll never forget..when we got there the engine was still in the car, an converted 1.5 GrC alfasud in silver i believe... He wanted about £300 iirc for the motor without the 40mm carbs and a duff water pump. He offered me the whole car for £5-600 and it wasn't in too bad condition, but perhaps foolishly I declined. The old boy that was there told us to pop down the road for a cup of tea... Come back in an hour or so he muttered, and for sure by time we got back it was sitting there on the floor waiting and as agreed less the desirable 40mm IDF weber carburettors. At that time I was running a very late W reg e12 528i.... That engine easily slotted into the boot with ease and we hot footed it back to London. Still got the engine somewhere, it did need a pair of head gaskets eventually tho.. Alfa romeo's flat four boxer... a compact, light and superbly packaged motor, that unlike other flat type engines was conventional in its build. No splitting crankcases with these..Big ends and pistons could be serviced easily as the block was designed with a standard wet sump and cast in one piece. Edited December 28, 2023 by Five oh 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Anthony Regents Park Posted December 31, 2023 Share Posted December 31, 2023 I'd have to disagree: I had a 1990 33 1.5Ti (G480JET) that had a worn cam lobe. This was rare but not unheard of on the shimmed bucket type cams. Four 10mm bolts, suck the oil out with a turkey baster and there it was, a flat spotted cam lobe. The old adjustable types never did that. I was sad to see that idea phased out. Cylinder head off, good used cam and away it went. The 1990 1.5ie certainly had hydraulic tappets. To see if my ageing mind is playing tricks I googled '1987 33 brochure' and it does show the 1.7 with the 'sealed' cam boxes. Maybe they fitted them at random but I never saw a 1.7 with shimmed buckets. It has been over 25 years though. The last Boxer Alfa I had was a 1200 Arna in 1997. A much better car than the experts say it was. I did the odd big end shell replacement job on customer cars - you could even reuse the rod bolts as they were not stretch ones. As long as the crank was ok you could do the job in a couple of hours. The 95 bhp Sud 1500Ti was the best one IMO. It was just right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted January 29 Author Share Posted January 29 Little update. Had some time and weather window over the weekend to do some fettling. engine oil and filter, cleaned header tank and upped the antifreeze. Needs a flush really and a weep fixing. Gearbox oil and brake fluid change too. Added some STP friction reducer I had on shelf and it’s improved the shift. discs are a bit lipped so got a pair on order and cam and tensioners ready to fit. want to change a few suspension bits but this silly car gives me a proper grin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted January 29 Author Share Posted January 29 Much cleaner than any 80s alfa should be!! Deserves some protection now too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted March 17 Author Share Posted March 17 So a bit of a first today - i changed the cam belt - had heads off M30's and OHV lumps but never actually changed a belt! Took my time and checked, checked and checked again and success. Tool the opportunity to change the water pump and flush out the cooling system too. Had a weeping 'T' connector in the heater circuit so found a replacement for that. Wanted to change the thermostat too as i think mine has failed but seems i got the wrong part and mine is a sealed unit and made from unobtainium - not sure what to do about that - maybe i can use something else but pretty sure its stuck open... Not pleasant No guessing why it leaked Dinky cam covers - might get some autosol on them Point of now return! All good, starts and runs! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ordnator 2 Posted March 18 Share Posted March 18 2 hours ago, duncan-uk said: So a bit of a first today - i changed the cam belt - had heads off M30's and OHV lumps but never actually changed a belt! Took my time and checked, checked and checked again and success. Tool the opportunity to change the water pump and flush out the cooling system too. Had a weeping 'T' connector in the heater circuit so found a replacement for that. Wanted to change the thermostat too as i think mine has failed but seems i got the wrong part and mine is a sealed unit and made from unobtainium - not sure what to do about that - maybe i can use something else but pretty sure its stuck open... Not pleasant No guessing why it leaked Dinky cam covers - might get some autosol on them Point of now return! All good, starts and runs! Good work Duncan. Just changed the cam belt on the Diamantschwartz eta this afternoon as well. Best regards, Mick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted March 18 Author Share Posted March 18 7 hours ago, Ordnator 2 said: Good work Duncan. Just changed the cam belt on the Diamantschwartz eta this afternoon as well. Best regards, Mick Are they straight forward Mick? Tensioners where the tricky bit for me here. Getting the springs back in place. Taking grille off gave decent access though. Belts, tensioners and pump seemed ok but not knowing when they were changed worried me. Car was sat about 7 years before I bought it. Said to have been serviced but worried about age on belts rather than miles. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted March 18 Author Share Posted March 18 Now so it maybe in my head but i think one cam was a tooth out but obviously i reassembled to the timing marks, had a little fiddle with the choke (another story) and richened the carbs a quarter turn to help the idle. Got to say it pulls harder and the fluttering rev counter needle has gone. Once i have the thermostat changed as i think its staying open as takes a while to warm up and cools on a longer run (another story again) i'm having the choke/ carbs/ timing set up. Can believe that it might have had 95/105hp, un like BMW data isnt so available so not sure what i should have! Really makes me smile - great little car! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ordnator 2 Posted March 18 Share Posted March 18 22 hours ago, duncan-uk said: Tool the opportunity to change the water pump and flush out the cooling system too. Not pleasant All good, starts and runs! Hi Duncan, That brown soup does not look good. Looks to be the product of a collection of dissimilar metals marinated with water over a few years. Assuming you need a BMW style coolant with anti-corrosion properties. Best regards, Mick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ordnator 2 Posted March 18 Share Posted March 18 12 hours ago, duncan-uk said: Are they straight forward Mick? Tensioners where the tricky bit for me here. Getting the springs back in place. Taking grille off gave decent access though. Belts, tensioners and pump seemed ok but not knowing when they were changed worried me. Car was sat about 7 years before I bought it. Said to have been serviced but worried about age on belts rather than miles. The issue with the M20 engine is that it is an interference engine, when the timing belt breaks the valves and pistons will collide Hence I will not skimp on a belt for an M20. The fitted belt only had 3k on it but was fitted back in 2019, so now time expired (4 years fitted). Water pump and tensioner were also changed in 2019 but still have plenty of life remaining so did not change those this time. A bit fiddly with fan, clutch, pulleys, timing covers, distributer, HT leads, belts and hoses off to gain access. Satisfying when complete and the engines fires up. Best regards, Mick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted March 18 Author Share Posted March 18 All clean now, ran coolant flush through it, drained and refilled a few times, flushed rad too, header tank cleaned out - new water pump fitted and thermostat on way at eye watering expense. Lots of new antifreeze now in place so all good. Suspect as a warm climate car its just had water in it. Will be mechanically A1 to go with the mint shell when i'm done. Spending more that its worth but enjoying the tinkering. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted April 4 Author Share Posted April 4 Little update - half way through a front end rebush - seems Alfa are not as logical as BMW - despite ordering what i believe correct parts the top mounts seem to be for a later model and the ball joints though identical in all respects have more thread above the taper so they clash with the CV - wondering if as a late car there is a cross over in parts. A new set of genuine alfa pads and new discs have been fitted which along with new fluid should make things tip top - existing discs past their best but pads were more or less as new but replaced anyway. Fitting them a bit of a fiddle compared to what i'd too with BMWs being retained with a pair of wedges and i note that i need to drill out a broken bolt used to position the disc - annoying but not vital as the discs are clamped by the wheels. Finally a very curious thing one cannopt adjust the tracking without either removing the track rod end (TRE) from the upright or unbolting the other end from the rack - imagine a rod with an eye at one end (bolts to rack) and a TRE at other free to rotate. Once fitted you cant adjust without removing and one can only adjust the TRE one full turn at a time - quite odd! Still i set it up as before dimensionally and wheel is wonky (always was) so will adjust that on the spline and keep an eye on wear. Still enjoying working on smaller lighter components! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted June 1 Author Share Posted June 1 More work! Front end is now fully rebushed, new top mounts, swivel disks (a ball bearing in the strut under the spring) ball joints and track rod ends. I'd like to fit new dampers but cant justify the £500+ price really but should drive nicely. Next up is a fuel no return valve as takes a while to start when left a few weeks and then a tune up by a carb specialist. After that its titivation really and advertise for sale and use until sold! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duncan-uk Posted September 2 Author Share Posted September 2 Another MOT passed. Failed initially (my own fault) on emissions, lights and a clonk. Emissions was me replacing the choke cable and messing about. Bought a £42 CO meter off Amazon and got reading down. Possibly too lean now but running well. Clonk again was me changing bushes and seems I didn’t get spring sat quite right. Disassembled strut and reassembled not sure what was wrong but clonk gone so passed. Though tester showed me when jacked up the spring was still lifting off the bottom spring perch. It sits on a friction disc which rotates on strut there is no way to fix it so must rely on compression from spring. Spring is clamped to top mount and damper. So maybe new springs required or damper extends to far? But fine on the road when loaded up She was happy it was ok but I will review. Final point was I’d fitted LED bulbs as stock are woeful. Didn’t occur to me this would be an issue. All free fixes sort from buying the meter but that’s a handy tool so happy with that. As a treat I fitted a Bluetooth head unit that will act as my phone charger only a £9.99 cheapy but does the job and looks of need to fix the mounting cage better as existing housing has been cut. Also fitted the non return valve but thinking maybe too close to carb to hold a meaningful amount of fuel but let’s see Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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