Help!!!!!!!!!!!

[chris.richard]

I've put the engine back in again (bugger of a job single-handed), and I've a problem or two.
With the engine mounts in the right place (they were made by Hawk, and the measurements agree with those that some of you supplied) the drive shafts are 4.5cm further forward than the position recommended in the Hawk manual. The height is right, and the lateral position looks fine, but the driveshafts will be angled steeply backwards. There doesn't seem any scope to move the engine further back - I'm concerned there isn't room behind the exhaust manifold for the anti-roll bar as it is- and there would be no clearance from the engine against the removable transverse chassis member. (I'd love an extra 4.5cm of room for the alternator though - I had the auxilliary belt all sorted out of the car, but the alternator won't fit in the car. Back to the drawing board on that one.) The wishbone mounts on the chassis is slightly (about 1cm) further back than the dimensions given in the manual, but moving it forward wouldn't really help as it would increase the castor in the rear suspension, and the wheel would look strange that much further forward in the arch.
Is there a difference in the position of the driveshafts relative to the engine mountings between the 12v and the 24v? I would doubt it - aren't the block and gearbox the same?
Anybody any ideas, or is that the way the shafts sit with the Alfa engine in a Hawk? :confused:
It's fun trying to work out where to route the plumbing and the ancillaries. What seemed like a lot of space disappears once the lump is in and you put tanks, suspension, gearlinkages, exhaust, air inlets etc. in! I can see the advantage of a sloping bulkhead more clearly now. :rolleyes:

[roger001]

You are quite correct, the drive shafts do angle backwards, its not ideal but its the only way to get it all to fit in, I'll post a piccie of mine if you like so as to compare wether yours are worse than average.

PS although it's tight a vertical bulkhead does fit!

[roger001]

Piccie as promised, also a view down the bulkhead for what its worth, if only to show it does all fit!

[roger001]

again

[roger001]

and again

[chris.richard]

Thanks, Roger, that's really helpful. I wonder if mine is bigger than yours, I can't get mine in there! Alternator, I mean.
Sorry, kitty.

[chris.richard]

Do Alfa V6 engined Stratossss have a problem with blowing CV joints as a result of this angulation?

[roger001]

Some do.... Graham Scott has a perpetual promlem with his Corse CV joints, but then he is putting approx 280/290 Hp through very wide slick tyres which does add somewhat to the load taken by the CV joints, I don't know of anyone else having such problems, certainly in rallying the torque loading is probably much reduced because of available grip, on the track, John Rutter never had any problems as far as I know.

[roger001]

If the alternator won't fit can you substitute a 12v one and change the water pump and crankshaft pulleys to suit the thinner belt?
a long way round... but if needs must etc

[chris.richard]

:confused:

[Steve Strain]

Hi Chris

My alternator is located as you indicate above. Unfortunately I dont have a digital camera so will attempt a description of what I did.
You need to make up a mounting plate that uses the old rear engine mount studs.
The plate I made was drilled to match this stud pattern and trimmed to suit. I mig'd to it a nut and large washer for the lower alternator mounting point. The only difficulty I had was deciding where to mig the nut and washer as this becomes the axis point on which the alternator rotates for belt tensioning. Be sure that when the belt is in place that it cannot interfer with the crank sensor.
To mount the tension adjustor I used the three triangular bolts directly above on the crankshaft face of the engine. Again I made a plate drilled to suit the pattern then cut up the old Beta adjustor and mig'd it to the triangular plate. I tagged it first so I could get the angle correct before final welding.

I hope this helps.

BTW I found some interesting sites that make performance exhausts for Alfa 164. If you are interested I will email a couple of pictures to you.

My QV conversion is progressing slowly. I have just the exhaust and water pipes to do. I am in the process of re welding the petrol tanks that now contain explosafe. (a polycarbonate foam). I am just trying to work out how to do this without melting it.

Steve

[chris.richard]

I've just started on this. If you're using the 164 front downpipes as a basis (the ones from the tubular manifold to the cat), the front one is a double skinned affair - the outer galvanised looking tube is an integral heatshield with the pipe proper inside. they are welded together at the engine end, but a sleeved fit at the reducing connector before the flexible section. I haven't got the dimensions of the pipe here, it's about 2 or 2.25 inches from memory.