355 engine out service w/ 4 post | FerrariChat

355 engine out service w/ 4 post

Discussion in '348/355' started by yelcab, Oct 23, 2013.

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  1. yelcab

    yelcab F1 World Champ
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    Nov 29, 2001
    13,437
    San Carlos, CA
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    Mitchell Le
    #1 yelcab, Oct 23, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    I am using a 4-post lift to do an engine-out service on a friend's 355 so I figure I post a few pictures for fun and correct a few procedures that were listed before regarding an engine-out.

    First picture shows the components that need to be removed for the engine to drop out with the bumper off the car. Removed are: air boxes, cross over hose, MAF and hoses to the engine plenum, coolant tank and its top plate, and power steering reservoir and its mounting. There is also a vacuum feed pipe/hoses underneath the MAF that needs to come off. Of course, all underpanels are removed as was the shift rod.

    Remaining on the engine is the complete exhaust system from the headers to the muffler.

    Timing belts changed, tensioner bearings changed, water pump rebuilt, valve covers repainted, oil pan dropped to inspect the oil pump tensioner block, and a surprise at the bottom of the oil pan - a 10mm nut, safely sitting at the bottom of the oil pan.

    Then degreeing the cams, and the engine as it sits ready to go back in this weekend. After the cams were degreed in, all four cam shafts assembly marks were very close to the index marks.

    More to come this weekend.
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  2. drbob101

    drbob101 F1 Rookie
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    Nov 26, 2012
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    Mitch , do you have any pics of how you dropped the engine with the four post? There have been a couple threads on this and I am curious as to how you did it as I have a four post and may consider doing it when the time comes.

    Thank you
     
  3. yelcab

    yelcab F1 World Champ
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    Yes, I do but not the best pics. I can post some later this weekend when the engine goes back in when I will take better detailed pictures. It will be more descriptive.
     
  4. Evan.Fiorentino

    Evan.Fiorentino F1 Rookie

    Aug 23, 2005
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    Perfect time to do the headers :)
     
  5. yelcab

    yelcab F1 World Champ
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    #5 yelcab, Oct 23, 2013
    Last edited: Oct 23, 2013
    Stuffed a boroscope up the headers and all is well. The car already had the headers replaced once, as well as both the coolant radiators too. Compression is very high 220 across the board so no valve guides issues there.

    Hydraulic valve lifters were checked and were good.
    Two engine mounts were broken and were replaced.
    Injectors sent out for cleaning.
    A bunch of little knick knacks were done...
    Massive cleaning effort! The engine was very filthy.

    It is time to put the beast back in, and drive it.
     
  6. lauris

    lauris Formula Junior

    Jul 27, 2005
    281
    Glasgow
    Full Name:
    Scott Laurie

    about to have my engine taken out and exact same things done,
    can you tell me what you used on the valve covers as they look fab, also any tips on engine cleaning, (what cleaner did you use) I have agreed with garage that I can be let loose for a week of cleaning, sad eh !

    cheers
    scot.t
     
  7. yelcab

    yelcab F1 World Champ
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    VHT red wrinkle paint, and then sand off the letters.
    Simple green applied liberally, then carb cleaners for really stubborn stuff, then elbow grease.
     
  8. yelcab

    yelcab F1 World Champ
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    #8 yelcab, Oct 26, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  9. yelcab

    yelcab F1 World Champ
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    #9 yelcab, Oct 26, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Then, lower the car on to a moving dolly stacked with layers of 4x4 and a piece of plywood at the body, just forward of the gas tank (not under the gas tank). Now, the car sort of has some rear wheels.
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  10. yelcab

    yelcab F1 World Champ
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    #10 yelcab, Oct 26, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  11. yelcab

    yelcab F1 World Champ
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    #11 yelcab, Oct 26, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Then, lower the body all the way down a few inches at a time, making sure to:

    1. Feed the wiring loom over the tank, into the passenger compartment,
    2. Move the oil tank around so that it does not interfere with the car
    3. Move the brake lines so they do not interfere
    4. Move the AC lines so they don't get caught up.
    5. Loosen the anti-sway bar and push it around so it does not interfere
    6. Loosen the secondary cat converter by-pass pipe and pull it back so that it does not interfere with the body of the car (or remove it).

    Finally, jack the engine up the rest of the way with the two jacks under the engine/gear box.

    Line up the 4 bolts at the back, fit them in.
    Line up the 4 bolts at the top, fit them in.
    Line up 5-6 bolts at the front, fit them in.

    Tighten bolts to specs. Then remove the jacks under the engine.
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  12. yelcab

    yelcab F1 World Champ
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    #12 yelcab, Oct 26, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Put the ramps back on, and level them with some wood blocks
    Install the rear wheels, remove bottle jacks, so the car can be pushed forward over the lift.
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  13. yelcab

    yelcab F1 World Champ
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    #13 yelcab, Oct 26, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Support the car at the rear jack points with bottle jacks again, remove the wheel, lift the car up and install the rest of the forward bolts. Torque to spec.

    The process should take 2 hours with one helper.

    This is engine installation with 4-post lift, for engine removal, reverse the process (assembly is reverse of disassembly)

    The rest of the connections, hoses, panels, filters, should take another day.
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  14. drbob101

    drbob101 F1 Rookie
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    Excellent Mitchell. Thank you
     
  15. yelcab

    yelcab F1 World Champ
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    We fired it up today, after the 10 minutes required to get hot, and all the oil, coolant to get to wherever they need to go, the car purrs, and revs strongly. That tells me that the cam timing was spot on.
     
  16. pnicholasen

    pnicholasen Formula 3

    Jan 14, 2011
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    An alternative method: rather than the one big dolly, I did 2 small dollies, one each located where he has his bottle jacks. the dollies had non-swivel wheels so it would track straight. I used a come-along to roll the car back and forth at a controlled pace. Also if its cold or raining an you have the caster kit for your 4 post, you can put the car on the lift and (with some effort and assistants) turn the whole rig sideways across a 2 car garage, drop the engine, then roll the 4 post back in place.
     
  17. DanNE

    DanNE Formula Junior

    Jun 7, 2013
    655
    Why can't you start the entire procedure with this, bypassing the initial two steps of rolling car back with the dolly under the engine?

    I.e. when starting the engine out, bring the car back onto the ramps which have 4x4s/wood blocks supporting them, then remove wheels.

    Now the car rear end and engine are already hanging behind the edge of the 4 post lift and engine can be taken out?

    Am I missing something?
     
  18. drbob101

    drbob101 F1 Rookie
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    Paul, I am a few years from needing this but when the time comes you have an invite for a long weekend at the beach. Beer and latex gloves provided! 😎
     
  19. apex97

    apex97 Formula Junior
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    Any long weekend that includes Latex gloves is something to be avoided..ask any single women!:)
     
  20. pnicholasen

    pnicholasen Formula 3

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    I started with the car fully on the lift because I was raising it up and down a million times disconnecting this and that. I felt much better with some jack stands under the rear frame while doing all that prep work. Those "rear" jack points are so far forward you can almost tetter-totter the car. I didn't want to be leaning on a rear fender and fell the car start to tilt back. Only when everything was disconnected did I hang the rear end off. I even put a couple big buckets of water in the front trunk to move the center of gravity a little more forward.
     
  21. pnicholasen

    pnicholasen Formula 3

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    And how. If you see a tube of K-Y jelly, start running!
     
  22. pnicholasen

    pnicholasen Formula 3

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    No problem. I'm retired now...
     
  23. johnk...

    johnk... F1 World Champ
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    Safety straps around the front suspension to the lift rails might help.
     
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  24. yelcab

    yelcab F1 World Champ
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    The lift allows access to underneath the car while standing up. It makes it easy to remove things. If the car sits half way over the back, the height of the garage door only allows the car to be lifted about 3 feet before running out of vertical room. That is not comfortable height.
     
  25. GTO Joe

    GTO Joe Formula Junior
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    As the owner of a four post you have given me something to really consider. This is by far the best four post method I have read. Very nice write up.
     

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