My New Track Hack: Project Alfa

[Smity42]

blue. 243 "new and improved" or someshit. Good for up to 180deg.

[Smity42]

Mmmm... sexy:

Bit bigger than stock, which has a 70mm opening:

Looks like it will suit a nissan TPS, awesome:

In sadder news, I still haven't received my porka calipers . Got a paypal dispute open atm to get my cash back, they've given the seller untill the 31st to respond. He hasn't said boo since the 7th, so presumably he won't and they'll just rule in my favour. Shame though, I really wanted those

[Smity42]

In what is truely a design master stroke, the holes for the TPS are in the wrong spot. They need to be in the spots indicated by the red Xs:

Can't flip that ally ring either, as its countersunk on one side for the bolts. It'll have to be drill and tap time, no big deal really.

Boned my spare TPS in figuring that out though . Will have to scratch around in the garage to see if I have any more, unless someone has one they want to donate?

[Smity42]

Remember these?

Scored these on eGhey:

Well they never turned up :). So I got on to PayPal to chase it up and just now I received an email:

We have concluded our investigation into your case and have decided in your favour.

We were able to recover $530.00 AUD, and this amount has been credited to you. Please allow five business days

So yeah, on the bright side I'm not going to be out of pocket, but on the other hand I really wanted those brakes . Oh well, I'll keep an eye out for another 'bargain'.

Other updates? None really, had limited time to work on it and when I do get time I cbf. I think its winter.

[Smity42]

Just went to pick up a gearbox I bought off ebay. Guy gave me another one for free, so now I have 5.

Who cares if they are made of glass?

[SABBAi]

Nice one McFly.

[Beelzebub89]

lol very nice. Few more and you should be set for a couple of track days lol

[Smity42]

Public holiday update!

Pulled off the intake runners and fuel rails:

Injectors are off the rails now too, so rails are ready to be modified with AN fittings

Box:

Moar Box:

Got bored so decided to strip down the one on the bench. Got about this far:

Actually I got all the selector forks n shit out too, but forgot to take a pic. Unfortunately I didn't have anything to undo the nut holding the main shaft together, so I couldn't get any further.

Finally, I made up a template for redrilling some peugeot rotors for bolting onto the transaxle:

Mmmm... 22mm vented goodness for the rear

[Smity42]

Bought a f*cking big spanner yesterday (why does every job on this bloody alfa seem to need me to buy a new tool?):

After much hammer love:

Got the nut off the pinion shaft, and dissassembled the gearbox:

This gearbox is the one that was in the boot of the 75, I think I know now why it was removed, the teeth on the 3rd/4th gear dog ring are ratshit.

From this box I'll be taking: The input shaft and gears 1-3, as well as the selector shaft.

Synchros, dog rings, etc I'll be taking the best ones I can find out of all the boxes

[R33_Dude]

Coming along nicely I see.

By any chance would the dash cluster in the 75 be working? I need a spare...

[Smity42]

some of the 75 dash stuff works, but unfortunately it's not for sale atm.

I went and picked up some GT-Ps yesterday. I'm going to put some RS-Rs on them and use them on the 'liner for track work until this is finished, but they will eventually make their way onto the alfa. What do you reckon?

[SABBAi]

4wd spec is ace McFly

[spranga]

wheel alignment

[Smity42]

Engine Out:

I like the one on the stand better:

And engine sold . Box of assorted crap the buyer didn't get because he is a worse lowballer than a 31 owner:

Possibly now even more 4WD spec:

[Ten Four]

Hahaha love the build.

4WD spec is epic fail haha

[Smity42]

UPDATE!

Yes, its been a while, looks like nearly a year since I've done anything. Slack .

Anyway, progress has been happening again. First problem to solve was the alternator/belt. Basically, stock the V6 has the alternator on the drivers side, and the A/C and P/S on the passenger side, all driven by one big 6 rib belt. Problem is, if you remove the A/C and P/S, and leave the alternator where it is, due to the location of the tensioner there is no way to route the belt and make it work. So I set about modifying the bracket to sit the alternator on the other side, where the A/C used to be. Used one of the original holes and had to drill 2 more and then grind them out enough to get a socket on:

Alternator then bolted up (after shortening the studs, as they were way too long) and I was hoping that there would be enough adjustment on the bracket to set the pulley in the right spot for the belt. Unfortunately, even with it as far forward as it would go, it didn't line up :

A bit of grinder love and some nuts acting as temporary spacers, and that issue is sorted:

Used some masking tape to try and determine approximately what length belt I need, the tensioner applies force in the direction of the arrow:

With the tensioner at min adjustment the length of tape was 1250mm, at max it was 1315mm. Thoughts on what belt length to try? I am thinking maybe 1280 or 1300...

Next problem was engine mounts. You can see in some of the pictures above 3 studs in a triangle pattern on the block, this is for the RWD engine mount brackets, amazingly still on this block even though they haven't made a RWD car in 20 years or something...

I got some brackets to suit, but the next problem was the rubber. The alfa engine mount rubbers are:

A) expensive (nearly as much as Nismo engine mounts)

B) Really weak, and known to break all the time

c) Would not work without modding anyway, since my shell suits the 4 banger motor.

Dan_B suggested trying to make RB30 mounts work, since they are readily available for test mounting, and if they do work I can get some Nismo ones for added strength.

Here's a shot of an RB30 rubber on the alfa bracket:

What's the cardboard for? Well, the mounts in the engine bay look like this:

I had another bit of cardboard that goes on like this:

The idea being that the stud in the 30 mount will go into that hole, then we would just sit the engine in position and tape the two bits of cardboard up, which would give me a template for cutting a steel plate...

So anyway next the sump had to come off, because it doesn't fit past the crossmember/steering rack:

Bellend attached to the engine:

The compliance bush in it was shagged, so I filled it with sikaflex for the purposes of test mounting the engine, but it seems to have worked really well. I think when I get the replacement bush I will fill the gaps in it with sikaflex too, to help reduce movement:

Time to stick it in:

The first snag we hit was that the studs on the engine mounts were catching, preventing the engine from going back far enough. So I cut them down:

That helped, and then we discovered that the holes in the rear engine mount did not seem to be wide enough apart for the studs it had to go on... seemed the studs were a bit bent. A bit of love with a pry bar sorted that out.

The engine was o so close to going in, but not quite:

The holes in the body were just not quite in the right spot for the stud/nut on the RB30 engine mounts .

So, grinder time again:

These cuts still need to be tidied up... but for today it was good enough.

Success!

A couple of new problems to solve now...

1) The alternator does not fit:

I suspect hammer love will solve this...

2) If the engine mounts are mounted at 90deg to they way they are in a 31 like this:

You can put a nut on the bottom stud, but there is no way to get a bolt into either of the top holes.

If the engine mounts are mounted the proper way like this:

Again you can get to both bottom studs, and you can get to the top hole on one side but not the other.

Basically on that side we will need to weld another nut in behind the mount (marked in red). But then both will be holding the mount from the same side, so we will have to put a second on in the opposite corner as well (marked in blue). Then she will be apples:

So that's pretty much it. Took some measurements to figure out how much the sump has to be cut up to fit, but I will double check them once the engine is mounted in properly.

Oh also, Dan informs me the engine looks like it has been rebuilt before... and the rods have been balanced...

[Beer Baron]

cool, glad to see progress. great choice of donk. I know a few people who've used the late model FWD GTV6 engines into the 80s GTV RWD chassis. they are a sweet engine (such a shame they come in big FWD posers cars). beautiful sound and lovely engineering in them.

it's amazing how unloved and cheap the FWD GTV6s are. they were an expensive car, now you can buy a 2000 model for about $10K!! a decent 80s GTV6 costs that much (well more actually for a really neat one).

should just buy a smashed 2000 model GTV6 and then try and rip off the brakes, nice leather seats etc and stick it all in a 80s GTV for a nice street car.

[Rowdy]

im also enjoying reading about your build keep up the good work!

[Dan_B]

cool, glad to see progress. great choice of donk. I know a few people who've used the late model FWD GTV6 engines into the 80s GTV RWD chassis. they are a sweet engine (such a shame they come in big FWD posers cars). beautiful sound and lovely engineering in them.

it's amazing how unloved and cheap the FWD GTV6s are. they were an expensive car, now you can buy a 2000 model for about $10K!! a decent 80s GTV6 costs that much (well more actually for a really neat one).

should just buy a smashed 2000 model GTV6 and then try and rip off the brakes, nice leather seats etc and stick it all in a 80s GTV for a nice street car.

We traded a 2000 model GTV6 in couple weeks back for about 5 grand, bodywork was pretty rough but the engine was good, only issue is the early ones are only 3 litre engines, last run GTV's got the 3.2 like the GT's and GTA's although ecu power restricted to 220 or 230hp. Brakes are the good part, early v6's are the 305mm brembo axial mount, late model gets the radial mount 330mm rotors which make it easier to mount up. Either way still a good parts haul.

I'll find out tomorrow just why that motor was rebuilt.

[MBS206]

I took an Alfa for a run around a nice tight track over the weekend... I sure as hell hope this thing handles better then it did... LOL

If it does handle better, should be a fun little car!