rough running alfetta gt

ckeen74 · #1 (**permalink**) 10-27-2007, 05:37 PM

Hi all,

Well, I think I'm about reaching the end of my rope with the Alfetta. It's been down for over 6 months with various ailments, most recently the SPICA, which I had replaced with a used one by my mechanic a couple of weeks back. I drove home with the car running fine, then put the air filter back on and did an R&R on the downpipe to have a crack welded up. Pretty innocuous stuff.... fired it up and it runs like crap. Stuttering, stumbling, won't pull beyond 2-3K RPMs. Normally I would have an idea of what to do, but in this case I have new/recent points, cap, rotor, plug wires, plugs, SPICA, fuel filters, and everything set up properly by my mechanic (as evidenced by the good running last time I drove it). I really don't know where to start - does anyone have suggestions? I would happily give it to my mechanic because I'm fed up, but it's $125 each time I have it towed there. Oh, I also pulled the air filter back off since that was the last thing I changed, but no help there.

Feeling really close to selling it, but I want to at least have it driveable.

Thanks for any help...

sh0rtlife · #2 (**permalink**) 10-27-2007, 10:43 PM

re-check the points see if the ignition systme fouled them or that they didnt "fail" outright next i have to wonder about the clenlyness of the spica internals and the fuel presure itself

ckeen74 · #3 (**permalink**) 10-28-2007, 10:59 AM

I've had a tip to check the rack return spring on the Alfa digest, so I'm going to try that. By the way, for those of you who are mulling over a possible response

, I failed to mention the TA was replaced by a sure-start at some point.

I guess I can switch out the coil with my spider's, too, since that caused my last catastrophic failure. And then I'll move on from there until I hit the plugs.

However, any additional ideas or sparks of inspiration would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Alfettaguy · #4 (**permalink**) 10-28-2007, 01:54 PM

I would re-check the plugs. I was using the factory rec types and they fouled out very quickly. I put in Bosch platinum and things have been OK.

sh0rtlife · #5 (**permalink**) 10-28-2007, 02:17 PM

actualy coil is a GREAT idea as ive had 3 go bad in the last few weeks causeing some NASTY running condidtions..litteraly sounded like it was missing every other cyl

ckeen74 · #6 (**permalink**) 10-28-2007, 05:04 PM

Thanks for the feedback - I have Champion Platinum 3415 plugs in there, ran fine until yesterday. Vaughan, I took the old plugs out and replaced the set since I broke the porcelain insulator off one while removing it. Things didn't improve, so I'm thinking plugs are not the root of this one, unfortunately.

I know what I'm supposed to do is go step-by-step through the whole system, just figured since I replaced so much already, and the failure was sudden instead of gradual, maybe that might give one of the experts here a hint as to the cause.

Thanks!

sh0rtlife · #7 (**permalink**) 10-28-2007, 05:29 PM

sudden could still be the coil....if it was me id pull a coil off another "good" running car and test it

**papajam** · #8 (**permalink**) 10-28-2007, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ckeen74

I drove home with the car running fine, then put the air filter back on and did an R&R on the downpipe to have a crack welded up.

ckeen74 · #9 (**permalink**) 10-28-2007, 07:44 PM

Well, that was interesting.... I went out to the car and figured I'd see how it ran today, on the off chance it would have fixed itself. Yeah, I know.... well, when I turned on the ignition, I heard no fuel pump, so I grabbed a small hammer and tapped it. Presto, pump comes on... and the car runs great like it did before.

Thanks for all the helpful tips, I guess I need to update the fuel pumps on both the spider and the alfetta. Not too eager about that, but at least I know what's going on.