Off-digest addenda to the redline thread

[JHertzman@domain.elided]

Received some off-digest notes about the running redline thread.

Paul Tenney graciously mentioned that it was the harmonics associated with 
increased rotating and reciprocating masses of the larger inline fours, and 
not the mass itself, which he was suggesting was a major factor in lowering 
redlines as the displacements increased, invalidating my comparisons with the 
Montreal and the 2600 6. I stand corrected.

Steve Schaeffer pointed out that the Spica race pump as used on the GT Am 
lacked the road pump's logic section which, according to Wes Ingram, has 
vibration problems at very high rpms- again a very reasonable distinction.

Lee Scanlan, in Perth, mentioned that the carburetted and basically European 
1750 GTVs and Berlinas delivered in Australia have the red zone commencing at 
5700 rpm, rather than the 6000 which I attributed to the European Veloces on 
the basis of the illustration in the parts book. Double-checking the parts 
book I found that while the illustration of the GT Veloce tach shows the 6000 
redzone (Tav.134, pub. 1387) the Spider Veloce tachs (Tav.178 for roundtail, 
215 for squaretail) both show 5700, so I assume the 6000 was an incorrect 
illustration and that there is not a redzone difference between the 
carbureted Eurocars and the injected USA cars.

Lee went on to say that the 1300 Juniors "also has the redband starting at 
5700, possibly simply because it was the Junior to the 1750 and therefore 
shared most of its parts. 5700 rpm is a point a twin carbed 1300 would easily 
exceed. I think it might be a case of one tach fits all, I don't know what 
the redband really means." This is indeed interesting, as the Junior has its 
rated horspower at 6000, suggesting that Alfa didn't take 5700 terribly 
seriously. The 6000 rpm horsepower rating point is the same on the 
short-stroke GTA Junior (78 x 67.5 mm) as on the standard GT 1300 Junior (74 
x 75 mm), suggesting that piston speed is less important than other factors.

Fun n' games-

John H.

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