75 Performance.

[Duk]

A small update:

ARRRRGGGHHH!!!!!!! 

That's all for the moment.

[ARQ164 Shane]

hang in there

[Duk]

hang in there

Cheers Alphie, but my axe IS starting to look like an option!

F#$king German crank angle sensors matched to an Italian engine with FA external timing marks...........................    

Getting my MR2 to run with its Adaptonic was a walk in the park compared to this frustrating POS!
The Toyota also used a proper reset trigger sensor built into its CAS and it was/is 2 years older than the Alfa! 4 years older if you go back to original year of production of the supercharged Toyota engine (the NA engines used a different CAS for some reason) vs the first Motronic run V6 ('86 vs '90)!

It's bad when everything lines up (triple/quadruple checked cam timing), the engine's cranking timing (with a timing light) lines up with the computer's cranking timing number but the only excitement I get is after I sprayed some Nulon 'Start Ya Bastard!' past the throttle body and it launched the plenum chamber off of the inlet runners!  

The next thing I buy could well be a BFH (Big F#&king Hammer)!!!!  

[Duk]

A slightly more relaxed update  .

The engine still doesn't run.................. But it did for a very brief period and not really when I wanted it to.

I still can't say for sure, but I am 99% sure that I have the crank angle sensor settings correct.
After changing the CAS settings and checking with the timing light, I was convinced I was spot on!
It didn't run.
So I changed the CAS settings again and got a bit to dramatic with the numbers..........
After blowing the plenum chamber off (again), but this time with out the help of Start Ya Bastard!', I made another change on the other side of the first settings  .
Here's the thing, after the last attempt at trying to get the plenum chamber into orbit, I never cranked the engine again. After the last (current) change of the CAS settings, I disabled the fuel pump and removed the fuses for the fuel injectors so they wouldn't open.
This is what I had always done when cranking the engine to test CAS settings with the timing light (in the off chance it actually ran  ). And that's what I was doing, when it roared (no exhaust just manifolds) into life at a high idle speed because I hadn't plugged a port in the plenum chamber, and then stopped.
I thought I was on a winner! 
So I put the injector fuses back in and ran the fuel pump................
Nothing!
Nothing, other than endless cranking 

[ARQ164 Shane]

cool heads are better to think with mate .
If your are getting pissed with it again go and have a beer or a cupper.

[shiny_car]

In case you haven't seen, Duk, and you need some parts, Greg Gordon might have some discounted stuff you need:
http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/milano-75-1987-1989/197099-supercharger-kit-low-closeout-pricing.html

[Duk]

Well, next to nothing has happened with this thing lately, mainly out of annoyance with it.
I took the engine out again and removed the passenger side head. I then made the mistake of buying a cheap Ebay valve spring compressor that could reach down the inlet valves bucket bores. It was a POS that never worked !!!

But today I actually managed to get 1 of the inlet valves out!

All I can say, with what I have seen with the quality of the manufacture of these cylinder heads, is that they are CR@P!!!
Seriously, if Alfa Romeo had done the right thing and actually given a rat's arse about the production quality of the inlet ports (and probably the exhaust ports, too), and used an air flow meter that wasn't undersized for the 2.5 litre engine, let alone the 3 litre, they could have easily topped 200HP with these things with the cams that they used!
EASILY!!!

You could argue that they are a Petrol Heads dream 'cause they have so much potential in them. But after a few Japanese engines that had less 'back yard' potential but better standard performance (per litre) because they were MUCH better in manufacturing quality, it's a very poor show from Alfa Romeo.
There is no doubt that with the right attention to detail, these things can work very well. But they could have worked much better straight out of the box if Alfa had cared a bit more.

[scott.venables]

So how's it going Duk?

Where did you get the flanges for your extractors?

[Duk]

So how's it going Duk?

Snail's pace..............  

Actually, I ordered some Neway valve seat cutters so I can fix the valve seats Similar to the way Richard Jemmison does them.

Where did you get the flanges for your extractors?

I made them.

[Duk]

Finally got my Neway valve seat cutters today, some nicely made stuff, but I should have 70* cutters to open the valve seat throats more, instead of the 60* ones I got.
Haven't actually done anything about getting the exhaust valves out, though  .

[scott.venables]

Sounds good, so you got 30, 45 and 60?  Where did you order from?

Scott

[Duk]

Sounds good, so you got 30, 45 and 60?  Where did you order from?

Scott

http://www.cylinderheadsupply.com/neway-valve-seat-cutters.html freight was pretty expensive (over $100), though.

[Duk]

Not much has been happening with the Alfa lately.
I coated my RX7 wheels in matte black Plastidip, which is a rubbery plasticy coating that I think is very good for wheels and othyer external stuff like bump moldings and window frames.
Last weekend I grabbed some of the lightweight bumpers from Four90s (Cheers Steve, great to meet ya and yarn about Alfa's for a couple of hours!  ). These were from a 2.5 litre but are the same (as far as both me and Steve can tell) as the TS bumpers. Obviously they'll have to be repainted to suit the car.

[shiny_car]

Is Plastidip a DIY spray can or what? How will it hold up against stones (chips)?

2.5 L bumpers are the same, except the TS ones have the small add-on 'cornices' to meet with the wheel arch flares.

[Duk]

Is Plastidip a DIY spray can or what? How will it hold up against stones (chips)?

2.5 L bumpers are the same, except the TS ones have the small add-on 'cornices' to meet with the wheel arch flares.

The Plastidip can be bought in spray cans, un-thinned and thinned tins. It can be applied by dipping, brushed or sprayed with a typical spray gun.
How it holds up against stones I can't say yet. It remains flexible so I think it should do well.
An added convenience is that it can be removed by pealing it off as it's almost like a layer of shrink wrap. That makes it easy to spray things like badges without removing the badge from the car. You simply mask of the general area, spray, let dry/cure and then peal away the plastidip from the body, and so long as there is a nice defined edge or gap the coating on the badge will be left behind.

Check out Youtube for videos on the stuff, that's how I got keen on using it.