[alfa] 164 synchros

[C M Smith <cmsmith@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The 164 synchros on all gears are excellent and do not grind. The Alfa uses 
a FIAT Group box designed for the Lancia cars.

The second gear on my 82 GTV6 was a persnickety beast that was smooth as 
the proverbial hot knife through a double clutch downshift and a cranky 
bitch and a half on a  cold upshift from 1 to 2, from new so it is NOT a 
wear issue. The "secret" as far as I know to the cranky upshift is to delay 
the shift in neutral by the blink of a gnat's eye and the synchro will work 
fine. Also, somewhat ironically, going too slowly through the actual 
engagement of gears was a bad idea. A firm rapid shift with the classic 
micro pause in neutral should produce graunch free upshifts in an Alfa box. 
The downshifts definitely benefit from a double clutch. Incidentally, a 
downshift into first gear benefits even more from a double clutch and that 
is true of my 164 also.

In passing, I thought Porsche designed the baulk ring synchronizer which is 
theoretically not supposed to clash, what gives here?

Finally, though the 164 shifts fine it is known to eat it's input shaft 
bearing in the base an L models for 1991.

But then again, my 97 SAAB Aero with a similar modern Euro design gearbox 
recently swallowed its 3/4 gear bearing due to a defective circlip 
(snapring) insufficiently protected by any thrust washer (i e no thrust 
washer causes the snapring to fail dropping into the bearing giving you any 
gear you want, or even don't want, as long as it is fourth) and before 
anyone suggests that I trash transmissions due to ignorance or improper 
technique, whether due to my European heritage or the thin overlay of 
colonial crudity (thin? did I hear him say?) resulting from my emigration 
to this tectonic plate. I have never suffered from any transmission 
problems in any other cars, some of which have accumulated impressive mileages.

My 86 9000 Turbo using an earlier and less robust version of this same 
gearbox had second gear synchro replaced with a new design under an 
extended warranty program offered by SAAB, they offered to fix them all 
regardless of whether you bought new or used which was pretty decent I'd 
say,  and has worked fine, except for a redline speedshift from 1 to 2 
which sure enough causes a graunch. The micro pause on the upshift also 
produces smooth noiseless shifting in my SAAB. I discern a  pattern here.

Cheers all


Michael Smith
White 1991 164L
Original owner
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