[papajam]

Sometime during the production run of the Series 2 (I think) Spiders, Alfa switched from three spacer washers to a single spacer plate between the steering box and the chassis. Would someone be so kind as to either post a pic of the plate or measure the plate's thickness?

Thank you!!

 

[Tifosi]

You mean something like item #22? ('tis from an S3 though)

 

[papajam]

Affirmative. Item #22.

 

[Tifosi]

Hang on, I'll trot out and see if I can manage a thickness measurement.

 

[Tifosi]

As close as I could measure due to space constraints:

.198" ~ 5.029mm (likely 5mm flat at .1968" would be it, just for manufacturing simplicity)

 

[papajam]

Thank you, sir!

Now, how many extra plates are you willing to part with?

 

[Tifosi]

Extra?

What is this 'extra' you speak of?

I just have the one in mine and it's installed. (would there ever actually be a need for more?)

 

[kengta]

Sometime during the production run of the Series 2 (I think) Spiders, Alfa switched from three spacer washers to a single spacer plate between the steering box and the chassis. Would someone be so kind as to either post a pic of the plate or measure the plate's thickness?

Thank you!!

Hi Jim, I just loosened off the steering box from my 1976, 115, 1600 GTj and found 2 such spacers. Never seen them before on any other GTV. One spacer was between the box and the frame and the second was in the wheel well under the washers. At first I thought the one in the wheel well was a reinforcement only to discover that both are made of aluminum and are as pictured.

Do you want me to trace them, add a few dimensions and pdf the drawing for posting here??

Ciao

Ken

 

[papajam]

Thank you very much for your kind offer, Ken! The spacers are actually for a fellow Alfista in Australia so posting the dimensions would be a fabulous idea.

 

[FMD159]

Hi Jim, I just loosened off the steering box from my 1976, 115, 1600 GTj and found 2 such spacers. Never seen them before on any other GTV. One spacer was between the box and the frame and the second was in the wheel well under the washers. At first I thought the one in the wheel well was a reinforcement only to discover that both are made of aluminum and are as pictured.

Do you want me to trace them, add a few dimensions and pdf the drawing for posting here??

Ciao

Ken

hello ken...I am the aussie alfisti that has raised the question about these support plates with Papjam...Papajam has so graciously started this thread of which I am very grateful....!!!

I am doing a bumper to bumper grass roots restoration and noticed the that the steering box had 3 spacers when attached the the body of the engine bay...from studying the parts books i noticed item 22 and want to replace the spacers with this...of which i will need to reproduce...

so youre offer trace and put measurements would be FANTASTIC...I can pass these onto my pappa and he cant get cracking on reproducing this part for my car....and the rest of the alfa community will have now have a resolution to what I call another "L'ALFAISM" anomoly...

Are you sure they are aluminium?

 

[Bill S]

I've got one of these from a '79 spider I recently parted out. I can send it to Jim or to Australia, wherever it will do the most good.

 

[FMD159]

Bill I would be happy to take this off your hands....I am not sure though if it will suit a 69, GTV 1750 though? What do you think?

Therefore It would be great if Ken could still produce a quick drawing as well and post it on this thread....just to confirm...so that everyone else can have it as a reference.

I will send you a PM with my details......

I've got one of these from a '79 spider I recently parted out. I can send it to Jim or to Australia, wherever it will do the most good.

 

[kengta]

Are you sure they are aluminium?

They look like aluminum and smell like aluminum so must be aluminum.

The part is a die casting.

As I said in my earlier post, my 1976 1600 GTJ had 2 of these installed and they are different from each other with respect to the tab on one edge and they differ in thickness. As well each is tapered.

I will post dimensional info tomorrow.

Suggest someone look these up in a part book and see how many varriations there are.

FWIW

Ken

 

[Tifosi]

..... and prolly almost as imnportantly: why different thicknesses may be needed and what determines that demand?

Is it to accomidate for frame rail/steering box to idler box spacing from one side to the other, or to ensure that the centerlink is with X length after assembly, etc.? Is there one or more on the idler box to to center things, or is all spacer plate placement done on the steering box side? Is it to compensate for the diference in width of the ****pit on one side vs the other? (There has to be an actual reason for it rather than a 'just because' scenario)

 

[kengta]

Here is the pic and partial dimensional info on a drawing, in PDF format. I put a scale on the drawing so one could use a copier sizing feature to get a full scale from the PDF. The drawing is for the plate that goes between box and frame.

When the 2 tapered pieces are placed back to back they have a more or less constant combined thickness of 0.28 ". Note that my measurements vary slightly drawing to picture; I used a different vernier for each.

All-in-all I think these won't be easy to reproduce so if some one attempts it, do share.

FWIW

Ken

 

[FMD159]

thx...i understand that it is tapered at the ends but can you please advise what the main thickness is from the centre to the taper??

Here is the pic and partial dimensional info on a drawing, in PDF format. I put a scale on the drawing so one could use a copier sizing feature to get a full scale from the PDF. The drawing is for the plate that goes between box and frame.

When the 2 tapered pieces are placed back to back they have a more or less constant combined thickness of 0.28 ". Note that my measurements vary slightly drawing to picture; I used a different vernier for each.

All-in-all I think these won't be easy to reproduce so if some one attempts it, do share.

FWIW

Ken

 

[Bill S]

The plate that I have is the one that is on the right in Ken's picture. My measurements came within a couple thousandths of his. I don't know what would have happened to the other plate, I had stored this one with the steering box bolts threaded through it so I must have somehow missed the other plate when I removed the box.

 

[kengta]

thx...i understand that it is tapered at the ends but can you please advise what the main thickness is from the centre to the taper??

Hi Frank,

Each corner tapers in a flat plane to each of the other 2 corners. It is a complex part, not to be easily reproduced.

I suggest that you could start with a flat plate, of the minimum thickness corner and weld or braze on a washer at each other corner that would give the total thickeness required for that corner.

But as some responders have said there may be chassis to chassis variations. Do you have the washers that fell out of your chassis and know which went where? If so use that as a guide to making the plate.

Ciao

Ken

 

[FMD159]

Thx Ken

I really appreciate your feedback.

Just referring back to the .pdf picture you made. can you please confirm the radius measurement from the centre of the bolt hole to the plate edge curve, also are the bolt hole diameter 11.8mm (hard to read the handwriting)??

Hi Frank,

Each corner tapers in a flat plane to each of the other 2 corners. It is a complex part, not to be easily reproduced.

I suggest that you could start with a flat plate, of the minimum thickness corner and weld or braze on a washer at each other corner that would give the total thickeness required for that corner.

But as some responders have said there may be chassis to chassis variations. Do you have the washers that fell out of your chassis and know which went where? If so use that as a guide to making the plate.

Ciao

Ken

 

[kengta]

Thx Ken

I really appreciate your feedback.

Just referring back to the .pdf picture you made. can you please confirm the radius measurement from the centre of the bolt hole to the plate edge curve, also are the bolt hole diameter 11.8mm (hard to read the handwriting)??

Yes hole diameter is 11.8 mm, radius hole ctr. to edge is 12.1 mm.

ciao

Ken