[alfa] Re: What is your confidence level in the Milano V6?

[George Graves <gmgraves@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I wouldn't worry about the Alfa V-6 were I you.

The timing belt isn't much of an issue. You change it and the water 
pump every 40K miles, and you change the belt tensioner too. Use  the 
Alfa mechanical tensioner in place of the once troublesome hydraulic 
unit (probably already done. It is on most), and have your mechanic 
check it a couple times for the first few weeks afterward (some of them 
have been defective lately). If you follow the recommended interval, 
you'll never have a problem.

The multi-piece head gaskets that were problematical on the early V-6s 
have been superseded by a one piece. Most V-6s have the one piece 
nowadays (the multi-piece gasket tended to blow occasionally) If you 
let the car warm-up a bit before driving off in it, you'll likely never 
blow either type. I let my Milano Verde engined GTV-6 idle till the 
temp gauge moves off the pin (about 3 minutes in mild temperatures) 
from cold before pulling-off. Never had a problem.

Other than that, the engines are pretty bulletproof and the L-Jetronic 
FI is foolproof and reliable.

George Graves
'86 GTV-6

On Dec 13, 2003, at 1:47 PM, alfa-digest wrote:


> Date: Sat, 13 Dec 2003 10:22:33 -0600
> From: "Gregory Youngblood" <greg@domain.elided>
> Subject: What is your confidence level in the Milano V6? (was RE: 
> [alfa] Re: What I want)
>
>
> > In fact, in a 1997 European Car article, the Milano was
> > listed as the best bargain of used daily drivers.   I have to agree.
> Was that the V6 Milanos or the 4 cylinders?
>
> I'm (hopefully) about to get a Milano (ok, my second -- after having 
> to sell
> my first, but I only drove the 1st a couple of times since it was in 
> MN and
> I wasn't) that I plan to use as a daily driver for both my wife and I. 
> I
> know I'll be putting some money into it early on. You usually do when 
> you
> get a new used car.
>
> What has me the most concerned is the timing belt "issues" that the v6s
> suffer.
--
to be removed from alfa, see /bin/digest-subs.cgi
or email "unsubscribe alfa" to majordomo@domain.elided