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torquillIt was a frozen clutch plate. We hauled on it with the pickup and it broke free after about five feet. Application of excessive horsepower for the win.
After that, we took it on a trip around the block. It still needs its idle speed adjusted, but otherwise the engine and transmission are working acceptably well. The fuel injection is "good enough for the moment". The brakes, however, are not.
We jacked the car back up, took the front wheels off, and removed the brake pads... my dad said it was completely out of character for Alfa to make the brake pads easy to remove (almost easier than the flip-up calipers on my Honda, which is saying a great deal). He roughened the pads while I took the glazed rust off the discs with a grinder, and we put them back together.
Unfortunately, the pistons were being reluctant. We ended up taking the calipers off altogether and putting them on the bench to remove the pistons, a job which involved using high-pressure air to blow them out of the casing. He polished off the rust at the top of the piston and eased them back in (they have to be dead square, which is really difficult). He finished one set before we broke for the day, and he'll probably get the other set done tomorrow.
I need to talk to Claire tomorrow -- the dust-covers for the pistons are crumbling, and it's possible that he'll have something that will fit. The man's a parts wizard, and if nothing else he may come up with some alternate part that will fit the bill. (We need something that's 42mm diameter on the inside, 55mm on the outside. That's mostly for my own reference.)
After the front is done, we have to do the back brakes. Then it should at least be safe to drive. We have a small list of things to check out, like why the windshield wipers don't work, but we're steadily carving through that.
Progress, definitely. It's a little tricky to start, but I'm sure I can get the hang of it.
After that, we took it on a trip around the block. It still needs its idle speed adjusted, but otherwise the engine and transmission are working acceptably well. The fuel injection is "good enough for the moment". The brakes, however, are not.
We jacked the car back up, took the front wheels off, and removed the brake pads... my dad said it was completely out of character for Alfa to make the brake pads easy to remove (almost easier than the flip-up calipers on my Honda, which is saying a great deal). He roughened the pads while I took the glazed rust off the discs with a grinder, and we put them back together.
Unfortunately, the pistons were being reluctant. We ended up taking the calipers off altogether and putting them on the bench to remove the pistons, a job which involved using high-pressure air to blow them out of the casing. He polished off the rust at the top of the piston and eased them back in (they have to be dead square, which is really difficult). He finished one set before we broke for the day, and he'll probably get the other set done tomorrow.
I need to talk to Claire tomorrow -- the dust-covers for the pistons are crumbling, and it's possible that he'll have something that will fit. The man's a parts wizard, and if nothing else he may come up with some alternate part that will fit the bill. (We need something that's 42mm diameter on the inside, 55mm on the outside. That's mostly for my own reference.)
After the front is done, we have to do the back brakes. Then it should at least be safe to drive. We have a small list of things to check out, like why the windshield wipers don't work, but we're steadily carving through that.
Progress, definitely. It's a little tricky to start, but I'm sure I can get the hang of it.
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Date: 2006-10-24 00:37 (UTC)