Monkey Motion

[JHertzman@xxxxxxx]

In AD7-287 Lawrence Hegarty, responding to an earlier post by Philip Gicante
in London, Ontario Canada, about a failing Milano shift linkage, wrote: "I
believe the Milano is exactly like my old Alfetta sedan.  In which case there
are a few bushings in the shift linkage that get old and wear out. They are
not very hard to replace other than that you have to crawl around under the
car."

Unfortunately, that is not quite correct. The shift linkage of the 116 cars
had been a source of constant criticism from the beginning, and in 1985 or '86
Alfa introduced a new linkage on the GTV-6 which was used on the Milanos and I
assume on the other 75s and late 90s. It has what at first glance seems like a
formidable collection of ball-and-socket joints and short links; Alfa calls it
the Isostatic Linkage, and the first irreverent mechanic who saw it dubbed it
"The Monkey Motion". In good condition it is a vast improvement, but in places
which sand the winter roads it is probably vulnerable to wear. I have heard
that in places where Milanos are treated as "beaters" impecunious owners carry
ball-peen hammers ("Ford Wrenches") and drifts to do crude roadside
orthopaedic surgery on dislocated joints. Works with the human shoulder, after
all. Helps to look at it first.

The only person I personally know who had one fail had the experience when the
car was being driven some distance away by his daughter's adolescent
boyfriend. My twelve-year old Milano shows no sign of doom. For a long-tern
ownership car I might place linkage-slop on the regular undercar checklist,
and accept a new linkage every ten years or so as reasonable preventive
maintenance.

Cordially,

John H.

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