GTB QV 49461 refurb

It works! the brakes are finally fixed. just bled them this morning and the pedal feels great. no more slowly moving pedal to the floor at stop lights.

Great braking, able to lock up the tires at 60....I guess that was my test of if it was good enough.

Lesson learned, I'll try to rebuild old parts from now on before buying new. I thought I was fixing it 'right' by replacing the master cylinder rather than rebuilding, even though it cost 4 times as much.

 

In my years at an auto parts store I recall the the rule of thumb shared by many mechanics was that rebuilding a hydraulic brake product lasts half as long as a machine honed product done by a business, and those lasts half as long as a new part...When the new part in question is made properly. I'm really surprised you got two bad Bendix master cylinders, as they've always been known for making a high quality product. They weren't assembled in Mexico or something, were they?

One issue with just popping new seals in an old cylinder is that they tend to break down from rubbing against the cylinder wall, which will often have some pitting from exposure to moisture that gets into brake fluid, which most of us don't flush out often enough to prevent this from happening...and is the primary reason why you're supposed to do so. There are a few places out there that can bore out your cylinder and install a liner (stainless if I remember right). I think one of may have been a company named Stainless Steel Brakes, but I'm not sure...They were real big with Corvette brake stuff years ago.

You do great work-thanks for the updates!

Rick

 

Rick, I realize the new rubber kit isn't quite as good as a new sleeve. I intended on having the original re-sleeved, but GoldLine said it was going to take 3-4 weeks! I just couldn't handle being off the road that long. The first lasted 26 years, if the redo lasts half that I'll be more than happy.

David at AW Auto Parts in NJ refunded my entire purchase price plus my cost of shipping both of them back. They really stand behind their parts, pulled the remaining ones off the shelf and sent them back to the distributor. I would totally buy from them again. I understand they sell 308 clutches and that's where I'm planning to get one when the time is right.

 

AW is an excellent shop indeed. They're only a little over an hour south of me, so I drove down there years ago when I was in a rush to get a gasket set (to install that weekend). Always nice guys. It's hard to believe they're from Jersey!

Another excellent shop out here for us east-coasters is Algar Ferrari. Lee (Livio) is the tops.

Great thread, by the way. I always look forward to reading your updates.

 

Check out the newest FChatter, my first kid. He came last night about 10 days early...I figured he might come early, not wanting to miss the F1 start this weekend!

I've been telling him about the rule changes and new tires for months, he's as excited as I am to see what surprises Albert Park has in store.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Hey, Congratulations! Cute little guy. What is his name...Enzo, Felipe, Tazio?

 

Congratulations Jason ... I love the hat

 

Congrats Jason!

 

Welcome to fatherhood, Jason. You life is about to change! (all for the better, of course!)

 

Congratulations! (And great thread... It's helped me decide on how to progress with my own quest for a Quattrovalvole.)

 

Thanks guys! I had all these plans to get some car work done during my 2 weeks off work. So far it hasn't really worked out that way, but it's great!

Oh, his name is Ace Jacob. I'll be sure and post some pics of his first Ferrari ride, hopefully this week.

 

I finally convinced his mom that it was ok, he's 5 days old now. He loved it!
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

That's Awesome!

 

Awesome kid...Ace!

He's quite cute...for now (just be sure he doesn't grow up to be as ugly as Ace Frehley)

Teach him to change his timing belts...NOW!!!

 

Congrats CAS! By the time the JSF is ready, Ace should be through UPT.

 

Thanks! Hopefully nobody in my family will have to fly that jet...more F117 follow on than F16 follow on in my opinion.

Paul's experience with his cracked windshield replacement got me worried about a stone chip that's been in mine since I got the car. I decided to repair it. I visited all the local window shops looking for one I could trust with my car. I found one that seemed borderline acceptable, so I took my F150 there as a trial. Nope, they were terrible. No way they were getting the 308.

So.....I bought a kit from Autozone and did it myself. Turned out good, better than the one I had 'professionally' done on my truck. Here's some photos of the kit.
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

What an amazing thread. Thanks for taking the time to share all your progress with us!

Also congrats on the new family addition, nice to know the world has one more Tifosi...you must be proud!

 

Thanks to Joe Maienza, this was easy! I bought the exact motor that he showed in his thread, my local autozone even had one in stock. plugged right in to the existing plug and connected straight to the fluid tank.

At some point in the past someone had tried to use JB Weld to stop a leak at the fitting, what a mess. I have a receipt from 2003 where a shop claims to have fixed the washer motor, is there any chance they would have done this? Anyway, it works! It's so nice to have my car sorted enough now that I can worry about stuff like the windshield squirters. A year ago I wouldn't have dreamed.

Went to Vegas Cars and Coffee this morning, quite a few Ferraris.
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

One of my kidney vents was less than perfect. I watched Ebay for almost 2 years and finally found one at a good price, $65. After removing the old one, I put in on Ebay as well, not wanting to just thow it away. I figured it could maybe get $5. It sold for $53!

Not a bad deal at all, $12 to upgrade from an old worn part to a NOS one.
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

from the info I got from the FChat guys in this thread:

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=319173

I made some new filters for the heaters and installed them. The old ones had just fallen apart and there really wasn't much of them even left.

I can't tell any difference other than stopping pieces of the old filters blowing out of the vents. That is a nice improvement for sure.
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Fantastic thread. Just picked up my car a week ago and just finished reading your thread this very minute. Great and inspiring work. Interestingly enough, your last post (heater filters) will be my first project as one of mine is busted/disconnected. Haven't gotten in there yet to see exactly what is going on, but it's definitely disconnected.

BTW, I think this thread should be renamed to something more awesome like "the definitive 308 DIY thread" or something

 

I am a part time lurker here. Ferrari fan, no question, but busy with Corvettes and my Corvette site.

It is threads like this that warm my heart. The Ferrari snobs out there are dissing the 308 as being too Fiat and too mass produced and too expensive to maintain, so, they are not considered collectible.

That may be 100% true, but they are still INTERESTING cars. Different from the mainstream and still allow you to be part of the bigger club.

Threads like this, which show how to fix nasty problems, without making matters worse, are great. I am about certain that someone, somewhere would ***** about your solutions, that's fine, let them. Not all of us can afford $120.00 per hour rates at the local Ferrari dealer.

I run into the same problem with my Corvette. I either DIY, or pay through the nose. I DIY.

It has trained me well for the day I get my 308!!

Job well done, brilliantly documented and generously shared!!! THANK YOU!

Oh, and little Ace is adorable!

 

Agreed. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this thread. Over a years worth of maintenance.... I read it all over the last few days....felt like I was reading a book and anticipating the ending.

 

Thanks guys! No ending yet, I feel like it's still just the beginning.

I've just been driving and enjoying it since my last post.

I'm planning to pull the steering rack in the next couple weeks and have it rebuilt. Beyond that I'm tentatively planning belts and shift shaft seals this winter.

 

Easy, just had to run the tanks nearly dry. I tried the first time and fuel was leaking everywhere. Once it was less than 1/4 tank, I raised the left side and no problems. Replaced with the same part number Bosch filter 0450905601, bought from some online VW place for next to nothing. I think it was for some 80s VW Fox.
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login