One of the services we offer at DV Mechanics is Alfa Romeo 105-115 series transmission rebuilding. This weekend I worked on a transmission that is going into one of our full restorations. We take pride in our transmission rebuilds and we always make the extra effort to deliver the highest quality builds that will give many years of trouble free service. The shift action of a 105 Alfa is magical when they are right, they deliver a very satisfying feel and a very positive gear engagement which adds to the overall driving experience. However one of the achilles heels of driving a vintage Alfa is that infamous 2nd gear crunch that you’ll experience when quickly shifting from 1st to 2nd gear. The crunch is due to worn out synchro rings from years of use (and sometimes abuse)…. Synchro wear can be accelerated when the wrong transmission fluid and/or driving technique is used. You can extend the life of the transmission internals by following a few rules: 1. Shift slowly when the gear box is cold. 2. When shifting into 1st gear from a stop, put the car into another gear (3rd, 4th or 5th) before shifting into 1st gear. 3. Double clutch/rev match when driving spiritedly. 4. Use the proper fluid, we like redline 75w-90NS. Following these tips will help your transmission last a long time. Not following these tips can ruin a good fresh gearbox pretty quickly.
Below are a few images of the strip down and clean up process that all of our gear boxes get. All parts are cleaned in a detergent bath, cases are then vapor blasted (if desired) and once parts are clean they get carefully inspected. The most frequently worn out parts on a Alfa 105/115 transmission are the 1-2 inner/outer synchro rings and dog gears, the original bearings are often in very good condition and do not require replacement. All hardware is re-plated or replaced as needed. You can see that the teeth on the dog rings and synchros are rounded and no longer sharp. Check back soon for some build pictures.
We also offer gear lightening service for race cars and aggressively driven street cars. Taking rotating mass out of the gears helps extend the life of the synchros and it also gives a noticeable difference in response due to reduced inertia. Inquire if you are interested in having your gearbox rebuilt.
