Thanks Veesix - no need to apologise, all inputs are welcome! I will certainly look into the Edge 10/60 at the next scheduled oil change, but I will stick with the oil cooler as it does seem to be working, and there are other benefits too, like increasing the oil capacity and faster priming on start...

Hi everyone - I'm still here! I recently commissioned an engine oil cooler to maintain oil viscosity - the factory recommended 10W40 semi-synthetic is like water after a long run. So the plan was to drain the (almost fresh) 10W40, reinstate the Mocal sandwich plate from my old remote oil filter inst...

Hmm, interesting. I am using a Facet Red Top, but I have been advised to relocate my fuel flow transducer after the pump because it, and the pre-filter that has to go in front of it, may be creating further resistance. The pulsing from the pump will interfere with the flow measurements, which is why...

Video from the event is already on Youtube, including some footage of yours truly at 20:08

https://youtu.be/aFkH8w5z938?si=v3l_nazQ-r3JJqaH

Hanger shots start at 31:19 - a really good turnout, particularly of 'Suds and Sprints.

Lauren

Yes! Although as is so often the case, not without a certain amount of drama - the fuel starvation issue that affected me in 2022 came back, just after I joined the A34 on my return journey. I could see the erratic fuel delivery on the Nav computer display, with mpg fluctuating wildly between 9 and ...

There was a small chance we might have gone but even that has disappeared now. Hi Fruity - nothing too serious I hope? I will try and enjoy the experience, but I am still at the I-can't-believe-I-got-here-without-any-dramas phase. Even getting there is like making a successful moon landing - you st...

Still on course to make it to Bicester this year, but I have just looked at the ticket prices for non-AROC members and it is £27.95 per head and all tickets have to be ordered in advance because there are no facilities for paying "on the door". I guess it was the same situation in 2022 whe...

Another one for Lauren. Check out “Hudson Auto Films” on YouTube he’s just bought a Nova with a 1500 sud engine mated to the std Beetle gearbox . He’s three videos. In and is about to start a restoration he’s got it running albeit a bit rough. he’s also got quite an eclectic collection of other kit...

I'm hoping to make it this year. I have just added an engine oil cooler to the long list of changes since 2022 (the return journey basically killed my old engine). I'm slowly building confidence in readiness for a 180 mile round trip! As an AROC member I do get a discount, but of course I have paid ...

Thanks Keith - I'm looking forward to getting out and about a bit more in the Green Machine this year. Certainly no excuses for not attending Southern Alfa Day this year - Stanstead Park is right on my doorstep!

OK, we’re back again. https://i.vgy.me/AZOTEI.jpg A Renault 5 Turbo Group B homologation car. Apparently the bleaching of the plastic addenda is common on these cars – they were after all built only to satisfy the FIA that the car in Group B form was in series production. This version of the R5 had ...

This event was postponed due to bad weather and actually took place on Saturday 4th January. The weather on the day was forecast to be dry, at least until after dark, although as you will see the sky was very overcast. And coooooooold! Sean accompanied me in Le Citron, which now qualifies as a “clas...

We're slowly evaluating just what needs doing immediately, ...cambelts (original Alfa marked belts on car) James Crikey! So they really didn't replace the cambelts after all :shock: I really thought that might have been one of the essential service jobs they might have done in the background - the ...

A trivial item, but one that is in dire need of replacement in my case :D So the belt that is currently fitted is a Gates 6214 MC. It is a standard V-section belt, 10mm wide and has an outside length of 860mm. I have replaced it several times on my previous engine and ASSUMED that it was the correct...

The auctioneer mentioned Shrewsbury ..... and I think there was only one bid ?? - in the auction pictures the interior looked really poor, but it looked ok on the telly, also, in the auction details it did say it needed to back to the production company after the auction. I supplied some parts for ...

Probably old news to the rest of you, but watching terrestrial telly means that I have only just seen the latest episode of "Ant Anstead - Born Mechanic" on Quest. Tonight's episode (drum roll please) - a 1980 Alfasud! In spite of been in storage for 35 years, the condition of the bodywork...

Kegsti66 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 19, 2024 7:12 pm Sorry I missed this post Lauren. Had a lot of trouble with Microsoft and lost my account.
Some great cars there, but how could you not share the Samantha?

Thanks Keith, glad to see that you are back online. Sadly neither of the Samantha images came out (that's DSLRs for you), sorry about that!

Weather permitting (although Tom usually guarantees it) would be great to meet up with the Green Machine again and maybe Iain with his 33. Sadly I didn't see either of you on the day - although sadly the weather didn't cooperate this year so we were dodging showers most of the day. I did manage to ...

KevJTD wrote: ↑Thu Jun 27, 2024 10:16 pmVents on that Longchamps look like MR2 rear quarter vents...

They are actually a little closer to home - Fiat X1/9 engine cooling vents, installed back-to-front!

OK, now that I can post again, here are some pictures: https://i.vgy.me/eBwOar.jpg This is the Fiat tool, with the handle removed. For my application I cannot use a tool with any kind of handle, there just isn't enough clearance. https://i.vgy.me/mCrMyG.jpg I experimented on my spare cam chest to se...

Hello! And welcome to my coverage of this year’s show. Bored with having to park in the vast Alfa Romeo car park, which attracts fewer and fewer visitors each year as the cars get more modern, more mainstream and more red, I decided to respond to the call from organisers Auto Italia for “rare and in...

I managed to get down for this event by managing the coolant temperature with the radiator fan override switch (its a long story). The rain stayed away long enough to catch a few snaps... https://i.vgy.me/nr1DyE.jpg https://i.vgy.me/Cr9KC6.jpg https://i.vgy.me/MdTNyp.jpg I made it on to the grid for...

Thanks Tony - if I can get my fan controller set up I will try and get to this event.

Actually, even if I can't get the fan controller set up I can still use the override switch

That's why I love this forum - AROC Driver is too partisan and published the full factory blurb, about how the new Stellantis "Large" platform is designed in Italy (I can't remember where the "Small" platform is designed, probably France), and yes, the new Alfa will share this pl...

Success!

Many thanks for all your hard work getting the site up and running again - it's great to have CAF back again

Thanks Kev, that is good to know.

Sorry, I said Eurospares, I got the tool from Eurosport. Not sure I can afford anything at Eurospares

Just a quick update on this thread. I bought a Fiat tappet tool from Eurospares (they supply parts for X1/9s), and predictably the tool could not be used in its original form, the handle is too long and at the wrong angle to clear the carbs and the sides of the engine bay.. Fortunately the Eurospare...

OK, thanks Lou. Hmm. I wonder if the Alfa tool is designed to depress both the inlet and exhaust buckets at the same time? In which case, the shoulders bear on the bucket edge and the centre ridge locates in the gap between the two. If that is the case, I will have to use the Fiat tool to depress on...

I’ve got that one . I’ve also got this one which I seem to remember being the correct one. I can’t just put my hand on the other one so I’ll have to dig it out IMG_2075.jpeg Thanks Lou - that looks like the one in the Alfa 33 manual, with the hex head for putting a socket and tommy bar on to. It se...

Hi guys - after a few miles my new ex-Bianco Class F engine sounds a bit tappety :( I'm sure this isn't a racing thing, and I am hoping that maybe the engine builder may just have accidentally swapped the inlet and exhaust shims by mistake. Whatever the reason, I need to depress the tappet buckets t...