Hello all.
Well I bit the bullit and bought an Alfa. After many years of motoring and many cars, I couldnt put it off any longer and finally succumbed to the attraction of owning an Alfa!! I picked this jem up a week ago for real cheap. It had been sitting round with very little use for the last 5 years. The motor and gearbox are good and I think with a few hours work in the evenings I'll have her looking and running well.
It will be a bit of a project for me as I love tinkering on cars. I spent the last couple of years modifying a Toyota MR2 which Im happy with now. So far the Alfa has been a breeze to work on compared to the mid engined MR2. Im about ready to change the timing belt and water pump.
So here is a few photos after I picked up the car and brought it home. Needs a good wash.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/karmatik/Alfa%20Romeo%2033%20Sprint/100_2415.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/karmatik/Alfa%20Romeo%2033%20Sprint/100_2422.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/karmatik/Alfa%20Romeo%2033%20Sprint/100_2418.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/karmatik/Alfa%20Romeo%2033%20Sprint/100_2423.jpg)
Hi Stuka
Is that Hobart in the background?
Nice looking Sprint, keep us updated on your progress.
Looks the same as mine, is it an 86
I'm sorting mine for some club supersprinting and driver training days.
Cheers
Fetta GTV
Great looking car, one of Guigaro's finest , just like a miniture GTV except better!, the timing belts and followers should be changed every 4 years or 60,000 kls, if last time changed unknown, change them now!, also do the waterpump as well at this time, but after that every 2nd belt change as everything is out of the way, when you do it, have an assistant remove the bonnet as it makes it much easier to get to everything, the waterpumps in these cars can be notoriously hard to change as they are aluminium in a cast iron block that leads to electrololiss, that is 2 dissimilar metals corrode into each other and you will have to 'mongrel' the water pump out, i have never had much trouble removing them, i suppose i have been lucky, but i am doing mine in the next few months when it arrives from England, one of the most dissapointing cars i ever drove was an MR2, i drove one around Phillip Island and it did nothing for me, on the same day i also drove a Fiat X19, Oh my god what an awesome car, so much better than an MR2, but it wouldn't be as reliable as a Toyota, but what a car, just like your Sprint, some will put it down because its front wheel drive, but as far as driving enjoyment goes, they are hard to beat, Colin.
Col I know what you mean re the x1/9 being so much fun, but as far as reliability goes they actually are pretty robust being based on the 128, and the only real archilles heal for these cars is keeping on top of any rust issues. 128s are mechanically pretty straightforward cars.
I know this Sud sprint having seen it in action only recently at a club motorkhana. I can't say it was particularly fast but it went perfectly fine. It could do with some minor improvements to its cosmetics but such matters are perhaps secondary anyway.
All the best with the Sud, Stuka, and in case you are interested you would be most welcome at our club events (Club Motori Italia). Just check out our website, www.cmitas.org
Don't mean to be a smarty pants, but if it is a 86 Sprint, then its based on a 33 floorpan and its not called an Alfasud Sprint, just a Sprint, it has drum brakes on the back outboard front discs, check to see if your handbrake works, if yes its a Sprint, Colin.
Come on Colin - we all know a 33 is based on a Sud!
Nice Sprint!! ;D
Thanks for all the comments!
Quote from: Fetta GTV on June 17, 2011, 09:18:19 AM
Hi Stuka
Is that Hobart in the background?
Yes thats the Derwent River looking from the east. We are lucky to have such a nice view and laid back lifestyle in Hobart
Quote from: Davidm1750 on June 17, 2011, 02:22:58 PM
All the best with the Sud, Stuka, and in case you are interested you would be most welcome at our club events (Club Motori Italia). Just check out our website, www.cmitas.org
Thanks Im looking to join up with the club soon once I get the sud to a standard Im happy with. Im just glad its another one that can be kept on the road in the local area and will be looked after rather than being parted out and crushed.
Quote from: colcol on June 17, 2011, 12:12:41 PM
one of the most dissapointing cars i ever drove was an MR2
Colin you must have driven a dog, what generation did MR2 did you drive? Believe it or not the MR2 was designed and built to be a drivers car. The problem is most people ruin the suspension set up by lowering and and putting in the wrong roll bars and other suspension components which really upsets the balance of the car. They really are a great driving experience if set up correctly and have a superb motor with Yamaha designed 16 valve head.
The MR2 i drove was 'fully sick' modified, and i remember when they first came out, at last here is an interesting Toyota, but being a passenger and driver it did nothing for me, i recall it being quite good to look at, comfortable and after driving many Alfa Romeo's how strong the synchro's were! the owner and i we were discussing healing and toeing and it wasn't necessary in a MR2, you could downchange at any gear at any speed, maybe if i hadn't been in the X19 on the same day, i would have had a better opinion of the Toyota, and up to that point i did not think much of a X19, but after that day, well praise the lord, what a great car with a 1.5 litre, you don't have to have oodles of power to have fun, like a 1.2 Alfasud, not much power and torque, but geez, what a great driving experience, if only they had used better quality steel, Colin.
Yes I figured it might have been the fully sick version, there are a few around! The mid engine certainly is a different driving experience. My friend back home in Ireland has an X19, a great car. Apparently the turbo conversion from the Uno is a good addition.
Back on topic...
My brother lives in north hobart, so if you see a red 33 around it might be him driving it, but i hear there are quite a few around there :)
Hey Aggie, we all know you secretly admire Alfasuds, as the engineer who designed the Sud was Austrian DR. Rudolph Hruska, and he came from Porsche, and knew the absolute benifits of a boxer motor, ie compact size, low centre of gravity, smoothness and unlike Porsche he installed it in the right end to drive the correct end, and yes, the 33 is really a Sud, but without those inboard front disc brakes and non operating hand brake, and they stopped using that dreadfull Russian steel, Colin.
Ive been pretty busy fixing up the car. I decided to change the timing belts and water pump. After hearing all the horror stories, I was delighted to be able to remove the water pump in less than 15 minutes. It came out relatively easy and in one piece. There was no play in the pump but it was fairly corroded. Unfortunately the new pump wouldnt fit easily so I had to file down parts of it to make it fit. New tensioners are on and I'll fit the belts tomorrow after work. Having never done this type of thing before Im a bit nervous but I think things will go fine.
From exloring the rest of the engine area, I have decided to replace all the cooling system hoses. They are old and the hoses to and from the heater have a tee on them which were both corroded pretty bad. One basically disintegrated when I disturbed it.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/karmatik/Alfa%20Romeo%2033%20Sprint/100_2506.jpg)
Some of you would have seen the coolant in another thread, the whole system has been neglected.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/karmatik/Alfa%20Romeo%2033%20Sprint/100_2411.jpg)
Also, simple things like the coolant top up tank oveflow not allowing the water to escape has allowed this kind of corrosion to occur.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/karmatik/Alfa%20Romeo%2033%20Sprint/100_2414.jpg)
Thankfully there isnt any other major rust except some bubbling on both front guards. Here is the tray area for the battery, nice and clean and free from rust!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/karmatik/Alfa%20Romeo%2033%20Sprint/100_2404.jpg)
When you said you had to file bits to get the water pump to fit, i hope you didn't file the water pump, but you filed and or cleaned up the bore in the engine block, as this is always badly corroded, which causes all the problems getting them to come out, this will be a good incentive to keep the cooling system in good condition, [unlike the previous owner!], by this time you have read up on timing belt replacement, here is a tip, push tensioners away from belts, so they are not touching, tighten nut on tensioner, then fit belts, line everything up, then loosen nut on both tensioners, so they are touching and tensioning the belts, and SLOWLY turn motor over by hand with spanner on crankshaft pulley, and after the belts centre themselves, turn the crankshaft so that on the right bank, turn it to a position so that all the valves are closed and there is no tension on the belt, THEN you do up the nut on the right hand tensioner to the proper tension, [35lbs if i recall?], then do the same on the left bank, this will ensure correct tension on the belts, putting loctite on the nuts is far too difficult, as by the time you put the nuts on and tension them, it could be half an hour, more than enough time for the loctite to go off and cause all sorts of tensioning dramas, turn the motor over by hand slowly making sure no valve to piston collisions, to help build your confidence, Colin.
Thanks for the tips.
The recess in the head was cleaned, the old pump would slide in and out easy but the new one wouldnt. I could have hammered it but was reluctant to. I decided to file the pump just enough so that i could position it to get a start on the nuts in the thread. I didnt file anywhere near where the faces met. After that I tightened it on to place, nice and snug.
Water pump should be a ball of fun to remove next time, noticed on your pics the position of the coil and heat sink, so much better on Suds and Sprints, on 33's they are stuck on the inner lower LH gaurd, which makes them hard to work on, i notice on your coil you have the quick connect terminals, or as i know them, the quick disconnect terminals, after mine fell off for the umteeth time i put eyelet terminals on the wires and installed them directly to the coil with nuts, so now they can't fall off, Colin.
How is progress going on the sprint?
keep us updated when you can. Good to see another one being sorted
Mine is a work in progress
Found some rust to sort
I finally got some time to work on the car today. Put on the timing belts, belt covers and fitted the alternator and new belt. I turned over the crankshaft a number of times, the belts have centred and all the timing marks line up nice. I have decided to change all the cooling system hoses as they are all perished, I'll pick up the full replacement set next week so getting closer. Before I go any further I was thinking of firing up the motor to see it runs ok before putting everything back together. Is there any danger in doing this (just for a minute or so) without water in the system, air filter assembly and all the other hoses that run back and forth such as vacuum hoses?
Fetta I like the look of your car. Im afraid mine wont look as fresh as yours without a respray, someday maybe.Is that the original paint? Is it difficult to remove the front guard? I went about it recently as my driver door is creaking badly but it seems to be spot welded in places?
You can kick the motor over and let it run for 10 seconds, but no longer as the cylinder heads will get very hot, and the only reason you are doing this is to see if the motor starts before putting all the bits and pieces back on, but have the battery terminals loose, so if it starts making horrible noises, you can quickly cut the power, Colin.
They are not spot welds, there are nuts that you have to access from inside the car behind the carpet on the kick panels. There are plastic covers that you take off and you can see the nuts, the top one is a bit of a bugger to get at. There are 3 you need to undo. The others are easy, along the top of the panel and then 2 below the headlights on the inside.
Some of the paint is original, some panels have been resprayed, looks better in the pic than it is.
I fired up the motor this morning. Stupidly I had forgotten to pull out the rags I had stuffed in the inlets to the carbys. No wonder it took quite a few turns before it kicked in to life! When it fired it immediately revved really high. The tacho isnt working but ut must have been 3,000rpm at least. Im wondering why this is the case. I checked all the throttle linkages and they seem to be fine. Would the end of a rag pulled into the carby have disturbed anything? There is definitely nothing left in there as the rag came out in one piece.
As you pulled the rag out you may have bent the butterfly shaft on the carby and now the throttle plate isn't fully closing, have a look at the idle stop screws and make sure they are fully closing onto the stop, also are your choke cable connectors fully off, as these being on can cause high idle, Colin.
I reckon the butterfly could be the problem then, more work to do because of my stupidity!
Ok, been there done that, disconnect the throttle relay rods, that is the short rods, about 75mm long, that connect the carbs to the main throttle linkage, they disconnect easy by flicking the rod off the ball linkage, and then move the carby arm, and see if it closes cleanly and does not stick, if its a bit sticky and not closing, then you have a bent butterfly rod, but do not worry it can be fixed, Colin.
Going to start working on this again at the weekend. I checked the throttles, they are definitely not closing on the stop. I tried to remove the short rods connecting the carbs to the throttle linkage. They are pretty stubborn and wont seem to flick off. What the easiest way to remove these, Im paranoid about doing further damage??
Put some WD40 on the balls and rod assembly and using an appropriate open end spanner, lever the rod off against the ball, don't use pliers or multigrips as these tend to damage the ball which leads to accelerated wear, OR you could use a elcheapo battery terminal puller, just like a big bearing puller only smaller, you will have to use a bolt of approprate size to push on the ball to pull the rod off, then you will be able to see if the carbys are closing fully, Colin.
Great, the rods came off easily this way, I guess I was being over cautious before. Each of the carby arm contacts the stop easily now and full movement feels good, there doesnt feel to be any resistance so Im satisfied the butterflies are ok. The balls on the linkages are now somewhere between 5 and 10mm out of line with eyes on the linkages. I assume I should just wind the eye down until its in line with the ball again?
Not being overly familiar with how the carby operates, I dont understand what readjusting the arms will do to the overall setup i.e. for me to make up the 5 to 10mm on the rod, will this affect anything else?
The 2 relay rods should be the same length, so they are opening each carb the same, just put them together and make sure the they are the same over all length, when the throttle linkage assembly is fully open, the carbs should be fully open as well, and when the linkage is closed, then the carbs should be closed as well, use the adjustment on the relay rods to achieve this, but make sure they both end up the same, check the bearings in the ends of the throttle linkage, as they sometimes seize up, replacement is quite easy and they are a common bearing, this adjustment should be done with the gas pedal cable dissconnected from the throttle linkage, Colin.
Thanks Colin, I did as you said and everything is lined up again sweet. I finished off replacing all the cooling system hoses, it will be much happier now given that a couple of the miner hoses were blocked due to corrosion of the tee.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/karmatik/Alfa%20Romeo%2033%20Sprint/100_2532.jpg)
The motor started up first time after as number of weeks so was pretty happy with that. I let it idle until the thermo fan kicked in, everything sounds smooth and as it should.
Before I refit the air filter box, I was not sure about the connectors for the alternator. Obviously the green one goes to the top but what about the red one? I cant remember if its connects to the middle or bottom as I didnt pick up there were 2 locations when I took them off. Anybody know??
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/karmatik/Alfa%20Romeo%2033%20Sprint/100_2536.jpg)
I cannot remember either, as i have fitted an amp meter and i have 2 red wires, going in to the alternator, i would say it goes on the centre terminal as this looks like its had a wire on it, the green wire is for your alternator charge light, so when the alternator is being drained, the power flows backwards and this light shines, connect the alternator up, and if the alternator light shines, put the red wire on the outer terminal, but DON'T run the engine with the wires disconnected on the alternator as this can burn out the diode pack in the alternator, Colin.
Well Ive done about everything I can with the car. It runs really well and looks a lot healthier on the outside too. The bodywork isnt great and somebody had an absolute field day with a key or knife all over the bonnet and down the passenger side. Just need to get it roadworthied and registered and will be good to go. I'll post up some photos at the weekend in the natural light.
Thanks again to those on the forum that helped me out along the way!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/karmatik/Alfa%20Romeo%2033%20Sprint/100_2554.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/karmatik/Alfa%20Romeo%2033%20Sprint/100_2559.jpg)
Gees Stuka that Sprint is looking pretty schmicko. Pity you missed out on the Domain hillclimb on Sunday, it was a great event, including a Lambo Urruco, and Fiat 2300 coupe, let alone GTVs, GTV6, Lancia and Fiats, I even gave my 156 (O car) a bit of a crack up the hill.
Great work, has come up really well.
I forgot about the hill climb David. Pretty annoyed I missed it.
Here's a few photos in the daylight:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/karmatik/Alfa%20Romeo%2033%20Sprint/100_2565.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/karmatik/Alfa%20Romeo%2033%20Sprint/100_2566.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/karmatik/Alfa%20Romeo%2033%20Sprint/100_2567.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/karmatik/Alfa%20Romeo%2033%20Sprint/100_2568.jpg)
Your Sprint is looking awesome!!! ;D