Re: older Alfas, newer motors

[Godfrey DiGiorgi <ramarren@domain.elided>]

>     Second, this question is being asked for a computer challenged friend.He
>asked me to pose the question of fitting newer (Bosch FI) 4 cylinder motors
>into older Alfas such as Guilettas,older spiders and Berlinas etc.This would
>be done for 1.ease of maintainability 2.availability of speed parts 3.keeping
>an older alfa on the road that might have otherwise gone to the crusher
>4.reliability for daily driver usage.I can imagine that people have done
>this;I'd like to get info for him regarding how one should go about doing a
>swap.What newer 4 cylinder motors will go into which older Alfas with a
>minimum of fuss?

I'm in the middle of doing this right now: putting an '82 2000 Bosch 
L-Jet engine into a '79 SPICA car, for all the good reasons you mention 
above. But let me tell you, it is NOT easy. Doing this between a pair of 
type 115 chassis Spiders, you at least have the benefit of having pretty 
much the same chassis to work with, which makes locating and fitting 
parts a lot easier. 

There are a huge number of details necessary to do the job properly and 
come up with a fully emissions certifiable car here in California. Here 
are some of the details that have gone into this:

- - move entire power train from one car to another: engine, transmission, 
rear axle.
- - swap all fuel system bits like pumps, filter housings (luckily, these 
two years of Spiders use a very similar fuel line layout)
- - remove FI and ignition computer box mounts from '82 and fit to '79
- - put apertures in firewall for all electrical gangs
- - relocate cooling system overflow tank mount
- - install airbox/air volume sensor mount from '82 into '79
- - change over higher output alternator/charging system from '82 into '79
- - install and rewire electrical system as required to apply the '82 Bosch 
harness for the computers and sensors to the base '79 electrical system 
(differences including but not limited to ignition switch, fuse box, 
harness routings, etc etc)
- - change over some of the cooling system connections and hoses as 
necessary for the heater and water pump
- - replumb the evaporative emissions system as per regulations
- - swap entire exhaust system from '82 into '79

The basic conversion work on my car included the additional job of adding 
in the new suspension components I had in a '78 Spider which was recently 
damaged by a collision. Adding that in, the job consumed the shop's three 
lifts and service staff for about two weeks. I was given a very 
reasonable flat rate labor charge to do the basic conversion, far less 
then the hours required to do the job, and it was still quite an 
expensive and complex undertaking. "Minimum fuss"? Well, this is about 
the least fuss I can imagine for the job and still come up with a car 
which will be easily certifiable and an improvement on the original '79. 
If I hadn't had a complete '82 parts Spider to do it with, I wouldn't 
even have attempted it. And if the two cars hadn't been very similar in 
layout, it would have been MUCH harder.

I can imagine simpler conversions done in states with more lenient 
emissions certification requirements, but not by much. 

There's also some question regarding how much more available performance 
parts for the Bosch car are vs performance parts for the SPICA or a Weber 
conversion car. The Bosch engine, stock, is a better performer than the 
'79 SPICA engine due to the improved exhaust manifold and downpipe/catcon 
assembly as well as the variable cam timing, cam profile, and 
improvements in the fuel and ignition management. But how much more can 
be gotten out of it and still remain within the emissions inspection 
requirements is hard to say. I'm in phase two of this project right now: 
the '82 engine was sitting long enough that it needs some help in the 
form of a valve job and new rings, I'm taking the opportunity to fit 
higher compression pistons which I already know will pass emissions. 
Beyond that, it's going to be a bit of experimentation yet. I'd love to 
go a slightly hotter cam, but how hot is not yet known.

>What V6 motors could conceivably go into older Alfas?

I've heard of someone stuffing a 2.5L V6 into a GTV, but sheesh, the 
space for it seems very tight and I wonder about putting a heavier engine 
into what is already a nose-heavy car.

Godfrey

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