No. Get a Squadra chip and you'll pretty much get the most power that engine can make without more extensive mods.

 

Thank you. I’ll check out the Squadra chip.

 

The reasoning here is simple. The FI engines have designed in features that will effect performance with Weber conversions. If you are building a street or race performance engine from scratch, many of the FI engine build features disappear. SPICA conversion to Weber requires a bit less engine modification, but EFI involves computer wiring harness changes and so much more one is better off building a performance EFI engine.... or just adding a performance chip.

 

That, and the Motronic system is really quite good. It's not leaving a lot of power on the table (again, unless you're looking to make more major engine mods, at which point you'd be better off with programmable EFI anyway). What power it leaves you can get a little more of with the chip, which basically just runs the timing and WOT fueling a bit more aggressively (trading off operating margins for torque).

Many moons ago I went to a talk by Wes Ingram where he said "the best fueling system for your Alfa is the one it came with", which is generally sound advice*

*advice not valid for '80 or '81 Spiders

 

The most basic question is one of cost/benefit analysis.

Here are some questions to consider:

How much is your car worth?

How much would conversion to Webers cost?

How much performance would your car gain from converting it to Webers?

How would the conversion to Webers impact the value of your car, if at all?

However, what I think you are really asking is how to get a little more sports car growl. I think that for less you've already spent on your exhaust system (which will definitely help with the sound) you might consider a different air intake system. Intake sound (if not TOO loud*) will give you want you want in terms of growl, and the Squadra chip will give more snap to your power band.


*Determining what is TOO LOUD is a function of balancing inverse relationship of decibels and age. You may need to include the 'girl friend factor' or the 'wife constant' In your calculations.

 

However, what I think you are really asking is how to get a little more sports car growl. I think that for less you've already spent on your exhaust system (which will definitely help with the sound) you might consider a different air intake system.

Not a super great way to do that on the S4 that I know of. You could likely get a bit more engine sound by fitting a cone air filter but those don't filter very well. Probably opening up the bottom of the stock airbox would do the same thing. Either way you'd want to add some ducting or something from the front so you're not sucking hot air.

Thinking about it, replacing the rubber intake hose to the airbox with a custom aluminum job would probably give more engine noise due to less sound damping, but you'd need to add some flex somewhere between the engine and the airbox to account for movement. Don't know if anyone's ever done that.

 

Thank you for all recommendations. I think the chip is the biggest bang for the buck to get a more sporty performance out of my series 4 Spider.
Has anyone installed such a chip?
Squadra manual explains the process well, but things might go wrong.

SQUADRA SAID: This is a little difficult. The computer exists out of two layers. Press the two layers out off their slots with your thumbs and two fingers gently. When this doesn’t work then watch the construction to see what must happen and try again.

 

it's all very simple to insert the chip.
just go carefully, don't force things. Bend those tabs slowly going all the way around bit by bit.

a vid here using a porsche ECU shows how to separate those halves if the "thumbs" method doesn't work for you: There are two plastic towers, and they are the opposite ways up so if you use the pry with a screwdriver method that he did you need to follow this (watch the video) -

the chip itself you pry up gently a bit at a time from both ends

be sure to put the chip in the correct way! It goes in either way, one doesn't work and you'll be opening it all up again (I know that now)
https://www.alfabb.com/threads/squadra-chip-installation.681052/#post-8422862

protect your old chip in the little chip box they give you.

 

Thank you, the video will help.

 

Yeah, just go slow and it's not that tough. Probably a good idea to use a wrist grounding strap, or at least ground yourself before/during the work (if you search online you can find details on this).

When you pry the chip out try to lift evenly from both sides so you don't bend the pins. As Dom mentioned note the chip orientation: if you look at the existing chip it'll have a notch on one end indicating pin #1, you want to match that to the Squadra chip.

After you install the chip you'll want to use 93 octane gas (AKI US, or 98 RON rest of the world). The chip adds timing advance so it increases the engine's octane requirement.

 

I would like to add a small contribution here.
Please note that in Europe (or at least in many european Countries including Italy), there were 1.6 and 2 litre carburetted series 3 and 1.6 series 4 spiders, and when offered with Weber, these were DCOM, not DCOE. This was because somewhen between 1983 and 1984 Weber optimized the design of its carburettors and the biggest difference/improvement was the use of the same acceleration pump mechanism of the Solex ADDHE and Dell'Orto DHLA. So when equipped with Webers, Alfa Spider (series 3 and 4), Alfa 75 and Alfa 90 had DCOM.
Camshafts, pistons and distributors were also different between carburetted and Motronic spiders.

 

"Camshafts, pistons and distributors were also different between carbureted and Motronic spiders."

Great quote from above. As I said earlier, a CORRECT Weber conversion is NOT inexpensive! You can, but should not, just bolt a pair of emission Webers to a converted SPICA manifold and call it a "CONVERSION"!
I only write this, again ,due to my frustration from trying to make cheaply done conversions run correctly. Amazing how many owners of converted FI cars don't believe this! It always starts out the same..
" My Webers need a rebuild"

Well, maybe not... Did you buy that car this way????
This is only from my own experiences over many years.

 

So true! Also amazing that many owners complicate the things putting carburettors different from the ones specified by Alfa

 

the smaller S4 also came with dellorto
but not sure which type.

 

Interesting picture! They were for sure DHLA😉!
Dell'Orto was the most recent and therefore modern of the trio, therefore combined the best features of the DCOE and DDH (and added its own contribution, that's to say finer jets spacing and improved aerodynamics auxiliary Ventury, because Dell'Orto had single strut fuel nozzle, while Weber and Solex had double struts one).
Then of course there were different letters, but DHLA design remained consistent from 1970 to 1992.
Solex switched from DDH to ADDHE somewhen in 1974.
Weber switched from DCOE to DCOM between 1983 and 1984.
All of them excellent equally performing Carburettors which, as Gordon and I mentioned, need their dedicated pistons, camshafts and ignition parts to work properly.

 

I had a 1993 Spider IV series cat majorly serviced a few months ago.
Among the various parts replaced (car with 23,000 original km but with 30 years on the seals) I replaced the 4 Bosch injectors with injectors of the same type but made today. The key difference is the fuel flow created. The originals make the classic "umbrella" while those of today have micro nozzles that atomize the mixture.
The difference, especially in the delivery curve, is decidedly better; in the case of this car it seemed to me that I had carried out an involuntary tuning.
If I had then added the Romeo Ferraris chip and a decat exhaust (Euro 1, therefore useless...) the improvement would have been multiplied.
My 2 cents.

 

I replaced the 4 Bosch injectors with injectors of the same type but made today. The key difference is the fuel flow created. The originals make the classic "umbrella" while those of today have micro nozzles that atomize the mixture.
The difference, especially in the delivery curve, is decidedly better; in the case of this car it seemed to me that I had carried out an involuntary tuning.
If I had then added the Romeo Ferraris chip and a decat exhaust (Euro 1, therefore useless...) the improvement would have been multiplied.

as a matter of interest what injectors were they? do you remember part number or make?

I had not heard of the romeo ferraris chip but their claims are impressive, 12 horsepower and 22 Nm.
"Con la riprogrammazione della centralina della Alfa Romeo SPIDER 2.0 i 126 cv, la potenza viene aumentata di 12 cavalli, la coppia iniziale pari a 166 Nm viene incrementata di 22 Nm, e quindi l’accelerazione 0-100 Km/h dagli originali 10.3 s passa a 9.9 s , il risultato in termini di velocità massima teorica è il passaggio dagli originali 192 Km/h a 197 Km/h in funzione degli allestimenti."

 

Exactly the same Bosch number! I seem to remember buying them in the UK but I can't swear...

 

A plug & play component doesn't exist that I know of. OKP supplied it in the past but I don't know if it still has it in stock.
Otherwise you have to adapt yours by cutting away the tub or opening it at the top and emptying it. But then with the regulations (...) I don't know how you will be placed...
As road shock absorbers I always install adjustable yellow Koni; I did this on the Duetto which I had serviced and it goes very well without losing comfort.
When I also change the springs, however, I fit the Bilstein ones even if the yellow Koni ones are fine in that situation too.
All material available from OKP if you are comfortable buying in Germany.

 

For example here:

Iniettori COMPATIBILI Bosch 0280150764 Alfa Romeo 75 3.0 V6 1.6 IE 1.8 IT, 90 | eBay

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