[Alfa33boxer]

Hi fellows! I wish Happy 2010 to everyone!
this is my first thread for the 2010, I didn't have time to jump into the forum as I had a lot of trouble from 27th of December, the day when I crashed my 33 in the highway

Description: Crash in the highway..
Speed: 100 km/h
Damage:front lights, radiator, bonnet, side panels, engine, front bumper
Damage in my body: pain all over the body from 2 weeks and now (lucky I had the belt)
Cars in the accident: Fiat Punto GT, 1998 Mercedes E Class, Alfa 33 Imola and a stupid idiot that for no reason caused the crash by braking when overtaking.

I was lucky to find after 4 days another 33 Imola in very good shape, and I just bought it no mater the overvalued price it had, I just wanted it.
I was traumatized:tut: from the idea of getting another kind of car, friends was trying to make me buy a Honda or Toyota but at the end I knew what would make me happy and feel better after what happened, now I know I have the Alfa Virus inside me.

I have been servicing my new 33, changed clutch, brakes, oil, filters, thermostat, new lambda sensor
also got the extras from my old one, NGK iridium spark plugs, KN air filter, ECU (chip inside), toyo tires, ect, but the new one feels very slow compared to my old one...???
Could this be due to the factory exhaust (cat + muffler) that it has???? The other exhaust I had has no cat and goes straight with an aftermarket JSV sport muffler. I hope is that the reason, could it make this big difference??? The engine revs fine and quickly but it feels that the power doesn't transfer 100% to the wheels!!!

Any idea?!?!

Pics are coming soon, from the crash and from my new 33 (she's a real beauty)

Cheers,
Elvis

 

[Greek]

Yes, the muffler can "steal " up to 5 hp. Thats the reason that pre-cat 16v had 137hp and catalytic 16v had 132hp.

 

[Paulus]

Sorry to hear about that Dude!

GEARING springs to mind! Are the gearbox/final drive ratios all the same? Also the tyres rolling diameter?

If the final drive ratios are different it will give exactly the symptoms you describe!

It is a trade off between local performance (acceleration) and motorway performance (Top end and cruise economy) and for circuit racing you want the lowest ratios you can find!

 

[Alfa33boxer]

Sorry to hear about that Dude!

GEARING springs to mind! Are the gearbox/final drive ratios all the same? Also the tyres rolling diameter?

If the final drive ratios are different it will give exactly the symptoms you describe!

It is a trade off between local performance (acceleration) and motorway performance (Top end and cruise economy) and for circuit racing you want the lowest ratios you can find!

hi paulus!
the 2 cars are identical, is the Imola version of the 33, I don't think that Alfa Romeo has put different gearboxes on the same model and year, both cars came from Italy and both were bought in Italy and so used there...
How can I check anyway, just to be on the safe side, everything is possible

The tires and wheels are from the one before, and supposing that the gear ratios are the same, than remain just the exhaust -5bhp that feels a lot than...

Maybe I need to push it hard in the highway ones, the previous owner didn't look a racing person since the clutch was all eaten,
maybe we just need to become good friends with each other... lol

 

[Paulus]

The two cars may have been identical when they were built (or knowing Alfa, maybe not!) but they werent the strongest of gearboxes and if one gives up, say, 2nd gear synchro, ANY Boxer gearbox will suffice to get the car mobile again.

Voice of experience there, as it happened to me!

So it could be a pre owned G/B in one of the cars.

Its tricky to check unless both cars are driveable. If they are then get them to a given speed in top gear and compare the rpms. If one revs higher at say 60 kph then THAT is the lower geared one, and will have better acceleration!

Outside of that you need to turn the engine over a given number of turns and count the number of times the wheel goes round!

 

[Alfa33boxer]

OK, lets pretend that the gearboxes have the same ratios and are identical, could this be related also due to the clutch as I put a used clutch disc 2-3 mm consummation until I find the new original Valeo one to buy??? I have noticed that the clutch engages after the pedal has past half of it's way up I know I shouldn't say that because it's stupid but it's so hard to find genuine Alfa parts in here...
Last night I was cruising with 5th gear and noticed that with 3000 rpm I was going at 70-75 km/h instead of 80-85 km/h that the old one used to do at the same rpm. The needles in the speedo and tacho used to stay almost parallel at 3000 rpm, now they have a lot of difference.:rant:

Also when accelerating I hear the valves clicking, but this could be because of the bad quality petrol or aether due to the chip I have in my ECU, using my stock exhaust!!!

In the morning when I first start the engine, the first 5-6 seconds I hear the hydraulic tappets clicking and than it's just fine!!! I'm using BARDHAL OIL 10w40 full synthetic and from experience it's a very good oil and is guaranteed as the dealer is a friend of mine. What can cause that?

So I think I should start from the exhaust, replacing it with the bigger one without cat I have and than trying a thicker clutch disc...

Any advice,
Thanks,
Elvis

 

[Alfa33boxer]

If one revs higher at say 60 kph then THAT is the lower geared one, and will have better acceleration!

it means that the one that revs higher at the same speed will do less top speed but will have better acceleration???

 

[Graffiaturo]

i think your clutch is slipping (plate to thin/slippery and/or a worn pressureplate

3k rpm in fifth means almost 90 km/h with the shortest ratio gearbox, they don't come shorter, that will also explain the lazy feeling you get from the car

 

[Ben_NZ]

Last night I was cruising with 5th gear and noticed that with 3000 rpm I was going at 70-75 km/h instead of 80-85 km/h that the old one used to do at the same rpm.

That suggests that the new car has shorter gearing than the old car, and should accelerate faster if everything else is the same.
Probably the speedos and rev counters all read differently because they're Italian. My 33 reads 5kph too fast when doing around 55kph, the highest error of any car I've checked against the speed readout sign near my house.:lol:

 

[Alfa33boxer]

That suggests that the new car has shorter gearing than the old car, and should accelerate faster if everything else is the same.
Probably the speedos and rev counters all read differently because they're Italian. My 33 reads 5kph too fast when doing around 55kph, the highest error of any car I've checked against the speed readout sign near my house.:lol:

I got the speedo and the rev counter from the old one and guess why!!!:cheese:they didn't work when I bought the new car,
and then again with Italian electrics...
Now is being put in the car the other exhaust with no cat and JSV muffler, lets see the difference it makes and than probably is the clutch plate and and pressure plate...

Cheers, :thumbs:
Elvis

 

[SteffenJ3316V]

That suggests that the new car has shorter gearing than the old car, and should accelerate faster if everything else is the same.
Probably the speedos and rev counters all read differently because they're Italian. My 33 reads 5kph too fast when doing around 55kph, the highest error of any car I've checked against the speed readout sign near my house.:lol:

The Mercedes Sprinter I use at work reads almost 8 kph more than the real speed. So it's not just the italiens

 

[Alfa33boxer]

Pics...pics...mixed!

hi guys, here are some pics from my old crashed car and also pics of the new girlfriend I have now

 

[Alfa33boxer]

here are some more from the new one...

 

[Alfa33boxer]

:thumbs:

 

[Paulus]

OK, lets pretend that the gearboxes have the same ratios and are identical, could this be related also due to the clutch as I put a used clutch disc 2-3 mm consummation until I find the new original Valeo one to buy??? I have noticed that the clutch engages after the pedal has past half of it's way up I know I shouldn't say that because it's stupid but it's so hard to find genuine Alfa parts in here...

No! None of the above affects the gear ratios in the way I have explained, assuming the clutch is not slipping

it means that the one that revs higher at the same speed will do less top speed but will have better acceleration???

BUT that bit is spot on!

 

[Alfa33boxer]

Got the car from ''Albanian Exhaust'', where they got the factory exhaust away and fixed my customized one...

Tried the car and I think that was the problem, now @ 3000 rpm the car was doing 90 km/h:thumbs:,

Crazy what factory exhaust can do...!:wow:


cheers,
Elvis

 

[Supercharged16v]

From the pictures of the crashed one , it doesnt look that bad ! Definitely salvageable !
You might want to consider that option as well

The new one looks great as well, but you need to paint the rest of the bumpers

...I never understood why they left half the bumper unpainted from the factory ...run out of paint ?

 

[SteffenJ3316V]

Got the car from ''Albanian Exhaust'', where they got the factory exhaust away and fixed my customized one...

Tried the car and I think that was the problem, now @ 3000 rpm the car was doing 90 km/h:thumbs:,

Crazy what factory exhaust can do...!:wow:


cheers,
Elvis

I'm sorry but that has absolutly nothing to do with the exhaust.

From the pictures of the crashed one , it doesnt look that bad ! Definitely salvageable !
You might want to consider that option as well

The new one looks great as well, but you need to paint the rest of the bumpers

...I never understood why they left half the bumper unpainted from the factory ...run out of paint ?

I think it's because it shouldn't look completly like the 16V.

 

[Greek]

Also , unpainted bumpers were preferred a lot in Italy , maybe due to low cost of maintenance from scratches etc....

 

[nezdr4v]

From the pictures of the crashed one , it doesnt look that bad ! Definitely salvageable !
You might want to consider that option as well

The new one looks great as well, but you need to paint the rest of the bumpers

i agree :thumbs:

why did you ruin the new imola by cutting the rear bumper for the exhaust? now it looks sutpid with that original hole for the exhaust pipe...