164 TS hard starting?

["C.M. Smith" <cmsmith@domain.elided>]

Although I have a NA spec 164L (V6) and should know better than to
speculate, no one else has stepped up to the mark so here goes:

The cylinder you found near the fuel tank would be the fuel filter (if on a
V6). That would explain the lack of wires !!

The fuel pump should be safely ensconced inside the fuel tank. Lack of
Oxygen is considered to be a good thing when electrical wires are hooked up
to the fuel pump. It should buzz a little at least when the fuel pressure
in the line is below spec, dunno if it shuts down when full pressure is
reached, probably not, but the sound may change as the pressure reaches the
proper level. Normally, "overpressure" fuel is returned to the tank from
the end of the fuel rail, via the fuel pressure switch which is a diaphragm
vacuum modulated pressure switch at the end of the fuel rail.

My V6 is hard to restart if the car sits for 20-30 minutes. I crack the
throttle a tiny bit, crank and ease the throttle open a bit more until she
catches. Usually, about 10 seconds or so will do it and funnily enough the
engine seems to catch just as I release the starter, coincidence or not who
can say (after all lost things always turn up in the last place you look,
if the process could be reversed somehow...). I've considered this to be
normal as my 81 GTV6 did this also. Cold starts are no problem right down
to minus 30 Celsius.

Hope this isn't useless blather for you Euro types. 

Incidentally, someone recently wondered aloud why so few Europeans have
joined our North American centered BB.  Any guesses as to how many North
Americans are regular subscribers to the Italian Alfa Romeo BB, or the
Polish Alfa Romeo BB?? Isn't it a touch obvious why this would be?

  Reminds me of a true story related to me recently:  a Dutch couple was
complimented on their excellent English when attending an Academic
conference in England (no surprise, the Dutch often speak better English
than native speakers because the teaching of English is very good in the
Netherlands), the American woman gushed "you speak English so well, when
you are at home which language do you use?", after being assured that Dutch
was their preference for domestic conversation the American woman opined
"what a shame, because you speak English so well"  !!!  Although
anglocentrism is an unconscious phenomenon, in North America especially, as
admirers of Italian cars we would do well to exert that extra effort when
considering our "foreign" friends who visit our BB and appreciate how well
non English speakers do. I for one will be pleased when our foreign
correspondents do not feel the need to apologize in advance for their self
perceived deficiencies in use of English. As I said to a German tourist
visiting my country recently, "Don't worry about your English, it's much
better than my German".

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