Alfa Milano people! Questions!

http://chicago.craigslist.org/wcl/cto/1957469628.html

So I spoke to the seller of this here Milano, and got some clarification...insight would be much appreciated as this may be a steal or a total nightmare.

Problems:

1. The guy says he thinks it needs a clutch, because he used to drive it about once a week and it drove just fine. He got in it to drive one day, tried to put it in reverse, and just got a grind. Same with 1st. He didn't try to force it, shut the car off, and hasn't tried since. It SOUNDS like the clutch just won't disengage as opposed to an actual bad clutch...master cylinder or something perhaps? Some bizarre linkage? I know nothing about these transaxle-y cars.

2. Interior blower fan makes a BAD NOISE when turned on. Are these a PITA to replace? Also, passenger door doesn't open from the outside, and the driver's window has a hard time going up.

Pros:

Car is a family car (i.e. in the family since new). Lots of service records. Never seen salt in its life, garaged since new. Price is also flexible.

ADVICE PLEASE!

In reply to SlickDizzy:

The clutch problem may be the hydraulics out of whack, or it may be the friction disk stuck to the flywheel. There is no truly bizarre linkage.

The blower fan IS a pain in the butt to change, and they are expensive. Hopefully there is just some trash caught in the squirrel cages. Milanos are pretty good at sucking leaves in through the fresh air duct.

Certainly sounds like it's more of an issue with the hydraulics but check closely. The car uses a torque tube and rear transaxle and from what I can recall it is both difficult and expensive to do clutch jobs on these. Of course I've never done one myself so this is just anecdotal at best.

I know the FIRST thing I'd check is juice in the master cylinder. No juice = bad grinding noises, usually. It wouldn't do at all for you to put fluid in, 'fix' the problem and THEN try to negotiate a price, though. I'd sell the idea of a couple grand to fix it, and go from there. GO FOR IT, ALREADY!!! You know you want it!

From experience on a Guiletta (smaller sister to the Alfetta) with the exactly the same "won't go into gear" symptoms - check the two front gearbox mountings. I've they've separated you get exactly those symptoms.

Bit of a PITA to change, though, but very DIY-able.

The clutch job is pretty easy. The biggest pain was futzing with the Exhaust. I was expecting much much worse.

The blower isn't THAT bad. It comes out through the drivers side footwell, you don't need to take apart the dash to get to it.

DO NOT turn the heater on until you clean the leaves out, it will quickly set the dashboard on fire. New heater blower motors are available as far as I know (about $160 if i remember right). It wouldn't be that hard to unbolt the clutch slave cylinder and feel inside the bellhousing and see if anything is broken. It uses a pull type throwout bearing and the one on my car broke once. The clutch job is pretty easy other than the exhaust, the reason its expensive is the only way the parts are sold new are as a complete assembly (includes flywheel), or disc only. Anything else you have to buy used.

Oh, and check the timing belt tensioner, if it is one of the garbage spring ones toss it and put a stock one back on.

BoxheadTim wrote: From experience on a Guiletta (smaller sister to the Alfetta) with the exactly the same "won't go into gear" symptoms - check the two front gearbox mountings. I've they've separated you get exactly those symptoms. Bit of a PITA to change, though, but very DIY-able.

Mind you, the gearbox mounts do tend to give a lot of warning before they go. Would mean an easy fix, though!

• 1 on the clutch job not being that bad once the exhaust is out of the way. At least on the Milano Alfa made the cross member that holds the middle bearing for the drive shaft removable, on a GTV6 it does not come out and getting the DS out is not much fun.

Get it.

could also be pilot bushing siezed to the input shaft. had that once in a corvair.