Re: alfa-digest V8 #923

[AlfaNeely@domain.elided]

In a message dated Mon, 15 Jul 2002 9:33:42 PM Eastern Standard Time, owner-alfa-digest@domain.elided writes:

> Date: Mon, 15 Jul 2002 14:39:14 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Tessie McMillan <tessmc@domain.elided>
> Subject: re: quote without comment
> 
> OK, I'll be the one to ask a dumb question. I missed the original NYT 
> article since I've been on vacation a week and not going onto the Net 
> much.
> 
> What does "Quadrifoglio" really stand for? There is a Quad Spider, but 
> that's just a glorified Veloce with ground effects, fancy skirts, hardtop, 
> and 16" wheels. How does that differ from, say, a 164 Quad? 
> 
> Aside from that, here's another dumb question: when someone says 
> "four-valve", do they mean two intake and two exhaust, or 
> four intake and 
> four exhaust (which would really be eight)?
> 
> Tess

     OK, love.  Quadrifoglio literally means Four (Quad) Leaves (foliage).  Alfa used the four leave clover on their race cars from some time in the 1930's or maybe late 1920's.  You won't catch me lying on Alfa history, if I leave my options open.
      In recent times, the Quadrifoglio sometimes appeared in a white triangle as on the GTA Jr.  It was gold in a white circle on the C pillar emblems on the 74 GTV, I think.  It was on the one of the GTV's between 1965 and 1974.  I think the early GTV had green Quadrifoglios, followed by gold on the 1750 GTV and green serpents on the 2000 GTV.  Again, I ain't positive on that.  Guess I should put my 74 GTV together and see what I find in the boxes it came in.
      The Spider Quadrifoglio was the top of the line model starting in 1985 (of that I a certain) continuing through 1990.  The Spider Quadrifoglio I would most want would be the 1990 model with the Motronic engine.  The 164 Quadrifoglio with four camshafts (and maybe four valves per cylinder) on the V-6 engine was sold in 1993 thru 1995.  I know next to nothing about the 164, so the above is approximate.
      A four valve engine would normally have two intake and two exhaust valves.  Within a given bore size, you can get more flow area from two small valves than you can with one large valve.  Thus the flow of air into and exhaust out of the engine is increased.  Plus with two large valves, the valves are likely to touch each other, especially when canted toward each other as on the Alfa four cylinder.  Finally, with two large valves, there may not be room left for a spark plug.  This is one reason for going to twin spark plugs.
     I guess for emissions purposes, you could vary the camshafts such that only one of the two intake valves would open at part throttle.  That would improve flow at low speeds.  Then at some point, the other intake would start to open.  By wide open throttle, both valves would be working to the maximum.
     So, Tess, why were you not in Costa Mesa?  If I missed you, I will be quite disappointed.

Ciao,
Russ Neely
Oklahoma City
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