[Guy]

Hi,

Looking for a few moments under the hood of a 2000 Spider Touring (1959) recently, I noticed that the front area of the head (where my GTV’s head had the gorgeous ‘Alfa Romeo’ text) has also ‘something’ that looks like a script… but I couldn’t decipher the text… or isn’t it?
Thanks
Guy

 

[franco-veloce]

1-2-4-3

it is the iginition timing

rgds Franco

 

[DPeterson3]

Franco,

You are having fun with our new visitor.

Don

 

[sdubi]

Hi all,

This is my first thread hijack, but since the original question has been answered, I suppose it is OK.

I notice three things in Franco's head shot. First, this head has various threaded plugs instead of the usual (?) welded areas. Second, the script is located on the vertical face of the head, rather than on top of the timing chain tunnel, which seems more standard. Third (and I hope I am mistaken), it looks like the front left corner (lower right side of photo) of the head appears to be broken off. I noticed this because mine has the same affliction-probably caused by overtightening the head-block bolt on that corner. Which leads to some questions...

1. Assuming there was a change from weldments to plugs (rather than usual arbitrary Alfa randomness), when did this change occur?

2. Ditto for the script location. Just wondering if these details can be used to approximate the date of manufacture.

3. Is this failure of the corner of the head common? I have obtained a spare head with plugs (my original from '59 is welded) and this one seems a bit more robust in this questionble area.

4. How does one determine how much a 102 head has been skimmed? I know this question is completely unrelated, but since we are talking heads here...

Thanks,
Steve

 

[DPeterson3]

There is a casting version with a script written on top that is not the firing order, but which translates as "order of firing" or similar. I assumed Franco was teasing the original poster. I'll go look at my engines tomorrow to remind myself what it says. It's something like "Something Scoppio". I forget at the moment.

 

[Guy]

Yes, as Don P pointed (thanks ) I refer to the horizontal (non firing order) text on the cam cover.

 

[twoliterlover]

"Ordine scarpioni" = firing order

(Or something like that) On VERY early heads the Italian casted words for "firing order" appear -- sometimes not even in decent and readable letters-- followed by 1.2.4.3. This is NOT the common firing order of the common more modern four cylinder engines. That is NOT a stupid question.

 

[58_spyder]

Ordine scoppio

(Or something like that) On VERY early heads the Italian casted words for "firing order" appear -- sometimes not even in decent and readable letters-- followed by 1.2.4.3. This is NOT the common firing order of the common more modern four cylinder engines. That is NOT a stupid question.

Jay is close,

Please find attached the pics of my engine, I read it as:
ORDINE SCOPPIO (order of firing)
followed by the order
1243

Yeah, I need to clean up the mess underneed the bonnet and install the fusebox covers that I got from Herve...

regards,

Jelle

 

[twoliterlover]

Sometimes they are REALLY hard to read.

And I might also comment that the head comes Krinkle finish.

 

[Guy]

Great images - just what I was looking for. Thank you all guys.