2nd 3.7 Litre 24 Valve Milano Project!

[junglejustice]

...a last few to savour...!

Manana!

[junglejustice]

So, I pressed the new lower control-arm bushing-sets together (used OEM parts - they seem to be pretty good.) Don't forget to follow the manual; it all goes together in a specific order (and there is a chamfer to the inner washers that need to face the center support-rod.)

Pressed-in new Lemforder lower control-arm ball-joint on the one side (short one - out of stock) and installed the arm - NO TORSION BARS to mess with - I also needed one new bolt that holds the lower-control-arm to the chassis, so I went ahead and sourced 4 new ones while I was at it!

Installed upper control-arm ball-joints and positioned the RSR coil-over to verify fit on that side.

The 8mm uniballs from Aurora Bearing Supply that we are using at the top as a shock-mount had to be located within that custom reinforcement box that the welder did for us (the hole coming up through the mounting point is off-set to the rear.) I had to basically cut an opening for the heim-joint to fit exactly within that tube, so that the stud welded to the top of the RSR coil-over shock, would pass through the center of the hole in the fender coming up from the suspension to the engine-bay side.

Keith is making some aluminium spacers for me today so that I can distribute the load at top between the threads of the stud on the RSR shock, the tip of the stud and the base of the stud.

[junglejustice]

....and some more...

[cchan]

Hi JJ,
Looks like your progressing right along. Parts look very clean and it looks like deja vu. Cann't wait to go for a ride with you. Hmm, maybe after that drive in the Mustang maybe sitting in it will be enough.

[junglejustice]

LOL

Yeah, ya know - it's like Ground Hog Day - over and over again...! I'm right back where I started! (Pretty cool to finally be doing it to my own car though!)

- Had a bunch of stuff to do today, so I did not get much done to the car.

Still, it is the little things that eat your lunch, for example - I am a stickler for re-using old hardware or on simply re-bolting old brackets without at least a fresh coat of paint. If I have access to it, I prefer a sand-blast and then several coats of paint. (Front anti-roll bar center support brackets as an example in the pics below.)

I like this Wurth stuff - they have a Satin Black trim finish (I like the colour any way), but it goes on wet and even, but then dries to a nice smooth matte finish! I also like it because it covers well, dries fast, takes several additional coats within a short period of time and seems pretty durable! Does not run all that easy!

Also, see the exact positioning of the support "gussets" that we made up for the front anti-roll-bar mounting-points (yours are down there ready for Hugo to weld-in...)

I did manage to mount my 30mm RSRacing front anti-roll bar, with some fresh 8mm hardware and some 30mm poly bushings from Andy at Performatek! Simple enough if you first get the brackets and the two rearward bolts going - hold the bar up and then swing the brackets around and in to place - then do the two front bolts! Otherwise, it is a bear for one guy to do - that bar gets HEAVY.

If the lower control-arms are already installed, it is sometimes easier to attach Ron's two adjustable rod-end reaction arms to the LCAs first and let the bar just hang while you give your arms a rest! (Remember to use some of the included poly-bush lubricant - just to keep the bars movement from grabbing the poly and ripping it!)

Can't find another Lemforder LCA ball joint for the other side - I want to finish off the front suspension! (I guess that they are part of ZF now?) Who is the distributor for them here in the US? (I now that all of the Beemer dudes LOVE the Lemforder stuff - German...)

[Gabbiano]

JJ,

I just bought a set of the Lemforder's for my Milano. I got them from the guy who advertises them in the "Alfa Owner". I can't remember the name of the business right now - just look for it in the magaizine. They are usually a small ad toward the back of the mag. I think that is the only source for them in the states. They are spendy - about twice the price of the regular ones. Also, now that I saw your poly upper control arm inner bushings - I have a set of the stock ones for sale if anyone is interested....

Ciao,

Chris

'87 Milano Project
'82 Spider Veloce

[junglejustice]

Thanks Chris...

Ereminas?
IAP?
Centerline?
Performatek?
DiFatta Brothers?
Ross Durant?
Vick Autosports
AR Ricambi?

[Balocco211]

It is Ereminas.

[Rookie ROX]

Looking spectacular JJ! It reminds me of watching that video of the production line, building a whole new Milano! Just with a heart that will eat your face!

Can't wait to see it in colour and kitted!

ROCK ON
R~R

[junglejustice]

Thanks - yeah - he's out of stock too - checked already...!

- I did manage to find a single one - that was all that I needed - It'll be here on Monday!

Any way, long day - surprised to find so much **** still bolted to the bottom of the car - seems like I got it all before sending the car out for body-prep.! (Fuel filter, fuel pump, old fuel lines, e-brake cable and then the brake hard-lines - those I did remember about...) Tore all of that crap out too!

Prepared the RSR rear bar - primered some of the little nicks and dings.... Also did some clean-up around the car and got jack-stands under it; that was it!

Did manage to hang the new RSRacing rear shocks! (With the adjustable setup, I wasn't comfortable mounting these upside-down for less unsprung weight - like I would on a non-adjustable shock.) C'est le Vie!

Also, I have some of the poly bushes from Andy here however, I don't like how they are thicker (taller) and not larger (wide) enough - just my personal choice. The stock ones here are good - me thinks - its nice, firm rubber, there's not a great deal of deflection and they seat better. I DO like MUCH of Andy's other parts though (like the UCA inner bush-set - great!)

I wish that he could get us these in a wider setup...

[junglejustice]

By the way; I forgot to mention that the raw shell - ABSOLUTELY nothing bolted to it anymore - no glass, no plastic, no rubber, no aluminium, no poly, no hoses, trim, bumpers or anything - Just the raw steel shell after the full roll-cage came in at only 752 pounds!

Looking back on this thread, we were at 690 before the cage, but that also still included the 4 pieces of glass in the rear door, the fuel pump, fuel filter, fuel lines, front and rear brake lines, steering column, e-brake handle and cable, door-lock solenoids, shifter, door-seals & window-trim and a few other tid-bits that probably weigh around 60 pounds total?

So the raw-raw shell BEFORE the cage was likely around 630 pounds. At 752 now, my powers of deduction would dictate a cage in the area of about 120 pounds or so!? (Not bad - considering that the forward sections extended in to the engine-bay with all of the boxing around the upper shock-mounts and the castor-rod mounts, the frame-support for the new radiator and the fuel-cell frame welded in to the trunk are all part of that number!)

Keep in mind that we used 1 5/8" with a .120 to .125 wall which weighs around 1.929 pounds per foot -

I'm happy - I was targeting a number below 800 pounds.

I am still hoping for the magic one ton number, but I dunno. A thousand kilos (2,200 pounds) before driver and fluids is pretty close from here - motor, headers, intakes, ECU and harness, tail-housing, alternator and starter are all 400 pounds all-together. The gearbox is 125, wheels and tires run 140-150, the suspension has to be 200 - including the DeDion, brakes must be another 100? Fuel cell, seats, wiring harness, lights and then all of the fiberglass and carbon fiber pieces - add another 200 pounds? Add plexi windows all of the way around plus a glass windshield, steering and column, shifter, door handles, brake lines, fuel lines, filter and pump, big gay wing, battery, fire system, Accusump system, radiator and oil-lines, drive-shaft etc - another 200-300 pounds at least!

I see a dry-weight of 2,200. (I'll take whatever I need to out of my own fat-arse to bring the car to 2,200 plus fluids plus what is left of me... )

[junglejustice]

This is a ****-load of work and I have to keep reminding myself that this is "only" a race car - not a ground-up restoration! (Although, I am running the risk of turning it in to one here fast...!)

Every little bracket, flange, lever, pedal, handle and screw; I am tempted to sand-blast and spray with my Wurths, but I have to stop! There is just too much!

[junglejustice]

I sand-blasted the 6 little plugs that go in the floor-boards (they all vibrated out with the banging and chipping and scraping to get the sound-proof materials off of he floor!)

Sand-blasted all of them and shot them black. Some silicone sealer and back in the holes they go. I'll seal them from the bottom later on as well!

Spray-painted the loud-pedal and set out all new hardware for everything!

Disassembled the pedal box COMPLETELY, solvent-tanked it all, sand-blasted the entire pedal-box (takes MUCH-MUCH time) and repainted it several coats! Cleaned, inspected and tested all of the little plastic bushings. They all seem fine, but does anyone even sell a re-bush-kit for the pedal-box!?

Before the pedal-box goes back in, it has to be converted to a tripple master setup and adjustable bias-bar (similar to what we did on Jes' car) without a booster - thank the LORD!

The brake-pedal cross-pin hole (to hold the master attachment) on this one was pretty ovaled-out too (just like on CChan's GTV6 and just like on every other Milano/GTV6/Alfetta pedal-box that I have ever looked at!) I am going to try something different here than what we did on Chuck's. Rather than drill the hole along with the corresponding hole in the new master larger, I am going to ask Keith to weld-up the hole in the pedal for me and re-drill it!

Also, cleaned up the new (rebuilt) 2.1:1 turns lock-to-lock converted Alfetta Spica steering rack that Jes sourced for us way back when! Sand-blasted the bracket, shot it black - the usual.

I also took apart and cleaned up the steering assembly! I went through my remaining selection of steering knuckles (we cut up some GTV6 and Alfetta pieces to make it work on Jes' rack for his 3.7 when G2 installed his setup! Interestingly enough, it appears at first glance that mine is fine and connects right up!? (Jes' had to be cut off right at the rack and an Alfetta/GTV6 coupler welded on!

Only problem is that mine has a sticking "notch" in the action of one of the movements on the bottom universal! Probably serious - binding a bit...? Steering. 160 mph. Turn 2.

[DonBeeson]

Luckily manual steering racks are relatively simple and by just taking your rack and pinion out (both gears out) by visual observation you should be able to find it.
The black looks good, its nice to see a glossy black instead of the flat black that is so commonly used.
Keep the pics coming!

[scott.venables]

Where on earth do you find an Alfetta with a 2.1 turns lock to lock rack
Or the rack and pinion to put into the Alfetta housing?