Got a Q-System

[JUAN RICO]

Hello people...In my search for a donor 156 for my stained interior,which was nigh on impossible as all the scrap Alfa's are op norf....I was lucky enough to find one in nearby Bournemouth, problem is ....It's in very good condition,a mere 76000 on the clock.

The guy had just spent hundreds on a service,tyre's.air variator.The interior is unmarked,and bodywork is very good.Unfortunately,it was 4000 miles from a cam belt change,and let go.
Now the really bad news,it is a 156 2.5 v6 Q-System Sportronic.
The AA man said there doesn't seem to be any further problems to the engine,although I suspect thats a guess.but going by the previous owners actions,he stopped engine straight away.
What I would like to know is,How much lolly is it going to be,and how can you find out if there is any damage to engine without stripping it.
Is it worth repairing,I love Alfa's,and it would be a crying shame to scrap it.

Any help ?????????????????????

[wankski]

just take the seats and go.... 72k may be the official cam belt change mark, (but many believe this to be way too long (see alfa workshop).... something more reasonable may be around 50-60k ... even so it was 4k PAST a critical service which is why it let go.... what else?

24v is a lot of em to fix... v6 motor works aren't particularly cheap... if it did do the belt, there would be bent valves.... if you can extract the heads, call around a few shops to see what they charge for both heads to be rebuilt and it will give you an idea.... then you need to perform a big end overhaul to prevent the damage to the crank.... then of course you need a full belt kit to replace the main offender.... probably new water pump while u're there... (to give you an idea, just the v6 belt job at a reputable place is likely to cost 500quid - don't quote me, i'm aussie, but that's what i'm seeing)

I might point out it is a biatch to remove the rear facing head on the v6....

and then you need to address anything else a 2nd hand car may need to be done.... plus after all that...its a Q-system....

take the seats and go.

[JUAN RICO]

Thanks WANKSKI,was fearing that would be the response,but tell me,why are the Q-system Alfa's at the higher end of the price range,They are reported to be more reliable than the Selespeed,but lack an extra gear...Thanks

[wankski]

Originally Posted by JUAN RICO

Thanks WANKSKI,was fearing that would be the response,but tell me,why are the Q-system Alfa's at the higher end of the price range,They are reported to be more reliable than the Selespeed,but lack an extra gear...Thanks

ah, i may be weighing in based on my own prejudices....

reliability may be the case over selespeed, (definitely) but the desirable v6 model is the 6sp manual by far for sporting use...

the issue with Q system for alfisti is that it largely blunts the performance of the 2.5 v6 to make it absolutely no point... the 2.5 isn't torquey down low and being limited to four gears kind of kills it compared to the lighter 5sp 2.0... (it's slower than the 2.0 jts 0-100km/h, so u end up with more expense of the v6, extra weight, and relatively bad economy vs the 2.0)...the Q system ultimately makes more sense on the 3.0 of the laid back 166..

but in the end if you are after an auto, and don't want a manual, it may well be a serviceable auto box for you (perhaps in part b/c IIRC it is an aisin box i.e. japanese), it should last a long time as long as it has fluid in it...

[wankski]

btw, if you don't want the same to happen to your 1.8, be advised that the belt change interval has been lowered to 36k miles or 3yrs for the 4cyl engines, whichever is first!

[JUAN RICO]

Yes I have looked into getting the T-spark done,even tho it's not due yet,It's only really when you get the problem on your doorstep,you realize how vital it is to get the cambelt done,thanks WANKSKI