Help me troubleshoot my 348

I have a 91' 348ts. The car is going to a mechanic next week. Around here, we don't have any Ferrari service centers but we do have a guy that has been working on them for 10+ years and everyone in town that has a Ferrari takes their car to him (unless they ship it out). Here are the symptoms, hopefully you all can think of some things I am not...

1. Squeeky wheel - the wheel squeeks when you start to slightly move and just about to stop. Once your going like 2 or 3mph or above it stops. Doesn't do it all the time but guarenteed to do it when it is hot outside.

Diagnosis - I was guessing either a wheel hub or a freezing brake caliper? Is there a test that I could do to find out what it is? Any other suggestions?

2. Slight intermittent power loss - when i am cruising in any gear with the keeping consistent pressure on the gas pedal, I can feel the car losing a tad bit of power. Not noticable when accerlating or decelerating...only when keeping constant speed. Kind of gives you that swaying back and forth feeling that people get when they have motion sickness. It is very slight but definitely there for sure

Diagnosis - Freezing caliper again or clogged fuel filter?

3. Very loud whistle on accerlation of throttle half way down or more. It makes a loud whistle in any gear when I put the throttle down half way or more. Sounds like its coming from the engine compartment. It only does while the car is in gear, if it is netruel and the gas is pressed, it does not do it. It does it independent of RPM. RPM can be at 5K and if i press accelerator lightly it WILL NOT do it, if I press half way or more it will. Same exact results at 2K.

Diagnosis - Have no damn idea. I have been told that it could be the muffler vents like in the 308s and 328. Before I go and buy a set of $45 stainless inserts, I wanted to get some feedback on this idea as well as any others you might have.

4. Short grinding noise just after clutch is dis-engaged in first and second. This just started within the last week and is the one that worries me the most. I hear a quick grinding sound after clutch is dis-engaged and the car is in gear...typically only does it in first and second and only for 1/2 second...also maybe 10-15% of the time and only when at normal operating temp.

Diagnosis - I would guess it is something in the clutch pack or flywheel. Would lack of grease in the flywheel do this? I had the flywheel rebuilt by a shop in Cali but I have doubts on whether they actually cracked open the flywheel and did what I listed them to do on my instructions...which was to re-pack and re-surface the flywheel. I got there name and address from the archives from a previous Fchatter that used them.

5. Rattle on start-up in the morning...usually lasts 20-30 seconds

Diagnosis - No idea

6. Hot start problem - sometimes the car has to turnover over for 3 seconds when hot before it starts up, other times it starts right up. Always fires right up when cold

Diagnosis - Lack of grease in flywheel?

7. Engine temp has been running a tad higher then normal. Its been hotter here, like between 90-100 degrees so maybe thats why but my needle used to never go past 195 and would rest right under it. The last two days I have driven it, engine temp has gone slightly past 195 and it looked liked it was still climbing...this was at 3pm in the heat of the day. I pulled the car over and let it sit for a bit so it wouldn't overheat...Radiator kicked on 195 like normal. What is the hottest these cars should be running at? How do you check the coolant level.

Diagnosis - coolant level low? Haven't had a chance to check it but I am going to check tommorow.


Thanks guys, car is staying in the garage until I get at least certain problems fixed. If you can answer anyone of these it would greatly appreciated, you don't have to nail them all. Heck, I can't nail any!

 

1. Def not a draggine ebrake...even when the car is rolling at 4 or 5 mph it stop squeeking...You could push it fast enough to stop squeeking...it only does it RIGHT as its about to stop or RIGHT is starting to roll..

2. No CEL lights...Crazy huh! Those things light up at the drop of a hat but I haven't had one light up in about 4 or 5 months..

7. I'm running 5w30 but i am thinking about switching to 10w40 with this heat down here....

 

No, its from the spoof movie with Charlee Sheen. Forget the name of it.

 

Do I get a set of those boobies too?

 

Update....I had a buddy of mine listen to the car with me to get his input. He is a gearhead type that works at a performance shop. Though he doesn't know Ferrari's, he is one of those types that has a Vette with a blower with 700 hp and built the whole thing from the ground..meaning...he knows cars...

3. He was saying it could be just a normal sound of throttle plates opening up?

4. Thought to him like it sounds like a heat shield rattling. I am going to take the heat shield off and see if it still does it...Would this make sense that this happens only when the car is hot?

7. Add coolant to it and it has been running a lot lower, about a tick under 195 with it idling during the day. The radiator runs constantly but it keeps it just under 195. I added some Water Wetter to see if can get it to come down just a tad more but I think this problem is nipped.

 

Oh, sorry...let me clarify...they run constantly when sitting at idle...Once the car is moving, temp drops down about 10-20 degrees and the fan kicks off.

 

Does the system need to be bled everytime you unscrew the cap or add coolant?

 

ok...more progress....#4 seems to have been solved (which was the one that was worrying the most)...I took the heat shields off today and drove the car for a couple of hours and it DIDN'T MAKE THE NOISE! I am going to give it one more day with shield off to make sure. I also noticed that bolt in Miltonian's picture, bolt #13, the bracket that it goes through was broken off. I rebolted it back on...

The next couple of days the car is going in the air and I am going to figure out the squeeky wheel problem.

 

Got the car up in the air...turned each wheel but none would make a squeeky noise, however...
the rear wheels turned with ease and not much resistance...

the front drivers side wheel turned but after giving it some umph...but during the rotation it had more resistance at some points then other....warped rotor?

the front passenger side wheel, I had to put most of my strength to even get the wheel to spin and when I let off power, it immediately stopped!...

Need some help on this one! I'm sure this is not right!