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My Giulietta - Update. Dodgy water pumps, strut top bearings and Bilstein warning.

4K views 13 replies 10 participants last post by  ransoman 
#1 ·
So this weekend I decided to spend some time on my troublesome Giulietta so that I can stop hating it and start enjoying it.

So, first things first, I stripped the engine down and put the old water pump back on. Result! the engine no longer whines up to 3000rpm and has gone back to being silky smooth and quiet. The "new" water pump makes a noticable groaning noise when you move the pully by hand. I was not impressed so will be taking this back for a refund.

Then I decided to address the ongoing suspension issue. The only part that I haven't replaced was the strut top bearings but I have had a new set sitting in the garage for the past 10 months. If you have ever done work to the struts on a Giulietta then you will understand why I have put this off for so long. The wishbone has to come out to get the strut out and to get the wishbone off, half the front underside needs to be dismantled! approx 35 nuts and bolts before you can even get to the wishbone!

With the parts off the car I found that the Drivers side strut top bearing was completely knackered. If you spun the bearing it was really rough and noisy and it "Chattered" if you moved it with any speed. It would have been far worse with the weight of the car bearing down on it. With it all newly assembled the suspension is far far better. It rides a lot smoother now (but still not 100% perfect) but it now goes through bumps and ruts without crashing and knocking.

On a final note, I am really not impressed with the build quality of the Bilstein B6's. They are great performers but they have only been fitted for a year and they look really bad. A lot of the powder coating has flaked off as it is very poorly adhered and the metal is not galvanised so it has rusted far faster than any damper I have seen before. The metal is also very weak and easy to bend. The piston rod has badly corroded at the top and the metal is so weak that I couldn't put any torque on the rod to undo the top nut at all without the hex rounding off. In the end I had to use my electric impact wrence to the the nuts off. Sadly I will not be buying them again.

Next jobs on the list: Replace the gearknob and oil filler cap, fix the sticking fuel filler cap and sort the tailgate wiring. It also needs a damn good valet!
 
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#7 ·
All I can say is that it is a Genuine OEM part. I will have a look for branding on it later.

Thanks for the Bilstein warning. I'm still hoping Koni release the FSD for Giulietta. I had similar issues with the Bilsteins on my Evo. Constant corrosion and top mount issues. Went through 2 sets in 3 years!
This is what I am looking at to replace the lot with next time:

Alfa Giulietta Edelstahl Gewindefahrwerk Eibach ProStreetS - Alfa Romeo Shop - Tuning, Styling, Fanartikel und Modellautos

If I still have the car this time next year (and if it doesn't deteriorate any further, this is likely), then I'll probably install this and a full Raggazon system.
 
#5 ·
Thanks for the Bilstein warning. I'm still hoping Koni release the FSD for Giulietta. I had similar issues with the Bilsteins on my Evo. Constant corrosion and top mount issues. Went through 2 sets in 3 years!
 
#6 ·
#8 ·
I have had no problems with Bilstein B4's rusting either on the Alfa or on my Golf. But they are painted normally rather than powder coated.

Personally I think powder coating is a bit rubbish for cars where stone chips can be an issue.
 
#9 ·
Glad to hear you're keeping the faith Ransoman!
 
#11 ·
Right, 2 weeks in and I can safely say that the strut top bearings were indeed the cause of my suspension problems!

The inconsistency has not returned and I have had a relatively smooth ride ever since.

Previously to this My ride would be smooth for around 15 miles before becoming rough and crashy. If I jacked the corner up and took the wheel off the ground it would make my ride smooth again for another 15 or so miles.

Of course, the Giulietta can never be fully sorted, My rear light unit has now failed completely so that's next on the list.
 
#12 ·
Right, 2 weeks in and I can safely say that the strut top bearings were indeed the cause of my suspension problems!
Do you think this could be the solution to early G's crashy suspension (you know, where everyone is changing dampers & springs hoping to sort it) ?

For all my mods, whilst improved, the suspension is nosier than almost any other car I might drive. It's something you can't help notice every time you pick up a hire car whilst on holiday even if I can't wait to get back into my G :wobble:

Thing is though, I'd swear mine is noisier at the rear although sound source can of course be deceptive.
 
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