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    • February 11, 2008 at 2:21 pm #57125
      frank-mooney

        I thought, since last summer,that I was going to have to admit the Alpine into rehab.It was breaking up badly,under load,when attempting acceleration but would idle fairly well.Figured fuel issue or spark or timing issue.Made sure the fuel line was blown out,same with the in line fuel filter[plus the original glass bowl filter].Cleaned out,blew out the jets in the carb[Weber 32/36 perhaps 15 years old].Timing checked out[but wondered about the distributor now 42 years old.Checked/relaced points and plugs…but problem persisted.Rebuilt the original mechanical fuel pump with the kit. Just wasn’t at all right.Frustrating but more and more seemed a fuel delivery problem. Ordered a new Weber 32/36 carb.Installed same.Problem solved! For the first time in months runs right.Haven’t yet commenced the CRI type autoposy on the old Weber.Never did a checkout/cleanout of the old Weber on the bench always on the car.Not sure why the on car checkout didn’t find the problem.To err is human.Now I’ll go into rehab.

      • February 11, 2008 at 8:58 pm #61988
        Eric and Bonnie and Bonnie Gibeaut
        Participant

          Please let us know what you find when you take apart the old carb. I wonder if it was a hole in the float, crud in the main or idle jet, or??
          thanks! Eric

        • February 11, 2008 at 9:32 pm #61989
          frank-mooney

            Eric will do and will let you know.The jets may have been blown out but the internal carb lines leading to the passageways into the combustion chambers may have become clogged with an accumulation of the infamous flakes of black paint from the fuel tanks. Wouldn’t take much to clog it up.

          • February 12, 2008 at 12:09 am #61990
            theo

              The fuel inlet on the DGV/DFV carbs has a nylon screen element at the needle valve, and if there’s been any crud in the fuel lines then it will accumulate in there and cause the kind of symptoms you’re seeing. Been there, done that, but with silicone instead of the dreaded black flakes.

            • February 15, 2008 at 2:56 pm #61995
              frank-mooney

                I hope to do my CRI insired autopsy tomorrow.Will report my findings.I have to find something,right?

              • February 19, 2008 at 5:44 pm #62001
                frank-mooney

                  CRI autopsy on the old Weber 32/36 completed…inconclusive.Floats ok,no flakes or crud.Decided to install a new Sunbeam Specialties Petronix electronic ignition distributor with the proper new coil.Drove the Alpine[still with a miss but better than before the new Weber was recently installed by me] to Westhampton Coachworks.They are an authorised dealer for Rolls,Bentley,Lotus,Porsche,Lamborgini,Ferrari etc.Owners are real car guys with a first rate set of mechanics. Figured they should install the distributor[how to readily find top dead center piston #1 on compression stroke not my forte].The owner immediately took one of his best mechanics off a S series Mercedes with a computer glitch to focus on the Alpine…told you they are car guys. Distributor and coil intalled,timing set but appeared to be"running on 3 1/2 cylinders"…compression on each cylinder checked out fine.I had checked out for manifold leaks with carb spray…nothing showed up told mechanic.He said carb spray not focused enough…let’s try propane[better him than me]. After careful,methodical search of carb and manifolds via the propane he found an somewhat hidden open inlet accessory hole on the far right of the intake manifold! He screwed in the proper sized plug[where did the damn original plug go?]..adjusted carb and timing…magic! Alpine as good as new[better?].Starts instantly,idles at a steady 900 rpm without flucuation,accelerates without hesitation or miss..hasn’t been this good in years. Sometimes a 42 yearold Alpine[and a 70 year old Alpine owner] needs new key components and a thorough inspection.Price of parts[carb,distributor,coil,inlet plug] together with labor… grand total appx $700. I’m thrilled that it is running so well.Old car’s systems gradually deteriorate over the decades.Sometims hard to notice until it gets real bad..but as the bard said,"Alls well that ends well". Frank

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