[alfa] RE: Alfa Super 6 carbs

["John Fielding" <johnf@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi All,

As the Alfa Super 6 was a model exclusive to South Africa, today I went and
took a look at one.  Only 200 2.5L models were ever built, some reckon they
were made on "paper" but not in the flesh!  The reason for the very small
number was because it was  purely to get the model homogolated for the Saloon
Car class which raced here.  The Alfa factory decided to take on the BMW and
Ford saloons in this formula.  The BMW works driver was the late Tony Vianna
and the Ford driver was none other than Sarel van der Merwe, famous for his
multiple rally championships and later in Le Mans.  The race version was a
2.5L as that was the maximum capacity allowed.  Later production models were
fitted with a 3.0L version and L-Jetronic EFI.  After Alfa cleaned up the
saloon car championship they did the usual thing and pulled out of racing,
figuring they had made their point!

Well the folks who said the carbs are 6 single carbs are dead right.  The ones
who said they consisted of 2 three barrel carbs are also correct!

In fact I have in front of me right now a copy of the Dellorto parts manual
for these carbs, (Collegamenti E Comandi Carburatore FRPA-40D - FRPA-40S) all
in Italian, and it is spelt Dellorto on the pages - there are 4 different
varieties - but in actual fact only really two.  The part numbers are FRPA-40D
and FRPA-40S for the manual transmission and the automatic gerarbox cars used
the FRPA-40AS and FRPA-40AD vesrions.  Not too sure what the differences are
the two diagrams look the same to me.  (The D & S suffix is I believe left and
right in Italian speak).

The carbs proper are individual bodies with choke plates for cold starting and
each has its own float chamber.  Three of these individual carbs are mounted
on a long throttle body which has 3 butterflies linked together.  In the parts
bin was a selection of carbs and throttle bodies and yes these are for sale if
anyone wants one.  These are not new but have been removed from various donor
cars and some bits are either missing or broken so it is pot luck if you order
a set.

One thing I discovered is that they are not the most reliable beasts.
Apparently inside is an O ring that separates the input fuel line from the
output fuel line.  These with heat tend to deteriorate and leak intenally
causing the carb to flood.  Apparently this if severe causes hydraulicing
(sp?) and the piston to break when the cylinder gets flooded if the engine
stands for a while.  Not an uncommon failure I am told.   The fuel lines run
parallel the length of the 2 sets of carbs, 4 lines in total in the V of the
engine.  There are two flow and two return lines and are prone to weeping as
there are short sections of rubber hose between the individual carbs and tee
pieces on each carb, (Pipette racc. tubo benzine) similar to the Weber 40DCOE
variety.

The example of the Super 6 I had seen several times before and it is an ugly
looking car.  It is basically Alfetta except the front portion is more square
and seems a bit crude.  The original 2.5L engine with the 6 carbs in this
example is long gone and has been replaced with a 3.0L lump.

John
Durban
South Africa
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