ALFAGTV6.COM

[mmelton]

We're changing flex discs (donuts) on a GTV6 we've resurrected. Lost a chunk from the rear one not long ago, and changed that. Middle one was calcified--hard as chalk--so we changed that. Front one looks almost new--good color and elasticity to the rubber, but there are a few hairline cracks on the inside of the webbing, and I intend a road from the Deep South to the Great Plains and back (including Tulsa for the Alfa get-together and an excursion through Texas) this June, so a full set of new guibos is in order.

But we can't figure out how to get that front son-of-a-gun out and a new one in. They're certainly not going to come out/go in through that inspection hole in the bottom of the forward bell housing. Our old Haynes manual on transaxle sedans and Alfettas shows an inspection opening at the front of the engine bell housing, but that's on the 4-cyl. 2.0 and not the case on our GTV6. The rear of the V-6 housing is held to the block by a series of bolts (our Milano shop manual shows eight or ten of them), and it would appear the engine would have to come out to get that thing off. So how do we make the change?

Someone asked this question on the old GTV6 Web site, and the answer was, essentially: "It's easy. Have a friend rotate the drive shaft in the proper direction and remove the 19mm nuts." That was it. My question: Then what? How does the thing come out? And how do we get the new one in? Do we need to uncouple the drive shaft at the middle guibo and pull it back? Does that give us access and working room?

Looking at the commentary on M5 guibos, steel reinforcement spiders, Dunkin' Donuts and more on this site, it appears that this must be easy and obvious, and I feel pretty stupid for asking but...

HOW DO I CHANGE THIS FRONT GUIBO?

Thanks in advance for your understanding and help.

Mel
Maurice Melton
'84 Spider (400+k)
'88 Spider (265k)
'87 Milano (resistor fire victim, now my parts car)
'85 GTV6 (my new daily driver)

"I never knew anyone who owned just one Alfa." Ward Witowski

[Murray]

Mel you have to pull the driveshaft to do this - the complete driveshaft.If you disconnect at the middle you're looking for trouble getting it back together on the car.What year is your GTV6 ? Later models >83 I think,have a removable centre brace which makes the task easier.
While you're at it replace the centre bearing and its support because they're going to need doing eventually and the parts cost is cheap compared to the labour.Don't forget the instructions to mark EVERYTHING including bolts washers and nuts so that they all go back in the same locations.Rebalancing these driveshafts is not to be taken lightly.

[Que Boludo]

Yep, the shaft as one unit has to come out.

This is what I do.
MARK EVERYTHING!!!!

Remove the rear coupling bolts and the front through the inspection hole. Loosen the front bolt on the splined shaft, now remove the middle-bearing mount.

I also remove the rear engine mount plates, this way the engine can be tilted down.

Now pull the thing out backwards.

[mmelton]

Thanks, Murray and Que B. I'd have tried just pulling the front half of the drive shaft for experimentation if you hadn't given me the heads-up. I've taken to marking everything with different colors of my wife's nail polish, and thus far everything's gone back well balanced. I believe my Milano's driveshaft was out of balance, and I don't want to spoil this little '85 with the same problem, so I'll try to be even more careful.

Good point, Que, about tilting the motor down. That may be very helpful. We'll see.

Thanks again for the help.