NEW MONDIAL OWNER! - Need some help

Hi guys! I just picked up a 1989 Mondial T cab, red on tan with 16k miles on it. Its a beautiful car but there appears to be something wrong with the clutch. I havent had a chance to take a look at it to determine what is going on. But I wanted to check all the fluids in the car and being a new Ferrari owner, I am not sure where all the fluid reservoirs are located. For instance, is the oil dipstick and spout in the right corner towards the front of the car (rear of the engine compartment)? There is no marking on it stating what it is.

So who knows how to check the oil and who can tell me? LOL!

And is the most common problem with the clutches, the master slave cylinder seal?

Thanks in advance guys. I am excited about this little roadster and look forward to cruising around the Texas Hill Country in the near future.

Jason

 

any help?

we are working on it tonight and it would be nice to check all the fluids.
I dont have the manual yet and am looking to find a good automotive book for the Mondial. Any recommendations?


thanks again!

 

thanks Dave. Where is the Ferrari owners site?

Do you know if the oil dipstick and the place to the put the oil is in the back right corner of the engine bay on an 89 Mondial T?

Thanks!

 

also, the brake reservoir is full. does this mean there is no leak or problem with the clutch slave cylinder?

It is my understanding that the car was at a light, the previous owner accidentally popped the clutch and the car would no longer go into gear. Anyone have any idea what happened to the clutch?

Thanks again!

 

Thanks Birdman. I will go register at the other site and download a manual.

We played around with the car until 5 am this morning. We changed the oil, filled up the tires, filled it up with gas, added new anti-freeze, put a new battery in it, and checked all the fluids.

From a cosmetic standpoint, the car is a 9. It is perfect outside and inside. Mechanically, we found a few issues. The first one we knew about and the other two appear to be simple. The engine runs strong. SOUNDS GREAT! But here is what needs to be repaired, any help would be greatly appreciated.

1. The radiator fans do not turn on and the car starts to run a little hot. We added a gallon of new anti-freeze. But noticed that after 30 mins or so of idling that the car began to get a little hot. We also noticed that the fans are not working. We checked the fuses and they looked to be ok. Any other known problems with the fans turning on?

i have seen some threads about an upgraded or new fuse box. Does that apply to an 89 mondial T? And how can i tell if i have one?

2. Accelerator pedal doesnt do anything. The pedal doesnt appear to be connected to any kind of spring or wire. It has a solid screw behind it to keep it from traveling anymore forward. But there is no throttle mechanism. What is missing? Btw, the engine revs beautifully from the engine compartment.

3. The car will not go in gear, any gear. The clutch pedal is full and with good pressure. The brake reservoir is full. The car just will not go into gear. I can physically put the shifter into any gear without any grinding or anything but none of the gears engage. It just acts like it is still in neutral. Any ideas?

Once again, thank you all so much in advance! I really appreciate you guys helping us. I promise i wont keep asking for advice over and over and i do use the search button before i ask! lol!!!

Thanks.

Jason

 

thank you all for your responses thus far. I will follow up on downloading the manuals as soon as I get back to austin.

the car is at our ranch a little south of Dallas until tuesday when it will be transported down to Austin. I will get some pics up as
shortly thereafter.

thanks again and please keep the responses coming. your help is greatly appreciated!

jason

 

thanks lolaman for your guidance and help! I am working on the car with my dad who is a fairly good mechanic. I will relay your help to him and we will begin tracking down and resolving the issues. Thanks again!

and yes I knew about the issues before purchasing the car. from what I have seen so far, they are not major issues but just a few things that need to taken care of. most importantly, the engine is in perfect shape and also, the exterior and interior are flawless!
the car looks and sounds like it is brand new. now if I can just get it to go into gear and not overheat! lol!

it should be a fun adventure!

Thanks again lolaman!

Jason

 

lol! no we dont own Southfork. our ranch is just a little smaller... lol! we have 33 acres with 12 longhorns and 6 horses. we are in the process of moving it down to the hill country.

Jason

 

thanks for the tips and information!

THE CAR IS ON ITS WAY FROM DALLAS! it should be in my garage within the next few hours. I am excited! lol!

 

ok the car is in the garage and here is a pic from my Treo camera.... not the best but still a pic!

more to follow from a real camera! lol!

she is a little dusty but that wont last for long! i am having fun! lol!
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quick update:

the throttle is fixed. the cable had come off the throttle pulley back on the engine. it was an easy fix!

we are working on the fans now. we checked both fans and they are getting power. how can i bridge the fans to see if the thermal switch is the problem? do i cut into the fan wires? or do i unplug the thermal switch and wire directly into the thermal switch wire?

and the shift lever is not loose and it does not go easy into any of the gears. it feels and acts like (from the driver's compartment) everything is working fine. my guess is the clutch plates inside the clutch are gone. would that cause it to act the way it is?

your help is appreciated!

 

what do you mean by "check the earth?" does that mean to check to see if the thermo switch is grounded?

Thanks!

 

ok i put it in gear when the car was off and tried to rock it, it felt like it does when the e-brake is on. i then started the car and put it in 1st and revved the engine slowly to 2500 rpms and the car started moving forward very slowly. it did the same thing in reverse.


And thanks NYC for the tip on the recall. I will check it out.