[r100gspd]

I have my v6 front end stripped and replacing wheel bearings,driveshaft boots,interrmediate shaft bearing and springs/struts, but I note that the RH top mount bearing is notchy. all rubbers and mounting plates are fine.Ideally I would put 2 new mounts on if I could find pair but as left hand unavailable I am wondering if this bearing :
Friction Bearing, suspension strut support mounting 866000 Front Axle from RUVILLE - ALFA ROMEO
listed for GTV, could be fitted if the 2 plates are separated.
Has anyone managed to separate top mount plates?

 

[Spider95]

It may be possible, but why go through the hassle and uncertainty if you can buy a genuine RH mount at a 'reasonable' price?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Alfa-Romeo-916-GTV-Spider-RH-front-shock-absorber-top-mount-bearing-60651125-/231832593465?fits=Car+Make%3AAlfa+Romeo%7CModel%3AGTV&hash=item35fa4ca439:g:Cg0AAOSw--1Wr4dj

I say reasonable as the dealer price can vary from £120-£146, as I've recently found out for myself.

 

[spankdanny]

They don't come apart, I have tried. Not sure what that replacement part you found is from the picture. Doesn't look suitable.

 

[Spider95]

On the LH mount I visited the dealer yesterday, and the parts manager has requested a 'bin check' on the RH mounts in stock to see if any have been mislabelled, and whether any have the 'S' stamped on the top.

Complete long shot, probably won't come to anything, but there is a remote possibility of mislabelled LH mounts as RH ones. It is Italy, so I suppose anything is possible.

 

[r100gspd]

They don't come apart, I have tried. Not sure what that replacement part you found is from the picture. Doesn't look suitable.

It seems to be the correct bearing between top and bottom plate, I wondered if the rivets were drilled out, the bearing could be extracted after separating top and bottom plates and renewed.

If as Spider95 says, there may be mislabelled mounts available, please let me know and then I can get 2 new ones.
BTW, where is the S or D mark?
I am beginning to wonder if mine are both S or D as they both look the same.

 

[Spider95]

It seems to be the correct bearing between top and bottom plate, I wondered if the rivets were drilled out, the bearing could be extracted after separating top and bottom plates and renewed.

If as Spider95 says, there may be mislabelled mounts available, please let me know and then I can get 2 new ones.
BTW, where is the S or D mark?
I am beginning to wonder if mine are both S or D as they both look the same.

Remove any labels that may be stuck on the top of the mount, and you should see either a letter "D" or "S" stamped on the top bracket of the mount. If you look closely at the advert from ebay supplied above using the zoom, you should see the "D" stamped faintly on the left side of the mount.

 

[Stixy]

Have a word with the guys at Alfashop in Norwich, they might have some in stock.

 

[Spider95]

Have a word with the guys at Alfashop in Norwich, they might have some in stock.

RH mount is readily available but LH mount is no longer available, with the possible exception of continental European dealers. This was all discussed in the other thread:

http://www.alfaowner.com/Forum/alfa-gtv-andamp-916-spider/965114-top-mounts.html

 

[TheKevlarKid]

It seems to be the correct bearing between top and bottom plate, I wondered if the rivets were drilled out, the bearing could be extracted after separating top and bottom plates and renewed.

I am beginning to wonder if mine are both S or D as they both look the same.

I have an old one that I am going to try to take apart shortly - as far as I can see it can only be one of two things to take it apart - either drill out the rivets as you say, or it may be that the central metal tube / bush that goes through the bearing needs to be pushed out. I think pressing the metal bush out is most likely.


I have posted some pics in another thread on this subject - I believe as far as I can tell having spent quite some time stareing at them, that the LH and RH top plates are identical. I think they were only originally stamped left and right for the factory to identify the fully built up units - but this is a sumise.

 

[spankdanny]

I tried dismantling one. The rivits just hold the plates together and the rubber is impossible to remove without destroying it. Might be possible with a press but how you get it back together is another matter.

 

[r100gspd]

I tried dismantling one. The rivits just hold the plates together and the rubber is impossible to remove without destroying it. Might be possible with a press but how you get it back together is another matter.

After my original post,I too have tried to dismantle the top mount.
As it was just slightly notchy I tried beforehand to lubricate bearing from top in the space between centre bearing and angled bit which the rubber cap sits over.
This made things better but still slightly notchy, but when I got the bearing exposed after splitting plates it was nicely oily and would have outlasted me.
Although bearing has integral dust covers, I wonder if water from a split rubber cap had got in.
Fitting rubber caps seems essential.
When I measured the rh and LH ones, I came to the conclusion that they are not interchangeable.
I have kept old ones in case for template.
It may be possible to MIG ends of good RH ones on to LH ??