Re: alfa-digest V8 #159 - GTV-6 Boom!

[AlfaNeely@domain.elided]

In a message dated 10/22/2001 1:54:37 PM Central Daylight Time, 
owner-alfa-digest@domain.elided writes:

> 
> Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2001 14:47:33 -0700
> From: jon roll <jon@domain.elided>
> Subject: GTV-6 Boom!
> 
> '86 GTV-6, 2.5L, 164S cams, MSD ignition. Saturday I took the rear Ansa
> exhaust off and replaced it with a straight pipe. Drove around all day
> listening to the new sounds. Sunday morning I opened the garage door and
> turned the key... KABOOM! Thought the engine self destructed... What I
> heard was a rather large backfire and the noise of the air intake hose
> hitting the inside of the front bonnet upon leaving the intake manifold. I
> put it back on and tried again, same thing (some minor flames around the
> intake this time)... Any ideas what might have caused this? Lack of back
> pressure? I'll be putting the old Ansa back on. Thanks in advance.
> 

       Any of the V-6 Alfas will blow the plenium off occasionally.  Or at 
least the GTV-6 and the Milano will.  I know nothing about the 164 except 
that it is wrong wheel drive.  I even taught my daughter to fix it her self 
when it happened in the high school parking lot.  It is a lot easier to put 
back if you leave most all the hose clamps holding the plenim to the intake 
tubes loose.  Do make sure all the hoses to air flow meter and such are 
tight.  You do not want them to fall off.

       So what causes it?  On my Milano it seems related to holding the 
throttle open when starting.  I know Bosch cars are supposed to start with 
out touching the throttle.  However, my Milano always wants a bit a throttle 
to start.  And that means the plenium blows off every six months or so.
       I cannot think the exhaust would have anything to do with that.  I 
guess it could reduce back pressure, and cause the condition, but I doubt it.

Ciao,
Russ Neely
Oklahoma City

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