~Zaitsev wrote:
> >Whutza "dummy" actuator ???
> Saw an article that said: "replace the TA with the Alfa Ricambi "Sure
> Start" mechanical actuator". I have no idea what this is and hope
> someone can clarify. I wouldn't consider buying a pig in a poke.

:-)

No idea 'what' that device mite 'be'.

It doesnt sound like anything that would 'temp_regulate' your F/A mix.

Me??
I'd remove the TA body,
replace it with a simple, blank plate, w/mach screw+lock-nut, fixed
"adjust" ...
use a block heater to heat 'it' up a bit to start it.
Let the internal 'lever' be "at" it's downward, leaned-out F/A mix
position,
via screw-adjust.

A well-cleaned wood dowel, + a dbl-edged safty razor ,
aughta give you the "throw" of the internal Spica pump 'lever' ...
the two(2) razor cuts on the wood dowel ,
vern_caliper the 'distance' twixt the two(2) razor cuts.
Close enuf.

................
> If I opt to replace the TA, what can I expect,

..........
timewise

A 'day' of 'fitting' , maybe.

Visit a "bike" shop , find some really stiff, sheathed 'push/pull' cable
....
enuf to go from the TA , and on into the cab ...
( vertically 'up' & 'out', and 90_deg bend into cab )

I have strong 'recall' that the dia of the TA piston was 'near' that
of the stranded cable dia ... 1/8" +\- .

I cant recall what I used for a "cab_end" handle ...
the bike shop mite have "one". (motorcycle)



and
.............
workwise....

A brazing torch, a few hand tools, a bench grinder ...
a razor saw suitable for brass.

Ask the bike shop about 'butt' brazing/soldering the inner, stranded
cable to the (flat) end of the TA's internal "piston" ...
the "button" is the end that 'protrudes' ,
the remainder of the piston is 'up' inside the TA body.

You dont need to "slice" all that far till you can 'reveal' the piston
cylinder ... stop 'there' ... find & fab some kinda 'dust-boot' to fit
the juncture of sheathed_cable & TA body 'top' ...
an old rubber spark plug boot ???
Small dia hose clamp 'it' tite.

'They' may have a few brazing tricks , mite even do it for you at modest
cost.
Make sure that the bike shop understands that you need the cable strands
=tite=
when/after its brazed.
I was in G_School when I made mine, had a whole machine lab at my
disposal.
All manner of metal working 'artizans' too.

I used the razor saw to slice off the TA end till I could 'see' the
piston
seated down in the barrel of the TA ... stopped "there" ...
punched out the piston to work on it.
I cant recall how/if the piston was =captured= , in the body of the TA.
A pc of 1/8th drill rod mite make a good punch.

I may have made a few test brazings, on "similar" scrap ...
to test out the strength of the butt braze joint ... cant recall.
There 'was' a TO testing machine in the 'lab' ... bit expensive for a
home shop.
In any 'event' ... it worked for years , still worked when I gave my
Spyder to Yung Sun ... worked well till he sold it.

I think the real ?secret? is making the butt_joint braze/weld ,
keeping the strands of the cable =tight= while brazing ...
I recall I used a pc of wire to keep them =tight= stranded ,
ground 'it' away after.
Made sure the tite-stranded 'strands' were ground off square ,
made sure the strands were well 'captured' in the braze matrix.

Keep the 'piston' and the cable in_line, linear, strait ...
so as not to 'motion' bind
when its placed back into the TA barrel ... the braze joint ground to
'fit'.

From "there", its just a PIA matter to fit
an external, fulcrum_levered, return-spring to assure the cable gets
pushed
back up it's sheath ... dont depend upon the Spica pump internal
spring-load
lever to do 'that' ...

You mite possibly not even need the external spring-return ...
If your cable+sheath is "of" the proper friction level ,
you mite not need a "return" function.

I 'suspect' I wanted to also assure that the spring-returned TA 'piston'
did not over-drive the pump-internal lever downward ... too far ...
may have added an adjustable =stop= to the external lever kludge.

Wouldnt "it" have been nice if I coulda found my original 'notes' ...
which I may not have even made.
<hint> <hint> <hint> <hint>


Try leaving the Spica pump on the engine ...
make sure =NO= crapola falls into 'it' ... none/nada/zero/nfw.
Thoroughly =WASH/CLEAN= the =PUMP= before any attempt to remove the TA
body.
"this" mite add a few hours to the fittment ...
but save you the time to 'doc' the crank/cam/pump positions.

'Internally', the Spica pump deals with tolerances in the 0.0001ths ...
yet another reason to keep the engine lube oil =clean=.

.............
> keeping in mind that the last car I worked on was a 1960
> Alpine Sunbeam (when it was relatively new). And I wish I still had
> it.

:-)
Had one too.
Always yearned for the V8 Tiger ,
but ...
saw too many, on the end of a tow hook, crumpled.
Finally figured out that I was too fragile to suffer that kinda abuse.
Got a few more hp out of it with a major over_bore and a hand-made
copper
head gasket, Webber side drafts .

Not 'near' the side_wize "driver" that the Spyder is ... nor the GT too.
I was never 'quite' comfortable drifting the Sunbeam(S) , rite or left
....
Got so I could do fairly precise 180's ,
within the width of a 2_lane road,
with an Alfa.

The 'S' finally went to Yung Sun in hi_school ... a 1st string defensive
tackle ...
I probably donwanna know about his "cavorts" & "debauches".
A 210-lb, heavy weight wrestler, runner up in the CT state finals.
'Me?', jealous ?? ... nah. <VBG>
By 'then',
I had a 4_dr 1600cc Alfa Berlena(sp?) ... could run circles around him.

> Thanks again.
> W Roberts
> San Antonio, TX

Try [escook @ worldpath.net] ... =less= the two(2) embedded spaces , to
contact me.

Sorry `bout my =bummer= , original Spica 'post' ...
my neuron didnt quite 'fire' well on that one.

The internal 'lever' [down] is the normal, leaned-out F/A mix, lever
position ,
pushed 'down' by the TA piston(button)
when the TA "fluid" expands with increasing engine heat .
The internal 'lever' [up] is the F/A rich mix ,
'lever' following the retracted(ing) piston,
given contraction of the cooling(ed) "fluid".

I'd 'suspect' that the up/down 'range' of the 'lever' motion
is a =fixed= distance,
determined by the 'parts' that constitute
the original, Spica factory parts assemblage.

"There" ... :-)
I think I got 'that' correct.

............
Added,
I cant recall any "plastic" cover , ... port 'inspection' cover ,
anywhere around/near/on the pump ...
????
It doesnt stand to ?reason? that Spica would 'fit' such a cover ...
given the sensititivity of the pump.

Catman ... you 'there' ???
Is there 'such' a cover ???
The "one" that merits a $1000 price reduction, if missing.

Ed