355 F1 Engine is out!

Well the 'easy' part is done, getting the engine out. Many thanks to the 348 Brothers who've done this many times (especially Ernie for answering many questions!) as well as the Scuderia 355 (at least that's our leading name at the moment). I think I printed out 10 threads that had good tips on doing this, so I'll throw in some tips of my own. I only had two problems - one was an electrical connector that got jammed on the driver side cat ECU which was easily fixed. The bigger problem was that I couldn't loosen the power steering line at the firewall - I had room to get wrenches on but they were waaay too tight. So I ended up removing the PS connection at the pump and snaking that line through the engine as I lifted the body (big pain in the ass). Aside from that, no major hurdles. Random tips:

1. For the F1 guys there's an extra step, need to disconnect the F1 pump and keep it with the engine. 'course we save the shifter linkage step so maybe it's a wash
2. It's a messy job, even with proper draining of the fluids - throw down a big piece of cardboard underneath.
3. I was worried about how high I needed to lift the car, but with a 2x4 piece and a rectangular steel block to fit in the jacking point I only had to raise the jacks about 15". (also helped using low dolly's - small 4 caster dolly's used for moving cars around that fit under tires. I threw some 2x4's across with fairly a fairly stiff piece of foam on top)
4. Threading out the ECU cable wasn't bad - just lift the body and the cable pulls through (and I helped along just to make sure it wasn't too tight). Then push through each plastic connector one at a time.

While it's out the plan is to do the 'usual' major stuff, lots of cleaning and detailing, inspect the headers, etc. Now I'm leaning away from red paint / coating on engine parts - those things are too expensive and many people would want to see a stock engine bay (thinking ahead 10 yrs for when I upgrade to the 430 Scuderia )

Thanks again guys!
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Bravo!! Best of luck for your 30k

 

WOW, great job so far.

 

Good idea! Keep it nero !!!

 

Keep them coming, more pics the better! We don't get tire of seeing beautiful Ferrari during surgery... it's kind of like watching supermodel getting a bQQs job...hehe...

 

You got balls of steel and I commend you!! I am pretty darn mechanically savvy but wouldn't even think about doing a major in my garage---KUDOS to you!!! Keep us updated with pics along the way!!!

 

+1000. Really square balls.

 

I don't know if this helps or not, but when I dropped the engine out of my F1 I used a motorcycle jack from Sears. They are cheap, have a nice wide deck which can be made wider with a board, have wheels and most importantly its a jack!

I understand your pain about the power steering pump. I had the same issue and I wound up getting fluid all over. What a mess!

 

ATA BOY JAY!!!!

Another successful do-it-yourself two floorjack engine removal.

It was great talking to Jay on the phone. He only had a few questions, and I was glad I was able to answer them. But other than that he pretty much didn't need any help. Now for the rest of you guys, seeeeeeeee, it isn't all that bad, isn't all that great either, but nothing that a guy with tools and the gumption can't do. It really is nice to see more and more owner doing their own work. A BIG TIME plus for the community. The more guys that work on their cars, the more knowledge we ALL gain, and the cheaper it becomes to own this brand.

Again, great job Jay, this will help out other 355 F1 owners who are thinking of performing their own work, as well as other 348 & Mondial T owners that are sitting on the fence.

 

I actually picked up the exact same thing for mine, but ended up using the wheel dollies instead. The motorcycle jack just seemed too small and I didn't want the flat board to hit anything that was sitting lower than the subframe (F1 sensor, bolts, etc.) I see it being useful during install to tweak the engine up or down to get bolt holes to line up.

On that point now any and all re-install tips are welcome! I won't get to that part for a while, but I see some serious challenges - getting the three coolant hoses back on, getting those connectors through the firewall reaching over the gas tank...my back is starting to hurt just thinking about that.

 

Thanks again Ernie; one key point is having a long winter season and not trying to rush, I have another 2 months to finish this up while the roads are salty.

This is fantastic to do on your own - I learned a TON about what all those hoses and wires are for. That experience should help with future diagnosing of issues...

 

Cool mate! Keep the pics coming.

 

The most difficult and important part of the job part of the job is the proper degreeing of the camshafts. The marks on the cams are for assembly only not timing. Failure to properly time cams will result in high emissions overheated exhaust, manifold and catalyst failures. Don't short cut this procedure.

Great work and good luck.

 

That first picture looks like a twisted mess of mechanical know-how!

Very nice job so far though, keep up the good work.

Andy

 

You would call a 430 an upgrade? More of a downgrade IMHO. 355 is a much better looking car.

 

+1 I'm not a big fan of the 360, or the 430. 355 baby

 

I agree, 355 is better looking. BUT that 430 Scuderia is pretty sweet performance-wise...

And need to include a pic of the very important flashlight holder, sporting the Ricambi-ware
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Great Job Jay...and would that be Kay...to cute

Looking forward to cruising next spring with our FRESH belts.

 

Here's a pic of the cams after I was finally able to pry off the valve cover. It was stuck on pretty good from the gasket sealant that was used. Also got the alternator off and ready for a rebuild, following Ernie's excellent step by step how to posted in Fchat.

Also found the spark plugs to be fairly rusty thanks to poor sealing of the cover gasket (was broken and partially missing, likely from the PPI inspection). Going with Kingsborne wires, probably red to add some color to the engine bay. Still undecided on what plugs though...

Now any tips on getting the headers off? Soak the nuts with PB blaster first...but access seems incredibly tight on the bottom. I'm leaning towards selling the stock headers and going with Fabspeed.
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It's not helping progress on my major, but had to take time to hit the auto show in Detroit to see the car I'm trading 'up' to in 10 yrs. Or who knows, maybe in 10 yrs I won't be able to part with the classic and appreciating 355 and will just get another garage for the 430 Scuderia Shhh! don't tell the wife!
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Very nice work! The only problem I had with the jack method was that the front frame bolts were tough to line up. I put 8 out of 12 and need to put it on a lift to get the last 4 or so. This makes me want to trade a my 348 for a 355 project! Keep up the good work!

 

that magic write "scuderia" ahhhhhhh

 

Now is the perfect time to upgrade to Hyperflow cats! You could probably change them in about 5 minutes and ohhh the sound!

 

+1. I also did it when I got the major. fantastic mod

 

+1 on the lift!!!!