Newbie question on 1963 Giulia Spider

[L.MCKEOUGH]

Hi, This is my first post on an Alfa site! I just purchased a 1963 Giulia barn find. The car is a one owner car with 26000 original miles! It has not been registered since 1972 and the last time it ran as far as I know was in 1994. The PO had taken all the brakes apart, including the master Cylinder, and left it that way in a barn since 1994. For now I put the wheels back on and am going to get it on a car trailer to take it home. I already poured some Marvel Mystery oil in the cylinders. I'm not sure if the motor is free or not (I didn't have a socket to fit the crank). By the way does anyone know what size socket fits? Last night I had my daughter sit in the car with her foot on the clutch while in gear and tried to push the car and it wouldn't move. If she put it in neutral I could push no problem. Keep in mind the spark plugs are out of the motor. So here are a few questions as I don't have any manuals for this thing yet.
1, Does this have a hydraulic or manual clutch? ( the master Cyl is out)
2, If manual could the clutch be stuck to the flywheel?
3, If the clutch is stuck to the flywheel then I have to assume the motor is somewhat stuck because by pushing it gear the motor should have turned over?
4, What is the best repair manual to get & from who?

Thanks in advance for the help.

Larry McKeough

[Britalia]

Based on my 1959 Spider experience, these thoughts may help
1. 36 mm socket fits the nut on my crankshaft (available at Sears)
2. Clutch is mechanically operated by a push rod
3. It is certainly possible that the clutch is frozen to the flywheel
4. Even if it was frozen, you should be able to push the car when it is in gear
especially if the spark plugs are out. Most likely, your motor has seized.
I would not recommend heroic efforts to try to unseize it, since it should
be removed and disassembled. You could do more damage.
5. A Car disc would probably be your best bet for a first repair manual
It is on CD and has the parts manual as well as the repair manual.
I am not that familiar with a Giulia, but I think the above answers would apply to the 1600 motor in your car.
Best of luck. Let us know how it turns out. We love pictures.
Chuck in NC

[GTD]

Larry
Welcome to the Alfa BB!
Ask all the questions you like; use only the answers that suit you!
Pics are indeed most welcome ... once you are familiar with how to post them.

Best wishes with your new project.

[Alfajay]

It is very common for clutch disks to become rusted to flywheels when cars are stored for extended periods of time, especially if they are in damp environments. There is a simple procedure for breaking them loose, but it depends on having a running engine (and working brakes!).

It is pretty hard for one person to push a car that's in gear, especially if the tires are a little low, and the ground is rough. So, your engine may not be seized - you can apply more torque to the crankshaft with a wrench & socket than you can by pushing the car in 5th. So try that before concluding that it's seized.

Repair manuals? The British "Haynes" and "Autobooks" manuals are OK, though they cover a wide range of cars - aren't specific to your 101 Giulia.

[Andrew]

In terms of pushing the car in gear, make sure the spark plugs are out.

Glenn's has a 60s-era Giulietta manual, which you can find reprints of. Rudimentary but all there was at the time, except factory manuals, which you see on ebay for prices varying greatly depending on condition.

Andrew

[L.MCKEOUGH]

Thanks for all the help so far! I got the car home last night and added some more Marvel mystery oil. I was so excited, I stayed up till 3am cleaning the interior which still looks almost new. Tonight I pulled the radiator, put the wrench on her and spun the engine over with very little effort! I guess it's not stuck after all. I'll try to post some pictures later this week.
Thanks again

Larry McKeough

[don000]

Britalia mentions a car disc. More precisely, this is from a company that specializes in assembling compilations of Alfa documentation. See CarDisc Alfa Romeo Manuals, Giulietta Manuals, Giulia Manuals, Spider Manuals, GTV manuals. It is an unsurpassed value and would probably be of real benefit to you.

[L.MCKEOUGH]

On Saturday we freed the clutch from the flywheel! We simply put wheel chocks in front of the front wheels, had someone in the driver seat working the clutch in & out while I put the breaker bar on the crank nut and kept working it. All of a sudden it came loose! Next we hooked up the battery and got the engine turning over. What relief! Today I'll take the carb apart & see whats needed. If all goes well I'll it could be running by next week.

Thanks again for all the help.

Larry

[Alfajay]

Larry:

You might benefit from signing up with the Alfa Giulietta/Giulia discussion group that is hosted on yahoogroups. Surf on over to alfaromeo750-101 : A discussion group for owners of Alfa Romeo Type 750-101

To join this group you do need to submit an application to the moderator, Lew Rosenberger, but don't worry - Lew will let most anyone join (hey, he let me in).

While the 750/101 discussion here on the BB is good, the stuff thats discussed on yahoogroups can get very detailed - if you have an esoteric question, someone from that group (who are located World-wide) will certainly know the answer.

Good luck with your project! Post some pictures for us.

[Cintos]

Quote:

Originally Posted by L.MCKEOUGH Hi, This is my first post on an Alfa site! I just purchased a 1963 Giulia barn find. The car is a one owner car with 26000 original miles! .... Larry McKeough

[jc in rb]

WOW,that is unreal. what a find...............WOW

[GTD]

Larry
Nice work! She shows well. Definitely worth the late hours and efforts you have invested.
Here's wishing you miles of smiles!

[AlfaDuc]

Larry,
A really nice barn find It's good to see that it ended up with an attentive keeper. In case you're interested, it is very highly likely that the production year of your Giulia is '62, not '63. The drum front brakes and small diameter brake fluid reservoir were last used in '62, then changed to disc front brakes with a larger fluid reservoir in '63. I have a '62 Giulia Sprint, and my first Alfa was a '63 Giulia Spider (in '71), so I've seen a direct comparison. Also, the instruments are for the '62 model (separate clear plastic ring with the numbers instead of painted numbers on a black face for the Veglia instruments of '63). You can send a request to Alfa Storico for the actual production date of your Spider, which would be worthwhile. It's very possible that your car was first registered in '63, and the title was written for the registration year, not year of production (very common back in the day).
Hopefully, you're thinking of coming to Watkins Glen this coming weekend for their vintage races. My wife and I will be there Thurs. thru Sun. in our '65 Veloce Spider, and there will be a few Alfas in some of the race groups. It's a lot of fun, even in the rain.
See ya',
Jim

[jc in rb]

what kinda barn was it stored in ??? climate controled ,hermeticaly sealed??with italian factory trained elves??

[L.MCKEOUGH]

Thanks for all the encouraging comments! This was a great project and my wife says I was possessed! I just couldn't stop once I started! The day after I first posted on here, another member, George Dolak from New Hampshire called me at my hardware store to tell me he had restored many Giulia's & Giulietta's and owned several. He & I talked for an hour that day and since have had many E mails and phone calls during my restoration process. I can't thank him enough! I have had Fiat's for years and belong to several Fiat web sites but none are like this group of Alfa people! Thanks for everyones help! And by the way, I LOVE DRIVING THIS CAR! IT SOUNDS AND HANDLES FANTASTIC.

Larry