1994 Alfa Romeo 164LS - Progetto Stallone Italiano

RexSeven wrote: So much for getting the Alfa ready today. While I was reassembling it to make sure it wasn't leaking anymore, the serpentine belt tensioner piston broke.

Lots of updates to go over this time around.

After taking the battery to Advance Auto earlier this week for some juice, I started the Alfa. It runs nice and strong! There's no gnashing of valves and pistons, just the mellifluous aria of the Busso V-6, so I think I got the timing set up right. Before I started work to repair the coolant leak and replace the timing belt the idle was erratic. I had recently replaced the idle air control valve. It looks like this (eBay picture, not from my car):

The black gasket you see sticking out the side plugs into the back of the intake plenum. I wrapped some electrical tape on the gasket to seal it up, and voila, no erratic idle!

However, the 164 now has a 1223 CEL, "The heated lambda probe regulator inner adjuster reaches the minimum or the maximum value of correction." According to the AlfaBB folks, this typically indicates a vacuum leak. I replaced a couple of cracked hoses with silicone hoses from a kit I bought from Hi Performance store, but it still didn't clear the CEL. I was hearing a hiss when I pressed the brake pedal, and a second, constant one coming from the engine bay under the air intake box. I took out the intake box, filter, and bracket (which also holds the cruise control actuator and ignition modules) and had a peek at the vacuum sphere, which is nestled in the left fender area.

Air box out, staring at the spaghetti underneath. The vacuum sphere is hidden in the fender. Follow the vacuum line from the bottom of the T-fitting into the hole at the bottom right of the picture.

Yeah, that's supposed to be plugged in.

That vacuum hose has to do with the cruise control system, which I can live without, but I'd like the CEL to go away. It fit snug, but I added some electrical tape to make it even more snugly. You can also see one of the two horns in there and how little space I have to work with, which sucks because I just picked up a set of Ferrari air horns I want to install.

Sadly, the CEL remains on. Some spraying with carb cleaner revealed a cracked intake runner boot letting air in.

The solution? POWWWEERRRR!!! Remember the first page of this build, where I mentioned the intake runners from the Quadrifoglio AWD model adds 20hp?

So, I've got those on the way, but I still have a couple of things to do in the meantime. I am searching for a set of summer wheels/tires so I don't wear out the winter tires the 164 still has on. The muffler is still banging on the undercarriage, so I need to fix that (the bolts connecting the catalytic converter to the rest of the exhaust look loose). I am still hearing a hiss when I depress the brake pedal, though the brakes don't feel any different from before. I will be doing a brake fluid change and swapping out the brake lines with new Goodridge stainless steel braided lines.

Maybe brake booster is leaking, causing the hiss?

Any way I can test the brake booster? I haven't seen any brake fluid leaks and the car stops alright, the pedal just feels a tad mushy.

Can you pull the line from the booster and plug it and see if the hiss and the CEL go away?
Also, do you have a good vacuum diagram for the car? It would be slightly shocking if everything is currently hooked up properly.

I have the FSM on disc. The vacuum system isn't that bad on this car. I assume it would be worse on a 1995, since that was the first and only year the USDM 164s got an EGR system. I will give your suggestion a try once I get the new intake runners installed so I can eliminate that leak from the equation.

Looky what arrived earlier today!

These are the larger Q intake runners I bought to replace the smaller LS runners with their leaky rubber boots. Here's a couple of pictures comparing the two. You can see just how much Alfa restricted the LS engine to knock it down 20hp.

And here they are installed. Like they belong there! (sorry for the blurry photo, the engine was running. I will take a clearer picture later).

FYI for anyone else with a V-6 Alfa: This only works on the 164 LS engine. The 164 Q and later 24V Alfa V-6s used only the larger intake runners, while the older 12V models have smaller intake ports, so the 24V runners will not fit.

I didn't get a chance to drive it before I had to get to work. The CEL still remains, unfortunately, but the 164 does not start quite as hard as before, so I'm on the right path.

I did not try out your suggestion yet Mazdeuce, but you might be on to something. The hose going from the intake plenum to the check valve on the brake booster is made of plastic. The plenum end looks chewed up, but it seals properly. However, the check valve end feels like it is flared out. I have a new hose and check valve on the way.

This morning I discovered why my exhaust is so loud and what it was banging against. There is a leak in the silencer created by a rust hole.

The pipe is banging against the rear subframe. It also tore a brand new exhaust hanger.

I'm assuming the exhaust system became misaligned as the old engine mounts deteriorated. It was not banging against anything before the engine rebuild, which included new engine mounts that raised the engine back to where it is supposed to be. I can't think of another reason off of the top of my head.

I plan on patching the silencer for now. I will realign the exhaust when I get a chance.

I got a couple things fixed today on the 164. Firstly, I found and stopped the last vacuum leak. The plastic elbow joint that connects the oil separator to the intake boot was loose on the intake boot end. A little electrical tape and a worm gear clamp in place of the old click clamp, and the CEL disappeared.

I also fixed the hissing brake issue. It turned out it was the old check valve. I got a NOS valve and hose from DiFatta Brothers, which did the trick because now the brake isn't hissing and the pedal feels much less spongey.

I didn't adjust the exhaust yet. I did try using some exhaust repair tape on the silencer, but I could not wrap it around because of the stock silencer's odd shape.

The rust hole is too large and simply puffed the tape off of the silencer while I was driving around to get it to set. I just scored a used, out of production Supersprint 164LS muffler from Yahoo Auctions Japan, and new silencer sections are still available, so I will get the exhaust adjusted once those new parts come in.

I also noticed I need to replace two electrical connectors that have disintegrated - the harness going to the passenger side knock sensor (female connector), and the cam angle sensor (male connector). The 164's engine bay is damn near rotary-like in temperature, so the old plastic crumbles to bits. Luckily, the 164 uses standard Bosch connectors, which are easy enough to find online or in the scrapyards. It looks like a previous owner already realized this, because the connector for the IACV is stamped "Ford"!

Looky what arrived from Japan, my new-to-me (read: used) Supersprint muffler!

The tip needs some polishing but otherwise this exhaust looks perfectly usable.

Now I need my center section to arrive so I can mount this puppy up.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!

I sent an email to Supersprint NA and the representative said the original part number isn't in their system anymore . He even congratulated me on the find! He said it does appear to be a stainless system (they were originally available in either mild or stainless steel) with a chrome plated tip.

On a more sour note, I tried replacing the sway bar end links today and ran into two separate problems. The first was that the passenger side fender liners were both loose and falling apart. We cut the rear one during the conrod replacement so we could slide it off without removing the brake line or ABS sensor. Unfortunately, one part of it bent outward and started cutting into the outer CV boot, which has started to splatter grease all over the fender liners. The other problem is that the driver's side sway bar end link did not want to come off. I sprayed the hell out of it with Kroil and was able to get the link and bushing off, but the bushing sleeve is still stuck to the sway bar itself.

I can live with this for a little while. The car is already an understeery pig thanks to worn out suspension and still rolling on snow tires. I'm more concerned about the CV axle and fender liners than the sway bar at this point. I am debating whether to do the CV axle myself or have an axle shop take it out and replace the boots and grease. I have a torque wrench that measures up to 250lb-ft but the whole process of changing FWD axles sounds like a PITA. I need new fender liners and all of the mounting hardware because all of the old screws and screw mounts are missing.

Mercedes sells that type of exhaust hangers of the best quality I have found anywhere, and even buying them at the dealer they are cheap. Autohausaz had good quality Bosch connectors last I checked also. If that swaybar bushing is anything like a on a Milano, you have to remove the outside and slot the inner sleeve to get it off. I would suggest asking Andy at performatek if you need more help, he's very good at that kind of stuff.

dag-gum! What a read! (just found the thread, sorry I'm late to the party)

Keep up the good fight man.

That is all.

I always wanted one of these but the whole Italian electronics and well Italian in general scared me off. So I got it's Swedish cousin the SAAB 9000 instead. Keep up the good work on this man I'm enjoying seeing someone take on one of these cars.

The electronics are Bosch and similar to what you will find in an E30. The only electrics that don't work on mine are one of the cigar lighters, the heated seats, and one of the rear window switches. The switches might just need cleaning. The 1994-95 A/C display has a tendency to go dark due to a flaky ribbon cable but a few places will replace that cable and it will never go bad again. This was done before I bought mine.

Yesterday was busy, busy, busy with the 164. Some ups and some downs. It's 1am where I am so I will have to fill in the details later but for now have a listen to the sweet sounds of my new Supersprint muffler and Bosal resonator!

http://s111.photobucket.com/user/ArtOfRuin1285/media/Alfa%20Romeo%20164/Supersprint_exhaust_zps148b0a95.mp4.html

I mentioned I did a lot of work on the Alfa this past Monday, so I will go over it now.

The good:
-New exhaust installed. See post above for video.
-New hardware for the front right fender liners. Now they are no longer rubbing the CV boots or tire.

The bad:
-I broke the pad off of my jack and bent the hell out of the jacking post on the front left corner. There doesn't appear to be a hole in the floor pan, thankfully. However, bending it back into place is not going to be fun.

-Wasn't able to get to the CV boots as I had planned.

The brake lines and fluid are next. The rubber brake lines are starting to develop cracks (no leaks... yet), so those Goodridge lines will be a nice upgrade.

Goodridge brake hoses are in! I got a late start so I was not able to completely flush out all of the old brake fluid, but even so the brake pedal feel is much better. They are still on the soft side but they are no longer hissing, nor is there a dead zone. I will flush the system later. I also noticed the right rear brake caliper might be sticking, so rear calipers are on the to-do list.

You're a very brave man. How many miles have you put on the car since you bought it?

Keep at it my man.

In reply to 2002maniac:

Only 1,500 miles. It would be many, many more if it weren't for the conrod bending.

A few photos of my Alfa among the other cars at the Tutto Italiano car show at the Larz Anderson Museum in Brookline, MA today. Here's a link to the entire album:

http://s111.photobucket.com/user/ArtOfRuin1285/library/Tutto%20Italiano%202014?sort=2&page=1

The hood is popped here:

It was hardly the star of the show but it got quite a bit of attention once I opened the hood.

Mine was only one of two 24Vs at the show, and only one of four 164s in total. At 208,000 miles I'd bet it was also the highest mileage car in the show!

I love this build.

I got my Alfa back last Thursday. Yep, I had to lend it to Sis for the past month while she went car-hunting, except the Sunday of the Italian car show. No one involved was happy with the arrangement, but it was the least painful out of all the options we had. I was very nervous at first, but Sis was respectful and the old girl did fine. No old problems got any worse, no new problems popped up except a loose driver's side wiper arm. They are made of cheap metal and the splines eventually wear off of the arm. I was able to get a used one from an AlfaBB board member.

Anyways, Sis ended up with one of the least GRM cars out there, and I was very happy to have the Alfa back.

My next steps are to replace the CV boots and grease and get to work on the suspension.