There are a few problems I have with my 1973 365 GT4 2+2 I would like to have your opinion on: Brake squeal My mechanic recently fitted a set of new brake pads that I got from Eurospares in the UK. I don't remember the brand but they might very well have been Girlings. When I picked up the car I realised a pretty awful squeal once the brakes were warm and stepped on lightly, as you do a lot in city traffic. The old pads sometimes had a little bit of a squeal, but nothing like that. Being asked where this came from, my mechanic said that this is a common problem since the original pads contained asbestos which cannot be used any longer. He also said that the squeal would probably be reduced significantly once the pads were used for a while. Actually it's quite the contrary. The squeal has gotten worse and this makes driving the car in town a real nuisance... Do you all experience the same problems? That's hard to believe. If not, what kind of pads do you use? Transmission rebuild My second gear synchros are gone and the ones for first and third are on their way there, too. Also, second and first gears might have quite a bit of wear, thanks to the sometimes inevidable grind. So I'm considering a transmission rebuild. Can anybody give me a rough estimate as to how many hours go into an average rebuild so I can figure out for myself how much this is probably going to cost me..? Gasoline fumes A lot of times when I drive my car there is a sudden cloud of gasoline fumes coming through the car. It has nothing to do with how I drive it - it happens under any conditions. When I fill up my tank it constantly smells like gas until I've used up maybe a quarter of the gas. The trunk also smells like gas all the time, so I never put any luggage in there because it soon smells the same. I have checked for leaks but couldn't find any. The fuel pumps are brand new, the carburators seem to be in good condition and the fuel filter seems to be tight... Do you experience similar problems? I'd be very grateful for some suggestions. Howard
Howard The brakes on my 1980 400i squeal terribly too - it can be really bad. I'm going to try EBC Green Stuff pads to see if they help - I've also got a silicone liquid that you apply to the back of the pads, which is supposed to help, but I haven't used it yet. I'd be interested to know which pads you have on your car in case yours are EBC. The manual specifies Ferodo. Aidan
According to the parts book there are three vent lines running into the fuel filler neck; one from the second tank, one from the carbs and one that vents to atmosphere. Check that none of these are either blocked or broken. Also check that the cork gasket beneath the fuel tank sending unit is not dried out or deteriorated. This is quite common on a vehicle of this age.
That doesn't sound right; the part about a vent line running to the air. Even this vintage used charcoal cannisters. The usual method of venting is a line from the fuel neck(s) into a catch can, then a line from there to a charcoal cannister and then a line back to the intake manifold. No 1973 car can legally vent the gas tanks to the air directly. I am not familliar with your car but I would be surprised if it's not designed the usual way. Assuming you have a charcoal filter, open the cannister it's in and I'll bet it's soaked with gas. You can air dry it and then put it in the oven for a while and it will be good, or you can replace it. That will eliminate the gas smell if this was indeed the problem. If the car had a lot of previous owners you may find some parts of the system bypassed or connected wrong. That was true on my 1972 car; the PO had it all muddled up. Ken
Hello Aidan. I can say for sure that they were neither EBC nor Ferodo. Come to think of it, I'm now pretty sure they were Girling. The thing, however, that kind of puzzles me is that all cars, let's say before 1980, used brake pads with asbestos in them. That means that all cars that were built before that and are still driving now should have that squeal, which they don't. I used to have an old Triumph for a while and I have a dark memory of some device that was available to stop them from squealing. Some kind of metal plates - I don't remember exactly. In any case, if this was a real problem for all cars built before 1980, I'm sure someone would have come up with a solution for that problem. That means we're just using the wrong pads...no?
Since the 365GT4 2+2 was not a factory US legal vehicle, all modifications to make it so were done by aftermarket or gray market firms. To comply with US regulation a charcoal canister would have been added. But the factory parts book would not show this as there was no factory certified version for the US market. When there is a US factory certified version this is reflected in the parts books, service manuals and other factory literature. But when it was done by an aftermarket firm, god only knows what they did or where the parts came from. This is now the situation one faces now thirty years on!
There must be a solution - modern brakes don't squeal like these, and they use similar pads against steel disks. It may be that there is some wear in the calipers that allows a tiny bit of wobble that generates the squeal before the pad really bites. I'll try EBC pads some time in the next month or so and let you know how I get on.
Duh! I completely forgot that these were grey market cars! The potential for the aftermarket venting system being done incorrectly is now 10 times more likely! Maybe another 365 owner can chime in with more detail on how his venting system is connected. I still say your charcoal is soaked in gas; if you don't have the catch can part and the vent lines from the fuel port necks go directly to the charcoal cannister, that will happen. Ken
Hi Ken. I live in Berlin, Germany and the car is originally from Italy - so no US aftermarket conversions here. I have checked the parts manual and all I could find was two vents that go from the two tanks to the filler neck. I will see if they are maybe clogged and if the cork gasket is still OK...thanks anyway...
I have just bought a 1968 365 Gt 2 + 2 from the orignal owner.The car had not been started for about five years.It is my first ferrari so i am a complete rookie. Have managed to get the engine started.However it looks like i am going to have to do a lot more work before the car really becomes driveable.At the moment the engine lacks power, is smoking and missing,and after running it for a very short while the plugs become black.ihave several questions- 1.Is there a technical manual available which would help me with a rebuild? 2.can anyone recommend a parts source for an engine rebuild? (i have had several engines rebuilt but none were as complex-mostly mustang merc camaro cuda etc) 3.can anyone suggest a source for carbs,clutch and pressure plates? 4.is there a source for borrani type wire wheels? 5.the piano type switches on the centre cosole are missing.any idea where i could buy these?or would i have to have them made? 6.what is the body metal made of?as it appears to have no corrosion at all? 7.i also own some other classic cars-have replaced the points with a pertronix ignitor and have never had starting problems again-is something like this available for the 365? 8.is there a source for either nos or aftermarket parts for: a.interior parts such as door lock knobs and ferrules,rear view mirror,etc b.window and winshield rubber gaskets(would sofseal have a kit ?) c.other misc items such as the orignal horn,wipers,turn signal lights(front) any help at all would be greatly appreceated a.d.
I finally fitted the EBC Green Stuff pads on the front of my 400, and the noise is even worse!! I'm hoping they might settle down after a bedding-in period.
Yeah, my 82 400i's trunk smells like gas all the time, too. I have NO charcoal cannister, and there is a tube that vents right into the trunk. I keep open flames away from it at all times!
Make sure that you replace the fuel lines with new rubber. The original stuff is probably shot by now.
IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SPEND MORE MONEY ON PADS ...THIS WILL HELP: 1) A CLEAN/TRUE SURFACE ON THE ROTORS 2) BEVEL/GRIND THE LEADING AND TRAILING EDGE OF THE PADS AT ABOUT A 45 DEGREE ANGLE 3) GLUE THE PADS IN WITH A NAME BRAND BRAKE PRODUCT _________________________________________________________________ IF YOUR WILLING TO FLIP FOR PADS... THIS WILL QUIET DOWN YOUR BRAKES. IT EVEN WORKS ON 355 BRAKES. R4S PADS MADE BY PORTERFIELD RACING, COSTA MESA, CA. 92627. DON'T BUY THE R4 PADS AS THEY ARE FULL CARBON AND WILL SQEAK. THE R4S PADS ARE CARBON / KEVLAR. FOLLOW STEPS LISTED 1-3 AND YOU WILL HAVE GOOD QUIET BRAKES. TRUST ME ...NOT ONLY HAVE I WORKED ON FERRARIS FOR 25yrs. BUT I OWN 16293..THE LT. BLUE MET. 365 GT4 2+2 ON THE FACTORY BROSHURE, PRANCING HORSE #35 COVER, ETC.
Mike Thanks for your advice. I will follow it and let you know how I get on. The brakes just keep getting noisier! Aidan
The easiest (albeit temporary) fix for squeaky brakes: get going quickly in reverse and do a hard stop. Repeat this a few times, and you should have quiet brakes for a couple of days at least. It won't solve the problem completely, but it will help until you can do something more permanent.
