Spica rebuilds - who does better job?

gmonrad · #1 (**permalink**) 03-10-2008, 10:43 AM

I have a '74 Spider with Spica FI. The FI pump needs rebuild. Who has experience with Ingram Enterprises, Gary Martin from So Dakota (advertising in Hemmings), or other rebuild sources?? I need some guidance concerning the positive / negative results on the rebuilds on their SPICA pump, and who I should engage to rebuild mine.

Thanks for your comments.

**lowmileage** · #2 (**permalink**) 03-10-2008, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gmonrad

I have a '74 Spider with Spica FI. The FI pump needs rebuild. Who has experience with Ingram Enterprises, Gary Martin from So Dakota (advertising in Hemmings), or other rebuild sources?? I need some guidance concerning the positive / negative results on the rebuilds on their SPICA pump, and who I should engage to rebuild mine.

Thanks for your comments.

**jarrington** · #3 (**permalink**) 03-10-2008, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gmonrad

I have a '74 Spider with Spica FI. The FI pump needs rebuild. Who has experience with Ingram Enterprises, Gary Martin from So Dakota (advertising in Hemmings), or other rebuild sources?? I need some guidance concerning the positive / negative results on the rebuilds on their SPICA pump, and who I should engage to rebuild mine.

Thanks for your comments.

**Nicola** · #4 (**permalink**) 03-10-2008, 11:19 AM

Ditto - Herb at Ingram (Wes doesn't do that much with the actual rebuilds anymore.
(I have the luxury of living in their backyard.)

**Roadtrip** · #5 (**permalink**) 03-10-2008, 11:33 AM

I'm not at all familiar with Gary Martin here in my hometown, Rapid City, SD. I looked up his ad in Hemmings and it seems he does carburetor rebuilds, but no mention of Spica injection pumps. I'd be very surprised if he does Spica pumps, given the very specialized tools, test bench, experience, and replacement parts necessary to service them. Since very very few new parts are being produced for the pumps, rebuilding a Spica pump is a black science of small production (read expensive) of special parts, as well as re-combining used parts as in the case of plungers and barrels.

There are only two rebuilders of Spica injection pumps that I know of . . Wes Ingram of Ingram Enterprises, Burlington, WA and Dan Wells at Foreign Auto Menders in San Diego, CA. If Wes or Dan decide to drop their Spica biz, we Spica owners are in some very deep kimchee.

Both have excellent reputations, but I've only personally dealt with Wes Ingram whose reputation is iconic in the Alfa community.

Contact info for both companies is located here . . . Supplier List

BTW, what symptoms exactly is your injection pump exhibiting that makes you think it needs a rebuild? Many times mechanics that have little knowledge of the system will advise owners that "it needs a rebuild" when all it might need is a new TA, microswitch, or merely a accurate tuneup.

**lowmileage** · #6 (**permalink**) 03-10-2008, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roadtrip

If Wes or Dan decide to drop their Spica biz, we Spica owners are in some very deep kimchee.

**tubut** · #7 (**permalink**) 03-10-2008, 12:33 PM

BTW: Welcome to AlfaBB, gmonrad! If you haven't already done so, you may want to read the sticky threads in this forum (which were initiated by the Roadtrip, who shares his extensive knowledge of Spica pumps very generously).

gmonrad · #8 (**permalink**) 03-10-2008, 12:33 PM

The symptoms resulting in the analysis of a "need rebuild" include:
1. the car sat for seven yrs without proper preservation,
2. fuel is mixing with the oil when I crank the car,
3. when I take an injector from the intake and crank the engine, I get a very weak dribble of fuel from the injector
4. the TA works properly
5. car has 97,500 miles, and it appears the FI pump has never been removed (still has the plastic adjuster cap with wire and lead seal), and lots of road grime consistent with mileage
6. primary electric pump works correctly (9 PSI) as does the fuel pressure bypass valve (18 PSI).

This is my first Alfa with SPICA injection, so my understanding is limited to all that I've read and discussed with Wes and Gary, and the folks at DiFatta Bros (alfa repair and parts warehouse in Baltimore). So...if there are other characteristics that I should assess before committing to rebuild, I welcome your suggestions.

**Roadtrip** · #9 (**permalink**) 03-10-2008, 03:58 PM

So, the engine will not run at all, is that correct??

Certainly if fuel is bypassing the plungers, that's a mandatory rebuild.

Have the engine sit derelict for 7 years is very very bad for the injection pump, although it might have been worn out at the beginning of that anyway.

While you have the pump out for rebuild, soak the injectors in a jar of gasoline, or send them in with the pump to be tested by Wes.

gmonrad · #10 (**permalink**) 03-10-2008, 05:15 PM

Yes, you're correct that the engine will not run at all.

I forgot to mention that, when I recently acquired the car, there were 20+ Lodge spark plugs in the trunk. The prior owner indicate it ran very rich and fouled the plugs constantly. This seems consistent with a FI pump on its last legs.

I'll have the injectors cleaned also.

gmonrad · #11 (**permalink**) 03-10-2008, 05:16 PM

[quote=gmonrad;505872]Yes, you're correct that the engine will not run at all.

I forgot to mention that, when I recently acquired the car, there were 20+ Lodge spark plugs in the trunk. The prior owner indicate it ran very rich and fouled the plugs constantly. This seems consistent with a FI pump on its last legs.

I'll have the injectors cleaned also.

**jarrington** · #12 (**permalink**) 03-10-2008, 06:52 PM

[quote=gmonrad;505875]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gmonrad

Yes, you're correct that the engine will not run at all.

I forgot to mention that, when I recently acquired the car, there were 20+ Lodge spark plugs in the trunk. The prior owner indicate it ran very rich and fouled the plugs constantly. This seems consistent with a FI pump on its last legs.

I'll have the injectors cleaned also.

**davbert** · #13 (**permalink**) 03-12-2008, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roadtrip

I'm not at all familiar with Gary Martin here in my hometown, Rapid City, SD. I looked up his ad in Hemmings and it seems he does carburetor rebuilds, but no mention of Spica injection pumps. I'd be very surprised if he does Spica pumps, given the very specialized tools, test bench, experience, and replacement parts necessary to service them. Since very very few new parts are being produced for the pumps, rebuilding a Spica pump is a black science of small production (read expensive) of special parts, as well as re-combining used parts as in the case of plungers and barrels.

There are only two rebuilders of Spica injection pumps that I know of . . Wes Ingram of Ingram Enterprises, Burlington, WA and Dan Wells at Foreign Auto Menders in San Diego, CA. If Wes or Dan decide to drop their Spica biz, we Spica owners are in some very deep kimchee.

Both have excellent reputations, but I've only personally dealt with Wes Ingram whose reputation is iconic in the Alfa community.

Contact info for both companies is located here . . . Supplier List

BTW, what symptoms exactly is your injection pump exhibiting that makes you think it needs a rebuild? Many times mechanics that have little knowledge of the system will advise owners that "it needs a rebuild" when all it might need is a new TA, microswitch, or merely a accurate tuneup.