[La Voce]

OK, so last Wednesday at the monthly Alfisti gathering Costas shows up- no one has seen him in more than a year. We ask, "Costas, where ya been, what's up?" and he says, "I have a '78 Alfetta on a trailer that's going to the crusher this Saturday- or it could go to someone here for four hundred dollars. Either way, it's leaving the front yard Saturday- to certain doom, or- well, gentlemen- it's up to one of you."
It's now in my garage.
And I gotta say, my wife is most amazing. When I came home and told her it was coming, she rolled her eyes and said "so this means I'm kicked out of the garage?" and I said, "umm, yes?" and she glared at me. But when the Alfetta showed up this morning she softened like butter in the Alabama sun. We rolled it off the trailer and pushed it in the garage (in her spot) and after the paperwork was signed with Costas- together my gal and I spent all **** day working on it. She cleaned every inch of that old Alfa while I worked the corrosion control issues. After nine hours of exhausting labor I looked at her and said, "so, it is kinda neat looking, huh?" and she responded, "yeah. It's kinda cool."
God, I love this woman.

 

[AR4me]

How cool is that! The dream wife - congrats. Oh yeah, nice car.
Jes

 

[La Voce]

It's Alive!

The yellow spotted dog is barking! After changing the oil, removing and cleaning out the fuel tank and replacing some dry rotted fuel hoses, flushing out the entire fuel system, cleaning and adjusting the Webers, replacing the coolant, and flushing and bleeding the brakes- the freshly painted wheels with new Falkens went back on and down off the jackstands she came. Rolled her back a few feet, spark plugs out and onto fifth gear. My wife, son and I pushed her forward to break the engine loose, then had to figure out where the plug wires go, as the distributor cap was not wired up- (THANKS AFABB, an invaluable source once again). My wife dremeled the crank pulley rust off while I rocked the car around until we found the "P" mark, and I wired her up. Time to start. After much coaxing with gumout used as a starter fluid/cleaner sprayed into the horns as my wife cranked her over- in a cacophony of backfire belches and occasional spits of flame through those beautiful air horns...SHE'S RUNNING!. Turn the key now and she fires up instantly and idles smoothly. Tap the accelerator though and return to idle is way too high (3,000 rpm), so still some tweaking to do, but we are thrilled. Fuel pressure gauge bought at the local auto parts store confirms the PO had installed a low pressure fuel pump, reads a perfect 3.5 psi for the Webers. Flushed the engine with Gunk add added a fuel system cleaner to help heal the Webers from their years of neglect. On to the next phase!

 

[Peter]

this is such a great story! Keep it coming......oh yeah, and congratulations are in order!!!

 

[Rumi Faizer]

Man,

Just needed to echo - great story.

 

[fetta78]

Alfetta GT's are coooool!!

.

 

[La Voce]

Thanks all, will do. Fetta 78 from looking at your thread looks like you are having fun yourself! If you want to lower her I can assist, just went through it with my Milano. Steep learning curve but once you break it it's OK. Major driveability disadvantage though, so before you lower it, look at the distance under the car between the pan and the ground, and decide if you can live with lower. There's not much trade space and scrapes are inevitable if you lower her.

 

[fetta78]

Thanks all, will do. Fetta 78 from looking at your thread looks like you are having fun yourself! If you want to lower her I can assist, just went through it with my Milano. Steep learning curve but once you break it it's OK. Major driveability disadvantage though, so before you lower it, look at the distance under the car between the pan and the ground, and decide if you can live with lower. There's not much trade space and scrapes are inevitable if you lower her.

I'll see what it looks like after I get that 3 piece fiberglass spoiler on the front end!!

Might not have to lower it, I certainly don't want to cuz I hear it's a pain and it's freakin' hott here...........

Can I have your carbs? I can sent ya a couple Spicas in exchange...........

.

 

[La Voce]

Umm, lessee, trade you my dual Webers with air horns for spica, hmm, umm, let me think....
NO!

And I wasn't trying to discourage you from lowering, just wanted you to be aware...I lowered my Milano and must take precautions now when driving it that I never had to think about prior to doing so, but as Clint once said, "a man's gotta know his limitations"....actually doing it - it's really not that bad, I've stumbled upon an adjustment method that is actually easy...once you get everything dissasembled and those @#$%^ torsion bars free from the frame. That's the bugger bear. PM me if ya wanna try it.

 

[La Voce]

Update: installed new brake master cylinder (NOTE see the picture, had a cap disentegrate, using a temp blue cap, anyone have one available?) installed new rubber brake hoses (waiting on the rear one- I'm in a backorder holding pattern). Also installed a new clutch master and slave cylinders ( I have a working clutch now!) and man, whatta pain in the ars&* that was! No way to get a 13mm wrench on the back side of the slave cylinder mounted to the transaxle so had to go with a second jam nut to secure her. Also replaced the dry rotted upper control arm bushings and man, whatta pain in the ars&* that was too! Who in the Sam Hill designed this thing? Obviously someone not concerned about ever replacing things! Twisted off the bleed valve inside the left front caliper but had a chance at salvaging the assembly using an extraction tool- then the extraction tool snapped off inside the caliper, sealing its fate Ah well, International has remans in stock for $100, so I guess I'm lucky there...also painted the BWAs and installed the center emblems. Demodded the air conditioning hose from the engine bay.

 

[fetta78]

I believe all your luck has fallen out of the horseshoe....ya know, the one you have mounted on the windshield wiper stud!

Wheels look great, I'll check out at the farm for a master cylinder cap next time I'm out there, ya might have to remind me though.......

Since the resurrection of my 'fetta I now have a fuel pressure light blinking at me, I believe I have a clogged filter, you might want to plan on changing that faily soon.

.

 

[La Voce]

Thanks Mark- every time I'd get discouraged all I needed to do was rub my lucky horseshoe No fuel pressure worries- dual Webers installed

 

[fetta78]

No fuel pressure worries- dual Webers installed

Uhhhhh, yeah.......that's right!
What I meant was AFTER you send me the Webers and I send you the Spica...yeah, that's it!!

.

 

[La Voce]

hmmm...need advice

OK, I have good brakes with new rubber hoses, clean fuel and a running car, BUT-
the clutch. I replaced the master and slave cylinders and hose, bled it out, and everything is 'working'- meaning, when the pedal is depressed, good resistance is felt, and the clutch fork at the transaxle is being deflected about 3/4 of full travel by the slave cylinder. However, the car acts as if there is no clutch operating at all. I get grinding when I attempt to put it in any gear at engine idle. I placed the car in reverse, clutch fully depressed, and bumped the starter and sure enough the car moved with the bump, so it appears the clutch is frozen to the pressure plate? How can that be if the clutch fork has good deflection when the pedal is pressed?
Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[fetta78]

If it's been sittin' a while they will freeze up. BUT, you can break 'er loose!

Start the car and get the engine good an warmed up, shut 'er down. Get the car somewhere that you can keep driving.......cuz you will put it in second gear, push the clutch in, and start the car!!

Of course the car will lurch forward and start, you will be driving with the clutch pedal pressed in, and it should break loose...when it does just remember you have the clutch pedal in and the revs will go up real quick!!!!

I've done it two or three times in my life, it's a wierd feeling.....but it works.

.

 

[fetta78]

If it's been sittin' a while they will freeze up. BUT, you can break 'er loose!

Start the car and get the engine good an warmed up, shut 'er down. Get the car somewhere that you can keep driving.......cuz you will put it in second gear, push the clutch in, and start the car!!

Of course the car will lurch forward and start, you will be driving with the clutch pedal pressed in, and it should break loose...when it does just remember you have the clutch pedal in and the revs will go up real quick!!!!

I've done it two or three times in my life, it's a wierd feeling.....but it works.

.

.......and I aint just makin' this up!!!

http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/showthread.php?t=25246&highlight=frozen+clutch

http://www.alfabb.com/bb/forums/showthread.php?t=43330&highlight=frozen+clutch

.

 

[La Voce]

Thanks! Will give it a try today and let you know.

 

[La Voce]

Rats. No dice. Started her up in first gear, clutch in, lurched forward and proceeded to drive about a mile and a half through my neighborhood- with the clutch in. Tried rapid throttle blips up to about 4,000 rpm, and pumping the clutch pedal numerous times. It did not break free. Back up on jackstands, I looked underneath and saw no access to the clutch to pry it from the pressure plate with a tool. Am I giving up too soon, does it take several attempts and several miles of driving to break a frozen clutch loose-or is time to drop the transaxle and take the clutch assembly out?
I fear the latter.
I sense dirty fingernails for months.

 

[Oelholm]

I remember an old Jeremy Clarkson column,where he wrote about his GTV6 he was about to sell. It had a stuck clutch as well. He jammed a broom stick in between the front seat and the pedal, and after a few days it let go. Give it a try?
If it works, I guess it's a Clarkson first: giving useful mechanical advice

 

[fetta78]

Never heard of one not breaking free......but that doesn't mean much!

I would try it again, I don't believe it causes any damage but ya might want to see if anyone else chimes in on that.

.