'84 Spider cylinder head height AFTER refinishing...VVT intake cam?

[AlfaNeely@domain.elided]

       The original factory cylinder head thickness for all 1600, 1750 and 
2000 Alfa cylinder heads was 4.41 inches or 112 mm.  The factory workshop 
manual "service" limit is 4.39 inches or 111.5 mm.  The CRH or Competition 
Reference Handbook gives the minimum thickness for racing as 4.33 inches or 
110 mm.
       For the street, your 84 spider may need a copper head gasket.  The 
copper head gasket will add approximately 0.030 inches.
       I figure half a point compression increase per 0.025 inch of cut on 
the head.  Your results may vary for various reasons.

       It is my understanding, that the VVT intake cam came along with the 
weird single butterfly on the last of the Spica cars in 1980 and 1981.  Most 
80 and 81 spiders have been modified with early parts, so if you open up one 
today you may not find VVT intake cam.
       All Bosch injected Alfa spiders definitely have the VVT intake cam.  
From 82 to 84 / 85 the activation for the cam was centrifugal.  Sometime in 
1985, the factory fitted a solenoid to the front of the valve cover to 
activate the intake cam.  All intake cams advance from oil pressure, once 
triggered by RPM or by the solenoid.
       Alfa made a number of changes in about 1985.  The VVT trigger is one 
of them.  However, the five spoke Daytona style wheels also changed from the 
light but corrosion prone magnesium Campagnolo to the heavier aluminum FPS 
wheel.  The FPS is a better wheel for the street, but guess what I run on my 
race car.
       There are no hard and fast rules.  I recently bought an 84 parts car 
expecting Campagnolo wheels, but found it had FPS wheels.

Ciao,
Russ Neely
Oklahoma City


In a message dated 11/20/2002 12:14:32 AM Central Standard Time, 
owner-alfa-digest@domain.elided writes:



> Date: Wed, 20 Nov 2002 01:55:18 +0000
> From: JeffreyOlson@domain.elided
> Subject: '84 Spider cylinder head height AFTER refinishing...VVT intake cam?
> 
> Just picked up my '84 Spider cylinder head from the local machine shop.  
> Minimal resurfacing done and check for warping done in preparation for head 
> gasket replacement.
> 
> The cylinder head height minimum is supposedly is 4.39 inches (111.5mm).  
> 
> Mine is measuring around 4.32-4.38 inches!  Do you think this is a problem?
> 
> The head is in good shape, may have been redone once before.  The machine 
> shop 
> I use is very careful not to remove too much material.
> 
> Hoping there won't be any valve interference problem!  The last one I did 
> was 
> also near minimums with no problem.
> 
> On another note:
> 
> Any idea when the VVT intake cam was added to the Bosch Spiders?  A 
> friend's '85 and my old '86 had it.  I though all Bosch Spiders had it but 
> I 
> may be mistaken.  This '84 does not have the plug connector-type of intake 
> cam.
> 
> Jeff
--
to be removed from alfa, see /bin/digest-subs.cgi
or email "unsubscribe alfa" to majordomo@domain.elided