Re: [alfa] SPICA Fuel System

["Jason Hagen" <hagen_jason1@xxxxxxx>]

I have a 30 year old SPICA pump on my '73 Spider.  Still works perfect.  Car 
runs great.  OK, so the cold start solenoid went out and I now need to pull 
the pump to replace it, but would would NEVER replace the SPICA system.  It 
is certainly worth a rebuilt pump if yours go bad.  And, if it it set up 
right, it may last you 30 more years!

I remember being quite ignorant when I first bought the car.  At that point 
I toyed with replacing the unit with carbs since I didn't understand it yet. 
 Once you gain a little more knowledge of the cars and Alfa, you realize 
staying with SPICA is the way to go.  I would have regretted going to carbs. 
 You need to pick and choose what you change from original on these cars.  
This is an area I choose to leave alone...

-Jason Hagen
'73 Spider
'95 164Q



> From: sherwood white <vze2skmv@domain.elided>
> Reply-To: sherwood white <vze2skmv@domain.elided>
> To: George Perolli <george@domain.elided>
> CC: Alfa Mailign List <alfa@domain.elided>
> Subject: Re: [alfa] SPICA Fuel System
> Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2003 11:29:03 -0700
>
> weber carbs destroy motors spica injection is the way to go IF YOU CAN FIND
> A MECHANIC THAT KNOWS HOW TO DEAL WITH IT NOT ALL THAT TRICKY BUT FINDING 
> AN
> INTELLIGENT MECHANIC IS HARD ENOUGH !  also if you are not going to use the
> car like so many alfa owners than the spica will be a problem and it would
> be years before the rings got washed downd from the rich ill running
> webers.  of course there is the possibilty that the spica on the car only
> needs tuning half the auto parts sold in the us every day don't need to be
> changed and by the time the "MECHANIC" realizes this he is not about to
> remove it put the old one back on and see if the parts house will take it
> back and or pay the shipping and the 20% restocking fee and wait for a 
> check
> in the mail and put your car all back together and say no charge that was
> not the problem.  it is so much easier to say that it was bad but only half
> the problem we need more parts and more money and no one can expect me to
> work for free and go home at night and sleep like a baby because no one
> would have known what was wrong it's not my fault! i hate to admit that i 
> am
> a mechanic it makes me sick!
>
> George Perolli wrote:
>
> > I have recently purchased an Alfa Spider 1974 2000.  It has the SPICA
> > fuel injection system.  I have a hesitation problem.  I brought it to an
> > Alfa mechanic who told me that the SPICA pump is not delivering equal
> > gas across the four ports.  He says the problem is only going to get
> > worse.  I accept that the car is 30 years old and that the pump probably
> > needs work.  International Auto Parts sells rebuilt SPICA pumps and also
> > sells a Weber Carb conversion kit.  As much as I want to keep the car as
> > original as possible, I want to enjoy the car and not have to be working
> > on it myself or have someone else work on it all the time.
> >
> > My question is: If I install a rebuilt SPICA pump, am I going to
> > continue to have problems or will the car run well for the next few
> > years with little problems.  Or should I convert the car to carbs and
> > have all my problems (as far as the fuel systems is concerned) go away.
> > I also would like to know if changing the SPICA pump or converting to
> > Weber carbs is something that I can do myself.  I am good with a wrench
> > and have been told that I follow directions well.  IAP says the carb
> > conversion is something that can be done by someone like me, but they
> > are selling the kit.  I would like to hear it from someone else.
> > --
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