Alfa GTV6 Fuel Tank Strainer Servicing

The Alfa Romeo GTV6 fuel pump is fed with gasoline that passes through a fuel strainer at the bottom of the fuel tank. It can be unscrewed from the tank with a large 32mm socket after you remove the banjo fitting for the hose on the bottom. The banjo fitting bolt is 13mm. When you remove the banjo bolt, you should hold the base of the filter with a 32mm open wrench. 

The base of the filter is a soft metal and has likely been screwed into the tank for decades. Make sure you clean and around the threads and use a good penetrating fluid to give yourself every chance of getting this filter to unscrew. Hopefully, yours will come free. 

Before you do all this, you must figure out how to drain the fuel from the tank. Don't cut the feed hose unless you have a replacement, as it is not the easiest to find. The size of this hose was originally 12 mm and could have been replaced with the easier-to-find 1/2 inch size. Ensure you get a fuel hose and not the more common heater hose. The hose should also be ethanol-compatible if that's what is used in our area.

Alfa Romeo GTV6 Fuel Tank Strainer Parts

 

 Alfa Romeo GTV6 Fuel Tank Strainer Part Numbers

• Fuel Filter Strainer Alfa part number: 0060523420 / old Alfa part number: 11911320260200
• Oring Alfa part number:  0010298460
• Washer Alfa part number: 0060523440 

Alfa Romeo GTV6 Fuel Tank Strainer and sealing washer and Oring.  The GTV6 fuel tank strainer has long been discontinued. The Alfa Romeo part number for this was 0060523420. The filter was made by FISPA*, and the part number is 3160.02.  

Hopefully, yours is still serviceable, but if not, the only way I have seen to get one is to scour eBay or other "for sale" sites. 

Alfa Romeo GTV6 Fuel Strainer Specs

The outside thread size of the Alfa GTV6 Fuel Tank Strainer is 40x1.5mm.  The inner thread where the banjo bolt is screwed into is 22mm.

Other car companies like Porsche and Mercedes-Benz use similar in-tank fuel strainers. However, I have not found a substitute filter with the same thread size.

Alfa 6 Fuel Tank Strainer

The Alfa Romeo Alfa6 sedan uses a similar 40mm outside thread filter. However, the inner thread size is only 18mm, not the larger 22mm used on the GTV6.  Using that filter will limit fuel flow going to your fuel pump.

The Alfa Romeo Alfa 6 Fuel Filter part number that is not recommended is FISPA 316003 or Alfa Romeo part number 119203202600.  This old part number was superseded by the new Alfa Romeo part number  60737161.

Alfa Romeo GTV6 Fuel Tank Strainer Sealing Washer

The Alfa Romeo GTV6 Fuel Strainer sealing washer is a copper washer with an inner diameter of 41.95mm.  The outer diameter measures 48.77mm. The thickness of the used washer was 1.51mm.  Unsurprising, this M42 washer is not the easiest thing to find. 

After much searching, The closest I found was this 42mm inner and 49mm outer, 2mm thick, DIN 7603 Copper Sealing Washer at the Misumi USA. Misumi is the world's largest supplier of fixed and configurable components for the manufacturing industry.

Part Number: 7603-CU-42-49-A

DIN 7603 Sealing Washers, Copper.

Alfa GTV6 Fuel Strainer Washer Outside Diameter is 48.77mm

The Alfa GTV6 fuel strainer washer thickness measured 1.51mm.

Alfa Romeo GTV6 Fuel Tanks Strainer Oring

A replacement for the Alfa Romeo GTV6 fuel tank strainer Oring is no longer available. And even if you did find one, it may not be ethanol-fuel compatible. One of the more significant hurdles is finding one that is compatible, and measuring a used shriveled-up Oring is difficult.   After much research,  I decided on Buna-N 70 Duro Orings, which are ethanol-fuel-rated.

I'll confess that I ordered dozens of Orings trying to find a size that would fit like the original. These Orings were often only available in bulk, and I spent over $100 never to come up with a definitive size. 

I  settled for a 34 x2.5 mm Oring that seems to fit well. This is a decision you'll have to make for yourself. To ensure no leaks, I used an ethanol-fuel-safe thread sealant.   This would normally not be necessary if all these parts were available from Alfa. Again, it is up to you.

The Oring Store 

Fuel Thread Sealant For Ethanol Applications

Because I had a hard time finding the exact size of the ring for the fuel strainer and to make sure I didn't have an issue, I used this thread sealant made specifically for sealing gas fittings for ethanol applications. This sealant is also compatible with Buna-N Nitrile O-Rings (NBR) .  I would not use this on the banjo fittings.  The copper washers will be fine.   

Gasoila PTFE Thread Sealant for Ethanol E10 & E85 Applications**

Alfa Romeo GTV6 Fuel Tanks Banjo Fittings

 

The Alfa GTV6 uses banjo fittings to connect the fuel hoses to the fuel tank.  The larger banjo fitting is the fuel feed from the fuel strainer.  The smaller fitting is for the fuel return hose coming from the fuel pressure regulator on the engine.  You need to change the sealing washers whenever you remove these fittings.  Here are the sizes for your convenience.

Alfa Romeo GTV6 Fuel Feed Banjo Fitting Sealing Washer Size

For the GTV6 fuel feed banjo fittings you will need to order two 20mm inside x 26mm outside diameter, 1.5mm thick washers.

26mm outside diameter,

The washer is 1.5mm thick.

Alfa Romeo GTV6 Fuel Return Banjo Fitting Sealing Washer Size

The smaller fuel return banjo fittings will take two 12mm inside x18mm outside diameter, 1.5mm thickness washers.

The Alfa GTV6 fuel return banjo fitting sealing washer.

The return banjo fitting washer is 1.5mm thick.

I picked up this set of copper sealing washers from Amazon that had all the sizes I needed for the banjo fittings.

180Piece Copper Sealing Washers Box M5 M6 M8 M10 M12 M14 M16 M20**

This is how I serviced my fuel pump strainer on my GTV6.  The information is provided for entertainment and informative purposes. Only you can decide if you feel comfortable doing this kind of work. Use the information at your own risk.  If you have any doubts on you ability to perform this work or have any issues, I recommend having it done by a professional. I am not responsible for any issues arriving from you reading this post. Good luck with your project!

Read about replacing the Alfa GTV6 Fuel Pump Hoses

Check Out the Topics page

 **Note; If you purchase the sealant or washers from Amazon through these link, as an Amazon Affiliate, I may get a tiny commission from the sale. If you do purchase them from the link, I thank you.

The other links are not affiliate links.

*Fabbrica Italiana Specialità Parti Auto (FISPA) or Italian Specialty Auto Parts Factory was founded in 1925 and is supplier of OEM and aftermarket car parts.

Alfa GTV6 Fuel Tank Strainer Size, Alfa GTV6 Fuel Tank Fittings, Alfa GTV6 Fuel Strainer Washer 

Alfa GTV6 Fuel Pump Hose Replacement

 

The Alfa Romeo GTV6 fuel pump hoses have a unique routing that have hoses with 180 degree bends.  Naturally, these hoses are no longer available. Even if they were available, there is a very good chance that NOS (New Old Stock) fuel hoses will not be compatible with the ethanol fuel most of us have to use. If you are running original fuel lines, or fuel hoses that have been on for a decade or two, you should change these fuel hoses before a disaster occurs. 

The Alfa Romeo GTV6 uses an electric fuel pump located under the car, tucked besides a chassis reinforcement at the right rear.  Fuel runs from the fuel tank to gravity feed the fuel pump (#10 in the image above) and then is sent to the fuel filter (#9) then makes a 180 degree turn to run towards the front fuel feed (#11) 

Sure, changing old fuel hoses is a good idea, but the problem is because of the convoluted routing of the GTV6's fuel hoses, there aren't many options available to service these GTV6 fuel lines. A couple of Alfa specialists make these special  fuel hoses with the 180 degree bend, but they are expensive, or may be out of stock and those that come from Europe may not be compatible with the fuel blends sold here.  

Ethanol fuel can cause issues in classic cars that were not made for the that type of fuel. Problems can include deteriorated rubber fuel lines, gaskets, and plastic and rubber fuel-system parts.

The work around many people do is try to bend a straight length of hose 180 degrees. This will likely to kink and restrict the fuel flow.  This could result in poor performance and premature fuel pump failure.  No Alfa GTV6 owner wants poor performance, so here's an option.

RetroMotion Innovations' Sidewinder U-Cut Molded Curved Fuel Line part number: RMI-33010 half-inch J30R7 (35 PSI)  fuel hose along with a Bosch fuel pump and stainless steel fuel barb connector.

Retro-Motion Sidewinde 1/2" Molded Fuel Line Rubber Hose

Stainless Steel 1/2" to 1/2" Hose Barb

I found a set of universal ethanol resistant fuel hoses made for custom applications with pre-formed 180 degree bends.  Manufactured by RetroMotion Innovations, their  Sidewinder U-Cut Molded Curved Fuel Line, features universal hose elbows with 45, 90, 135 and 180 degree curves. The company makes fuel lines in 3/16", 1/4", 5/16", 3/8", and 1/2" sizes.  

The Alfa GTV6 uses a 12 mm and 8 mm fuel hose.  Many in the US Alfa community use 1/2" for the 12mm and 5/16" for the 8 mm. 

Bosch 69412 OE Electric Fuel Pump

The Alfa GTV6 uses an electric fuel pump.  The original Bosch part number was 0 580 464 020, however, it is no longer available.  It has been replaced with this Bosch OEM replacement pump, part number 69412 ( 0 288 517 941 21).  This pump is capable of putting out 100psi, so it is important to use fuel injection pressure rated hose for the output and hoses downstream of the pump. It should also be ethanol compatible. The SAE standard to look for is J30R9 (100psi).  

The inlet to the fuel pump is 12 mm, but a 1/2" (12.7mm) is deemed acceptable by many in the GTV6 community. The inlet or suction side of the fuel pump is gravity fed, so a J30R7 (35 PSI) spec fuel hose is what I used.  Getting a flexible J30R9 (100psi) spec, ethanol safe 1/2" fuel hose is difficult to source, plus the hose has to be flexible enough to be routed around chassis components. That may be difficult to do with a super stiff reinforced hose. 

Above you can see how I trimmed the inlet a little at a time to get the right fitment. There is not a lot of room to fit all these hoses in the fuel pump location, so to help,  I trimmed the inlet hose as tight as possible to the fuel pump. 

I suggest starting off trimming these fuel hoses a little long, so you can fine tune the fitment.  It is a  tight fit under the car, so I wound up trimming the inlet end as close as possible to the pump.  I used a  1/2" barbed fuel line connector and high quality European style clamps. The barbed end was super tight to push in, so a little P-80 Emulsion rubber lubricant made the fitting slide in super easy. 

HIGH PRESSURE J30R9 100PSI Sidewinder 5/16" RMI-33004 Rubber Fuel Hose

Once the fuel pump inlet side was done, I went to work on the fuel filter side. This hose has to be high pressure  J30R9 (100psi) spec hose.  The RetroMotion Innovations' Sidewinder 5/16 molded fuel line comes in J30R7 (35psi) or J30R9 (100psi) specs.  Make sure you get the high pressure 100psi hose! You'll also need a 5/16" barbed fuel hose connector and high pressure fuel injection spec hose clamps. 

Stainless Steel 5/16" to 5/16" Hose Barb

The trimmed fuel hoses. The small tube is the P-80 fuel hose lubricant that helps ease installing the tight fuel hose barbed ends.

The fuel hoses installed on the fuel pump and fuel filter.  

After the fuel pump and filter are clamped into their respected brackets, the large feed coming from the fuel tank (green arrow) is connected to the fuel pump barb.

The fuel pump feed line  (green arrow) come from the bottom of the tank, attached to the fuel tank filter screen. I used a fire and abrasion resistant silicone insulation sleave over the fuel feed hose. The red arrow is the fuel retune line coming from the fuel injection rail.  

Here's the GTV6's fuel tank screen and banjo fitting. The large 12 mm / 1/2" fuel line is attached to this and feeds the fuel pump.

This is how I renewed my fuel hoses on my GTV6.  The information is provided for entertainment and informative purposes. At the very least, you'll get familiar with what's going on under the car.  Only you can decide if you feel comfortable doing this kind of work. Use the information at your own risk.  If you have any doubts on you ability to perform this work or have any issues, I recommend having it done by a professional. I am not responsible for any issues arriving from you reading this post. 

-----------------------------------------------------

Parts I Used On My Car For Your Convenience     

Retro-Motion Sidewinde 1/2" Molded Fuel Line Rubber Hose

HIGH PRESSURE J30R9 100PSI Sidewinder 5/16"RMI-33004 Mandrel-Formed Rubber Fuel Hose 90

P-80 Emulsion Temporary Rubber Assembly and Pump Seal Lubricant

I bought the above parts from Amazon (except the RMI-33004 which I couldn't find on Amazon). If you buy them from the Amazon link, as an Amazon Affiliate, I may get a tiny commission from the sale. If you do purchase them from the link, I thank you.

Alfa Romeo GTV6 Fuel Pump Hoses, Alfa Romeo GTV6 180 Degree Fuel Pump Hoses, Alfa Romeo GTV6 Fuel Pump Hose Routing, Alfa Romeo GTV6 Fuel Pump Hoses Diagram, Alfa Romeo GTV6 Fuel Pump Hose Replacement

Cleaning and Refinishing GTV6 Engine Parts

 

The Alfa Romeo GTV6 engine sports an aluminum alloy cylinder block and heads.  Pretty much all the external components of the engine are aluminum, with some magnesium alloy thrown in.  While many lightweight alloys are used in the engine, the Busso V6 is not lightweight, coming in at about 397 lbs*. This is due to robust internals like a forged steel nitrided crank, forged rods, cast iron cylinder liners, and case-hardened steel camshafts, among other stout components.

The Alfa GTV6's all-alloy engine is rugged and imposing. The upper and lower oil sump and bell housing are lightweight magnesium alloy.  The Alfa GTV6 set a record in the amount of magnesium used (about 99lbs.) in a road-going high production (over 10.000 units) automobile.**

The large two-piece magnesium oil sump holds nearly 8 quarts of oil.

 

Massive cam covers are a prominent feature of the Alfa GTV6 hemi-headed engine. This is my engine in 1997, just before installing it after a rebuild. 

And what the engine looks like now after being parked for the past 23 years.  Don't worry, we'll be taking care of that...

Cleaning the Alfa alloy engine presents some challenges.  One is aluminum can be easily damaged using the wrong chemical.  Even a handful of seconds in the wrong solution (like Purple Power / Alkaline chemicals) can discolor or even damage aluminum. Always read the instructions on these chemicals, and if it says dilute it, dilute it!  Be careful.

Another is what kind of finish do you want? Do you like the natural aluminum finish or the painted, blasted, plated, or coated look? It's your car, so do your research and enjoy whatever you choose. 

Alfa GTV6 Intake Tubes Clean Up

I like my engine's natural aluminum finish look, as long as it looks fresh and not old.  My intake tubes looked dingy even after cleaning (WD40 and brake clean).  I didn't want to paint them, so I thought of having them and other parts vapor-blasted / honed, but there were no facilities near me.  Just as well, as I'm not working with an unlimited budget.  

I've heard positive things about NAPA Aluminum Brightener and decided to try it. 

I taped off a section of an intake tube and tried it out.  You can see the results after about 30 seconds.  The aluminum intake tube was noticeably brighter. Wow, something that works!  

One note I'll make is to go slow with this product.   If you do multiple applications, limit the applying time to 30 seconds or so for each pass and then check the finish carefully.  Repeated applications can damage your part.  It is also a combination of phosphoric and sulfuric acid, so don't even think about not wearing skin and eye protection. Don't take a chance.

Alfa GTV6 Intake Plenum Clean Up and Paint

My intake plenum was next.  I cleaned it in a diluted Castrol Super Clean solution, leaving the surface discolored, grey, and dull.  I wouldn't recommend using Super Clean.

The intake plenum on a GTV6, being on top of the engine, is very noticeable, so I wanted it to look good but not be gaudy.  I was torn about what finish to go with, but I figured I would start with the natural aluminum finish and see how it looked.   Wondering how the NAPA Aluminum Brightener would deal with the discoloration. I applied three applications with the above results.  Not bad...

I then did the whole plenum to even out the finish.  I did multiple applications using a stiff plastic chemical brush.  Above is how it turned out.  There were still some patchy discolorations, but the surface was clean and as close to new-looking as I could get.  

While the plenum looked a lot better after the brightener treatments, I wasn't happy with the discoloration so I decided to see if I could match the factory color with an aluminum-colored engine paint. I tapped off the manifold to test how it looked, and it was an absolute surprise.

 I found it was identical to the natural color of the intake plenum. The mounting boss at the top was also painted and it is nearly impossible to tell where the paint starts or ends.  

I then gave the intake plenum a few light mist coats to blend in the discolored patches.  Looking at the plenum in person, it is hard to tell it was painted. 

Note that the roundish stain in the middle of the lower part of the plenum was from a yellow paint mark that has been there since I bought the car in 1986. I think the factory may put it there as a quality check mark.  I wanted to save the outline so I could re-paint it when I was done. It gives you an idea of how light the mist coats were.  

VHT SP955 Cast Coat Aluminum Engine Enamel paint  (Amazon Affiliate Link)***

 I highly recommend VHT SP955 Cast Coat Aluminum Engine Enamel paint if you are cleaning up your plenum and want the factory look.   A caveat is I know what it looks like with these mist coats, but if you do heavy coats, I can't speak to what they would look like.  

Alfa GTV6 Valve Cover Painting

The years were not kind to my GTV6's cam covers. These were originally painted with Kyrlon Dull Aluminum spray paint back in 1997. 

Washed up with a mild degreaser.  Whatever you use, check the warnings to ensure they don't mention Do Not Use on Aluminum.  Many common degreasers at auto parts or hardware stores are incompatible with aluminum. 

Degreased, cleaned, and sanded. Ready for paint.

Seymour Alumni-Blast Automotive Aluminum Spray Paint (Amazon Affiliate Link)***

I painted the valve covers with Seymour Alumni-Blast Automotive Aluminum Spray Paint. 

I used a red permanent paint marker to paint the Alfa Romeo script.

Take your time doing this.  It's good to practice on something to get the feel of how the paint flows.

Done and ready to install. 

I'm not 100% with the look, but the Alumni-Blast is a popular paint, and the covers look much better. I may revisit them at a later date.

Painting the Alfa GTV6 Intake Plenum, Painting the Alfa GTV6 Valve Covers

---------------------------------------------------

* Road&Track 1982 Alfa Romeo GTV6 Road Test.  Alfa V6 engine weights have been reported between approximately 330 lbs to 400 lbs and up. The 397lbs. listed in the post above ia from a period Road Test and from a credible source.

**Source:  Proceedings of the 39th World Magnesium Conference and Exhibition, 13-15 June 1982, Detroit, MI, USA, pp. 57-60

***   I spend hours doing research trying to find products I can use for my car.  To save you time and the aggravation finding something that works for your car, I participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.  The links posted are the products I've used, plus as an Amazon Associate I can possibly earn something from readers making qualifying purchases.  Links to products may earn this site a tiny commission if purchased.