re: More Italian Tune Up questions (long)

[Tessie McMillan <tessmc@domain.elided>]

I may be courting fate, but I just assume the weak link is the engine 
temperature, since that's where the sensor is (oil or water, depending on 
the car). And by the time the engine warms up, everything should 
be ready for a full out banzai on the highway. I figger there'd be a 
sensor in the diff or in the tranny if it was critical. But maybe 
not... for example, note the remark (which always courts smart come-backs 
when I say this in mixed company):  "if men had to do a mammogram-like 
procedure for prostate checks, then we'd have done away with mammograms 
a LONG time ago". And now someone's gonna say "a mammogram for the diff? I 
don't get it." 

Anyway, depending on the season, I can tell when my trannies get up "to 
temperature" by virtue of the ease of shifting. In my Audi Quattro, 
shifting into reverse and 1st are difficult on cold days until the 
transmission warms up. When warm, itta notta problem at all. In my Alfa -- 
and I swear the only scientific basis I am using is observation; I've 
never heard this from anyone else -- I have more pronounced 2nd gear 
synchromesh "issues" when the tranny is cold. I also daily-drive a 40 
year-old Porsche and used to daily-drive an '80s Porsche which both behave the 
same when warm OR cold: fairly NOTchy -- forcing one to perform repetitive 
gentle movements in a precise, prescribed arc, with what can be for some
an unnatural elbow position, especially for 4th gear. I've come to 
believe that 4th gear -- no matter which tranny -- must be attached at 
least 2 degrees off center because you always have to pull it out at an 
angle to get it to engage smoothly. At the track I really had to nail 
this movement down.

Right now, I only live about 3 minutes from my home, and my engines get 
"bogged down" -- probably with carbon deposits; I know I run rich (which 
is different from being "high maintenance", a topic that the local 
NWARC'ers know well) -- because of the short jaunt. After a month or two 
of "dead in the traffic" driving, it takes me about 45 minutes of good, 
spirited driving and then I can actually hear the difference in the 
engine -- *especially* in the Alfa. She (Olive Oil) actually growls! To do 
an ITU, I don't rough-house on the street, and I don't rough-house until 
I get into 3rd gear. Then I get out on the highway and stay in 3rd and 
4th gear as much as possible and just give the engine a good blow-out. My 
Spider can tolerate very high RPMs in 4th, and I rarely use 5th anyway 
because I like the sound of 4th at whatever speed. The reason I do it 
this way is I like to give the engine a good chance to blow out fairly 
evenly without putting unnecessary wear on the brakes and tires. Also, 
I'm always worried that if I rough-house in low gear, I'll blow hoses and 
plenums off (both of which I've done in the past). But that's not to say 
that the Alfa can't handle low-gear roughhousing. I think they're 
specifically designed to do so, actually. Get one into the mountains on a 
twisty road and you'll see what I mean. It's quite fun.

I guess what I'm saying is that an ITU is fairly personal. Each car I've 
driven has a personality, and I have my own style and personality, and I 
try to match that to the car. "Spirited" is one thing; man-handling is 
another.

Tess in her typical stream-of-consciousness mode...
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