Ack! My 348 is peepeeing (just a little)

OK, so, with the help of my always mechanically eager Cousin, I got around to getting the pumpkin off the car. Here's what we found:

I was definitely losing both gear oil and clutch fluid.

Triple seals are shot. The aft seal (relative to back of car) is loose on the shaft, just kind of spinning and actually gapes out to one side when pushed on, even slightly. The center seal is also quite loose and has a 1/4" section that looks like something sheared a few mm off of the seal in sort of a crescent shape. The front seal is also a little loose, and they all seem kind of hard, though this is my first 348 clutch seal rodeo, so that may be false perception. I got a shot of the seals/shaft, but I couldn't get a detailed enough photo of the whole deal, so it's of little use. Triple seals ordered.

The T/O bearing looks to me to be in good shape, except for the seals. Pried all of those out (again, quite hard and the seal in the bearing itself was very brittle) and ordered new ones. The bearing was pretty wet when we pulled it, which, again, could be normal, but there was fluid outside on the casing before we pulled it from the flange. I don't feel like that is normal. I'll include a pic of that, and also a (slightly blurry) shot of the back of the bearing, which has four pressed detents. I haven't seen another T/O like this one, OEM or otherwise, advertised anywhere. Any ideas which one this is and how old it may be?

Clutch fingers look good, I'm happy about that!
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Thanks, Mike, I have poured through your thread (and Ernie's) a few times now Thanks for posting this stuff, guys!

Mike, your T/O bearing doesn't have the four little dents, does it? Did I just miss 'em?

Here's what I ordered -- maybe a bit of overkill, but I don't want to have to pull this thing off again right away, and I'm assuming that all of the seals currently in there are roughly the same age:

137249 X 3
139438
138387
151822
131747
121813 X 2
143178
121651

 

BTW -- a warning for anyone doing this job with an SS front lip or a slightly lower ride height. If you are using jack stands, MAKE SURE you have a spotter in the front to tell you when you're out of room so you don't jam your spoiler into the floor while you are jacking the car up to slide the stands in. I was lucky enough to think about that right before we went to work, and it was VERY close. I was lying on the floor telling my cousin how many millimeters we had to work with I can see how someone could dig it in pretty easily if you are just working at the back trying to get enough clearance to get the stands in.

 

Will do! Unfortunately, my camera battery was dead yesterday for the dismantling phase, but the next stage will be well-photographed!

 

OK, almost done...

Can anyone tell me how #151822 goes in the back of the slave cylinder? Does the groove go to the front of the car? I can't imagine it goes any other way, but I can't get it to stay in there to save my life!

Also, I forgot which way the ring scraper (#138387) goes...which side faces the diaphragm? I'm having a tough time getting it in at all. I'm starting to wonder if I don't have an oddball T/O

May be obvious, but I want to be darn sure!

 

Thanks, Ace...I'm having a hell of a time getting it in there. It's like the seal is too big. After examining the previous seal, the new and old parts are not alike. I wonder if it's possible that my cylinder is a bit different somehow, maybe an older one. Don't know if that should make any difference.

To make matters worse, my triple seals refuse to shrink down...I tried the plastic and hose clamp trick, but to no avail so far.

ARGH!! The ring/scraper doesn't want to fit, either!!!!

 

I finally, after several hours of trying, got the thing to give up and just go in. I had to use a pick to press the seal down into the groove and even then it was quite a chore. Glad its done. This is the old seal -- I couldn't get the camera to focus well enough, but where 151822 is asymmetrical, this one is perfectly uniform on both sides:
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Yes and no...still working on the ring scraper -- getting ready to go on stage, so I had to stop the car fun for the evening both of the others are in and looking good, though!

Hopefully, the triples will have shrunk back down in the AM and I can get her back together and bleed the clutch. Then drive the hell out of her!

Thank again for all the help, everyone! This is my first real ferrari maintenance job, and
the support system here did not disappoint! I owe ya!

 

OK! I'm on the right track, then

BTW, Remo Ambassador-weight clear mylar drum head film works very well for sliding the seals on! Diplomat-weight clear heads are even thinner and may work better.

 

Got the bell housing on earlier today. I used a nice little trick to make it much easier...get one person under the car and one person standing. Give the person standing a guitar strap or similar hefty, wide strap-type thing to wrap under the bell housing. That way, it's easier to hoist up and wiggle a bit, plus you can easily manipulate the ring gear and adjust the whole unit's "altitude" a bit more. Worked well! I'm sure it has been done before, but I guess it's worth reiterating!

We had a bit of a moment with the T/O bearing/slave cylinder. Seems the first time it went back on, it developed a vacuum and refused to slide. It took two sets of hands to get it off, but we prevailed and now it's working flawlessly. Another thing to look out for!