Alfa Romeo DOHC Engine High Performance Manual – by Jim Kartalamakis

Independent Reviews: The book is illustrated throughout with mainly colour photos, and the author writes in a simple, easy-to-understand way, which is vitally important for getting technical information across accurately. Not exactly a coffee table book (unless you are a real Alfa 'tech geek') but a “must-have” for any Alfa enthusiast who wants to get the maximum performance from their engine.

Classic Performance & Retro Monthly – Review for previous editions: Paul Guinness for Classic Car Mart, August 2006 This isn't an entirely new book, as first and second editions have already been published. It is, however, a completely reworked combination of the two, with plenty of additional information added for the first time. And for anybody with a relevant classic Alfa, or whose custom-built machine boasts Alfa Romeo power, it's essential reading.

The author of this impressive effort, Jim Kartalamakis, acknowledges the existing Alfa Romeo manuals and guides that have been available for many years. But in his introduction, he also realises their limitations when describing his own book:

“What do we do if we need to improve the breed by extracting a bit more power from our already well-designed machines? Well, that's where I hope to make a contribution to the world's stock of Alfa literature.”

He certainly does, for this impressively detailed title includes a total of six chapters (covering such generic areas as engine, fuel system, ignition and electrics, and exhaust system) before dividing those into specific sections such as Basic Areas to Improve, Twin Spark Cylinder Head, Turbocharging, and Do You Really Have to Do All This Work?

The whole book is written in an easy-to-comprehend style and makes ideal reading for anybody keen to exploit the most potential from their Alfa Romeo powerplant.

Retro Cars, August 2006: You're not a proper Alfa owner unless at some point the garage floor has been covered in bits marked 'Ricambi Alfa Romeo,' which is why Veloce's reprint of this classic Alfa tuning title went straight to the top of this month's pile.

The Alfa Romeo DOHC Engine High Performance Manual, to give it its full title, covers getting more power from the trusty Twin Cam. Author Jim Kartalamakis has revised and enlarged the title to cover all versions of the Alfa Twin Cam, from the early 1300 units right up to the Twin Spark developments which were the final evolution of the proper Alfa design. The book also covers the intriguing 1.8 turbo, which wasn't offered in the UK.

Kartalamakis starts with simple DIY tuning you can easily do at home and progresses to full race engines with plenty of theory and graphs to back things up. Unlike many classic Alfa writers, he's not shy of fuel injection and offers plenty of material on retaining injection on big-power engines rather than ripping it all away in favour of a pair of 45s.

In addition to engine tuning, the title considers modifications you'll need to make to chassis, transmission, and braking. The book ends with a selection of camshaft graphs, giving you most of what you'll ever need to know about going faster in your Alfa.

Hemmings Motor News: The easy-to-read design and layout of the book, along with the clear, well-composed photographs and understandable illustrations, makes it a pleasure to read. The information within is well written and in a style that even newcomers to the Alfa hobby will readily understand.

Velocetoday.com – Pete Vack, June 2006: As most VT readers know, the Alfa 1300–2000 DOHC engine is one of our favourite subjects. It was not perfect, but good enough to survive for years — from its inception in 1954 to the last use as the Alfa 75 Twin Spark engine in the 1990s — a long and glorious lifespan.

Happily, there are many engines out there, parts are relatively easy to find, and whether you own a Giulietta or Twin Spark 75, eventually you'll have a need to do serious work on the engine.

Enter Veloce Publishing's second edition of the Speed Pro series volume, The Alfa Romeo DOHC High Performance Manual, by Jim Kartalamakis. First published a decade ago, it now covers the 75 TS engine and includes the 1300–2000 Alfa engines.

The author used a 105 series 2-litre engine for his project material but included references for all the other engine sizes as he goes along (105 series only). For the earlier 750 and 101 engines, you'll find the material useful but not particularly applicable.

Reading tech manuals is not often engaging, but the author's enthusiasm fills the pages, and it's not a difficult read. Kartalamakis assumes readers have a reasonable amount of engine-building experience — and most Alfa enthusiasts do.

There’s even a humorous paragraph about matching valve spring tensions:

“The easiest way to do this is to visit your local engine builder and use his valve spring tester for about 20 minutes.”

Machine shops and skilled mechanics may be harder to find today, but Kartalamakis’ advice remains sound.

Subsequent chapters cover exhaust systems, oil and water cooling, and chassis and drivetrain modifications, focusing on older, rear-wheel-drive Alfas.

Despite a few small issues with the index and layout, the text, diagrams, and coverage are detailed and directly related to the 105 Alfa series — nothing generic here.

Final Verdict: The more you read, the better it gets. For anyone with a 105 Alfa waiting for attention, this book is indispensable. Highly recommended.

Features

• Simple, explicit steps with supporting illustrations
• All important measurements given
• Unique LSD building procedure
• Unique inductive distributor recurving step by step
• Affordable big-brake modifications
• Complete suspension subsection
• Twin Spark head modifications
• Electrical system modifications
• Up-to-date supplier and specialist list, including web information
• Cylinder head airflow diagrams and dyno data