RE: cracked bellhousing on 74 GTV

["Brian Shorey" <bshorey@xxxxxxxxx>]

>
> I also have a 74 GTV that had the original bellhousing crack
> twice.  It was
> welded up the first time but cracked within a year or so.  I time
> trial the
> car with ARO Southern California Chapter and found that others
> have had the
> same problem.  My mechanic has explained to me that the starter is not
> well-supported and that, with all of the high-rpm time trial miles (stock
> motor), the vibration causes the bellhousing the crack near the starter.
> However, it is apparently also a common problem for street-driven
> cars.  One
> of the fixes is to use a later model starter that is lighter that
> would put
> less stress on the stock 74 bellhousing.  I understand that this has been
> successful on at least one of the higher performance GTVs in the
> club.  The
> route that I chose (recommended by my mechanic), which I suppose
> is the most
> "conservative," is to install a bellhousing and starter from a 79 or later
> 115 car which has a better support for the starter.  The pinion gear and a
> few other misc. items also need to be replace to make the swap.  This also
> had the advantage of having a 1.1 HP starter instead of the 0.7 HP starter
> motor. Certainly, it was not the cheapest route, but it is
> perhaps the most
> effective.

there is a bracket available that bolts to the rhs motor mount and attaches
to the front of the starter.  it looks like a factory part, but i don't know
if i've ever seen one on a stock alfa.

i can try to dig up details if anaybody is interested.

bs

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