White 164S Comes Home - Questions

["Rex Carz" <rexcarz@domain.elided>]

A new addition to my Alfa family:  I just purchased a white 1991 164S.  I
love the car, even though I haven't revved out the motor since I bought it
(I did once or twice before closing the deal).  This will not happen again
until my local Alfa expert inspects the cam belt and tensioner.  They look
clean and dry, but they are harder to see than on my GTV-6 and the belt
deflected more for my finger than he said it should.  It drove fine on the
150 mile trip home (below 3,000 RPMs).  This new car joins an Alfa Spider
and a GTV-6 with Milano Verde motor, transaxle and Recaro interior.

This car has about 91,000 miles on the clock, but the engine supposedly has
about half that and the heads were off about 8 months ago as a result of the
PO's failure to promptly repair a leaking tensioner (twelve new valves -
ouch!)  Before that, the original engine was lunched and allegedly replaced
with another 164S motor.  I am not sure this is true, as the car is much
less powerful than my 3 L GTV-6 (which does however have even wilder
Autodelta cams and other performance mods).  Either its a 164L motor or
something is not quite right (throttle cable not properly adjusted for WOT?
Engine timing or ignition tuning slightly off? Time will tell).

But the steppers are fine, the cosmetics are good (car never hit - PO let me
keep his St. Christopher card which may come in handy!) and the fluids are
all where they should be.  Just now, the only light flashing on the dash is
the brake lamp light, which I think is telling me that there is a lamp or
two out in the CHMSL.  Price was similar to most 164Ls I've seen in worse
condition and without new head gaskets, water pump and tensioner all
replaced by a reputable shop when the valves got bent.  Also, I liked the
PO, who obviously loved the car and took it to an expert for the big stuff
but was not into wrenching for himself and tended to let smaller things
ride.  As a result, any problems are likely to be the result of neglect
rather than abuse. So I went for it.

Now the questions start:  The main negative right now is a lot of clunking
from the suspension.  Clunks when I accelerate from stop, clunks when I
brake.  On my Jettas, such clunking invariably meant that the strut bearings
were shot and needed replacement.  This is my first Alfa with struts.  Is
this the problem or is it the A-arm bushings (like my other Alfas) or both?
I was thinking of replacing the strut bearings, A-arms (they appear to be
throw away units), ball joints and all the rubber on the front sway bar.  Is
this overkill?  Is there anything else I should womp out while I'm in there?

I am not inclined to go to poly bushings for the A-arms (though I do have
them on the drag struts for the GTV-6 and recommend them in that specific
application).  This is an area where I am inclined to defer to Alfa's R&D
program, which has produced a long series of excellent automobiles over the
years and should only be second-guessed by amateurs such as myself with
extreme caution.  I would, however, be interested in any experience anyone
else has had with these bushings.  I would especially like to hear from
anyone with a 164 near Albany, NY with these bushings installed.

Also, what needs replacing in the back?  I never had problems with rear
strut bearings or suspension bushings in Jettas (several hundred thousand
miles of experience).  What about the 164?  I assume I need to replace the
bushings on both the suspension arms and the trailing arms, as well as all
rubber on the sway bar again.  Are these bushings available separately or
must I also purchase new arms for the rear?  Anything else I will need
(except a good alignment) after all this work)?

Oh, and one other question:  how long do the factory shock absorbers last on
these cars?  At over $600 a pop, I would not want to buy it four new
electrically adjustable shock absorbers.  If they have to go, I think I'll
move to Konis (like my other Alfas).  But I have almost 200,000 miles on my
Jetta GLI and the shocks are still OK (except one that failed and was
replaced long ago.  Just wondering what I might expect.

Rex
Happy owner of a 164 at last

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