Re: need '77 Alfetta parts

[David Rubie <drubie@domain.elided>]

> Hello,
> 
[column switch stuff deleted]
You can get your hatch strut regassed.  Sometimes they last
years, occasionally they last only 3 months.  It's still
cheaper than buying a brand new one which, last time I
checked, was very expensive.
> 
> I also have a question about exhaust fumes...last year, out of
> necessity, I had a local muffler/exhaust fabricator who was
> familiar with Alfa's (at least he dropped Wes Ingram's name
> and seemed to have a clue), make an exhaust system for my
> Alfetta.  He used the original manifold and downtubes, and
> made the rest.  The problem is although I cannot find any
> leaks or flaws in the system, it is not possible to drive
> the car with the windows down.  The exhaust fumes are over-
> whelming.  Also, when the gas tank is full, I smell gas for
> the first 20 miles and then it goes away.

Could be two different problems here.
Check that all the "gas" tubes and pipes inside the hatch area
of the car are fastened correctly and not split.  I'm not familiar
with the fuel tank setup on a US car, but if the rubber filler hose
on my car isn't cinched down very tightly onto the fuel tank, it leaks
into the boot when filling up the car and will make you very dizzy as
you drive.  There are also breather pipes that can split and leak
vapour into the car as well.

As for the exhaust fumes, there are a number of sources.  If the rubber
seals around your taillights are perished, or there is a rust hole
around the taillights, you will get exhaust fumes sucked into
the cabin.  You can also have problems with worn hatchback seals
(the really big one that winds all around the hatch opening.  They
are a split seal, I moved the "split" on mine from down near the lock
to up near the roof by removing it and putting it back on the other
way.  You can tell where the exhaust is getting sucked into the cabin
by looking for the slightly blacker marks where it's getting in
(at least on my car you can :-)

The tail pipe of your Alfetta should be pointed at the road or pointed
way out from the back of the car (at the road is better).  This helps
greatly with the amount of fumes that can potentially be sucked
into the cabin.  If you've had the exhaust replaced, and the system
builder put on a stubby little tail pipe that just clears the
lower bodywork, you'll get exhaust fumes in your car even when
everything
looks fine (although the hatchback seal often looks OK but is actually
so
squashed that it doesn't seal anymore).

Anyway, try some of those things and let us know how you get on.

dave.

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