Quattroporte III catch-all thread | Page 70 | FerrariChat

Quattroporte III catch-all thread

Discussion in 'Maserati' started by Quattroporte3, Jun 27, 2011.

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  1. jamespeter26

    jamespeter26 Karting

    May 9, 2019
    64
    Rome, Italy
    Full Name:
    Peter
    A quick follow-up to my earlier post on the vacuum/consumption gauge. The below picture from the former King of Morocco QP3 confirms my suggestion, that the normal/original resting position of the needle is not against the pin (at the end of the red area), but in the middle of the red area. Photos from https://www.classicdriver.com/en/article/cars/de-tomasos-most-successful-saloon-was-maserati (lovely color by the way).

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    Speaking of intake vacuum, my engine dispays the following readings on the vacuum gauge... It is a very fast oscillation between 7 and 15 inHg. Any thoughts? I'd say worn valve guides but a second opinion or advice would be welcome.

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  2. GLB

    GLB Formula Junior

    Oct 27, 2010
    303
    Dallas, TX
    Full Name:
    George Lawrence Brantingham
    It might just be an artifact - I have never looked at vacuum on mine, but I noticed that due to the individual intake runners, the vacuum connection is only on cylinders 7 and 8 with one-way valves. That would make the engine sort of a two cylinder vacuum pump - it might be jittery. There must be some damping function before this signal is fed to the vacuum advance, but my manual doesn't show that connection. Maybe I can remember to look when I go to the shop tonight.
     
  3. Woods

    Woods Rookie

    Apr 6, 2020
    26
    New Mexico, USA
    Full Name:
    Eric Van Horn
    Hey guys, hopefully this will post within the catch all thread and not outside as I did last time on accident. I downloaded a photo from somewhere here of a really useful diagram entitled "Location of Relays" and now I can't find it. I am asking because it cuts off before the description of the rear fuse box and relays. The front says 46, middle is 47, and the back is 48, but only the first two are on the diagram and then it says continued... I was wondering if anyone has the part for 48, the rear box. Thanks.
     
  4. Cochezz

    Cochezz Rookie

    Mar 8, 2018
    1
    Full Name:
    Devon Loveridge
    Does anybody know why the early tipo 107 engines had a 5500 rpm red line regardless of whether it was a dry sump or wet sump motor. However the later 4.9 motors in our cars have a redline past 6000 ? I wonder what changes were made to the engines to allow for this almost a thousand RPM higher Redline.
     
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  5. Mexico074

    Mexico074 Formula 3

    Aug 14, 2008
    1,225
    Harriman, TN USA
    Full Name:
    Michael Demyanovich
    Hello Woods...

    As you probably know there are 3 main electronic control areas on these cars. There is one in the engine compartment, the one in the passenger footwell, and the one in the trunk.
    If I remember correctly, there are miscellaneous relays in some other areas. The diagram/document you are looking for should still be on this, site, but perhaps under a different thread.
    If possible, can you be a bit more specific as to what you are looking for , or are the attached what you are looking for?

    Mike

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  6. jamespeter26

    jamespeter26 Karting

    May 9, 2019
    64
    Rome, Italy
    Full Name:
    Peter
    Thanks GLB, you are probably right. From what I've read here and there, it seems that it's due to the intake manifold configuration connecting one carburetor throat to its respective cylinder, with no "average intake vacuum". I don't think there's a signal damper though, since vacuum used for brake booster/power steering/ignition distributor actually comes from a separate vacuum pump at the back of the passenger-side intake camshaft.

    If this is of any help, it looks like the three fuse boxes are almost identical, the only difference being that the rearmost (48) has less fuses. So if you find a middle or front fuse box, you should be able to use it as a suitable replacement and you will only have a couple of unused fuse holders. The exact parts reference are 330.92.56.00 for the front fuse box and 330.92.56.01 for the rear one but you have more chances finding a good used one on eBay or other websites if you look for "maserati quattroporte 3 fuse box".

    If you're looking for the correct wiring, the electric diagram is available at http://www.thecarnut.com/downloadmanuals.html.

    On a somewhat unrelated note, your question makes me think of this picture I've seen elsewhere, and which might be useful to others. The correct position of BOTIL/BOTIQ boxes, TEDEL 101 vs. 102, etc. is always a bit of a question mark so this might help clarify.

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    I also wanted to post an update on my own struggles with this car. I've had a hard time in the past weeks trying to replace my starter motor and would be grateful if you have any thoughts or suggestions. Even if you don't, my experience might be helpful to others so I'm posting it here.

    I've been wanting to replace my original Chrysler starter with a gear-reduction one, since the old unit started to make a bit of noise and definitely pulls a lot of current. The starter is known to be a typical failure point and I didn't want to wait until it left me stranded on the side of a road. I gather that the RobbMC no. 3005 high-torque mini-starter was a suitable upgrade, which worked successfully for 2 other QP3 owners on this forum, so I ordered one and waited until I had some time to tackle it.

    First, removing the old starter is easier said than done. You need a combination wrench to remove the lower bolt, because there's not enough clearance to use a traditional open-ended wrench and you need the narrower full-circle thing to successfully remove it. The upper bolt needs to be removed with a ratchet and a long extension, from underneath the car. And these are specialty bolts so you absolutely need to re-use them. They are so "specialty" that I couldn't find a suitable replacement even in the ARP catalog, which is known for making suitable replacements for almost all specialty bolts globally. The bolts are 30mm long, but the threading is M11x1.5 (!) and there's a non-threaded section of about 10mm of a slightly larger diameter to suit the mounting holes on the starter (I think 14mm diameter for the bottom bolt and 11mm for the top bolt). Head is hex 19 mm. I found it easier to unbolt the starter first, then the wire.

    I found it really difficult to mount the new starter and particularly to make sure that it's fitted correctly. Others reported they needed some "light machining" on the starter, and indeed it looks like the nose-cone is slightly interfering somewhere with the mounting bracket. The mounting bracket itself doesn't allow to measure the end gap (distance between the pinion and the flywheel) or the backlash (distance between the axis of the pinion and the axis of the flywheel) so it's trial-and-error. If my descriptions of "end gap" and "backlash" are unclear, please refer to this document which explains it much better: http://www.robbmcperformance.com/instructions/GenIIstarter.doc.

    When mounting the RobbMC starter directly on the mounting bracket, as such, it was not possible to screw both bolts. One of the holes is off, either the bottom hole or the top hole, as shown on the pictures below taken from the same viewpoint. What I did not realize on my first attempt is that my battery, too, was a bit off. The starter would hit the flywheel, not engage, and spin. And I initially thought this was due to a misalignment, which seemed obvious as shown on the pictures. In fact, when I finally tried with a jump starter, this is the only configuration where the starter does engage correctly and spin the flywheel without making any screeching or rattling or whatever weird noise. So, for the moment, I have a starter held with only ONE bolt but which spins the flywheel.

    I did, however, try some troubleshooting to fix this but so far with no luck. My jump starter eventually got discharged too so my little troubleshooting session ended when I was left with 2 discharged lead batteries and 1 discharged jump starter. In the meantime, I did learn a couple useful things.

    From looking at the pictures below, and knowing that in this configuration the starter DOES engage and spin the flywheel, I came to the conclusion that the end gap is correct, but that I have a problem of backlash. Somehow, something stands in the way of the starter which makes it impossible to align both holes with the mounting bracket, and use both the top and the bottom bolt.

    It seems that the only way to increase the backlash is to remove the mounting bracket, which is attached to the engine using four M13 nuts, and insert shims between the bracket and the engine block before re-mounting the bracket. This is illustrated on the 3rd picture below.

    With these shims in place, the mounting bracket is approximately 1.5mm further away from the engine block, and - miracle! - the starter mounting holes are now perfectly aligned with the mounting bracket, as illustrated on the 4th picture below. But when I tried to crank the engine (with my jump starter, which was still functional at that time), while the starter does engage the flywheel, it makes a horrible screeching noise that no one would want to hear. I had the guts to make two attempts despite this noise but it was clearly not a good fit.

    I then tried again with two shims (instead of one) between the mounting bracket and the engine block, bringing the bracket 3mm away from the block. Same picture when it comes to bolting the starter, the holes align and I can insert both bolts, but now the starter spins freely and does not engage the flywheel at all. So it seems like the pinion is too far to mesh with the teeth on the flywheel.

    I got back to zero shims between the bracket and the block, and only one bolt attaching the starter to the bracket, but that's less than ideal.

    And by looking at the pictures below, especially the 2nd one (displaying the top hole misalignment) and the 4th one, I am now wondering if the culprit wouldn't be the four studs connecting the mounting bracket to the engine block. It looks like, in the original configuration (zero shims), they protrude a bit too much and interfere with the starter body. With shims installed, they protrude less, allowing more room for the starter holes to align with the bracket. But that doesn't explain the screeching noise when I have shims... Maybe I should just file off a bit of metal from the starter outer enclosure, just at the spot where it meets with the studs.

    Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome. Next episode in 2 weeks when I can work on the car again.

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  7. Woods

    Woods Rookie

    Apr 6, 2020
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    New Mexico, USA
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    Eric Van Horn
    Mexico074 thanks, that second photo was the one I was trying to describe. I found the first, and that was the one posted but it didn't have that second page. I'm trying to track down problems with the fuel flap, trunk lid, and various brake and other lights. That was the exact missing piece I needed so I can approach this more methodically than the way i was. A million thanks!

    The car only has around 22k miles but it did sit for 12 years and probably because the electronics frustrated the guy into just storing it. I had a '72 Espada that had sat for even longer(14 years), so at least I have already learned Italian car patience. Somehow the antenna works perfectly but nothing I actually need regualrly does. Because of course, right...Anyway, Thanks again-
     
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  8. GLB

    GLB Formula Junior

    Oct 27, 2010
    303
    Dallas, TX
    Full Name:
    George Lawrence Brantingham
     
  9. jamespeter26

    jamespeter26 Karting

    May 9, 2019
    64
    Rome, Italy
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    Peter
    #1734 jamespeter26, Apr 27, 2020
    Last edited: Apr 27, 2020
    True, but it looks like this car has no load-based vacuum advance at the distributor. The vacuum line is a vacuum retard device, activated at idle, in an attempt to reduce NOx emissions. I've been studying that section of the service manual last week and I've come to the following conclusions. I'm not sure whether they apply to the Bora but I've read the same applies to many other Maseratis of the same period.
    1. The distributor has a mechanical (centrifugal) advance, with 6-7° initial advance at the crankshaft (= 3-3.5° at the distributor shaft since 1 distributor revolution = 2 crankshaft revolutions), and 37° total advance at 4000 rpm and up on the crankshaft (18.5° at the distributor shaft at 2000 rpm and up).
    2. There is a vacuum retard system which works as an on-off system. There is, actually, a vacuum retard curve with 0° initial retard and 10° crankshaft (5° distributor shaft) total retard at 275 mbar of vacuum (= 7.4 inHg). There is a vacuum line going from the vacuum canister on the distributor to a small solenoid valve, located near the front fuse box, and another vacuum line from this solenoid to the vacuum pump at the rear of the passenger-side intake camshaft (with a tee in between to feed brake booster and other stuff). This solenoid valve is controlled by a micro-switch located on the throttle cable mechanism behind the carburetor closest to the firewall, which should normally be pressed when the accelerator pedal is at the resting position (= idle) and depressed as soon as the pedal is pushed. The vacuum pump feeds a steady 23 inHg from what I've measured. So essentially, at idle, the solenoid valve is open and feeds a 23 inHg vacuum signal to the distributor, immediately reaching total retard (minus 10° from initial advance = 3° retard ATDC), and as soon as you push on the accelerator, the solenoid valve closes and stops feeding vacuum to the distributor, leaving only mechanical advance. Ignition timing jumps to 7° advance BTDC, and the power surge in the engine is often noticeable in the form of a good off-idle boost. If you have good ears, you can also hear the solenoid valve closing.
    3. You can empirically confirm this by disconnecting the vacuum line from the distributor, when idling. You will notice the engine rpm will increase by several hundreds. This is because 7° advance is much appropriate than 3° retard, for this engine at idle. It is also possible to measure this by inserting a tee with a vacuometer between the solenoid valve and the distributor, and simultaneously using a timing light to measure ignition retard/advance on the crankshaft.
    The service manual chapter 2 on "Engine - Electrical System" is a bit confusing, but it seems that my conclusions are consistent with the key numbers indicated on page 2-1:
    - fixed advance at 900-1000 rpm with depression (= vacuum): -3°
    - fixed advance at 900-1000 rpm without depression (= no vacuum): +6-7°
    - fixed advance at 5000 rpm: +37°

    The same specifications are given on fig. 19, page 2-12, but you have to double all the numbers, both degrees and rpm, since they are indicated on the distributor shaft (which is spinning half as fast as the crankshaft). Minor adjustments applicable to the 4200cc engine and USA 4900cc versions.

    It is my understanding that many owners just cancel the vacuum retard system altogether, and only keep mechanical advance (I'm considering it myself). It is true that the vacuum retard only serves emissions-related purposes, and several countries don't measure NOx. This is best done by backing off the microswitch so that the solenoid valve is always closed. You would need to re-adjust the idle down to 1000rpm, but you shouldn't need to readjust ignition timing, as long as you have 7° initial timing of course, nor idle mixture, as long as it was correct in the first place. This essentially means that the throttle butterflies, in the carburetors, will be a little bit more closed when idling, thus burning a tiny bit less fuel but delivering a more timely and optimal combustion in the cylinders. I think vacuum retard also contributes to increasing the engine temperature at idle, so disabling it may contribute to lowering idle temperature/overheat issues. See also http://www.georgiajag.com/Documents/Vacuum Advance versus Vacuum Retard.htm
     
  10. GLB

    GLB Formula Junior

    Oct 27, 2010
    303
    Dallas, TX
    Full Name:
    George Lawrence Brantingham
    Well, that makes sense - at least the explanation does, if not the Rube Goldberg '80's emission controls. If I ever get around to working on mine, this is a circuit I will dump. As for the Bora, who knows? The manual is very simplistic, but since the previous owner has converted it to European tune (ignition, cam timing, carb jets and headers) whatever it might have had probably isn't there now.

    That's a big "if", though. The Bora is way late, but it's not the slowest of my projects. I need to find time to work on my own cars for a change.



     
  11. Woods

    Woods Rookie

    Apr 6, 2020
    26
    New Mexico, USA
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    Eric Van Horn
    I wanted to see if you guys have any insight on my brake problem. I changed all the fuses and relays, matched the relay numbers, etc. Fixed a light that had a broken tang.

    When I start the car and test the brakes they work fine, on and off with the pedal. I drive for about 20 min or so and when I get homes they are stuck in the on position, as if the pedal was depressed. I can't wiggle or stomp the pedal to get them off. They don't go off when I turn off the car, only when I hit the battery kill switch under the steering column. It doesn't matter if I change from Park to Neutral, etc.

    I have checked the mechanical movement of the pedal and like I say it is fine until the car gets hot. This, to me, suggests the hydraulic switch on the firewall. I imagine I need to bleed the brakes when I replace this. Fluid needs it anyway. Anything I may have missed?
     
  12. jamespeter26

    jamespeter26 Karting

    May 9, 2019
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    Rome, Italy
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    Peter
    Hi Woods,

    I'm no expert on brakes so I'm afraid I won't be able to help a lot here... I was planning to do a brakes job when I'm done with the starter motor so any pictures or lessons learned from your troubleshooting would be welcome.

    There is a brake system troubleshooting guidance table, in the full service manual page 14-14, this might give you some leads. Also, the brake booster is vacuum-operated so you may want to check that your vacuum lines are in good shape. There should be a vacuum line going from the vacuum pump at the rear of the passenger-side intake camshaft to the brake booster. The same line should also feed the power steering pump so in case you feel any difference in power steering when your brake problem appears, this might hint an issue with the vacuum system.

    I find it strange that your problem disappears when you disconnect the battery, that would suggest an electrical malfunction but I was under the impression the braking system was entirely mechanical on that car. At least, from the wiring diagram below, it looks like there aren't many electrical connections in that area, mostly sensors the only purpose of which is to turn on a warning light in the instruments cluster. Items related to the braking system are:
    - no. 58 - Brake lights switch (on-off, turns on the red brake lights at the rear of the car)
    - no. 68 - Brake fluid level sensor (on-off, turns on the "low brake fluid" warning light in the instruments cluster)
    - no. 69 - Brake pad limit wear sensor (on-off, turns on the "brake pad limit wear" warning light in the instruments cluster)
    - no. 73 - Brakes double circuit unbalance sensor (on-off, turns on the "brake system breakdown" warning light in the instruments cluster)

    All of them are located in the area between the braking pedal and the brake booster, except no. 69 which is located on the brake pad itself inside the caliper.

    I wasn't aware of a battery kill switch under the steering column... is this something you installed? What does it look like?

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  13. Mexico074

    Mexico074 Formula 3

    Aug 14, 2008
    1,225
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    Michael Demyanovich
    My first suspect would be item 58 (Brake Light Switch), as JamesPeter26 lists, having an intermittent sticking issue.
    But that doesn't necessarily explain the brake lights remaining off when you disconnect and reconnect the battery...

    Keep us informed of what you find!

    Mike
     
  14. thecarnut

    thecarnut F1 Rookie
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    If you look at post 1730 you should see a relay in the trunk area labeled "additional stop light relay". I am in no way knowledgeable about QP3 but there is a possibility this relay is being energized when it shouldn't, or perhaps it is defective and gets stuck in the closed position. I see that the backup lights use the same relay so I would start by swapping those two and see if anything changes.

    Ivan
     
  15. Woods

    Woods Rookie

    Apr 6, 2020
    26
    New Mexico, USA
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    Eric Van Horn
    Those are great leads, thanks. Yeah, they do go off when I cut the battery, just not when I turn off the car. This morning the car is cool again and no problems. If I drive it, the problem returns. I'm going to go through all of the above and post the solution when I sort it out.
     
  16. Woods

    Woods Rookie

    Apr 6, 2020
    26
    New Mexico, USA
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    Eric Van Horn
    Brake Problem Solved. It was boggling me that the brake lights were okay when the car was cold and would stick on when the car was hot. My final theory was based on how old the brake fluid was. Really dirty too, and probably absorbed a lot of water. Heat making the water boil since the hydraulic brake switch and lines are right next to the left head, and that vapor pressure was pushing the switch and keeping lights on.

    It could have been a bad switch, or a combination, because I figured if I was going to bleed the brakes I might as well replace that switch while I was at it, since they typically don't last that long from what I have read. New switch, bled brakes, works.

    Those rear in-board brakes are a nightmare to bleed, which is probably why the last owner didn't keep up with it. You can do it without dropping the rear end if you get the car jacked up enough. With a lift it wouldn't be too bad, but still quite a pain. I'm also going to put some heat shielding around the hydraulic brake switch since it is really hot around there.
     
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  17. jamespeter26

    jamespeter26 Karting

    May 9, 2019
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    Peter
    Hi all,

    A small update on my starter post above: I can now confirm that my starter problems were due to a very small interference between the protruding top-front stud and the RobbMC starter body, which prevented me from screwing both bolts as described in my earlier post. The remaining three mounting studs are OK.

    Filing the stud wasn't an option but as suggested by MrMark in another thread, I did some "light machining" on the starter to clear this stud. A handheld drill did the job. It looks a bit dirty/messy but it works perfectly. This allowed me to screw both bolts, and the starter now cranks the engine flawlessly. No more weird rattling or gear not engaging correctly.

    I did this yesterday evening so I haven't had a chance to test it in real-life conditions yet, but from starting the engine five or six times in my garage, the improvement in cranking time was noticeable. It cranks strong and the engine starts almost immediately. The starter's own whine is quite different from the original starter and will probably take a bit of time getting used to, but it does the job.

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  18. Woods

    Woods Rookie

    Apr 6, 2020
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    Eric Van Horn
    I should check this 4.9 engine after running, after draining and with the car off right? Not a dry sump. It shows max but I get low oil pressure and low oil level light. The pressure is from a low idle and goes away when I drive, but am I checking the oil right? The other sensors seem to work well surprisingly. I am guessing that is my problem, but wanted to check the obvious first.
     
  19. Woods

    Woods Rookie

    Apr 6, 2020
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    Eric Van Horn
    My post is kinda vague, simply: Check oil with engine running or not running?
     
  20. thecarnut

    thecarnut F1 Rookie
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    On a wet sump engine you check the oil with the engine not running.
    The oil warning light on means pressure is less than 5 psi (not good). What viscosity oil is in the engine?
    You should temporarily connect a mechanical oil gauge and take readings with the engine at normal operating temperature. Check for oil pressure at idle and at various RPMs.

    Ivan
     
  21. jamespeter26

    jamespeter26 Karting

    May 9, 2019
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    Rome, Italy
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    Peter
    Hi Eric,

    Ivan is right but I’m not sure exactly what it is you need to check in the first place:
    • if it’s the oil level, you should check it with engine not running, but preferably at operating temperature. There’s a warning light for that but it’s not always accurate: the manual says that if you shut off and restart the engine in a short period of time, the light will come up, and it happened to me no later than this week, yet the oil level may be perfectly fine. You should by the dipstick.
    • if it’s the oil pressure, then you should check it with the engine running and definitely at operating temperature. When the engine is cold, pressure will always be high, but as the oil temperature increases, pressure will decrease (at least at idle). Once the engine is warmed up, you are looking for an oil pressure no lower than 1.5 kg/cm2 (20 psi) and as RPMs increase, the oil pressure should increase as well all the way to 5 kg/cm2 (70 psi). If the oil pressure is too low at idle (there’s also a warning light for that), then ensure that you have the correct oil grade (10W-50 or 15W-50). If you have the correct oil grade, but the pressure doesn’t build up when RPMs increase, then you might want to investigate further as it could be linked with a mechanical issue like worn bearings. But then you’d probably have other symptoms as well. In any case Ivan is right, if the reading of the electronic sensor/gauge isn't normal, you should start by hooking up a mechanical gauge and take your reading from there.
    In my car, I witnessed a noticeable improvement in oil pressure, oil temperature, and water temperature, after switching from a 10W-40 oil to a 15W-50. With the 10W-40, the oil pressure would get really low when the engine is warm (but still okay) - however, I was more concerned with the temperatures. I would typically get the oil temperature around 130 degrees C (266 F) and water around from 80 C (176 F). Since I switched to 15W-50, the pressure never goes below 2 kg/cm2 when the engine is fully warmed up, and my typical temperatures are 95 C for oil, 75 C for water, which is exactly what is needed.

    I’m not sponsored by anyone, but I want to say the oil I'm now using is Motul 15W-50 and it seems to be a good fit for this particular car. In the US it is sold as Motul 4100 15W-50 but the formula seems to be identical (I’ve investigated the topic here: https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/5343293/voa-motul-classic-15w50). Any 15W-50 would probably be fine though.

    I also did a few other things here and there lately. For the last couple of months, a big project I’ve been working on was the upgrade of my front suspensions. I successfully installed my new shock absorbers last weeks and I’m finalizing a write-up, which I will post here soon.

    Also, my A/C wasn’t working, or rather, it was only blowing a very weak breath of air. With the summer approaching, I wanted to fix that and I found that with 2nd generation A/Cs (those with the small rectangular control panel instead of the three round knobs), the fan speed selector has a separate electrical connector, which in my car had fallen off. So if you have a weak air flow, you may want to check that your connector is plugged. This is easily done by removing the the passenger-side kick panel.

    A couple of days ago, I also noticed that one of my carburetors was leaking gas... yikes! Gasoline dripping right onto the intake manifold is a known cause of fire. To make things worse, QP3’s intake manifolds are shaped in such a way there are two parallel sort of trenches, just under the carburetors, where all sorts of things can accumulate (especially things that could catch fire). I found a nice puddle made up of paint debris mixed with gas, a couple of zip ties, dirt... The carburetor leak was nothing more than a bad diaphragm, which is the easiest thing to replace. All that to say: it’s probably a good idea to inspect your carburetors every once in a while, to check that they are perfectly dry, and also to make sure you clean up that cavity underneath from time to time.
     
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  22. Woods

    Woods Rookie

    Apr 6, 2020
    26
    New Mexico, USA
    Full Name:
    Eric Van Horn
    Thanks for the answers, I appreciate it. I haven't done a full oil change since I got the car in March. The oil is very clean. I put some 5/40 in it, but sounds like I should probably drain it and put in some 15/50.

    I checked it the way I learned, which is to run it and then turn it off, let the oil drain, check the dipstick. Check a few more times, etc. No matter what it is close to max, so I don't want to put more in. But still the pressure is low, around 2-3, never even half way up. At idle it goes to 0. This is probably due to it last having the carbs tuned at sea level, and me living at 6200 feet above sea level. So, that I get, but even in regular operation it seems low to me. And I get the low level light! That is the thing that bugs me because surprisingly the gauges have all been right on so far. I check the oil, looks right, wet sump engine but thought I would ask the dumb question to rule that out because this car has a lot of surprising things about it. Those awful in-board rear brakes for one.

    Does the sensor measure by weight? That might cause a mis-read. Also, if I turn the car on and off a few times, sometimes it clears the light. "if you shut off and restart the engine in a short period of time, the light will come up..." might be it for sure, but it also seems to clear it. It does it from a long wait, but it might be a holdover from working on it the night before. Anyway, I think I have a plan now, thanks so much, you guys are always so helpful.

    Speaking of A/C, this car needs a charge. I think I saw the ports when I was taking a tire off. It's weird how they have access to certain things via tire removal. Anyway, I wonder if it needs a special connector. I was going to try one of those cans of refrigerant and to do it myself, but the guy I bought it from said his didn't fit.
     
  23. Woods

    Woods Rookie

    Apr 6, 2020
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    Eric Van Horn
    Also, I should add something I discovered this week. The brake reservoir is pretty easy to source. Period Alfas, Ferraris, Lambos and Mercedes all have some that will fit with the two chambers and the two censors with the center 45 mm cap.
     
  24. thecarnut

    thecarnut F1 Rookie
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    Full Name:
    The Car Nut
    I was now aware that the QP3 has a low oil level warning light in addition to the low pressure warning light. If the dipstick indicates the proper level of oil then I would not worry too much about the low level light, it is probably just a bad sensor. The low pressure warning light coming on is a concern and one that needs urgent attention. Only way to know if there is a problem, and its severity, is to connect a mechanical oil pressure gauge and take measurements. Peter provided you the values that you should be getting. Do this before doing anything else.
    If the values are low, then change the oil and filter and test gain. If the values continue to be low, then it is time to take a break and have a Negroni.

    Ivan
     
    Woods and Froggie like this.
  25. Froggie

    Froggie Formula Junior

    Sep 27, 2017
    476
    Belgium
    Full Name:
    Serge
    Ivan, I'm not familiar with your ...Negroni break meaning.
    Does this mean you are safe and relax, or the contrary, i.e. take a breath before addressing in depth the issue of the low pressure?
     

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