1987 Spider Air Conditioner

["Fetsch, Ralph" <RFetsch@domain.elided>]

	Bob Rand Wrote


	It seems the air conditioner on my spider quad is not functioning.
The fan
	operates, I can't get the compressor to kick in.  Some say just to
get rid
	of it because you don't need it, but I would like to keep things as
stock as
	possible and would like to at least function.  It's not that
affective when
	operating anyway.  Therefore...

	1- If the refridgerant leaks out below a certain point, will a
sensor not
	allow the compressor to come on?  Yes there is a low suction
pressure switch that cuts out when the freon level (psig0 gets to low.This
is similar to newer vehicle to
	prevent compressor burn-out. Yes.

	To check for low pressure if you don't have a set of gauges, you can
just across the low pressure switch which is usually located on top of the
dryer.

	2- Where are the relay(s) under the hood for this?  My 91's are
located on the fuse block under the dash, it may well have a fuse on the top
of it. The owner's manual
	states there are no fuses, but underhood relays.

	3- Has anyone has the thermostat switch "go bad"?  This is something
I
	probably can jump over to force a compressor start if all else is
okay. Not in a long time.

	As always, any and all help would be greatly appreciated.  Have a
great
	summer!!

	Bob Rand
	1987 Alfa Romeo Spider Quadrifoglio
	AONE and AROC Member
	Home- r-mrand@domain.elided
	Work- Robert.Rand@domain.elided

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	Date: Sun, 27 Jun 1999 14:36:38 -0400
	From: "Bob and Mauri Rand" <r-mrand@domain.elided>
	Subject: Oil

	Well, after all of the information I have gathered, I chnaged the
oil in my
	87 spider from 20W50 to 10W30.  The engine has only 15K or so on it
and
	according to sources this change will he beneficial.  Did anyone
read the
	article in AROC about oil, the slippery stuff, last month.  Very
	interesting.  Things certainly have changed in philosophy over the
past ten
	years.  My 1987 owner's manual calls for 10W50 regular or 10W40
synthetic.
	I have not found a 10W50 and at this time did not want to go
synthetic.  So,
	I took the next step and went with 10W30.  My Chevy Minivan calls
for 5W30
	if the temperature stays consistently high.  I will see what
happens, It
	sure does start easier and my goal is to prolong engine life with a
good
	lubricant getting to the ctrical parts as soon as possible after the
key is
	turned.

	Question to all- Has anyone else made this change to "thinner"
oils???  My
	sources state that as time goes on the rings wear, consumption may
go up and
	a move back to 20W50 may be necessary.

	I don't want to start another oil thread again, but was looking for
a little
	feedback from the Digest.

	Thanks

	Bob Rand
	1987 Alfa Romeo Spider Quadrifoglio
	AONE and AROC Member
	Home- r-mrand@domain.elided
	Work- Robert.Rand@domain.elided

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

	Date: Sun, 27 Jun 1999 15:05:39 EDT
	From: Milanogold@domain.elided
	Subject: warped Velocissima fiberglass fender flares.Ideas on fixes?

	Greetings alfisti!
	     Got a strange problem on my '79 Alfetta Velocissima.I was
putting on the 
	front fender flares yesterday (that's how it started at least).I'd
bought 
	these from APE who probably had the last set available on planet
earth.These 
	came dust covered, and in black primer.I figure they sat around for
quite a 
	few years,unused. 
	      Started attaching the right flare,using pop rivets as they
were 
	originally attached.When I went to line up the flare to start
riveting, I 
	noticed 3 sets of holes drilled into the bottom lip of the
fender.All were of 
	the same size,about 1/2" to 3/4" apart, with one drilled toward the
inner 
	part of the car, one drilled exactly center of the fender lip and
one drilled 
	more towards the outside of the car.Huh????I'm assuming ARI used
some sort of 
	template to drill these holes for attaching the front fender
flares;owing to 
	differences (?!) in flares.Anyway, the right fender flare went on
without too 
	much pain;my wife held it while I pop riveted away (the family that
works on 
	Alfas together stays together :) and got it installed.
		The left flare was to go on next.On this side, there was
only ONE set 
	of holes drilled for attaching the flare, and these fender lip holes
were all 
	drilled toward the outside of the car.Again, it looks like this was
done by 
	the importer (I had to drill out one or two old rivets out of the
holes).
		When I went to attach this flare, it would not attach.The
left flare 
	seems to be designed to attach at a slightly different angle than
the 
	right;but the flare would not line up to the holes.It wasn't even
close....I 
	gave up in disgust;the flare seems to be warped;the radius of the
wheel well 
	opening doesn't seem to be big enough to allow the holes to line
up.Any ideas 
	on how this might have happened,and how can I fix it?Could it have
been heat 
	from sitting in storage,etc?
	      The front flares totally change the look of  this car;Lazarus
truly 
	looks like a refugee from a Mad Max movie now.I'm dying to put this
left 
	fender flare on,and look forward to any  advice or tips fellow
digesti can 
	provide (but if you want to send me an email saying "I should burn
this 
	rolling abomination");don't.
	Thanks in advance,
	Terry and Sharon Akins
	1987 Milano Gold (Alfie,131k miles,still running smooth but needs
front wheel 
	bearings soon.Oh joy.......)
	1979 alfetta Velocissima spec.ed.(Lazarus,now doing the automotive
equivalent 
	of a "wink wink nudge nudge" facial expression)

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

	Date: Sun, 27 Jun 1999 15:43:55 -0400
	From: "Brad Meilink" <bmeilink@domain.elided>
	Subject: Caribou Tops

	I would like to replace the top on my 87 Spider.  Has anyone delt
with
	Caribou?  Their top is 1/2 the price of IAP, Centerline, or a local
shop.
	The marketing BS on their web site reads good.  What have been the
	experiences of their customers?

	( I actually was going to have a local upholstery shop stitch in a
new rear
	window...Quote $165.00 USD.  Caribou site says $235.00 USD for new
top "with
	same high quality fabric as Mercedes and Farrari..."    Seems like a
no
	brainer but the old adage of 'if it seems to good to be true, it
usually is'
	comes to mind.)

	Brad

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

	Date: Sun, 27 Jun 1999 21:01:40 +0100
	From: Nick Koleszar <koleszar@domain.elided>
	Subject: Gulia Super fan blet - Thanks Guys!

	A quick note to thank everybody who help with advice on my fan belt
=
	fitting question. Turns out an 825 mm belt works great on the car,
once =
	I have pulled out the rad, fan cowling, fan and removed the top
mounting =
	bolt (adjustment bolt) and loosed the top mount.

	Now back to the fuleing problem....

	
+-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D=
	- -=3D-=3D--=3D-=3D-+
	Nick Koleszar - koleszar@domain.elided
	1971 Alfa Romeo Giulia Super 1300/2000 "The Hatch-Hunter"
	1986 Lancia Y10 Turbo "The Uni-Liter Porsche-Eater"
	http://www.netcomuk.co.uk/~koleszar/ (it ain't pretty but it's
there)

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

	Date: Sun, 27 Jun 1999 21:24:52 +0100
	From: "Peter Yaxley" <peter.yaxley@domain.elided>
	Subject: 750 Giulietta Sprint handbooks

	At the Goodwood Festival of Speed just gone I was lucky enough to
pick up a
	"Provvisorio" version of the Giulietta Sprint handbook dated
December 1954.
	It is clearly a temporary book as it lacks illustrations and is
typed onto
	only one side of each sheet. I guess it was probably produced using
a
	Gestetner machine. I am interested in trying to work out how many
cars would
	have been sold with this book. Clearly these would be some of the
cars built
	in 1955 i.e. 1400 or so. Now  I also have a handbook printed in
October 1955
	surprisingly in English. I say surprisingly as they seem to have run
off
	2000 of them which seems a waste as it covers only Sprints and
Berlinas so
	it would have been junk when the Spider came along. I really cannot
see them
	having used more than a few hundred.
	Anyway I guess the English handbook is a translation of the proper
Italian
	version printed sometime earlier in 1955. Does anyone know when this
was as
	then it would help me establish the likely use of the "Provvisorio"
version?

	Regards

	Peter Yaxley, membership secretary - The Giulietta Register
	(www.giulietta.com)

	Ralph Fetsch
	Houston, Texas

	91 Spider Veloce w/auto 160,000+ miles
	64 Giulia 1600 Spider being converted to front disc brakes, as soon
as the adapters come in.

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