[alfa] Bleeding air out of the radiator, etc.

[alfacybersite <acs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Well the idea was to make it, in a timely manner, from exciting
Irwindale to daughter's place in Venice, then on to the Cheese Factory
in Marina Del Rey to have a late brunch with a favorite cousin I hadn't
seen since I was 18 (I'm slightly older now) and her son who I'd never
met.

If the favorite part wasn't there would have used car's cutting out as a
great excuse.

Made it there a-okay, had a great talk and brunch and then She quit
running on me twice on the freeway going home.

Pssst buddy, wanna buy a '75 Alfetta GT cheap?

Actually, I'm going back to low-tech and the vintage Bosch distributor
with points and condenser no less will be going back on in the a.m. Yup,
still could be fuel related, but this should tell me.

However, a few comments on the bleeding of air on the radiator, etc. I
did get TJ's (the Callahan one)  missive before turning in for beddy-bye
and did decide to make another stab at the water pump bolt in the
morning, which I did. I was not about to remove it. While I can easily
get an open end 10 mm wrench in there (I have one of the ugly brackets
holding up a non-hooked up air compressor) I can barely reach it with my
fingers, let alone start and turn it once removed. Got a tiny trickle
with the car running. Might try again later.

Sort of pooh-poohed TJ's suggestion of bad radiator cap after six years.
I rarely remove it, what's to go wrong? It was leaking when I got to
daughter's. I know he's smiling right now.

Temp gauge never gets hot - even when it does its cutting out bit - but
believe the gauge is accurate. Am also thinking to go low-tech on pusher
fan and disconnect it from coming on when the stock puller one does.
Will most likely do the old toggle switch under the dash to activate it.

TJ went on to rag me about my lack of Spica. If I have trouble (most
likely culprit) with a MarelliPlex how do you think I'll do with a Spica
if / when I get the '69 Spider running? 70's Italian electronic
technology vs WWI German U-boat technology. Could be a toss-up.

Had thought about clamping off the very end of the radiator reservoir
tube to radiator, removing and lowering below outlet on reservoir and
allowing air out. Like Dean Cains idea of simply removing and lifting up
the reservoir, remove radiator cap, and let nature take its course.

Neither Dean nor TJ seemed concerned with air in the line. True, before
I switched to clear reservoir line, never had a clue what was going on
'in there'.

Boy is this going to sound dumb...but when there is a lot of pressure in
the radiator, the spring loaded cap raises and lets the expanded coolant
into the reservoir. Simple enough. How the hell does it then suck it
back in when it cools down? The bottom of the cap is now sealing off the
hole from the reservoir, so fluid can't be sucked back in when the
coolant cools and 'shrinks', can it?

If that's the case, then it's like the reverse of a roach trap - coolant
can go out, but it can't come back in.

What am I missing?

Unnh Dean, thanks. Yeah I forgot to open the heater valve and I really
know better. It's now on the list.

I had slightly eyeballed the retarding of the distributor / ignition
several days ago and it had seemed to help. I took along my long bent 10
mm wrench and at one of my stops on the freeway decided if a little bit
was good, maybe a little more will be better. Have to have something to
do while car is thinking it over. It wasn't in the least hot. Except for
the exhaust manifold I could touch anything on the engine and especially
including the MarelliPlex module. Bottom line is finally installing the
correct Euro bypass hose made it so much easier to turn the distributor
locking nut.

Thanks all, do believe I'll be able to get her bled okay, just have to
wait to see how She likes having Her old awful idling Bosch distributor
back.

Biba
Irwindale, CA USA
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