Roll pins in 2000 engines, and What is Catalogo Rapido?

["John Hertzman" <johnhertzman@domain.elided>]

In AD8-0258 Andrew Watry writes:
"I know the discussion of oil-passage roll pins comes up often, but I can't
remember whether we've covered whether Alfa ever put them in at the factory.
I'm planning to do a head gasket job on my 1974 2-liter GTV this spring, and
am wondering whether to expect to see them in there."

Yes, Alfa did put them in at the factory, but the next question is precisely
when they started?  They are part number 02160.10925.00, and they show up on
page 6 (table D.01) in the Alfetta Catalogo Rapido (USA version) as having
been used on all models, but they do not show up in my 2000 parts book which
was published in October 1971. I also don't find it in my copy of the 105
Catalogo Rapido published 6/74, which may indicate that it was not used
until the Alfettas, but I have a strong impression that the C.R., useful as
it is, is not always quite as complete and correct as I might wish.

In AD8-0253 John Basel had ended his reply to my thoughts on sumps with the
question "What is Catalogo Rapido?". It is the Italian name (thus as
pretentious as calling a flex-joint a 'giubo', I suppose) for the 'Short
Spare Parts Catalog' (or Schnell Ersatzteilcatalog) which Alfa put out for
some models in the seventies. It has the same page size (21 cm high x 30 cm
wide) as standard parts books of the late sixties-early seventies but
compresses a shelf-full, perhaps a dozen volumes or more, into a single book
of about 175 pages, less than 1 cm thick, in the cases of the two that I
have.

How does it do this, and what does it gain, what does it lose? I will use
the one on the non-USA 105 cars as an example.

The main catalogs, in contrast to the Catalogo Rapido, have fairly large,
clear exploded drawings of groups of parts, with the part number for each
part, followed by tables which give, for each part number, the number used
and at least the name, and sometimes more, in five languages, so that (for
instance) you can tell that part number 2105.00166, the bolts securing the
sump bottom to the main sump, is a Vite da 6 x 1 x 20, Schraube zu 6 x 1 x
20, Tornillo de 6 x 1 x 20, (etc) quantity 17. The five-languages bit is not
completely useless; it sometimes clarifies ambiguities in part names and
functions, as well as typos and poor translations.

The Catalogo Rapido saves space by compressing the drawings (in the case of
the main engine parts, putting those on eleven pages onto three pages),
omitting some parts entirely (those sump bolts, for one, which is why I
don't trust it on roll pins) and identifying the parts, on the drawings,
with key numbers rather than part numbers. The key numbers you then take to
a following spread-sheet with columns for part description, part number,
quantity, and seventeen different 105 models, and notes in three languages
(leaving out Spanish). Key number 1, for example, the engine block, is
identified as Bassamento, quantita 1, and the different part numbers are
given for the ten different blocks used on the seventeen most common
different 105 cars, the specific applications identified by black dots where
the horizontals and verticals cross. The dots are large enough to contain
numbers; the 17 and 18 on two of the three dots in the Giulia Super column
refer to a bottom-of-page listing of the chassis-number break-points
880.000-880.001; note 'A' tells which two of those blocks were without a
breather.

The big advantages are that it identifies the ten blocks, six cylinder
heads, eight timing covers, etcetera, and their applications, without going
through a great pile of individual parts catalogs, and quickly tells you
that, for example, a different timing cover was used on the 1300 cc GT
Junior than on the GT Junior 1.3, and which other models used each of them.

A limitation is that it is not quite as comprehensive as it looks; it does
not cover the Junior Zagatos, GTAs, GTCs, Montreals, Giulia T.I. Supers, or
more surprisingly the original Giulia T.I., nor does it cover specific USA
variants- no Spica, no rubber bumpers, etc.

I have just two of these "Short Spare Parts Catalogs", publication # 2235
covering the 105s and publication #2462 covering the several Alfetta USA
versions. Centerline offers a reprint (their #RM 128, $29.50) of one
covering all 2000 models 1972-1972, 250 pages, in Italian; they don't say
whether it covers the USA versions but I assume it must. (It might also
answer the question whether air conditioning was 'factory').

And now I have a question for Leo, Luca, or any others fortunate to have an
inside track on Alfa documentation in the Mother Country. I have long lists
of Alfa factory publication either offered here by ARI in the seventies or
among the holdings of the AROC technical library, but they do not include
any Catalogo Rapido. I assume there are others beyond the two I have and the
one Centerline reprints. If anyone could identify the models covered and
publication numbers of any others (or better yet, has any available for
purchase, or knows where I could buy any) I would greatly appreciate it.

Also on publications: if anyone knows where I could find a copy of 'Il
Portello', by Duccio Bigazzi, published in the mid-nineties but
out-of-print, I would be very interested. All my usual sources have been
unable to produce one.

Sincerely,

John H.
Raleigh, N.C.

--
to be removed from alfa, see /bin/digest-subs.cgi
or email "unsubscribe alfa" to majordomo@domain.elided