Alfa V6 into 73 Spider

[giuliettaevo]

The disc that is needed is a 228mm disk with ZF splines on it. That is exactly why i use the Opel Calibra Turbo disc i told about earlier....

[alfavirus]

Hi Dino!
Here are some more pics of the metalwork of the gear house tunnel.
But I have no measurements about the cuts.
All the cuts and metal work are based on the position of the engine. I think you have to do it individual.
The hole at the left side is for maintenance of the clutch cylinder (very helpful).

I use the Alfa Sei bell housing, flywheel and clutch. This has the advantage that I can use also the Alfa Sei starter motor. But it is very narrow in the area around the starter motor.

Frank

[adelspyder]

Work continues on the gearbox, with some repairs to the selector shaft (was a little bent on the recon unit, so this was straightened, hardchromed and new seals / bearings added).

Have attached some photos of the bellhousing trial fit. It’s still a little difficult to determine clearance issues with the trans tunnel (cos the engine seems to be tilted forwards a little), but it seems think that the bellhousing may actually fit okay – if it will hit, it’s on the trans tunnel around 1½ inches back from the rear firewall, and the required clearance could be made with a ball pein hammer, so this should be pretty easy.

More machinework is required over the next few weeks to machine the bellhousing faces for the correct bellhousing length (to suit the length of the input shaft), align the input shaft with the crank, and to setup the clutch slave and pilot bearing. The revised shifter is almost finished, so here’s hoping for some good progress this month.

Dino

[Subtle]

Interesting project.

[adelspyder]

The phone call finally came – Roger (our engineer) had finished the bulk of the machine work on the bellhousing. In addition, the revised selector was also ready, so it was time for a mock fitout to test all the assembly and clearances.

Well the good news – absolutely everything went as planned. The shifter location seems absolutely dead on with the original Alfa box, so we’re hoping for no modifications to the centre console.

With regards to the tunnel, the Getrag measures around ½ inch taller on top when compared with the Alfa box, and it also has a more square profile, so we were expecting some fitment issues here. When we tried to lift the Getrag to get its output shaft to the same reference point as the Alfa, the box struck the top of the tunnel, and we still had another 18mm (¾ inch) upwards to go.

Over the next month, we’ll focus on modifying the tunnel to put the Getrag into the right position, making sure that everything fits under the console if possible.

Next would be the rear trans mount, and would you believe that the Getrag’s rear mounting lug aligns beautifully with the Alfa gearbox’s mounting point (even the speedo cable drive looks to be the same position as the Alfa gearbox). Once the trans tunnel mods are finished, we’ll be thinking about how to rubber mount the rear of the Getrag to the existing mounting points on the body. Any ideas, comments or suggestions that anyone has in this regard are most welcome!


Dino

[slyalfa]

I would use all 3 mounts. what did the mounts look like before. I would think using the same type that was used before. and just weld a triangleish type plate to mount to the alfa holes and line up with the Getrag mounts. I am guessing they are a ruber bisket with a bolt on each side?

[Ian Evans]

I'm entertaining thoughts of selling my Nick Muto V6 spider conversion, 2.5L with ZF trans. I'm reluctantly considering this because I do not want to go through re-engineering things to fit cast iron exhaust manifolds. This is what would be required by the Smog Folks whats in charge here in California, despite the fact that the emissions pass.

Believe me this is a reluctant decision as I really have enjoyed the car, just back from a fun trip to Monterey for Concorso and Pebble Beach etc., wherein I averaged 25MPG highway, YMMV.

I would prefer to sell the car outside California to avoid any problems. Interested parties can contact me via direct email and outside of this thread so as not to hijack this most interesting ongoing conversion.

If no response, the car will eventually be up on Ebay.

Thanks,

Ian

quattroporte "at" dslextreme "dot" com

L.A. area

[adelspyder]

Ian,

Sounds like you’ve considering a tough decision to part with your car – I just hope that the interested buyers can appreciate the work that’s gone into it. All the best

Slyalfa,

Interesting thought about using all 3 mounting points – I was also beginning to think the same thing.

Anyway, knowing the BMW, Jag and Volvo used the trans, I started some research and found the following:
• BM’s use the two mounts in the centre of the trans, with a rubber mount each side and a x-member underneath them
• Jags use the rear mount, and have a complex spring, washer and spring pad arrangement (imagine something like a coil spring and pan setup on a front suspension)
• Volvo also use the rear mounting point, with a single rubber and x-member setup

So far, the preference is leaning towards the Volvo setup – we just have to do the trans tunnel first, align the trans with the driveline, attach the alfa trans x-member and then see what options we have.

Dino

[Dan Walker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ian Evans I'm entertaining thoughts of selling my Nick Muto V6 spider conversion, 2.5L with ZF trans. I'm reluctantly considering this because I do not want to go through re-engineering things to fit cast iron exhaust manifolds. This is what would be required by the Smog Folks whats in charge here in California, despite the fact that the emissions pass. Believe me this is a reluctant decision as I really have enjoyed the car, just back from a fun trip to Monterey for Concorso and Pebble Beach etc., wherein I averaged 25MPG highway, YMMV. I would prefer to sell the car outside California to avoid any problems. Interested parties can contact me via direct email and outside of this thread so as not to hijack this most interesting ongoing conversion. If no response, the car will eventually be up on Ebay. Thanks, Ian quattroporte "at" dslextreme "dot" com L.A. area

[adelspyder]

Work has been progressing slowly on the trans tunnel, so I decided to spend ½ day at the engineer’s shop last week to help cut the tunnel and remove the bitumen (yeech, messy job that).

The photos are from my Blackberry’s camera, so apologies for the quality.

. Cut the trans tunnel out
. Re-installed the Getrag
. Fabricated and installed a simple trans X-member to locate the Getrag at the right height
. Checked clearance
. Cut some more of the tunnel near the back of the Getrag (needed to allow space for a support bracket for the shifter)
. Removed Getrag
. Scrape off the bitumen on both sides of the trans tunnel (actually, tried a new technique which involved heating the bitumen with an oxy to soften it up, then scraping it off while warm. A bit smokey, but very quick and easy)
. Reinstall Getrag again
. Measured, cut and rolled a new steel plate for the trans tunnel.

With the crap work done, over the next week or so they’ll weld in the trans tunnel plate, and with the trans now at the right position, I’ll start to research the rear trans mount for the Getrag. I’ve been advised by an engineer to look at the latest Holden Commodore, as they use a Tremec with a dual rubber cradle for the trans cross member to help to isolate and support it.

The good news is that over the last 2 months, the shop has been focusing on the Alfa Sei diff install and rear deDion setup, and it’s progressing really, really well. The whole lot was out of the car for final welding while I was there, so next visit I’ll bring the camera and take some proper shots (hopefully of the near-finished product in the car).

All the best

[adelspyder]

A few months ago, the shop started to push forward with the rear end measurements and fabrication for the dedion install (front x-member, springs, shocks, watts link, etc.), the design and manufacture of the upper cross member to locate the Sei diff, and the adapters to mate the driveshafts to the diff.

You may recall earlier photos showed the cast iron extension housing (which alone weighs about 18 kilos / 40 pounds) bolted on the front of the diff, which goes all the way on top of the front deDion mount. To save weight and to reduce cutting the body, the decision was made to remake a shorter diff extension housing in billet aluminium, which alone has saved around 15 kilos / 35 pounds of weight compared to the cast iron housing.

The upper cross member to mount the diff was also made to virtually the same measurements as the original Sei beam (Thanks nce again Remco!!!), and the Sei mounting bushes on either side of the top cross member should do the job well enough in the lighter Spider.

[adelspyder]

When my brother was considering making the adapters to mount the driveshaft to the diff, he realised that with a bit more design and effort, the adaptors could also serve as a hat for a ventilated rear disc. A set of Wilwood discs were duly purchased, a spacer was added to the calipers (for the thickness of the vented rotor), and longer pins were made up to hold the pads.

Upon seeing them in the car, the engineer who designed and made the adapter/disc hat commented that he designed it in such a way to make it easy to remove and replace the rear disc, to which Roger (our friend and engineer himself) mumbled something about them outlasting the life of the car……….

The photos of the adapters show an Alfa 75 adapter on the LHS, with the Sei adapter and hat on the RHS.

Have a Merry Christmas guys, and a safe New Year to all,

Dino