Project 164 Part 6

Samco Silicon Rubber Coolant Hose

Let me start out with a disclaimer on this project. In order to make it economically feasible for the manufacturer (Samco) to build the proper custom tooling, I had to order fifteen sets of (red) hose specifically for the Alfa 164. I've already got about half of them spoken for (thanks to the Alfa Digest on the Internet), so the remainder are available to any Alfa Club members at my net cost. Contact me for further details at bjanesi@juno.com or (201) 327-4672.

A good rule of thumb is to change the coolant hose on any car every five years. The typically higher temperatures found under the Alfa 164 hood only make this a more important maintenance item. We've all seen the result of an old hose left on a car too long - a stranded motorist on the side of the road with steam billowing out of the engine bay. My seven year-old 164 still sported the original hoses, so it was time.

If you've been following this series of articles, you know that I have a tendency to look for a "better mouse-trap" whenever possible. Having seen red and blue Samco Silicon Hoses on some race cars over the years, I thought this would make a great upgrade for the many coolant hoses on the 164. Silicon hose is much more tolerant of heat and cold extremes and it will not significantly degrade over many, many years. The fact that I could have the custom hoses made in (nearly Alfa) red was just icing on the cake.

Replacing all of the coolant hoses on the 164 will require draining the coolant from the motor. To properly do this, I'd suggest draining from the drain plug on the front (left) head. Access to the rear (right) head plug is impossible with the intake plenum attached, so you may not want to bother with that one. Regardless of whether you remove one or both plugs, I'd suggest replacing with the sacrificial anode plugs available from IAP and AR Ricambi.

Once drained and flushed (as long as you've come this far, might as well do the job right), all the hoses can be removed. Some hoses will come off easily, other will be a challenge and a bit more time consuming. There are two 2" lengths of hose which run between the heads and the water pump upper housing. I'd strongly suggest replacing these with the silicon hose, as you only want to replace them once. The lower water pump outlet hose is the other tough one, although once you've unbolted the housing (required for the aforementioned hoses), it's not that difficult.

A couple re-assembly points are in order:

1. Although effective, the factory hose clamps are a nightmare to work with and I replaced them all with Wurth A4 stainless steel Zebra-type clamps (I have some of these left over if anyone is interested).
2. Don't over-tighten the hose clamps or you risk stripping the gears and/or damaging the hose (especially if you use those cheap department store clamps)
3. Please don't use those cheap department store clamps - this hose is too expensive to ruin!
4. A little petroleum jelly on the hose fittings will allow them to slide on much easier (not to mention allowing for dramatically easier removal, should the need ever arise).
5. There is some variation from car to car in the required hose lengths - don't be concerned if you need to cut a centimeter or so off some of the hoses for proper fitment. Remember - measure twice and cut once!
6. After the coolant system is re-filled (50/50 mix of coolant and distilled water), residual air should be bled using the bleeder bolt at the top of the thermostat.

1. Jack up and block the car on safety stands or blocks (one side at a time is fine)
2. Remove front wheel(s)
3. Mark with "White-out" the location of the retaining bolt and exposed threads on the tie-rods (this should allow us to get away without an alignment after re-installation). Alternatively, you can count the number of exposed threads.
4. Spray a liberal dose of rust penetrant around the area of the retaining bolt
5. Un-bolt the retaining bolt (Your big hammer may help here)
6. Simultaneously hit (from opposing directions) the area where the inner tie-rod threads into the outer tie-rod (to free the rust bond which has probably formed between the two pieces).
7. Firmly grip the inner tie-rod end with the Vise-grips and give it a sharp whack with the hammer (again, the big hammer may help here). This should break it free and allow the rod to begin un-screwing.
8. Loosen, but do not remove the 17mm bolt securing the tie-rod end to the hub.
9. Place a wooden block under the tie-rod end and then give it a sharp whack to pop it free and then remove the 17mm bolt. (This approach actually works better than a tie-rod removal tool, as you won't risk damaging the boot).
10. Unscrew and remove the tie-rod end; inspect the ball joint boot for any rips.
11. Place an oil pan under the steering rack boot and remove the boot by un-clipping the retaining clips at both ends.
12. Clean the inner tie rod ball and socket area with a clean rag.
13. Apply a bit of silicon grease on the new (or freshly cleaned) boot at the point where it rotates on the rod, and then re-install the boot and outer tie-rod in as nearly the same position as it was removed (a nice dose of anti-seize on the threads may make the big hammer optional next time).
14. Now go do the same thing all over again on the other side,
15. When finished, don't forget to re-fill the power steering fluid from the canister up near the firewall on the driver's side. ATF fluid is the spec' fluid; I used Mobil 1 synthetic ATF.

    One final note - Alfa used a number of different steering racks on the 164, for a number of reasons relating to both supply and design. To get the proper boot kit, you will need to supply your VIN to the ARDONA parts dealer - of course, this assumes you have the original rack on the car.

    Front Stabilizer Bar Bushing Upgrade

    Right in the same "neighborhood" as the steering rack boots, you'll find the inner stabilizer bar bushing (also called the anti-roll or anti-sway bar). The factory bushing is made of rubber, which offers a nice soft ride, but not much in the way of stabilization. In theory, the objective here is simple; replace the stock bushing with one made of polyurethane. Energy Suspension (714- 361-3935) makes an appropriately red polyurethane bushing (part# 9-5156), which even comes with a grease fitting to keep the bushing from binding up and getting noisy.

    So far, so good, but now it gets interesting. First, the new mount is a bit larger than the original, so you'll need to take about a centimeter off of each side for the new mount to fit. Next comes the challenging part - removing the old bushing and installing the new. I suggest doing one side of the car to completion and then move on to the other. I suppose you could jack and block both front wheels up together, and then remove the bar entirely, but I think that makes for a longer project, not shorter.

    I found removal of the old bushing most easily accomplished by unbolting the mount and then just taking a hack saw to the bushing (just be careful not to cut into the stabilizer bar!). Installation of the new polyurethane bushing is not nearly as easy as a rubber bushing installation would be. The polyurethane doesn't give nearly as much as the rubber, and it is slightly wider. It took a unique combination of jacking up the A-arm, mounting the new bushing somewhat angled, and removing the end-link (a combination I can't exactly recall) to get the new unit securely in place. As long as you've got everything apart, you might also want to replace the end-link bushings - However, I've not been able to find these particular bushings in polyurethane, so the stock rubber bushings will have to suffice here.

    With one side completed, you can move to the other and complete the same process, much like our previous project. Rest assured however, the second side will actually be more difficult than the first, as the installed polyurethane bushing will provide more resistance to getting the second one properly installed. Have faith, it can be done.

    Next up, the big jobs - clutch and head removal...