I think the main difference is the sump, and the compression ratio, which is lower. Correct me if I am wrong, but this was to better handle the fuel that was about in the late seventies. The Alfetta engine may also have a desireable electronic ignition.

Back on the sump though, it may have a 105 sump. I'm not sure if you can fit an Alfetta sump over a 105 cross member. Again, that's not definetive but its a start.

 

swap

One difference would be the pilot shaft in the crank......the crank was pulled from your current engine and either modified to except the 115/105 series trans or the original crank was fitted to the alfetta block. I did this swap a few years ago and the machine shop charged me for two drill bits that were destroyed in the proccess of drilling out the pilot shaft!! Nitrided cranks are tuff! The oil pump and oilpan were also swapped for the earlier units. The cylinder head may or may not have made the swap....... If your really concerned look at the front cam caps, later heads sometimes lacked the mulitple degree marks. I would be MORE concerned about the condition of the engine than what it came out of. (oil pressure, leak down test, what cams and pistons are in it, etc......) T.H.

 

Yes, true. The main concern is the condition of the engine. You're in Perth, do you use Ciliberti?

 

On the crankshaft pilot bushing: Some Alfetta engines were built with cranks that had the pilot bushing hole already drilled in them. Then its the same crank as in the other 2 liter engines. For use in the Alfetta I think they did not install the sintered bronze bushing. You probably have one of these; otherwise he would have had to disassemble the entire alfetta engine to pull the crank and have it drilled.

It's also possible that he swapped many of the other external components, such as FI, alternator, etc. Almost certainly you have your original GTV oil sump - the Alfetta one will not fit in the chasis.

What CR the alfetta engine depends on where it came from. Cams may be the only noticable performance affecting issue.

Robert

 

I dont think anyone here in Australia would go to great lengths to fit an Alfetta engine to a 105, so it must have had a crank with the pilot bushing hole already drilled in. Robert is right about the external components, except that we never had fuel injected Alfettas here in Australia.

 

If it was originally a carburated alfetta, it may be nearly identical to the engine that came out, CR, cams and all, save for the external mechnical bits. And likely those that differed from the GTV were swapped.

The only external bit that might show it was an Alfetta would be the cam cover. Unless that was swapped too.

Robert

 

I use Celliberti (are they good? Have been reasonably impressed so far).
Got them to have a look over it after I brought it, which was when Leo said it looks like an Alfetta engine. He checked valve timing etc etc, and everything appeared ok, so pretty sure the Alfetta engine was overhauld/look at before putting into the car. (So why didn't they just overhaul the original engine? I don't know)

The PO did something dodgy with the mating with the engine and the gearbox. Not sure what you mean by the pilot shaft, but the Alfa mechanic said there was dodgy drilling going on. Accessories - carbs/ignition appear to be original, so think it was just the engine put in the car.

Was the different compression ratio acheieved by different crank shaft and/or pistons? Or a different head thickeness?

Having the Alfetta engine, will it affect the value of the car by much?

 

Ciliberti are good. Leo and Rino looked after my Alfasud, Fiats 124 and mulitple 500's for me for a few years.

Value-wise, myself and people I know would stay away from a car with an Alfetta engine because we're into originality, or at least original replacement. But, if the car is solid and the body is good and trim and fittings are complete, then there are worse things than finding a 116 motor in a 105.

Different c/ratio was achieved by different thickness of the head I THINK. I know that Alfetta heads are different from 105s but one of the more tech-certified BBers will have to expand on that.

Got pics of the car?

 

In the US there is no difference in the head except that right behind the #4 spark plug, there is an electrical temp switch screwed into that big water plug. It's for an overtemp light or something. The combustion chambers are all the same. The cams were milder for emissions, but that's all. We got Alfettas from 1975 - 1979 only though. In 1981, they gave us only GTV6s.

 

I have put a 2ltr 116 engine out of a 78 car into my sprint gt. Fully stripping the engine the crank was machined to take the new bushing and gearbox shaft. The rest of the componets just swapped ouver startermotor flywheel [ had to redrill crank] carbs dizzy ect . I still have the original 1600 engine crated up. But i personally think its great with the extra horses up front .

 

Re Input bushing:

The Alfetta engine's flywheel bolted directly to the driveshaft, with the clutch and transmission in the back of the car. In the 105 chassis, the clutch is on the flywheel with the transmission and its bellhousing right behind that. The input shaft of the transmission goes forward from the tx thru the splines of the clutch disc. Then it continues about 20 mm into a hole in the end of the crankshaft, to keep it all aligned. There is a bushing that is pressed into this hole in the end of the crankshaft that is made of a self lubricating stintered bronze for the tip of the tx input shaft.

Most Alfetta cranks didn't have this bushing, or the hole drilled to take it. However, some did, probably built from parts common to the other engines. If it had the hole in it, it was a no-brain swap. To put an engine without the hole in a 105 chassis, it must be drilled, and it must be done accurately or the shaft will vibrate wildly. It's easy enough to do on a mill with the crank out and nearly impossible with the crank in the block. If the car doesn't shake like a wet dog, they probably got it right.

If the engine was built as a carburated one in your country, it'll have the same CR as most other alfa engines. They adjusted for fuel issues with cam timing and ignition timing.

Robert