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4:10 diff in 2L GTV

6K views 34 replies 18 participants last post by  giulia_veloce 
#1 ·
finished it all up and have been driving it for a week or so. Granted, the motor is tired so put that up front.

I live in San Diego and Im half the time on freeway, half on surface streets. I say it is nice to be able to get through an intersection before shifting into second with the taller 4:10. Downside, The car now lacks even more pep than before (engine is tired!) but still I did not think it would be like this. Can barely get into 5th on the freeway before I'm passing everything ---- slow to accelerate / laggy at 3200 RPM. Speedo is WAY off (gotta be more than 10% I think). I have a decent street motor ready to go in but wanted to get views from others that have a GTV with 4:10 -- I think this car is slower than my 1750 spider with 4:10. !!!I did a refresh of the 4:56 in case it needs to go back in the GTV...... or spider for that matter!
Maybe I will get used to being in 4th most of the time?

Thanks!
bob
 
#2 ·
The car now lacks even more pep than before (engine is tired!) but still I did not think it would be like this. Can barely get into 5th on the freeway
I'd say the issue is your engine. I've got a 4.10 and a 2L in my Sprint, and like you, do much of my driving on the freeway. Just this morning, I had it on the 73 toll road (which is pretty hilly) heading to Cars & Coffee. It climbed the hills with no difficulty in 5th, at freeway speeds (roads are pretty quiet at 6:30 am on a Saturday). My 2L isn't particularly tuned, but is running well.
 
#3 ·
I have a Euro 1750 with stock 4.10 diff. I think it is great. I can go as slow as 30mph in 5th and still accel slowly. Climbs reasonable hills in 5th above 50mph. and I have 205/60/15s.
 
#5 ·
I had a 410 and went back to the 454. It's an individual thing and personal preference. If I drove on the freeway more it might be for me. I have a fairly modified motor with plenty of power and the 454 shows it better for the way I drive.
 
#7 ·
At our altitude, we need all the extra help we can get.

I've tried GTVs with the 4.10 but is seems to really kill 2nd and 3rd gear acceleration. At sea level, this may not be as much of an issue at all.
 
#8 ·
For some reason I'll never know people especially in pickup trucks want to bait me into contests of acceleration. I'm happy to oblige some of them and that's where the 454 shines. :)
Now that I have a Giulia we'll see if it continues?
 
#10 · (Edited)
Guess I just have to be a naysayer . . . 4.10's were oem on 1750 GTV's. My European model '70 GTV had one and I quite liked the longer gears the lower ratio. I hated the way the 4.56 gears in my '67 GTV made first gear so short. While acceleration in 4th was a bit slower with the 4.10, I just learned to go down to 3rd when I needed acceleration. You couldn't comfortably do that with the 4.56 but you could with the 4.10. I drove my '70 GTV as a daily driver for almost a decade and alwyas felt that the ratios of the stock box fitted the 4.10 better. Some people opt for a 4.30 rear end whcih was oem for Euroean Berlinas and are said to tighten things up a bit. Of course---ahem---the final solution to Alfa gear-ratios is to fit a close-ratio gearset. 1st is a looong 2.54 (plus or minus) with 2nd and 3rd much closer together. I have a c/r box that I've had for a long time installed in my 2 liter Super. Even with the tight 4.77 rear end intended for a 1.3 engine, the c/r box works perfectly well. With that long 1st gear I never run out of gear even with the 4.77.
 
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#11 ·
It's kind of hard to be a naysayer when it's purely a personal preference. Or are you just trying to start a fight:) btw with the time it takes you to downshift to third I've mashed it and left you in the dust.
 
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#13 ·
I must say this sounds surprising. The 2 litre engines are more about torque than power, they happily cope with 4.1 diff ratios. Even the 1750s do if everything else is operating normally. Mind you this is based on my experience with non-US cars.
 
#14 ·
I always felt with the 410 I wasn't using the car the way it was designed. But my point is I've tried both and prefer the 454 and tried to go out of my way to say it's purely a personal preference. Neither one is better than the other. I've even used the shift time argument in favor of a 410 like in a drag race to sixty there was one less shift for the 410 vs the 454 and not having to waste time shifting the 410 would win. Jim and myself are just funnin'.
 
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#19 ·
Thanks all! I appreciate the various perspectives (but admittedly I have NO IDEA what guillotine is saying). I drove it again this morning and maybe I can get used to it : but first things first is to swap the rebuilt motor in and see how she goes. A front end rebuild is on tap for GTV as well as are cigarette seals and brake booster in the spider, and who knows what else! So much to do, I just need to stay motivated to tackle these.
 
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#20 ·
When I got my car, a 1600 Junior, but with a 2L engine, it had the 4.55 non-LSD axle. It was fun, but the ratio did seem to short for the motorway and it would go up through the gears like a demented puppy.

When I had a half shaft break, I took the opportunity to upgrade to a 4.1 LSD axle. The LSD is great - no more sitting spinning one wheel at junctions. The longer gearing has changed the character of the car - more grown up, better on the motorway, but still fun on the back rounds. The change even brought the speedometer closer to reality

I can see why some think the 4.3 is the optimum
 
#23 ·
So as an aside many years ago I had a few 105's around, one of which was an old and tired 1750 Berlina. We called it the Bathtub. One thing led to another, for a while it ended up with a 2-litre engine with 1.3 Junior gearbox and the original 4.3 diff. As many will know the Junior gearbox has a lower (I think .83) 5th rather than the .79 of the larger engined cars. It also ran 195/60 14" tyres which we bought cheaply as 'blems' from a club member who owned a tyre shop and had access to cast offs from the local Dunlop plant. 'Blem' means 'blemish', i.e. 2nd quality but serviceable.

Anyway, I used that car as a tow car for our Junior track car that the gearbox came out of (we called that car the Rocket) and the combination was great. On the open road it would hum along really well with the Junior and tandem trailer on the back, with good mileage and hills were not an issue. Point is, small 'number' differences on paper can have a real impact in the real world.

Sorry for going a little off topic. Seemed related when I started typing :smile2:.
 
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#24 ·
After doing a little mountain run near Malibu yesterday, it became apparent that the 4.10 needs to take a walk... anyone have a good 4.54 laying around?
 
#25 ·
Having spent many an hour driving 2 litre GTV’s around mountain / twisty / hilly roads that sounds to me like your missing a few urgs in the go compartment. A 2 litre engine mit 4:1 should be able to pull up any incline at sea level without complaint.
 
#27 ·
I would venture to guess there was no real complaint from the 410'ed GTV in the mountains but rather just not the snap to be had from a 454.
 
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