[SpiderWebb]

I have the 1981 Spider with the mono-farfalla, single butterfly, SPICA FI. Is there a document or publication with part numbers, tool names/numbers/explanations, and maintenance and/or setup specifications? From what I have read on the bb, there are even special tools needed to work on it.

Wes Ingram’s SPICA book is wonderful, but the mono-farfalla is not discussed. I only found out what it was called, and how rare it is, by reading Pat Braden’s Alfa Romeo Owners Bible.

Any links or info would be a great help. The Internet is not cooperating with this obscure bit of Alfa Trivia. Well, it's not trivial to me! The State of California wants me to pass my smog inspection before the end of the month. I found a mechanic that knows Alfa's, but anything I can bring to the party will be helpful.

Thanks again.

 

[144]

Send me an PM with an email address capable of receiving a large file and I'll try and send you some 81 Spica tech material.

 

[SpiderWebb]

Thanks Roadtrip. Awsome stuff!

 

[SpiderWebb]

My son and I have cleaned up the engine bay and put everything back. It looks pretty good for not painting or cleaning much of anything.

I just wish it would start. Much backfiring going on, with a phutt phuutt BANG phutt phutt, etc.

We have changed out the filters and a few of the fuel line hoses. However, I think one is still bent too much and causing fuel starvation. It looks to me like the PO or his mechanic reversed one of the hard lines under there. Hoses do not line up and kinks are a result, even with new hoses and clamps.

Maybe the tank needs to be drained and cleaned. I have a new fuel sock for it.

Oh well. I'll get it going. One step at a time. I am really enjoying this thing.

 

[144]

On the fuel line routing, the supply should go into the rear port of the injection pump and the return line out the front port.

If you're getting backfiring, check the ignition firing order. The injection pump will not ordinarily cause backfiring. You might want to double check the injection pump timing.

 

[john.harrill]

Are the hard lines the same for the monofarfalle as the earlier Spicas?

If so, and you have one crimped/compromised, I would replace it. They are often sold on ebay.

 

[SpiderWebb]

Thanks Roadtrip.

The line into and out of the SPICA are correctly oriented. However, the old rubber fuel line probably needs to be replaced.

The issue I am speaking of is the rear most hard line from the rear filter to the main fuel pump near the trunk. I thought I was imagining things when I saw the alignment of the hard line and pump. The rubber hose in-between was kinked. I replaced the line with a much longer piece of rubber hose creating a kind of big loop to try and avoid the kink. It was too much of a misalignment and a kink developed anyway.

By the way, note to all prospective fuel line tinkerers; I nearly caught myself, my car and house on fire. I was working under the car with tall jackstands, at night, and a drop light. A drop of fuel flipped from the hose I was wrangling off the line landing ON THE DROP LIGHT BULB and it sizzled, smoked and stunk up the joint causing major panic and a rethinking of what in the heck I was doing! I had ben laying in a small pool of gas that had fallen while working with the lines. From then on, I had my son stand off at a distance with the light, instead of being on the ground nearby. I also positioned a fire extinguisher within arms reach and kept the garage door open in case I needed to push the whole shootin' match out into the street just in case it caught fire.

I am certain the PO or PO’s mechanic must have removed the entire thing at one point and put it back in reverse. It causes a permanent misalignment and kink at the pump. I will remove the line and flip it around next week to test my hypothesis. If I’m right, I deserve a gold star on my report card.

John, thanks for the tip regarding the hard line. I do not know if the monofarfalla is any different than the earlier ones. This is my first Alfa, and I have only had it for a few months. If I need new hard line, I’ll hunt it down there. As my son says, “Cool Beans”.

Roadtrip, regarding the High Tension Plug Wires being put on wrong, I could have swore I put them on right. But I suppose I have mechanics dyslexia on occasion and might have goofed it up. I’ll carefully recheck it.

Much of this will have to wait until my life is back on an even keel. My 18 year old son was injured in an accident and is laid up in the hospital. Thank God he’s alive. The Alfa is a little thing we like to talk about as a future goal when he gets out of here. Well, that and getting back to Cal Poly Pomona as a Mechanical Engineering student.

Thanks for the tips. We have plenty of ideas to futz around with now.