F40 rebuild done!

Sorry I haven't had time to post much about this project. Here are a few teaser photos taken very recently from my phone. We spun a connecting rod bearing last year possibly due to the car running too rich and diluting the oil over the years. We then decided to go through the entire car to freshen it up including head rebuild, new crankshaft finish, and countless other little updates and fixes. Little things corrode on F40s over the years and need to be replaced or rebuilt.

The F40 is very easy to refresh and should last a lifetime, regardless of miles driven! Glad to see recent pricing is a bit independent of mileage. That makes sense with these cars!
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Thanks for sharing this project Bill.

Ive seen this project ongoing and the attention to detail and the experience behind it is impressive.

This F40's engine will be blueprinted, balanced and well-tuned. It'll be a quick one!!

 

As you may know under the LM restoration thread we are rebuilding everything and that includes the engine. Would be interested in any tips you had from your rebuild given the difficulty in sourcing any data on these engines. Like you we are starting with a refinished crank and new bearings and working up. Right now we are having the crank refinished and the cams reground as a start and also plan on 'blue printing' everything.

You must be excited to get so close to being back on the road.

 

Very interesting, I just watched a Best Motoring video that shows a Japanese F40 without cats dynoed 530 PS as it was produced. One more confirmation that 478 PS was a underrated figure for these engines.



Bill, would be good to Vboxed it again after the engine rebuilt with the process that Joe explained.

 

Congratulations Bill! Would love to see it in Santa Barbara once everything is finished.

 

Excellent pictures !!! Amazing work !!!
Do you also check the timing on the F40 ?
If so do you use goniometer and dial gauges ?
It would interesting to know when intake and exhaust valves open and close (overlap ?)...
Keep up the great work !!!

 

Thanks guys. I got some photos and notes. I'll post as I collect it. Here's a fairly complete parts list, minus cosmetic parts, machine shop work, sublet work, and other deteriorating parts we replaced earlier for the fuel system.

With less than 8K miles on the engine and transmission, the block, pistons, rings and sleeves inspected and measured like new so we didn't replace. We had the top-end engine parts inspected microscopically and only replaced parts that could not be repaired. We needed to replace one original valve that was out of spec, possibly from the factory.

We understand Ferrari put an extra 10's of millions of dollars into developing the US car and they put out 540 HP+ with cats. This is according to our rebuild technical consultant who managed this huge project at the Ferrari factory.
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I assume primarily through boost pressure, but even then lugging an extra 250lbs and despite shorter gearing it was still apparently marginally slower than a Euro car. Shows how Chapman had it right.

Anyone have back to back performance figures between a Euro and US version?

Joe, you're the man?

 

I think you'll find the performance figures you are looking for within Bill's thread, in the later pages. Look for postings by F40LeMans:

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/288gto-f40-f50-enzo-laferrari/255868-acceleration-f40-f50-enzo-cgt-veyron.html

 

Go to Bill's thread as Joe has say, it was enough. The US spec engine extra power was never confirmed by numbers.

 

Bill, I have 2 words for you now that your engine is rebuilt: SLICK 50. That's a joke , but hey, if a go-kart engine can run for hours with only Slick 50 in the crankcase, what can it do in an F40 motor? See you guys next Sunday hopefully.

-Greg

 

Yep, I've seen that stuff. Maybe some day engine oil can be left with the dinosaurs.

 

awesome Bill, thing will run like a beast....a very well tuned one

 

Hey Bill,

What ever happened to this? I would expect that if built with the same tolerances and precision of your Enzo motor that we should see some pretty serious numbers from this thing!

 

Yep, got it back but haven't driven it much because it pops out of 3rd when decelerating, my favorite gear! Need to have that checked.

But a guy in a new Corvette ZR1 (supercharged) felt he couldn't gain on me until over 130 or so, and then just very slightly. It does feel faster.

 

Interesting! It looks closer to my F40 now. We are waiting a Vbox test of it, now.

 

Yikes! I believe it's the detent balls that hold the shifter in place but I could be wrong. That's a pretty good run though! I love that you will always have comparisons against your cars!

 

Bill, here some data of ZR1 US test:

C/D 2010 ZR1 (weather corrected)
60-128 mph 8"1
60-150 mph 13"0

C/D ZR1 (weather corrected)
60-127 mph 8"1
60-140 mph 10"4

C/D 2013 ZR1 (weather corrected)
60-128 mph 8"2
60-150 mph 13"4

R/T 2009 ZR1 (90°F)
60-125,5 mph 8"1

R/T 2010 ZR1 (60°F)
60-128,7 mph 8"0

R/T 2012 ZR1 (72°F)
60-129,7 mph 8"0

"and then just very slightly.." that's is so strange for a blueprinted engine! ZR1 seems to run 60-150 mph in 13 to 13.4 seconds. C/D did 13.8 seconds with the US F40. It should not have done!

 

Bill, just curious what head gaskets did you use? Were they OEM? Best

 

We used OEM. I recall we confirmed the manufacture date was within the past year and these were the latest revision. We pressure tested before installation and everything looked good. So far no leaks and I've pushed it pretty hard. FNA said they would cover any failure for I believe 1 year.

I heard some gaskets (aftermarket or OEM old or damaged) do not seal at all and you will fail even a moderate pressure test.

 

Correct. Glad it worked out for you. Also glad to hear you didn't go with the cometics. My mechanic said he wouldn't put those on his lawnmower! I've got a couple thousand miles on mine since rebuild without any issues.

 

Why not use a Cometic Gasket?

 

If you look at cometic and factory gasket side-by-side it will be obvious. If you want a good deal on cometic gaskets I hear there's a pile of them in boulder, could probably get a good deal...

 

Mines almost done
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Engine done
Image Unavailable, Please Login