milano woes, episode II (longish) please help my Milano is turning on me.....

["Joseph Kanellopoulos" <kanellj@domain.elided>]

Dear Digesters,

first of all a great many thanks to all the replies for the gas smell.  The
only suspects found guilty so far are the metal hoses coming between the fuel
pump and the filter. But Episode I was over and now Episode II has started.

First the idler pulley went flying of the engine(!) on the way back from the
shop taking the belt with it, but thankfully causing no other  visible
damage.
Can someone recommend a source for a replacement one (new/used)?

Second, the car had its radiator flushed at west suburban a week ago and was
seemingly working ok (weather was MUCH colder here then yesterday and today
were the first real hot days this year).  Today the fuel pump was replaced on
a whim (along with a few hoses on the bottom of the car that looked like metal
irrigation hoses upon inspection (that will hopefully fix the leak, one hose
burst when we pressed it).

Though the old pump was working ok (though its surface was corroded like crazy
we changed it (reluctantly so) ) to one I had shipped from overseas a while
back, the problem is the pump number we used is 0 580 464 070 instead of 0 580
464 020 both pumps look identical.

Now the car runs extremely hot as compared to before at idle, also the sound
is a little heavier, the engine has less torque it seems and more top endish
(??)

Survey says:

Is it the different pump causing it to run lean?
Is God punishing me for paying twice the money and using a NAPA fuel filter
because I could not wait to fix it to order one from the usual suspects?
Is the radiator flushing the problem?
Is it the thermostat (1 year old), or the water pump (2 years old) neither
having more than 8000 miles on it?
Was syphoning the gas out and putting it back in from a syphoning machine that
already contained some undetermined quality gasoline in it?
Is the idler pulley missing, somehow emotionally depressing the engine causing
it to run hot?

Cast your vote now, at www dot joes alfa has gone mad and is trying to kill
him (or drive him mad) dot com

I reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally must love this car,

Joseph
88 Milano Verde (a.k.a. the money pit)

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