alfa twin cam

[Carter Hendricks]

On Sun, 7 Dec 1997, JOHN THACKER wrote:
> 
> I've GOT A Alfa 75 TWIN SPARK 2Lt TWIN CAM WITH BOSCH MOTRONIC 4.1 FUEL
> INJECTION THAT'S DONE 174000MILES

> WHAT DO YOU THINK

I think Alfas are wonderful, and that you are a lucky boy.

Most of my shop's work is in Alfa Romeo, albeit in the United States.
We find the cars survive forever, but once dismantled you'll find
terribly worn valve guides. On our 80degree heads the guides get so
sloppy that the valve spring package leans on the cam follower ID,
and deep frightening grooves are worn in by the retainers. Eventually
the converters get sleepy, or the valves fail to rotate and burn, but
they'll run near forever. Valve work gets expensive, as everything
needs to be replaced. Hint: don't use Alfa's valve guides.

Most of the mess up top will be well established before 100,000 miles.
At higher milages, the ring lands get sloppy so the pistons must
be renewed [if the car needs new rings, the pistons will be too worn
to take them].  

[This ability to run in what would have been a state of failure
some years back is, of course, another benefit of modern engine
management systems. For the most part Alfa's aren't better, or even
much different, than the old days with Weber carburetors, when valve
work and worn liners and sloppy pistons meant I was busy with lots
of engine work at not much more than 50,000 miles use].

				--Carter