Twin Spark Swap Owner's Satisfaction Survey

[Abarth]

Hi NZkiwi and all! Here is a picture of my TS in my GT Junior...

[Peter]

that looks SWEET!!

[nzkiwiguy]

Nice Abarth. I think you need to start a thread with some pictures and specs of your junior. Looks awesome!

[180OUT]

Quote:

Quote: Originally Posted by nzkiwiguy Nice Abarth. I think you need to start a thread with some pictures and specs of your junior. Looks awesome!

[Biba69]

Abarth, of course it's bitchin'. Except for one,ummm, minor detail, it looks like it came that way - which I feel is a compliment.

Tell me, you have 'remote' distributors on the inside of your car? I really don't recall seeing that many ignition wires disappearing into the interior of a car. One, or possibly two going inside for coils, but...

Also, what is the 'gizmo' on the far front right side of the engine bay?

Even if it wasn't really needed, that aluminum radiator really works - certainly aesthetically wise.

Biba

[69alfa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lou Scognamigli TS in my 78 Spyder. Don't know if I should be putting my 2 cents in, it sounds hostile here. Anyway mine has stock Motronic. My mechanic did a great job, did not lower mounts, cut air box and repositioned oil cap to back of engine. Hood closes now. I use it as a fun street car, and enjoy keeping up with many of the new cars while still having the classic Alfa look. Car starts always, runs cool, idles perfectly. As far as I'm concerned, I love it.

[Insoc]

Electronic Ignition mounted under the passenger side dash or firewall, MSD is my guess... No need for distributers if he is running Wasted Spark... Probably makes a ticking noise too...

The Gizmo is an Electronic kill switch or a Battery Disconnect switch. Kind of the same thing... Once again a guess...

[geofd]

My two cents worth and a question
I have kind of the same dilema, nord, TS or 2.5V6(some guys have made this conversion look really special and I am sure this is a major step up from the twin spark in terms of torque). As I have recently read a few threads on originality being important I thought I had decide on keeping the Nord but this thread has throw that all into chaos again. (Have a 100% original 73 GTV in need of a total refresh)
It seems from comments that the key to driveability is the 3d mapped ingition set up, is this the case ????
I my opinion that is a big part of it as the dizzy does not have much scope for modification (Nothing compared to 3d mapping as I had on my evo6, but that was fuel as well) so my current plan is to use a megasquirt with throttle bodies (Actaully modify a set of dellortos so it looks period correct) and put a crank sensor on ( Machine teeth into the pulley on the front of the engine and use a standard induction sensor) so the dizzy can be totally removed (Of course airflow sensor and throttle position sensor etc would need to be added)
I found a company in Australia that makes Hbeam rods and can get me custom JE pistons and was plannning to up the capacity a little so would be a true 2 litre engine so this should help give a little more power. And the heads would be ported a little, not to much as I dont want to risk punching through to the water jacket - so I guess this will be the limiting factor in the engine. Also use some highlift cams.
This in my opinion should make good relaible power with great diveability - when I finally get around to building it I will let you know ( but at the moment that is quite a way off)

[iachella]

Goefd:

I had a very interesting revelation (?) with respect to my 74 GTV. My Alfetta Twin Spark was in the shop for about 2 weeks while the body shop cut a little off my hood to make it fit and I drove the GTV with Spica and Norman head and Ingram cams, for the entire time. I have decided to leave the GTV with the Nord engine and Spica injection alone.

My first thoughts were to put the TS in the Alfetta and later build a TS with a 155 TS head and fully mappable injection and put that in the Alfetta. Then rebuild the 75 TS and get that into the GTV. As time went on and I prepared my first TS, I became enamored with the look of the Nord and decided that the original look should be kept on the 74 GTV. I made a mental cutoff date of 1974. Previous cars should not get a TS and later cars could.

My next thought was to do a megasquirt conversion of the Spica system to retain the Nord engine look and gain some power/drivability, etc. Well, since the TS has quite different characteristics to the Nord, and driving the Nord again after driving the TS exclusively for several months, the characteristics of the Nord in my very light GTV are too nice to give up. The GTV stays the way it is and the Alfetta gets all the major mods.

This doesn't mean I dislike the TS. After getting it back from the shop, I have gotten more used to it and am enjoying it more and more. All things said about them are true and I don't say anything the contrary. It's just that I consider the Alfetta to be a "modern" car and subject to whatevery modern technology I can throw at it. I still plan to get a 155 TS head (I'm very active on the 155/75 thread), but will probably prepare everything for dropping it onto the 75 block already in my Alfetta someday.

I have the liberty of having two Alfas with which to keep one stock and the other with incredible mods and you don't. So I can't really tell you what to do with your only Alfa. If you have thoughts of originality, consider a second car, maybe one that isn't as original as yours. Maybe a ratty one that you can rebuild with a TS.

With respect to this thread, I would do it again, but not in a 1974 model year or before. I'd like to do it in another Alfetta, or perhaps a late GTV6 to get all the improvments of the rest of the car too.

[Biba69]

Stefano, my story is a bit similar, in that when I bought my '75 Alfetta GT in '78 with 13K miles on it, I knew nothing about Alfas. So I bought every technical manual from Alfa that was then available. One was for the nord engine, but the Euro version. I knew right away that's what I wanted my engine bay to look like (has to look good first, then work well second). Did do a change in color on the body. So only minor mods to the '75. Except for about a year and a half, has been my daily driver.

When a good friend gave me his Alfetta GT, I originally didn't have any specific plans, but had always been interested in the TS since I saw a head at Alfa Ricambi in the 80's. My friend had 'butched' it up a bit - took out the back seat, installed a street rollbar, added a large rear spoiler, and removed both bumpers. My plan, like yours, is to just take his concept farther - meaning not being too worried about originality. I agree that the Alfetta GT falls under being a 'modern car' especially if the TS can be made reliable and work as it does in the 75 (not that I've ever been in one, let alone seen one in person). This is the reason why I've been concerned with the hood clearance problem and your clutch situation. In any event I have limited funds for the project, so it will be done over time and in the meantime I'll keep asking questions/picking brains.

Biba

[180OUT]

Quote:

It seems from comments that the key to driveability is the 3d mapped ingition set up, is this the case ???? I my opinion that is a big part of it as the dizzy does not have much scope for modification (Nothing compared to 3d mapping as I had on my evo6, but that was fuel as well) so my current plan is to use a megasquirt with throttle bodies (Actaully modify a set of dellortos so it looks period correct) and put a crank sensor on ( Machine teeth into the pulley on the front of the engine and use a standard induction sensor) so the dizzy can be totally removed (Of course airflow sensor and throttle position sensor etc would need to be added)

[geofd]

Can not answer the question out be face off between the dissy and non dizzzy car.
In my experience the key issue with a dizzy is the pre-set advance curve, with electronics you can adjust the advance in a non linear way ( Actualy can retard it as it goes through the rev range if you want), with a dizzy the advance curve is fairly linear as it is governed by the advance weights (And vacuum advance). Of course you can mess around with the weights but in my experience this is vey hit and miss, or very time consuming to get right.
But how much impat this adjustability makes to the nord engine I cant say, in theory it should help to ensure optimum abvance in the complete rev range, so i exptec with good tunning it should make a noticeable diffeence in at least some areas during acceleration etc .

[180OUT]

[quote]

Quote:

Originally Posted by geofd Can not answer the question out be face off between the dissy and non dizzzy car. In my experience the key issue with a dizzy is the pre-set advance curve, with electronics you can adjust the advance in a non linear way

[crashmctavish]

76 GTJ fitted with standard twin spark motor & std motronic EFI 38 MPG! on unleaded, wheels spin in 1st & 2nd faster than most cars it meets from the lights. Smooth sophisticated power yet angry when you want it. Sock type air filter, classic alfa exhaust pipe & header, 4.1 LSD diff & GTA alloys.
The engine, efi & loom cost me £90 on ebay. Exhaust was £550, wheels £600.
The conversion was easy to do Ive left the original distributors in place & VVT. Previous 1600 engine was 115BHP & 21 MPG Now 150 & 38 mpg.
would i do it again? yes in the blink of an eye its awesomely fast.

[Biba69]

Crash, you sound like one of the more satisfied customers of TS'. You bought the entire, complete engine for 90 pounds??? Did you have to rebuild it?

Wanna send a picture to us? This wasn't the original plan but I sure wouldn't mind if this thread became a variation on the other very popular one. How about, "Post a pic of your TS", as the subtitle of this thread?

I've been unable to locate them in my 'files' but I have photos of a 2600 with a TS. I'll try to find them.

Biba