Hi guys ,

I have a Stilo jtd 53 plate dynamic at the moment , and im looking at upgrading to the Mjet

couple of questions ? do they have the M32 gear box ? any common problems to look for ?

im wanting a black one if any one sees one for sale

Not sure about gearbox .. Snapped coil springs and ball joints seem a common thing

regarding gearbox have a look here
http://www.autolusso.co.uk/gearbox-rebuilds.html

gives some issues with all the 6 speed boxes similar issues, mainly 6th gear whine due to bearing damage or diff break-ups.

not sure if you mean the multijet 120hp or 150hp but I think the 120 was only 5 speed so almost sure it wont be an m32

the 150 I used to think was m32 but looking on there may likely more be a c630
I have had fitted the q2 diff and the gearbox has the same plastic top hat bushes that are used on the 156 ad 147 gearboxes.
bottom line don't know for sure but same issues anyway.

so listen for a 6th gear whine
if you get one id drop the gearbox oil and replace anyway(I use redline mt90)
its recommended to overfill slightly over manual fill level to reduce chances of oil overheating and aid it getting upto the 6th gear shaft.
a quick search will find many alfa guides and discussions on the oil to use and level.

the non self centering gearstick issue is also known on the alfas more and as said uses the same plastic bushes , a few hours and £15 will buy the bushes and some grease.(search for more by me or xb23)

the wishbones are 2 or 3 times the price of the 115 last time I looked.

check for clutch slip, especially if mapped or boxed , 6th gear 2000revs and floor it.

driveshafts suffer more on the higher torque cars.

blue smoke on cold start has been an issue for me and a few other jtd 16v , don't be put off by this alone if it occurs for first few seconds, again search posts from me on blue smoke start up.

lastly if it is the 16v jtd your looking at think cambelt and water pump as this is also a well known issue , but as with everything a lottery.
http://www.autolusso.co.uk/cambelt-failures.html
id be looking for one with receipts for belt and pump(some do belt and no pump, which defeats the problem, pump takes out new belt)
again search alfa world for this known issue

swirl flaps in intake manifold also problem for the jtd 16v search alfa or even astra or Vectra or I think ive posted links on here before.

if you have fes or mes still you can ask any sellers if theyre ok with you logging a few parrameters like injector correction values, actual desired boost pressure etc during any test drive

Thanks for the info mate im looking for the 150 varient , just need to find one now

Loving my 150! Took me a while to find it but I'm glad I waited, well worth hunting high and low for! Only issue I've had so far is the alternator packing up and the EGR valve sticking

I could be wrong but I didn't think the M32 boxes showed up as early as 2003.


I know it never materialised in the Alfa range until around the time of the 159 (1.9 JTDM) which came with it installed which would be around 2005, about the same time the 147 got it's facelift and the boxes turned up in that too.


2003 would be more around the 156 facelift point when they went from 8v to 16 JTD M-Jets and the 150bhp cars first hit the Alfa range. I had one of those - definitely wasn't an M32 in that.


Autolusso have a very good page on the M32 boxes if you want to know more.


I even had a 159 which had the M32 box and it never gave me an issue during ownership, although I did have the oil changed on it at service. I believe autolusso recommend a slight overfill on oil to ensure the bearings on the end of the shaft are properly lubricated.


My brother on the other hand had a Corsa VXR and that ate it's gearbox virtually immediately - very different beasts though and driven in a very different way.