Pre-Purchase Inspection of a SPICA Injected Alfa, Part 1 of 3
Pre-Purchase Inspection of a SPICA Injected Alfa
The first thing the prospective owner should ask is a question to himself . . . . . “Should I buy a SPICA injected Alfa, or a carbureted or Bosch L-Jetronic/Motronic model?” In my opinion you should only consider buying a SPICA injected Alfa if you have a good knowledge of engine mechanics and are willing to invest some intellectual capital in learning to tune and service the system yourself. As an alternative, you might ensure that you have access to a competent Alfa mechanic who is proficient in the SPICA system. And, by the way, a good SPICA technician is hard to find. So, if your not very mechanically inclined and don’t want to learn, I would recommend a later model Electronic Fuel Injected L-Jetronic or Motronic injected Alfa.
Buying an Alfa for the first time is likely an emotional event. The purpose of this guide is to give some knowledge and confidence in assessing the serviceability of the fuel injection system. A 30 year old automobile is not going to be perfect, nor should your approach be to pick it apart to the owner. Using this guide can help give you an idea as to the serviceability of the fuel injection system and the approximate costs of needed replacement parts. In making an objective assessment, don’t look at the car from an emotional standpoint, but instead, more like a mechanic would.
Buying a car which you know almost nothing about can be a daunting proposition. This is especially true of a SPICA injected Alfa Romeo. Mechanical fuel injection was used only on a handful cars with gasoline engines. Further, most of those mechanical fuel injection systems were not nearly as complicated or finely designed as the SPICA system. Several critical parts of the SPICA injection pump are fit to very fine tolerances (millionths of an inch) and can prematurely wear out-of-limits if poorly maintained. A well-maintained injection pump should last 100,000 miles or more. Running the car out of fuel, chronically insufficient fuel pressure, failure to refresh lubricating oil, and allowing corrosion to take over, will all cause a dramatic lowering of that expected operational life. On the other hand, ensuring that filters and oil are routinely refreshed, ensuring fuel pressure is good, and adding an upper cylinder lubricant like Marvel Mystery Oil to gasoline, will probably extend the life of the pump tens of thousands of miles. Also, in preparation of buying any Alfa, reading Pat Braden’s standard reference on Alfa’s is a must . . . The Alfa Romeo Owner’s Bible.
To help in the search for a good example, listed here are inspection points for general assessment of the SPICA Fuel Injection System. An inspection as comprehensive as this guide, will take a little time. Also, practically speaking, a typical, "non-Alfisti" seller may not allow such an invasive inspection. A knowledgeable Alfa seller should be able to easily answer these questions and give you a level of confidence in your purchase. Be sure to tell the seller to have the engine "cold" when you arrive to look at the car.
The two most important aspect of buying a SPICA injected Alfa are:
1. How the car is running?
2. Is the pump is worn to the point of leaking fuel into the oil sump?
Other general questions you should ask yourself are:
1. How is the rest of the car cleaned and maintained?
2. Is the engine compartment dirty? If it is, chances are the FI system wasn't well maintained either.
Pre-Purchase Inspection of a SPICA Injected Alfa
The first thing the prospective owner should ask is a question to himself . . . . . “Should I buy a SPICA injected Alfa, or a carbureted or Bosch L-Jetronic/Motronic model?” In my opinion you should only consider buying a SPICA injected Alfa if you have a good knowledge of engine mechanics and are willing to invest some intellectual capital in learning to tune and service the system yourself. As an alternative, you might ensure that you have access to a competent Alfa mechanic who is proficient in the SPICA system. And, by the way, a good SPICA technician is hard to find. So, if your not very mechanically inclined and don’t want to learn, I would recommend a later model Electronic Fuel Injected L-Jetronic or Motronic injected Alfa.
Buying an Alfa for the first time is likely an emotional event. The purpose of this guide is to give some knowledge and confidence in assessing the serviceability of the fuel injection system. A 30 year old automobile is not going to be perfect, nor should your approach be to pick it apart to the owner. Using this guide can help give you an idea as to the serviceability of the fuel injection system and the approximate costs of needed replacement parts. In making an objective assessment, don’t look at the car from an emotional standpoint, but instead, more like a mechanic would.
Buying a car which you know almost nothing about can be a daunting proposition. This is especially true of a SPICA injected Alfa Romeo. Mechanical fuel injection was used only on a handful cars with gasoline engines. Further, most of those mechanical fuel injection systems were not nearly as complicated or finely designed as the SPICA system. Several critical parts of the SPICA injection pump are fit to very fine tolerances (millionths of an inch) and can prematurely wear out-of-limits if poorly maintained. A well-maintained injection pump should last 100,000 miles or more. Running the car out of fuel, chronically insufficient fuel pressure, failure to refresh lubricating oil, and allowing corrosion to take over, will all cause a dramatic lowering of that expected operational life. On the other hand, ensuring that filters and oil are routinely refreshed, ensuring fuel pressure is good, and adding an upper cylinder lubricant like Marvel Mystery Oil to gasoline, will probably extend the life of the pump tens of thousands of miles. Also, in preparation of buying any Alfa, reading Pat Braden’s standard reference on Alfa’s is a must . . . The Alfa Romeo Owner’s Bible.
To help in the search for a good example, listed here are inspection points for general assessment of the SPICA Fuel Injection System. An inspection as comprehensive as this guide, will take a little time. Also, practically speaking, a typical, "non-Alfisti" seller may not allow such an invasive inspection. A knowledgeable Alfa seller should be able to easily answer these questions and give you a level of confidence in your purchase. Be sure to tell the seller to have the engine "cold" when you arrive to look at the car.
The two most important aspect of buying a SPICA injected Alfa are:
1. How the car is running?
2. Is the pump is worn to the point of leaking fuel into the oil sump?
Other general questions you should ask yourself are:
1. How is the rest of the car cleaned and maintained?
2. Is the engine compartment dirty? If it is, chances are the FI system wasn't well maintained either.