91 Spider is up and running again!!!

[ltooz@xxxxxxxxxxxx (LLe_2002)]

Hello all,
 The clutch was sheared off totally with only ~3000 miles on it. The input shaft should be inspected when I replaced it last time, but I didn't know, it was my first time working on Alfa Romeo. Tom Sahines & Charlie Slayman brought it up when this happened. Thanks to their inputs and sure enough, the input shaft was wobbling and the input bearing case had a crack in it. Tom Sahines re-installed the bearing and the shaft was tight.
 Always check the input shaft play every time you replace the clutch. I had to pay for my ignorance with time & money. 
 After spending 2 weekends, and putting the new clutch back in with care, my spider is up and running again solidly.
 After installing everything, the starter grinds but doesn't catch the flywheel, I found out that the middle bolt must be a special one. I never had it in the car when I got it. I had to losen all three bolts, rotate the starter (like tuning it) and tighten only the bottom bolt and try to start, sure enough it started nicely. Tighten the top bolt, it grinds and do nothing. losen the top bolt (it works again), left the top bolt loose and tighten the middle bolt, the car still starts. Finishing it by tighten the top bolt. This is trial and error to get the starter to work without the special bolt for the middle bolt. I'll get the special middle bolt to get it to work correctly by "design" (what a patch-up design). If these Alfa Romeo engineers are in Silicon Valley, they would be looking for jobs right now.
 Anyhow, being frustrated but I got the car running, thanks to all the inputs from everyone up here, especially Jeff(alfaguy), Charlie and Tom.

http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/ltooz_alfa/lst?.dir=/clutch+failure&.view=t


Thanks everyone again,

Louis Le
91 Spider Veloce,
Fremont, CA

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