Re: alfa-digest V7 #658 - Trunk/Gas release - Spider

[AlfaNeely@domain.elided]

In a message dated 4/23/99 6:51:06 AM Central Daylight Time, 
owner-alfa-digest@domain.elided writes:

<< 
 Date: Thu, 22 Apr 1999 20:48:20 -0700
 From: Hal Taylor <taylor@domain.elided>
 Subject: re: Trunk/Gas release - Spider
 
 Huh?  Barry asks about problems with the plastic trunk and gas release
 mounting bracket on his spider.  I don't really even see an obvious
 vulnerability to it.  How has it broken?  Is it perhaps being over
 stressed by excess friction in the cable(s) or at the release
 mechanism(s)?  I've had to replace both of those cables, but never had a
 problem with the part he mentions.  I don't recall ever seeing a thread
 about this part, over the two or three years that I've followed this
 digest,,,
 
 Hal Taylor
 '86 spider veloce "Strega"
 Venice, CA >>

	If your bracket has not broken, wait a bit.  I think the twist from 
pulling up on the levers break the plastic.  If you always put a thumb on the 
bottom of the lever housing so that you are pulling straight out, then the 
housing should last quite well.
	On my 87 Graduate the plastic shattered and the PO threw it away.  On 
my wife's quite pristine 87 Spider Veloce, both levers are just sitting in 
the holes.  The plastic support is broken and awaiting repair.  A friend's 88 
had the same problem and that is the one we made an aluminum reinforcement 
glued to the back side.
	The early cars through 84 or 85 only had one lever for the trunk and 
there was not such a big problem.  It is only with the addition of the second 
lever for the gas tank and the resultant loss of material to support the 
levers, that the problem appears.  In fact, I seem to recall the support 
panel on a 74 I parted out was metal, not plastic.
	Dunno why there have been no threads about this problem on Alfa 
Digest.  On the other hand, it has been a while since the Milano door pulls 
were discussed.  Just wait, there is a problem such that replacement parts 
are not available in wrecking yards and I could not order a new replacement 
through Alfa Ricambi.
Ciao,
Russ Neely
Oklahoma City

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