Adventures of a 95 Verde Mugello GT

Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

How about loosening the belt completely and check if you can "wiggle" the lower drive by hand?

As for the numbers of threads sticking out of the ring nut mine looked about the same.
The key may well be your problem.

 

Good point, but before I do anything like that, I’m still learning what I don’t know about messing with timing belts and locking the cams etc. don’t want to jump out of the proverbial frying pan into the fire so to speak. Since, even badly however, it’s at least in time presently.

where the cams sit now, can I simply just paint a new reference line and lock them together?

 

Yes, add some paint marks but before loosening the tensioner put the gearbox into 1st gear.

 

At least while everything else is out of the way, it gave me a chance to easily get the engine number
Image Unavailable, Please Login


And anyone offering help.. if you would rather not type and simply reach out to me, just send a message and we can setup a call

 

Damn man. I applaud your initiative and ability.

Regarding trusting the quality of the major service performed:
I had two separate independent shops inspect my car about 200 miles after a recent 5 figure major service+ had been completed by a VERY reputable shop who had been given instruction to fix and replace everything possible while “in there”. Five figure bill. You pay to play, whatever I do not care.

Anyway, the fist VERY reputable shop inspects the work and says A-OK everything looks great drive with confidence. By chance I bring it to a third shop (long story) to get it prepped for SMOG and they find everything in disarray, clamps loose, HVAC thing installed backwards, battery cables loose, a loose timing belt for Christ sake, buncha random crap too. Another $5k to sort out the “major” and do some other stuff AND it is being returned to shop #1 today to have the loose belt addressed.

An invoice for a major service is a VASTLY overrated piece of paper.

 

So seems my Car has a good history of threads on here. And with many of the heavy contributors familiar with it or its previous owner.

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/456-front-cover-gasket-t-belt-replacement-cam-timing.458864/#post-143335647

Hopefully some help on my current course of action will come

 

Ok still ruminating on how best to solve this. I left for another 3 day work trip so i have til at least Tuesday to stew over this, but would like to get some parts ordered and on their way...

1st. Can do as Timmo suggested, lock the cams, loosen the belt and see if the drive pulley is not sitting true... that would definately tell me i need to operate further.

If thats not actually wobbly, can i simply proceed with a straight L&S belt change?

Cam belt x2 187744
Hill Tensioner bearing x2 PT-550

Is the Hill flywheel lock still the best way to help with removing the Crank Damper? Have read others saying leave it in 6th.

I have seen the drive pulley removal nut tool and equivallent ill have as well.

Now my inexperience comes into play regarding the important particulars on this motor... be gentle.

Do I need to get the crank to #1 TDC to start? That should make cam marks predictable, eitherway i would be marking the cams, but Im still hoping to not mess with timing. As the seals are observed dry and recent, i was hoping to not remove any other covers. What is the proper way to turn this motor over by hand?

Is there anything suspect about the tensioner assembly components that could caused it to fall out of spec?

Before I touch anything, I can bump the starter to rotate the motor and check again. But it seems twice already it has shown its not close to tight.

If it is the drive pulley. Ill be going down a whole nother set of rabbit holes to determine where i land.

I have new accessory belts already on their way. What else do i need to know or parts to have on order.. or am i being pound foolish on my approach and need a full timing service? Still would need to determine if the drive pulley is suspect....

What other parts do i need or should have on hand?

 

I found most of my answers in the 456 WSM (of course I did), somehow i had skimmed right over the section on setting belts and how the tensioners function, disregard many of the above questions, but Im all ears for any other suggestions

 

What are the immediate/over time issues associated with a slightly or majorly loose timing belt ?

Other than it can skip a tooth and subsequently destroy the engine….anything else performance related or otherwise ? My mechanics was able to hear it was loose whilst driving.

 

Well i have my Belts all sorted out now and I'm back in the road!!

As the weather warms up here in Indiana, i have finally had some real chance to drive. Finally had my car out for a dinner date with Mrs. Aerosurfer.

Anyways one of the few downsides to having lift is always seeing where the sun doesnt shine and all the dirt and grime that goes with it. On a whim decided to degrease and polish my exhaust pipes around the Transaxle. Quick hit with degreaser and some metal shine cloth. One little pet peave is reduced for now... didnt get a full before picture but looks better now!

Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login View attachment 2363961

 

Would love to shine up the mufflers too, but they seem to be well coated with the same underspray as the rest of the chasis..


....besides replacing them
Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Amazing how clean glass and no brake dust does for making the rest of the car look good!
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

This week I swapped and installed a new fuseboard made by member @theunissenguido. My board had shown signs of delaminating and heat fatigue. Once it was removed from the car and case it was very much separating from the layers and indeed had a lot of warpage. Even had a connector break off removing relays.

The new board, while different in design is beefy, solid and really well built. The Swap was a true plug and play as advertised, and the fitment was perfect back into the holder. Car fired right up and all components have tested operational. Still need to button up the compartment after a shakedown drive.

For a 22k mile car the original board is atrocious... of course its well known about the power demands running through these, but it looked awful. If you haven't inspected your boards, i would recommend all everyone pull off the back of the fusebox cover and see how it looks. This is a huge aftermarket addition to the hobby. Guido was great with his communication and worked with me thru a separate electrical issue that popped up (my own doing).

Love another aspect of getting to know this car intimately. Looking forward to seeing if there is any noticeable difference, via better A/C or cooling fan performance or just piece of mind. Either way Im very happy with the upgrade


Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

What was done then?

 

Lock and swap with new belts, Hill bearings. Lower drive gear was fine. New accessory belts and pulleys.

 

Really? The lower drive gear looked quite bad in your video.

 

I agree it appeared as such. But once the belts were off there was no motion, play, obvious lateral movement or appearance of being off center. I elected to leave it as that. I had put all the covers back on before i started it up so was unable to see if it looked any different with new belts, bearings and proper tensions.

Next time i dive into belts and full valve timing i may revisit a set of the SR drive gears to start fresh

 

Had an order for some small parts that didnt add up to much, so in order to justify my shipping I decided to do the Hill pedals and new shift ball. The first and likely only real cosmetic upgrades i see myself doing.

The Ricambi install article was spot on for how to drill and what sizes. Took all the guesswork out of it. Speaking of that, drilling into a perfectly good Ferrari seemed like a metaphor for the people who hate skydiving saying why would you jump out of a perfectly good airplane... definately a thrill in watching the metal shavings appear and hoping it went right!

My shift ball was already scuffed and scratched, so that had been on my to-do list too. Happy with the day, despite the rain here.

First Ricambi order too.. fast shipping, thank you!

Also picked up a new keychain for fidgeting with...
Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Cute keychain and she looks much better with the aluminum pedals. Less chance of your foot slipping, too. Save the old shifter ball, polish it, black the engraving and clear coat. If nothing else, looks great on a shelf or desk.

 

Thats the plan with the old shifter ball, it'll stay here. Wife may make it into a X-mas ornament

 

Have been steadily lowering my Cost/mile as much as I can the last 2 months... never seems like enough time to drive!

Have passed 1000 miles behind the wheel and has been very reliable. Did an oil change and coolant flush late last month, likely the first in at least 2 years... temps have stayed right in the sweet spot.

Working thru finding new or operating on the dash light potentiometer. Lights up at full bright, but wont dim. Moving the wheel itself seema to be the fault, it will go full dim and off when touched or moved but full bright hands off.

Still driving at night is a great view!



Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Spray some Deoxit and work the pot? I'm not at all familiar with the switch so I don't know if there'd be any way to get the juice into the guts of the pot.

 

I pulled the switch and sprayed some electronics cleaner into the innards. The case itself was pretty tight and didnt try hard to get it opened.

The actual thumb wheel of the rheostat seems slightly crooked. When i push and rotate it'll dim evenly, but when i let go it goes back to full bright. Same with just tapping the wheel, itll go out and return to full bright. I believe its a contact issue not a corrosion issue

Until i have a spare, ill leave it as is. At least the lights arent too bright, just knowing it could work better