[alfa] Re: Reinz

["LyfordHale" <lyfordhale@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

<Subject: Re: [alfa] Reinz head gaskets
And I'm 2 for 2. I got the special fun of having two Reinz head gaskets
professionally installed in the last few months. I would have only had one,
if it hadn't been for a catastrophic failure on the part of my aftermarket
vehicle control unit (that would be... um... me). And no,
it wasn't something wrong with the gasket. So I guess what I'm saying is
your milage may vary, take everything with a grain of salt, there's a sucker
born every minute, and all you need is love.  Back to your regularly
scheduled programming
Ben Kaupp>

Do you have a 2L motor, Mr. Kaupp?  If not, you may indeed go back to your
regularly scheduled programming.

I know of six failed Reinz head gaskets on 2L motors in the past four
months, each installed by a long-time Alfisti.  Today, four new people sent
the Alfa Racing Forum reports of Reinz failures.  All sound erily familiar.

Jon Norman, at Alfa-Parts, sends out an instruction to use Ultra Grey on
both sides of the rear of the gasket, which was never needed in years past.
Tom Sahines, Tech Advisor to the NorCal Alfa club concurs with Jon.  One
writer to the racing group says he now torques to 75 ft-lb (cold) when using
a Reinz head gasket. Another torques to 65 ft-lb.  That's a far cry from
what was originally specified.  These are engine builders and racers, not
idiots.  None of us are talking about this because we have nothing else to
do or because we just like to see our words on a computer screen.

I would like to feel free to use the Digest to report an issue such as
this -- who knows, we might save someone else from what we've all
experienced.  This is also a good place to collect information that can be
passed along to the manufacturer.  It would be nice to have this happen in
an open and friendly way, without being mocked by a person who hasn't a clue
what's going on.

Some of us, rather than playing games, are already trying to get  Dana Corp.
to take these head gasket failures seriously.  If enough of us speak up, Dan
a will eventually hear us or they will lose our business. Unfortunately,
their response to date has been as helpful as that of Mr. Kaupp.

Lyford Hale
--
to be removed from alfa, see /bin/digest-subs.cgi
or email "unsubscribe alfa" to majordomo@domain.elided