[brinker]

Just remove the grille, that should do. It might well be the door wiring making a mess - it was on mine at least. I do run an amplifier, so I didn't bother fixing the wiring, but simply ran new wiring through, with the appropriate pins to match the door connector.
It's 6,5" speakers. I'd get Hertz as a replacement, but that's just my preference. Your wallet decides how good they're gonna be - but obviosuly there's a limit to the performance, especially if you run the original radio.

 

[TaffMGF]

Just remove the grille, that should do. It might well be the door wiring making a mess - it was on mine at least. I do run an amplifier, so I didn't bother fixing the wiring, but simply ran new wiring through, with the appropriate pins to match the door connector.
It's 6,5" speakers. I'd get Hertz as a replacement, but that's just my preference. Your wallet decides how good they're gonna be - but obviosuly there's a limit to the performance, especially if you run the original radio.

Yeah, it's still got the original head unit/cassette unit.

I'm not after winning a sound-off, just want the distortion to go away. I'll have a mooch for some speakers and pop those grilles off, cheers!

 

[TaffMGF]

I'm rubbish at these updates but to be fair, there is rarely anything to mention about the car. I keep it's fluids topped up correctly and it keeps soldiering on, keeping it's side of the bargain.
I sourced some replacement speakers via ebay (JVC CS-J620X 6.5" 16cm 2 Way 600 Watts if anyone is interested - £20 inc postage for the pair) and they have worked fine. I'm not into serious audio, I just want them to work to an acceptable standard and these do. very minor mods to the wiring but nothing that should worry anyone.
I wanted the speaker working as we were heading to Cornwall for a week with the dogs and taking the 156 with us. It coped admirably with the trip, I know I am preaching to the choir but these are such capable cars, and i think they hold their own in a current carpark extremely well.

anyway, for those who know the area, yours truly and his 156 pictured overlooking Widemouth Bay

 

[Il Diavolo]

I'm rubbish at these updates but to be fair, there is rarely anything to mention about the car. I keep it's fluids topped up correctly and it keeps soldiering on, keeping it's side of the bargain.
I sourced some replacement speakers via ebay (JVC CS-J620X 6.5" 16cm 2 Way 600 Watts if anyone is interested - £20 inc postage for the pair) and they have worked fine. I'm not into serious audio, I just want them to work to an acceptable standard and these do. very minor mods to the wiring but nothing that should worry anyone.
I wanted the speaker working as we were heading to Cornwall for a week with the dogs and taking the 156 with us. It coped admirably with the trip, I know I am preaching to the choir but these are such capable cars, and i think they hold their own in a current carpark extremely well.

anyway, for those who know the area, yours truly and his 156 pictured overlooking Widemouth Bay View attachment 960976

I feel quite emotional seeing the old girl again, she obviously went to a good home. My wife says she wants another one, the Micra doesn't quite cut it! On the plus side we've still got the GT which continues to give joy.

 

[TaffMGF]

I feel quite emotional seeing the old girl again, she obviously went to a good home. My wife says she wants another one, the Micra doesn't quite cut it! On the plus side we've still got the GT which continues to give joy.

3 &1/2 years ive had it now, mate

I love it to bits, barring some unforseen calimity, its a keeper.

 

[TaffMGF]

another MoT is looming and I've set some time aside to go over the car this weekend. Other than a cracked front number plate, the only issue i am aware of is the screen washers. I topped them up yesterday and tested them, the drivers side is weak and the pass side is barely dribbling out. The motor sounds nice and healthy.

Before I pull the entire system to bits, is there a common fail point in the system that anyone is aware of?
TIA,Taff

 

[Gwegm]

another MoT is looming and I've set some time aside to go over the car this weekend. Other than a cracked front number plate, the only issue i am aware of is the screen washers. I topped them up yesterday and tested them, the drivers side is weak and the pass side is barely dribbling out. The motor sounds nice and healthy.

Before I pull the entire system to bits, is there a common fail point in the system that anyone is aware of?
TIA,Taff

If I remember rightly from my 156 days, the nozzles are tiny and easily blocked, might be worth jiggling a pin down them the clear them out!

 

[Lee_159]

another MoT is looming and I've set some time aside to go over the car this weekend. Other than a cracked front number plate, the only issue i am aware of is the screen washers. I topped them up yesterday and tested them, the drivers side is weak and the pass side is barely dribbling out. The motor sounds nice and healthy.

Before I pull the entire system to bits, is there a common fail point in the system that anyone is aware of?
TIA,Taff

My GT (not quite the same I know but similar!) needed a new washer pump for its MOT this week as the terminals had corroded. (I had cleaned them up before Christmas but the motor must have given up on the day!)

Not a difficult swap and inexpensive enough. Also check for kinks in the pipe work near the bonnet hinges or the pipe/hoses disintegrating due to age. Either of these will cause problems at the nozzles.

Good luck!

 

[Il Diavolo]

That reminds me. The original washer pump packed up and I replaced it with the headlight washer pump. A bit of a bodge but at least the screen washers worked (then). You have probably noticed that the headlamp washers are redundant!
On the GT I had to replace all the tubing to the screen washers as the original pipes hardened and cracked. I used some plant irrigation pipe from B&Q.

 

[TaffMGF]

That reminds me. The original washer pump packed up and I replaced it with the headlight washer pump. A bit of a bodge but at least the screen washers worked (then). You have probably noticed that the headlamp washers are redundant!
On the GT I had to replace all the tubing to the screen washers as the original pipes hardened and cracked. I used some plant irrigation pipe from B&Q.

I had wondered why there was only one pump lol!

I'll try to clear out the washer jets first, then go from there. The passenger one has always been a bit suspect, barely enough for the MoT. I've wondered for a while if there was an underlying issue.

 

[TaffMGF]

If I remember rightly from my 156 days, the nozzles are tiny and easily blocked, might be worth jiggling a pin down them the clear them out!

we have a winner. I gave them a sousing with boiling water and then dug them out with a needle.

They do look a little past their best, so I might just go ahead and replace them anyway

 

[Gwegm]

we have a winner. I gave them a sousing with boiling water and then dug them out with a needle.

They do look a little past their best, so I might just go ahead and replace them anyway

Glad you sorted it without needing to rip the system to bits.

 

[TaffMGF]

I changed the oil on this yesterday, it's a naus on these V6's. I had done the task before but I had forgotten how fiddly it is. It's at times like this that I wish I had hands
the size of an 8-yr old instead of the chuffing great paws that i actually have!

one thing I had forgotten was putting a cable tie round the filter to give just a little bit more purchase. makes life a touch easier, your experience may vary.

 

[TaffMGF]

so yesterday I was off into town with my son to have a look at a car for him. About 20 minutes in and we become aware of a plume of white smoke from the left rear wheel arch and a terrible smell of burning rubber. We pull over a have a quick look, the left rear tyre has had about an inch of tread peeled right off it's inner edge by the lower spring cup, which is not sitting fair and square n the tyre.

oh well. Four years of ownership and that's the first time it's let me down.

I've not had it in bits yet but a bit of google-fu points me towards the spring having corroded to the point where it has sheared off the shock, allowing the spring to assert itself and push the now-free cup downwards and in my case onto the tyre.

Looks like a new strut, and I wont be doing both side as the drivers side got replaced following a minor accident in 2020.

Anything to watch out for on the job? Other than a face-full of spring if i get complacent. I guess the task is now made harder by due to the fact that it has failed.

 

[Pud237]

You won't get a face full of spring on the rear of a 156. I don't even bother using the spring compressor to change them, you can compress the spring by hand while someone else unscrews the top nut.

Normally the spring mount drops onto the droplink bracket, and with the space saver spare on the car will roll fine and the wheel will not hit the inside of the arch, just sit about 3" lower. It can then be moved about and put on a ramp as normal. Wouldn't recommend driving it though, obviously..

 

[TaffMGF]

You won't get a face full of spring on the rear of a 156. I don't even bother using the spring compressor to change them, you can compress the spring by hand while someone else unscrews the top nut.

Normally the spring mount drops onto the droplink bracket, and with the space saver spare on the car will roll fine and the wheel will not hit the inside of the arch, just sit about 3" lower. It can then be moved about and put on a ramp as normal. Wouldn't recommend driving it though, obviously..

that's interesting. My garage is down a fairly narrow alley, so we had the car recovered to my sons flat, which has loads of visitor parking. So I assumed i would have to do the job outside in the elements.

It never occured to me that i could fit the space saver and carefully & slowly drive the mile back to mine, and then do the job in the warmth of mt own garage.

 

[TaffMGF]

got it home on the space-saver, that's possible the slowest mile I have ever driven in this car

The strut is off the car and striped down, just awaiting the replacement now. Collateral damage was the ARB link, as the allen key hole rounded off, despite plenty of WD40, a knot wheel and even some heat. Ah well, not unexpected. this guide:-

How to: replace rear shocks/struts on a 156 saloon | Alfa Romeo Forum (alfaowner.com)

is spot on. Thanks you to Gazza for producing it. One of the boot floor bolts needed mole grips to get it out!
Both lower strut bolts came out undamaged with plenty of WD40 and some heat. The bottom bolt isn't even bent.

One thing that caught me out, none of my 22mm spanners were slim enough to fit onto the inner strut top nut once the strut was off (the nut that needs to come off to remove the top mount and spring etc). As my strut was scrap anyway, I compressed the spring and then clamped the shock tube in the vice to hold it, and undid the nut with a socket.

 

[Pud237]

When reassembling just remember the slim nut holds the top mount onto the strut, the the thick nut with the nylock that comes with the new shock is for holding the strut retainer on in the boot. Seen so many of these reassembled the other way around and it causes there to be lift in the strut and eventually worn topmounts.

 

[TaffMGF]

so, when I bought the car, Il Diavolo pointed out that he thought the exhaust was on it's last legs. The centre section gave up the ghoast last year and was replaced and now the back box has split and the tail pipe fallen off!

My local factors quoted £125 inc vat for a replcement, some online sources are quoting as low as £65 but there is a delivery delay.

PArt numbers aren't clear (to me, anyway), some seem to suggest that the rear silencer section is the same from a 1.6 up to a 2.5, regardless of petrol or diesel, while other contradict this. Any tips or guides, chaps? The car is totally standard and I've no real desire to splash millions on a "gucci" system.

Cheers, Taff

 

[Pud237]

All the Twinspark backboxes are the same, 1.9 JTD, 2.0 JTS and 2.5 V6 are a size larger so would be baggy at the sleeve joint but otherwise, they fit.