12/1983 Alfasud ti QV Barn find (kinda)

[Frank Musco]

Not sure off the top of my head, but they might be due to the different suspension geometry from 1700 8v to 16V.

Uncle Colcol, do you have a definite answer? I have seen 4 different types from 1500 to 16V!

[Sportscar Nut]

I think from memory, in-board calipers can be fitted to most 1.7 gearboxes as holes are in the castings for the studs to hold the calipers on but tapping them would be a challenge!

Good thing about the 1.7 gearboxes other than better gearing than the 1.5TiQV is the star gears are larger/ stronger than the Sud's. Your other option Mike is to just fit a 1.5 Ti gearbox if you really want to rev!

Frank's description of rabbit holes is very apt!

Paul

[colcol]

About 20 years ago 3 of us tried to convert a 1980 Sprint to outboard brakes, the pickup points are different from Alfasud-Sprint-33, the control arms are different, i cannot remember what we used, but we had to put 33 hubs on for the driveshafts and brakes and the wheel ended up too far to the front of the car.
It can be converted, but you have to use the correct bits, we ended up putting the standard parts back on the Sprint and putting up with those inboard brakes.
If i remember rightly the 1500 Sud and 33 inboard constant velocity joints are the same, but the outboards are different, about the same size, but the Sud has a bolt and the 33 has a large nut to hold on their particular driveshafts.
The crown wheel in the 1700 has 12 bolts and the 1500 has 10, so the 1700 crownwheel and pinion is a bit more beefier,and the later 1700 has stronger and bigger spiders in the gearbox.
If you ever decide to put a larger crown wheel and pinion in your car, use a 1700 gearbox with the crownwheel allready there and set up, if you swap crown wheels and pinions from different gearboxes, you will have to set the heights and the toe and backlash, with various shims and dummy shafts, the crownwheel is matched to the pinion, there is an identifying number on both of them.
The gears between the various gearboxes are interchangeable on the splined gears, but the gears are fixed on the gears that are part of the shaft, Colin.

[Mike]

Nice.  This is sounding rather good.

[Mike]

Gents,

Just workign through the final road worthy items.  I noted that the passenger side shock absorber is tired.  Anyone got suggestions as to where I can get a new one from?  I asked Turin and he said it was getting rather difficult to find them, as they stopped manufacturing them.

I don't mind going after market if that were and option, but I would be happy enough with stock also.

Not sure if I mentioned here, but the handbrake cable appeared to be stretched as no amount of djustment would make it hold.  soon found out that this is a prick of a job with inboard callipers.  So while I was at it I got reconditioned inboard callipers at the same time as I don't want to much arround.

Also, does anyone have a spare driver side mirror?  I bumped mine and it cracked at the base. 
Cheers
Mike

[colcol]

Most of the Twin Carb Suds had their shock absorbers replaced by Koni's as the original Spica's used to leak from day 1 and would be stuffed in 3 weeks......if you think i am joking, i am not, the Spica shock absorbers were so bad, a Alfa Romeo dealer at the time, showed me his spare parts store full of Alfasud Spica brand shock absorbers sitting on a shelf leaking oil all over the floor.
They were replaced by Koni's that were inserted into the shell of the front strut, other brands were also used, as Koni couldn't keep up demand.
Try Italian Automotive Spares in Brunswick, and see what they can come up with.
If you have Koni's, then they can usually be rebuilt and some shock absorbers can be rebuilt also, but its expensive.
The inboard calipers are trouble, as i found out, there should be a 0,1mm gap between the brake pad and disc, but because the adjusters don't work properly there is always a too bigger gap, and no amount of handbrake adjustment can fix it, some Sud owners never have this problem, but others do.
We ended up fitting a hydraulic handbrake to the back wheels and it worked good and didn't leak for 26 years, the most unreliable part of a Sud was the hardest to work on.

[Mike]

Thanks for the lead, I'll call them tomorrow.  In the mean time I found a whole strut with good shock at Milano spares so that will get me out of trouble.  As for adjustment on handbrake on inboard, they use the same calliper as rear alfetta callipers as I understand it.  I've not had issues with Alfetta handbrake cables in the past, so I have my fingers crossed for this time round...

Rear handbrake is tempting, did you convert to rear disks?

[colcol]

The twin carb Sud has rear discs, we put a remote master cylinder up the back, operated by new handbrake cable, some Suds, Alfetta's, Guilietta's, 90's and 75's have handbrakes, some don't, Colin.

[Mike]

Sorry, I'm getting my suds confused now!  Disks at rear! 
I'm hoping the cable turns up tomorrow.  If it does I can get the car out to the mechanics and at least cross one more job off the list...this time without getting my hands dirty!

[colcol]

Best of luck with the new cable, terrible job to fit, if the brake pad to disc clearance is more than 0,1mm, then you will have a long handbrake cable.
If the clearance is more than 0,1mm, then you have a problem with the self adjusters in the caliper and a new handbrake cable won't solve it, Colin.

[Sportscar Nut]

Mike

Check the top of the front struts and if has an allen key fitting, should be Koni's. As Col mentioned, rare for the struts to be original. Koni Sport are the way to go IMO.

There is also a mod to the front caliper inner pistons that cures the handbrake problem as Beninca's did this to my car 20 plus years back and handbrake has been fine since.

Cheers
Paul

[Mike]

Hi Paul,

I will do that, thanks.

Mod for the calliper.  Hmm, wonder if it has something to do with the lever length?  Bit hard to get Beninca to mod it for me since the callipers are here in Perth, I'll give them a call and see if they feel like divulging anything.

I spotted your car collection at the bottom of your post... I recall a sud I would give my left n*t for a few years back...silver with a 1.8L in it from memory.  Think the guy was selling an Alfetta at the time, then I recalled a Lotus in the shed...I think you must be that guy!  Ever since I saw your sud I thought, I will have one one day.   

Cheers
Mike

[Sportscar Nut]

Ha ha Mike, you have a good memory as had the Alfetta briefly but onsold the car. Not sure if Beninca's will divulge their IP but speak to Peter. You could always just send them the inner pistons??

Sud has had the 1.7 boxer carb engine fitted for over 20 years and noted your comment about a fitting a 1.7 - recommend (but would store the original engine). Sud's are so much fun to drive!

Paul

[Mike]

Hi Paul,

I never forgot your garage, I was very impressed.  I went to look at an Alfetta, but think I tried to buy your sud!!  I have a terrible memory for peoples names..actually names of lots of things....but I never forget a car.

It's a good idea on the pistons.  Annoyingly i have just bought the callipers from Vic, shipped to Perth...now to ship back!!  They will be well travelled callipers.

Actually I am starting to get frustrated, I have waited three weeks for a handbrake cable to get from Vic to Perth...express post....not a happy camper.  Makes you want to take your business to the UK...2 days its on your door....grrr

[colcol]

Ask the question, why are you putting a new handbrake cable on it?, has the old one stretched too much, that you can't take up the slack with that sqaure adjuster on the handbrake cable.
We tried upping the mechanical advantage by repositioning the handbrake cable, so it pulled the cable more, but it was those crappy calipers that wouldn't adjust properly.
You would start off with a handbrake and nice firm brake pedal and a 0,1mm gap on the brake pads to rotor and then after about a week, the pedal would be on the floor and no handbrake and the brake pad gap would be out to 0,25mm, because those crappy GERMAN ATE adjusters weren't doing their job, Colin.