12/1983 Alfasud ti QV Barn find (kinda)

[colcol]

The airflow meter is a device you put in the carby and it measures how much flow is going through the carbys, you measure them at idle and balance them, then you balance them at 3000 RPM, the airflow meters are for sale on ebay, the one i purchased in 1984 cost me $50, it was made in Germany, the same one made in China on ebay is $50, Colin.

[DAMO1A]

.... was then offered a free one..yet to turn up...time to stop being a t.a.!

Mike

Sorry to hear that the manual has not arrived.  I'm a bit miffed, I posted it by parcel post on 8 Apr 14 from Sydney (Blakehurst LPO, 2221).  The LPO said it would take 4-5 days.  It was not sent with tracking but the receipt says "Article ID 61209514088097".  Perhaps it is worth asking at the PO at your end if they can find that article id?

Damo

[colcol]

My car originally had a Magnetti Marrelli 2 pickup distributor, it now has a Magnetti Marrelli 1 pickup distributor with a vacumn advance.
The reason i changed to a vacumn advance type distributor off a single carb model is simplicity, it only has 1 pickup [to go wrong], 2 wires instead of 4 [to short out], vacumn advance that works on the availability of vacumn as opposed to the twin carb setup with its relays, spark boxes, idle sensors, temperature sensors, [which stuff up], 2 wires go from distributor to coil and thats it, the twin carb, wires to distributor to relay, to another relay to idle sensor to temperature sensor.
To time the car, i make sure its got good premium 98 fuel, take it for a drive and make sure there is some slight pinging under labouring, but if it pings on a hot day, then retard the distributor, to stop it pinging, Colin.

[Mike]

Damo...Sorry mate, I vaguely recalled someone saying they would send me a book, but I could not recall who it was!  I half thought |I had imagined it, such was the generosity.  I will take the number and hunt it down.  I have ordered one last night, so perhaps I can pass the favour onto the next sud enthusiast.  WA mail seems to be carried by snail shell..utterly hopeless.

So,Damo, just let me know if I can return the favour for you one day...check out a part/car over here for you, should the need arise.

[Mike]

By the way Damo, ust saw your Sud....drool!!  Wow!  Something for me to aspire to.

Col, that is interesting on the dizzy...sounds like I have a nightmare setup with lots to go wrong.  Anyone want to sell me a vaccum dzzy?!  I am not fond of the idea of multiple sensors and black box;s relied upon to get a spark...would explain a lot.

[colcol]

The 95 and 105 horse power motors ran dirtier than the single carb, so they ran the distributors retarded until they warmed up, if i remember rightly one pickup was for advance and the other pickup was for retard, with the vacumn advance, you suck on the vacumn tube to see if the advance / retard works on the distributor, Colin.

[Mike]

I have sorted the dizzy issue, turned out that two sensors had been wired back to front on the motor.  I simply swapped the wires, and walla...I was blessed with advance from just off idle.  I am sure rebuilding the dizzy did at least something!

Also just got done replacing cam belts, tensioners (pump looked good so left it alone after all the horro stories I have heard about removal), oil filter, fuel filter (air filter looks new no left it).  Replaced a couple of fuel lines, adjusted the carbies and cleaned the sut off the interior! 

It is now going rather nicely.  Still a rattle in the gr box area that subsides when foot is on clutch, will pull box and replace clutch as required.

Checked car over for rust, a little under the brake boost and the tin around the battery is shot, but otherwise, remarkably sound.  In fact, better than my GT.

All boots intact, bushes look for the most part ok.  I'd say this car has at some point had decent upkeep, every part I come across is genuine.

I now have one low beam headlight to get working and one indicator relay, but thats it.  Everythign else would appear to work by some miracle..even the orignal radio :-)

So I'm rather happy.  Hopoing to get a road worthy in the next week or two 

[Mike]

Interior front seats are kaput, but by some miracle I found a mint set of ti seats, front and rear for sale and snapped them up.  Now just hunting for red carpet..mine is stuffed.

[Mike]

Coming along...

[Mike]

Last couple.

Seats have been replaced, found a better front grill.  Stearing wheel swapped for something a little more sporting, but period.  NOS tail lights, and a non cracked dash, stick gator and a few other bits are on their way from UK.  Chipping away at it.  I also picked up a 1700 twin carb engine with 86000km's on it.  Tempting to install it!  Should I?  Or should I stay 1.5?

[colcol]

Hello Mike, i notice your Sud has airconditioning, most of them didn't work very well, due to poor airflow through small vents, the one i had, i put an old style 70's hang on evaporator that fitted under dash, increased the airflow a fair bit, much better than the original, they weren't fitted with airconditioning from the factory, they were done in Australia, with the evaporator in the left hand side dashboard shelf, originally fitted by Nambri Automotive in Melbourne, with the old refrigerant R-12, when i fixed it up 20 years later, i got a new compressor and pipes and converted to the new gas R-134a.
Fitting a 1700, how long is a piece of string?, the bigger motors uses more fuel, the one i had had warmed over cams and would struggle to get 300 klms out of a tank of petrol, but the torque was great, 5th gear at 50 no problem, and hills presented no problem, but it made you lazy, you would plonk it into top gear and away you would go, i would alternate between the 1500 33 and the 1700 Sud, both were very different, but good, most likely wouldn't chase down a 1700 motor.....but if you now have one, the only thing is the 1500 Sud engine pipe is very restrictive and you can't fit a 1700 engine pipe off a 33, due to the Sud inboard rotors the pipes won't fit, they do sell 1700 engine pipes for Suds, that are bigger in pipe diameter, if i could track one down get it and fit the bigger motor, Colin.

[Evan Bottcher]

I also picked up a 1700 twin carb engine with 86000km's on it.  Tempting to install it!  Should I?  Or should I stay 1.5?

I doubt you'd get much argument on here either way TBH - I can see the appeal of the bigger motor.  I'm probably going to (eventually) put a 1.5 twin carb in our 'new' 1.2 Sud - mostly because I've already got one and it means I won't have to rebuild the 1.2.  People mostly don't complain about extra horses and torques.

Go with what your heart says - it's not as controversial as doing a twinspark conversion on a 105 for example

[Mike]

Yes it has aircon, basically a necessity over in WA if you want to get any driving done in summer.  I am not sure if it has been converted or not.  I can't see a sticker on it suggesting it was converted and the aircon is weak at best when activated, so needs a regass at a minimum.  I'll have a closer look.

Yes, bigger cubes are seldom complained about I agree, but I guess I am asking if the 1700 has the same sparkle, that willingness to rev.  I'll drive ti for a while, see what I think.  Perhaps I will use your same logic...come engine rebuild time, maybe dropping in the next motor is a cheaper solution.

Where does one pick up the sud ti 1700 headers from?

Cheers
Mike

[colcol]

The 1500 revs harder than the 1700 because of less weight of the engine to get going, but it has to, as it doesn't have the torque of the 1700, i don't know where you would get bigger engine pipes for the Sud with a 1700 motor, perhaps the UK, where they race these, the 1700 has bigger engine pipes, as i have measured the pipes on the 1500 and 1700, but they all end up the same size as they go to the centre section.
Have a look at the compressor charging ports, if it has 2 and the valves look like shraeder valves as on a tyre, it has R12, the illegal gas, if not have a look along the lines, and if you have charging ports that look like air fittings off a compressor, then you have the newer and soon to be obsolete R134a, Colin.

[Sportscar Nut]

Col knows my preference - go the 1.7 twin carb engine as think they are the ultimate Alfa boxer engine! Have driven most Alfa boxer engines including injected/ 16v's and after another 200km's this morning, love the carbie 1.7engine.

Problem is finding pistons for rebuilds??? 1.5 pistons are easy to find and as Col points out, you will need exhaust headers fabricated to fit around the in-board brakes but the crackle on over run with 1 3/4 headers is a highlight!

Great to see the progress Mike!

Cheers
Paul