Hi Jack. I understand the confusion as the bonded rubber nut inside the gear leaver can sometime become detached. As BAl said there is a jam but underneath.May suggest "leatherique" for the leather http://www.leatherique.com/ This is an old Swiss oil base conditioner and seperate cleaner. Its done a magic job of keeping my Connelly leather really supple. Regards Graeme
Thanks guys, I'll get it out tomorrow. @ Marc: Have fun in Holland, have some herrings (not of the red variety) @ Bal & Graeme: Noted! I'll be careful. Graeme, I know Leatherique, but have never used it. I'm using my own product, something I used to market in Holland many years ago. It's always worked fabulously for me. It is water soluable, and the water helps transport the effective oily /fatty substance into the leather evenly. The water evaporates and voila, you have your product administered evenly and in the right dosage. Unfortunately I'm on my last small bottle of the product:-( Yesterday I had such a fun time with my front bumper. One corner must have hit something at some point, not hard enough to bend the support, but the corner was bent nack some 15mm at the tip. Took it off, looking at it from the outside I was under the impression that it was a rubber moulded affair, much like a 308 bumper. It was quite the surprise to see that the bumper has a full metal frame, even galvanized, and that all nuts, washers as well as the galvanized frame still had their plating on them. Nice to have a dry-country car! We made a small block of wood to keep the indicator opening straight and bent the tip back. Perfectly straight again, little things that make me happy!
I hear a lot of positive things about the product, but haven't used it myself, so cannot make any statements on its' merits. It is important though, that one realises that when speaking about leather, a large spectrum of products is incorporated. Just like with the internal combustion engine, automotive leather still does the same thing it did 100 years ago, but technically it has gone through a lot of changes. These changes encompass both the tanning processes used as well as finishes. What you find in a 60's Maserati is a vastly different product from what you find in an 90's Maserati. There is no cure-all product for all of this. A lot has been written about the subject, and use what works best for you.
Hi Jack I agree I did quite a bit of reasurch about leather treatments and found that Leatherique not only works well on the car its nice on you hads as Well. Not that I use it for that but when I do its rather good. What ever the basis of the product it does seem to penetrate the leather. I tried the lanolyn based product that connelly recomend but I didn have much success. There was an article in Classic car magazine some years ago about a facalty at one of the English universities who specialise in restoration of antique leather but I have not been able to find out what they used. They were working on coverting leather that had gone to cardboard and making it supple again. Graeme
Yesterday I used the Leatherique rejuvenator product on a set of original leather 3500 seats (AM101.686). I followed the instructions. After warming up the seats in contractors trash bags out in the sun, I then applied the product with a spray bottle, rubbing it in with a sponge. I then let them set for a couple hours and repeated the process. At the end of the day I rolled them back into the garage took off the tenting and let them breath. They seem to be getting softer. This morning they were still a little sticky. I will see what they look like tomorrow. Ciao, FGM Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Frank, For best results this is not an overnight or a couple day process. Repeat the process again and again over a month or two. Rub the oil in with your hand (in a surgical glove). Let the oil soak in for days, keep adding more as it soaks in. The oil will eventually start pushing out all dirt, you'll start to see white areas appear and the leather will not be able to absorb any additional oil. By that time the leather will be soft and you will be able to use the cleaner for all the dirt that has been pushed out by the oil. Joe
Just how much of this pollution control system can I toss out of the engine bay It's a rain weekend Cheers Mark
No idea how the smog pump connections are on the north American manifolds, but on the Euro-heathers they are welded on. For that reason it is a little laborous to take it off, as the headers will need welding and thus need to come off as well for a proper job. I don't know what the US-type manifolds look like, but believe they are a cast affair. I suspect that the air-injection pipes are screwed into them, in which case you take them off and plug the holes with fitting screws. Too cold in the garage here today!
All ready installed Euro headers and smog pump is already gone What about the two gold coffee cans in the engine bay can I toss them ? Not my car Cheers Mark Image Unavailable, Please Login
What are they? Part of a tank-vent sustem with active carbon inside them? In that case, you could, but you'd have to restore to a early type/Euro tank vent. I've seen people complain about fuel-smell in the cabin, maybe a closed system isn't such a bad idea. I agree, it looks fugly.
Hi Jack I agree all that plumbing clutters the engine bay and hides the engine. The Fumes come from the rear valance area more than any thing else, which has been discussed at length. Graeme
Someone better versed in the plumbing of the USA cars should confirm, but I think they can go. For the Euro-vent lay-out you'll have to revert to the parts book, I don't have it. You'll need to close off the spigots that the cannisters vent into, and block off the lines coming from the tank, as you don't want an engine compartment full of fuel vapour| Before doing so, however, you'll need to restore to Euro tank-vent, as otherwise you'll be drawing vacuum in the tank.
Took the top of my centre-console out this morning, and note clearly the difference in colour where the console was tucked under the centre dash. Does anyone have a colour-code for the light beige? We can tint from an un-faded spot, but the code would be helpful. Does anyone know who the leather supplier was in 1982? (I suspect Connolly, but...) I have access to ingredients to make the proper dye, as well as to spraying facilities to do a professional job, washing whatever item I want to dye/paint back to bare hide first. I will also give the rest a thin 'refresh' coaat for uniformity in colour and gloss. Thanks! Jack.
Those look the ones on my Bora. If you're not operating the the small electric vacuum pump that evacuates the fumes from the air filter housing I suspect they're operationally useless. They seem nicely finished though.
Hi Guys Sorry to jump in witha slightly different subject Has this been discussed and how much did it sell for? http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C225206# Graeme
Looks nice in the photos, except that the driver's side door doesn't sit well. One can always paint the air-filter housing black again. How does a 1980 K have a small horn-pad? Am I seeing right that this one also has the strange smog-pump? (I think so far we have only identified RHD late K's with this feature?)
Mark, You did not say whether your switch or cylinder is leaking. Anyway, I'm sure that most people here would advise you to fix it rather than bypass it. (Also note that there has been some discussion here about the stock switch not being up to the task of dealing with the high pressure system). The reproduction of the O&M manual available from MaseratiNet has an illustration of the hydraulic circuit. If you have the manual, study Fig No. 52 on Page 189. You can see that you have an opportunity to isolate both the switch and the cylinder at Union "P" which is on the driver's side floor. You will also have to plug the low pressure return hose from the switch. Note that "S" is the switch and "R" is the cylinder. I am attaching the illustration here and in so doing I hope that I am not infringing upon Maserati's or MIE's copyright. I don't see any copyright notice in the manual but in any case, I advise you to pick up a copy of the O&M and the parts manual also. Carmine Image Unavailable, Please Login
Hey Found P but not sure I can break the lines at that spot. Anyone know what is in these brass joints? Under the seat the two lines going to the cylinder have these brass hexagon with the little clips on each side so can I plug a play with these lines and make a loop and take out the cylinder ? Image Unavailable, Please Login
Mark, I hope you are well. Please stop for a moment. . . . . . . It is your car you can do what you want with it of course but may I respectfully and emphatically suggest you do not modify it: sort out the problem I can access hydraulic experts in Italy and France and you can ask Jerry Hathaway of SM World. The Khamsin was built like that so I would really encourage you to keep it original. When modifying a car you are lowering its value and more importantly losing its originality. Also enjoy driving it. Far too many owners do not drive their cars nearly enough in north America and these cars need to be driven to stay current. There has always been this surprising focus on working on the cars instead of driving in north America and owners as well as cars would be much happeir if they enjoyed them. FYI owners who attended KHAMSIN QUARANTA drove (24 of the 27 only 3 trailered and one had no engine) many many thousands of miles through Europe to attend and all arrived, enjoyed a total of 260kms of tour de Bourgogne and drove home again. Just a couple of cars had minor maladies which were fixed there and then: this blows the myth of Khamsin unreliability out of the water. Of course those amateurs who never drive and suddenly watn to take their inlaw for a drive then complain that the car that sat for a year is not happy...no comment. The secret is to sort them out and drive them: they NEED it. All the best with your #1228 Any news about gathering the Ontario K's? best regards, Marc
AM120358 discussed here at length, rode in it June 2010, see thread then of google the chassis number. MS
+1 The seat and light valves are not that difficult to service. MIE sell the small seals and brass inserts needed, and the rest probably need a good clean. The only time consuming part of it is to get the small brass inserts out, but they may be carefully drilled out and replaced if you can't get them out. I made a small version of a knocking hammer out of piano wire to pull them out, and did four valves just before K40. After that I had 5.200 trouble free kilometers in Europe. Also make sure to clean the hydraulic tank and the filter in the tank. Leakage is often caused by dirt in the system, and the system is designed for the dirt to end up in the tank. Good luck! Best regards Marius
