Reprinted from i Saluti, April, May, and June 1998
from the IAP website www.international-auto.com

International Auto Parts Tech Tips

Bosch Fuel Pumps

Owners of Bosch and Spica injected cars-remember never run the fuel pump dry. Try not to ever run out of gas, and please don’t “bench test” fuel pumps. It is the fuel that cools and lubricates the pump; if they are run dry they will overheat and become damaged very quickly.

Bosch L-Jetronic: Testing Temperature Sensor

Using an ohmmeter, measure the resistance across the two pins of the temperature sensor. You should observe the following values at the temperatures listed below:
Temperature(deg F)   Resistance (ohms)
  14                 7,000-12,000 
  68                 2,000-3,000 
 122                 700-1,000 
 176                 200-400 
 185+                < 200

Bosch L-Jetronic: Testing thermo time switch/cold start valve

Remove the cold start injector from the intake manifold, place the nozzle in a safe container and crank the engine. If the temperature of the engine is below 95 degrees, the cold-start injector should spray. If it does not, connect a test light to each of the two terminals of the injector and crank the engine.

Oil Changes

Whenever possible, always prefill the new oil filter with fresh oil before installation. This minimizes the time your car runs with no oil pressure upon startup after changing the oil. Also, always replace the copper sealing washer on the drain plug. Oil capacity with filter: 4-cyl, 7 qts; 6-cyl, 8 qts.

How to test an ignition coil

This testing procedure is valid for just about any automotive coil. Using an ohmmeter, check the resistance between the side terminals of the coil. Do this with all four wires to the coil disconnected. You should measure 0.75 to 0.81 ohms of resistance (or 3 to 5 ohms if the coil contains an internal ballast resistor such as the Bosch Blue coil). Then check the resistance between either side terminal and the center high tension terminal. The reading should be 10,000 to 11,000 ohms. Any significant deviation from these numbers would indicate that the coil is defective.

Engine Block Grounding and Cable Longevity

Does it seem like your Fiat or Alfa is going through clutch or accelerator cables at an alarming rate? Check to see if the cable in question is getting unusually hot after the engine has been running for a while. If so, it is probably the lack of a ground cable between the engine and the body which is causing the high failure rate. All Fiats, Alfas and Lancias should have a ground cable running from the body to the transmission bell housing. In the absence of this cable, the ground is effected through speedo or clutch cables, which aren’t heavy enough for this task. They in turn overheat, become embrittled, and fail.

1969-On Alfa Starter Installation (4-cylinder engines)

The middle bolt as indicated is a special shoulder bolt. You must use this original bolt — not a substitute. Insert it in the middle hole, in the direction indicated (from the front). If the bolt is not in the correct hole, or is missing, the starter will grind.

This bolt may be obtained from International Auto Parts; ask for Part #0531.

Alfetta, GTV6 and Milano Flex Joint Replacement

When replacing flex joints on 116 series Alfas be certain, prior to disassembly, to clearly mark the driveshaft so that it can be reinstalled in the exact same orientation. Also, be aware that on the assembly line Alfa Romeo used as a means of balancing the driveshaft differing numbers of washers under the bolts securing the flex joints. Therefore it is important to return all fasteners to their original orientation and location as well. Happy wrenching!

Filling/Bleeding Cooling System on a Spider

This procedure is for Bosch injected cars. (Earlier cars do have the bleeder port on the water pump, but do not have the additional bleeder on the throttle body.) Please follow this procedure when refilling the cooling system.
  1. Remove vent screw on water pump.
  2. Loosen vent screw on throttle body.
  3. Open heater valve.
  4. Pour 50% antifreeze/distilled water thru radiator filler until coolant flows from water pump vent hole. Replace screw on water pump.
  5. Fill until water flows from vent on throttle valve.
  6. Start engine and run at idle speed until all air remaining in engine is expelled. Stop engine.
  7. Tighten throttle body vent screw.
  8. Top up radiator and install radiator cap.
  9. Fill reservoir bottle to maximum level shown on side of bottle and install reservoir cap.
  10. Start engine and check for leaks.

Freeing Stuck Clutches

Occasionally, on a vehicle which has been in storage for a long period of time, you will encounter a clutch disc which has become rusted to the flywheel. When you push the clutch in and try to put the car in gear, the transmission grinds or refuses to go into gear, as if the clutch were still engaged. If you’ve checked under the car and verified that there is movement at the clutch release fork, and are certain that you have a rusty clutch, then here’s something to try before removing the transmission:

Move the car to an area where you have some open running space in front of you, such as a field or empty parking lot. Start the car and warm it up a bit so that it’s running smoothly and will restart easily. Shut it off, put the car in first gear, depress the clutch, and start the car. The car will lurch forward with the starter and will be in motion as the engine starts. As soon as the engine is started, floor the gas. This sudden acceleration will in most cases break the disc free from the flywheel. Be sure to let off of the gas as soon as the disc breaks free so as not to overrev the engine. Flooring and then letting completely off of the gas may also help. Be careful to maintain control of the vehicle and watch where you’re going!