Re: 164 Advice Sought

["Daegrigg (Don)" <daegrigg@domain.elided>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Daniel Devaney" <ddevaney@domain.elided>
To: "Alfa Digest (E-mail)" <alfa-digest@domain.elided>
Sent: Friday, October 04, 2002 8:10 PM
Subject: 164 Advice Sought


> Greetings,
>
> I'm sorting out my new 91 164L auto, and am looking for advice since I'm a
> newbie at working on cars.  (Now, with two Alfas, I have to get more handy
> with a wrench so I can save up for the next one and avoid getting "that
look"
> when the wife sees the charge bill.)
>
> 1.  Headliner.  I used 3M Hi-Strength 90 Spray Adhesive to reattach my
sagging
> headliner.  It seems to hold well and did not discolor the fabric.  It
also
> was easy to use, in part because the spray comes out in a line rather than
a
> circle.  You can adjust the spray so that it comes out in lines of
different
> length.  3M also makes a headliner spray adhesive which might have been an
> even better choice.
>
> 2.  Orphan Wire.  I found a wire behind the trim that runs from the side
of
> the dashboard, above the right/passenger side windows, and ends (without
being
> connected to anything) at about the right rear dome light.  Is this an
antenna
> wire?  Do I need to poke around in the trunk to find and re-connect the
wire
> that runs from the antenna to the orphan wire behind the trim?  I am
planning
> to replace either the (broken) mast of the power antenna, or the entire
> antenna.  Is there any reason that I shouldn't continue to use the
existing
> wiring that carries the signal from the antenna to the radio?
>
> 3.  Metallic Sound.  When the engine is at operating temperature (but not
> before) I hear a metallic sound when I let off the gas or am at idle.  It
> sounds like a small, heavy, round metal pan is banging around a slightly
> larger, heavy, round metal pan.  I suppose it's the water pump, but I
thought
> a defective pump would make noise regardless of temperature.  I'm going to
> replace the timing belt and water pump out of an abundance of caution.
Any
> other things I should check out?
>
> 4.  Grinding Noise.  I live on a hill that has a few hairpin turns.  On
the
> right turns, I frequently hear a grinding noise, not a knock.  I thought
it
> might be the new steering rack settling in, but when I looked in the right
> front wheel well I saw part of a pulley had broken through the plastic
> shielding protecting the engine.  The plastic valance may be a bit
deformed.
> Any suggestions on what to do?
>
> 5.  Outside Trim.  The rubber strip that runs over the doors seems to be
> attached to the car by one or more metal pieces.  Would it be a difficult
job
> (for a beginner) to replace the metal portion and reattach the rubber?
Will I
> need any unusual tools or any parts other than the metal and the plastic
> pieces that hold it?
>
> Many thanks,
> Dan in Honolulu
>
>Dan,

On item #4, the idler pulley wearing through the fender liner is pretty
occurence.  Can be due to passenger lower engine mount or the "dog bone"
unit up top.  I found an orphan liner on the side of the road and fashioned
a patch for mine using pop rivets to attach.  Also,  I offset the liner
where it attaches to the frame (below the crank, idler pulleys) using
half-inch spacers.   Sounds like you should definitely chech you mounts.

Don
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