Milano O2 sensor

[mcosgrove@domain.elided]

The O2 sensor on my '87 Milano Verde is long past due for replacement.
Installed now is a generic  3 wire I got from Maduko.  It came with no plugs,
requiring use of the terminals from the garbage bound sensor.  A local store
sold me (and I quickly returned ) a Beck Arnley generic  that made the car run
as badly as it ever has.  They had no listing for an '87 Verde in their
computer, so I opted for a  Bosch P/N 13069, supposedly right for an '88 Verde.
Why would the '88 be different from the '87 I naively asked myself.  Looked good
'til I went to plug it in.  The wires to the ECU had the same terminals as the
wires on the sensor!  Female on female (or is it male and male) may work with
people but it doesn't in electronics.  Back at the parts store, now looking at
the Bosch catalog, the listing showed the 13069 for a 1988-89 Verde but a 13005
for 1987!  The 13005 was essentially unavailable.

Now AlfaBill tells me the current books list a 13061 for all Milanos and 164s.
Is my Verde preproduction, put together with bits they had sitting around?  I
had a '61 European spec Fiat 600 in my college days that was half 600, half
600D, so I know the feeling.  Can I take a 13061, do some connector splicing and
be back in business with it?  Has anyone else out there had a similar problem?

Now to the misunderstood question category, I was really wondering how many
armored Alfa6's there may be out there now, not how many stock ones.

Mike Cosgrove

------------------------------