My 512BB DIY thread

Since I diseded to discribe this "chat", for the huge amount help I have got from here, please let me give something back;

Car is 512BB -79

I have own it for year now and first I will post details from year ago and get slowly up to date.

Sorry about my written english, not my strong point...


Here we go...
Car was bougth by jumping in to my daily driver and driven 3350km around Europe to see all cars that was on sale that time and from them I bought a car that I think was best. Seller was private person in Germany.
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Pictures are from last summer.

First thing with a car is always to start looking "what I have bought?" with car on a lift in your garage with time. Last owner had done extensive work with the car and it nicely done, but some little things was instantly visible.
Car has 5cm paper with it, all the way from late 1980's and Classiche certification, When buyin this car I was not aware this "Classihe" -thing and seller did ask if I would need that red folder, I reply "yes, If it came with the car, it should go with it.". I was buying car, not papers.
Underside looks like this.
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Lights I change rigth a way, I don't like lifting ligt pods up, and these are NOS daytime runing light from early 1980's, that I could use modern trafic and yearly inspection.
If someone have bought 512BB new in Finland, these light where availble at that time. This car is only 512BB in my country, due to HUGE car tax, national Lottery win would not have be enaugh to pay cartax for 512BB in that time, maybe car...
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Thanks from kind words!

First things first;
When I got car flatbead to home, (no winter tyres... Even in north Germany had snow on ground), was to set carburetors. They where so eye waterly bad adjusted that, well... when car was on idle you got yours eyes watered. My co% cauge from 1970's got reading without pipe in exhaus.

Found that one needle valve started flooding time to time, not that it had anything to do badly adjusting, just made it worse. In with new needle valves and car runs fine.

New filters also and oil change (usually I have all tools covered, but that 42mm socket something that I did not have)
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Graypaul Motors instaled new"sport" system to car as "supplied by owner" in 12.1988 - 03. 1989
Invois for exhaust is not with car, but it is made by Langford, becaus it reads on silencer box, no idea what company that is.

Car was sold new to Belgium and instantly shipped to USA, 1988 car was shipped back to Europe to England and all USA add-on stripped out and returned to normal specs. Same time exhaust was changed.

 

Most common issue with 512BB or other cars with similar distributor is lack of distributor maintanence, Distributor has counterweights and they get stuck when lube inside gets old. You can test it by taking distributor cap out and twisting rotor by hand, it should move easy.

This is how-to dismantle distributor:
Pictures are from Lamborghini Countach, 512BB distributor is similar, only rotates diffrent way, prinsipal is same.
1. Take distributor out its should look like this.
2.Take base gasgets out, CAREFULLY
3.Take flathead screws out, orginally they are glued from Marelli
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1.With screws out, you can easilly pull out, with hands, rotor from main body, distributor body has one bearing and o-ring keeping rotor set.
Rotor saft comes out by taking out part that distributor rotor is bolted, it comes by pulling it out after taking 3mm pin put and pulling from there with 3mm punch you just used, you do not need to take out this pin, but it helps.

2.Under there you find glass wool, that is there just to secure screw under it

3.There you go
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1.Main distributor body bearing comes out like this:
(Use correct tools, these parts pure unobtanium, brake it and driving is done for long time)
Take out magnetic pickups, they are VERY easy to break. 512BB has only one magnetic trigger, Lamborghini part here has to, only one is used.

2.Note that you don't aply force to compleat body, only to part that holds bearing, mine was glued from Marelli (ie. never open)
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1.And there you go, all parts on table.

2. DO NOT MIX counterweight shims or any parts, keep track where they came. If you mix them, you need distributor machine to get them right

3. lube and resample, bearings are:
SKF 6003-2Z
SKF 62202-2RS1
Your local SKF dealer has them stock, normal bearings.

4.Countach and 512BB distributor on table.
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Somehow I had feeling we would get to this
What part do you mean? That long bar that all lazy mechanics use for lifting car from middle of the frame and making nice lifter marks to the bar? (I bet all Ferraris have similar marks)

 

Good! Hope that part has be upside down for long time and there would not be floor jack marks upside! Or there is now double marks... (thanks for the tip)

 

With carburetor adjustment I found that when 512BB (or this one att least) is getting really close ideal adjustment, new issue comes along;

When radiator fans kick in, it lowers idle by 200rpm, that means when you got 900rpm idle, idle will slowly fade and kill engine.
I think for this reason, 512BBi got two altenators.

Because I personally hate those Lucas fans, that are from Jaguar and like to know for sure, that I have cooling system that works and car don't spill coolant here and there, I change original fans to modern one. (purist look away!)


I did similar Spal fan setup for one of my 308's and it kept car nice and cool, does not consume electricity as much, to keep fusebox down with temperature.
Thing is just to add 3" tube to metal plate and scew it down to Spal fans
First picture is 308 setup.
For 512BB is just add one extra.
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First thing is to strip down some parts from front. Clean out horn tube and because car had wrong fans allready and some one had change wrong kind Apico -connectors, I got original wires out, wash them and change original connectors back.

It is important to keep car in that way, so all later added parts do not change original car.
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Same time I fixed AC condenser that seems to had got some hit from fan that got loose in sometime in history.

So back in with new fans and after car being used now for sime time with this setup; It is way better then original and original fastners are used in way that anytime all original parts can be replaced and no alteration done. (with this picture wires where not final, now they are correct.)

Most important thing is; these fans have zero afect to the car idle.
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This car has be it's first 10 years in USA, some DOT issues can be found.
For my luck; all light alterations where done without cutting original wires, but someone had replaced front indicator wire holders in some time.

Original MTA wire holders can stil be found from Rest'agraf, but you have to buy 25 and need only 2, well they where priced right.

Little thing, but huge diffrece
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Car was painted four years ago, down to bare metal, good thing as hatch heat material is good for holding moisture, leading to rust for metal structure under aluminium.
Instantly I saw rear light boxes had got same layer as rest of the hatch...
Well with heatgun I striped this material of with most of the old filler.
What I found was clasfiber boxes don't like heat from exhaust.

Good thing was to found all those nice three digit number stamped all key locations.

What all boxers have is that small piece of tape under gelcoat, that lifts up leaving clear hole right of the middle of these boxes, I bet all of us have them.
I think subcontractor for Ferrari have done is firs lay gealcoat and left small tape there for some reason; a time from gelcoat has be lay, for classfiber to be lay next? I did not found any written text from my tapes
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First I had a idea to make molds for new boxes, but after filling, sanding, filling and sanding, I decided to just paint them and they came nice, so if paint does not hold, then I make molds and new boxes.
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Since I changed differential from my Testarossa, next one is my BB:

First thing was change cars around in my garage, so I get BB on lift and since most of the cars are out, it was worth of photo...

With BB you start like with Testarossa; Air cleaners, exhaust, muflers out.
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