348 Engine Out!!

For those interested in my experience with the infamous 348 dual-disk clutch "grub screw", you may want to check my previous post here, which I just posted.

On other things, I've been working on repainting the subframe main rails, and a few of the nearby uprights, while the subframe is out. This has been a lot of work... use spray degreaser with toothbrush, wipe down, use Dawn dishwashing liquid with toothbrush, and rinse off. Repeated this process a couple times, and finally got the frame clean enough to paint. Some of the original paint or coating did flake off, and I did some sanding before painting, and so a few of these areas show below the paint. But I'm not trying to make this a true restoration, even though it sometimes seems like it . Also, I'll worry about the suspension and other nearby frame areas when I decide to redo the suspension (maybe next year). I didn't worry about the suspension area at this time.

The paint I decided on was Krylon Industrial Tough Coat Hi-Temp Black, #00332. I didn't want to get something that was too glossy, which even some semi-glosses seem to be. This worked really great - not flat, but not as glossy as most semi-gloss. It's hi-temp, up to 600F with 1000F intermittently. Nothing mentioned on the can about special curing, so we'll see how it works. I got this at a local Auto paint supplier, and was on $5.97, compared with $13 or something for Eastwood chassis black.

I still have to finish reassembling my alternator, and then installing that and the A/C compressor and starter on the motor. Also plan to do some basic cleanup/brushing and blow-down of the motor after all these months. Then re-install halfshafts, headers, and on to installing the Goth-Exhaust! I expect to have the subframe ready to reinstall by first of next week, if not before. I plan to just install the oil pan next week, with the subframe back on the car, where it should be a lot easier to get to, and hook ECUs and hoses, etc. up also next week. A little final cleanup, and finish Goth Exhaust. That should still give me 2 wks for brake system bleeding, front boot reinstall, and then startup and finish any troubleshooting, and test drives before the Cars & Coffee the first Saturday in February! Hang in there, Goth!!
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Yeah... I'm sure I deserve it Fatbillybob! In my defense, this car is a retirement project And also a learning experience. I have done a lot more detail stuff than I ever planned, so I just hope it starts when I turn the key, and I don't have lots of troubleshooting. But I"m determined to make our local C&C the first Sat. in Feb!!! So Ernie better get his tank done.

Actually I wasn't sure I'm even going to beat my friend Steve in his conversion of a '91 Alfa Spyder to a Ford 302!! He started after I did, and his engine/tranny are together and in!!

 

Hope it helps others, Sy. I'd say your new paint job is going to be inspirational!!

 

Welp, Mr. Tortoise here... with status. I have been keeping Goth up-to-date on my status, but I'm still not finished... but finally got the subframe installed and tightened down Friday, and the halfshafts torqued yesterday.

Of course, I used my hydraulic 4-post lift to lift my car, and then supported the main chassis on stands and lowered the subframe with the lift. I did this for 2 reasons.. I didn't have an engine lift or stand, and especially since I didn't have enough room to wheel the subframe out from under the car. So my subframe remained on tires (I did roll it back a foot or so for more room in front), and blocks supporting the front of the frame.

When re-installing the subframe, I thought I could get the front close enough and get front bolts lined up and in. Many variables, though, in my setup. Tire pressure can change the level, and after moving the subframe back and forth some, it was very hard to get the front lined up again, by myself. I didn't have a couple bottle jacks to be able to raise and lower the front, and when the front was lined up, the back was still too high. So I decided to adjust the rear jack stands a little to change the firewall height, and found that the chassis had also moved sideways some on the stands. Stands (4) rated at 2 tons each, and although there was a little side play, I wasn't worried about the stands failing at all. This just worsened alignment, and I worked to move and re-level the chassis.

I tried jockeying the subframe back and forth to get things more closely aligned, and a week ago finally got it close as I felt I could. At this point, I had 3 days, and about 15hrs in the job. I then went to Harbor Freight and bought a couple bottle jacks, to help level the subframe better. When trying to install the front bolts, most just wouldn't go in cleanly at all. So I decided to lower the subframe again, ordered a 12 X 1.25 tap, and after a couple days chased all the threads. This took a few days for me to get done, and I then I installed all rear bolts, and was able to get 5 of 6 bolts on each side in front fairly cleanly. However, I still had 1 on each side that didn't line up close enough to get in more than a thread or so by hand.

On Friday, I used the bottle jacks to raise and lower each side in turn, and got the 6th on one side in Ok (all other bolts front and rear not torqued down to allow a little play). On the other side, the 6th just would not cooperate easily, so after a couple hours, I finally just had to get it started and get it in. I then torqued everything down. Looking at the front threads, the bolts have fine threads, but look to me to be a little shallow, and the blind nuts or plates in the frame also look to be a little "loose" to me. Perhaps the intent is for these to be loose to allow some misalignment to be compensated. Not sure.

Now that I've worked through this once, and have a tap to clean up threads, I think I could do this job next time easily in 6-8hrs using the hydraulic lift method of removing the engine, but this 1st time I'm sure I have 24hrs or so in getting the subframe back on. I tend to think using an engine or subframe table would surely not be any harder! And my hydraulic lift method makes it difficult to remove the rear tires to allow easier engine access with the subframe installed. So I'm not sure if I'll use this method next time. My plan is to actually get a bigger garage this year (another house)!!!

 

This is an update of my earlier posts on my Alternator Rebuild. I also posted this info in Ernie's Alternator Rebuild Thread, which I referred to earlier.

I ordered and received the Regitar regulator that Ernie found, but after finding a local major supplier with Nippondenso sources (Turbo & Electric), I ordered an original replacement direct from Nippondenso for the original regulator. The Regitar doesn't have an extra capacitor on it (extra leads that Ernie mentioned), while the original does. After waiting over 4mo. with the Nippondenso regulator not showing up, I put the alternator back together with the Regitar. I'm sure it will work fine. I'll probably still check with T&D and may pick up the OEM if it ever shows up, as a spare. It is much more $ than the Regitar, though.

Also, I ran into the same wrong-sized belt problem that sspooner mentioned in this thread:

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/sho...lternator+belt

The new alternator belt I had came with the 348 major kit that I bought from Ricambi a year ago. As sspooner mentioned, mine was also too small!! It barely fit on, even without the tensioner installed! When I ordered the Ricambi kit, there were only 2 options offered.... Nippondenso and Delco, so I was not aware that Ricambi lists a larger Nippondenso belt for the "90A alternator". This belt is mentioned by GeorgeW in spooner's thread above.

At any rate, I decided to order the belt that worked for sspooner in his thread, and it also worked perfectly for me! It was only $9.95 at Rockauto.com , which is the only easy place I could find it. It is listed, however, as a standard part in Dayco's belt lists. It's a Dayco Poly Cog #5050310. This belt is listed as a 770mm belt. Nice to also know that Ricambi has the 144909 770mm belt if the (apparently) normal Nippondenso belt doesn't work for you.

As a side note, I'm pretty sure that my car originally had a Delco and was upgraded. Not sure how that was normally handled, but when I removed my front timing chain cover, I found two driver's side studs that were about an inch or more too long. These both had an aluminum sleeve to make up this space for the nut, and I think the original Delco bracket fit over these longer studs. I've never seen one, though, so am not 100% sure. Can't see any other reason for the excessively long studs, though.

Best of luck with your alternator rebuilds!

 

As I mentioned, I repacked my halfshafts and installed them on my subframe. I had a real hard time finding any kind of standard boot clamp tool that would work for the Ferrari OEM tongue-type clamps (not sure of proper tech. term). I thought of a method to make a tool to tighten these clamps easily, and after not thinking of a better way to do it, here's what I made. I just used a Dremel cutoff tool to cut the metal out. Don't cut the hole too wide, or it's hard to catch both sides of the clamp. Use caution not to crimp or cut the boot! Also, after the clamp is tightened, you can rotate the tool 180deg. and retighten it to help flatten and round off the clamp and the tongue. Works Really Great!!!
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Thanks Billy Bob! Nice to know the rear bolts have more slop, but you wouldn't know that by how much prying I had to do to get the rears to line up, including using a round prybar that fit through the bolt holes . There's got to be a better way, that's for sure... Next time you are helping someone out... please take and post some pics!! I may be starting up next weekend, but at the rate I've been going, I'm not guaranteeing anything. But there's no stopping the kid (eventually)

 

Well, after posting all this stuff, I may as well post this too! I did remember reading one of more folks mentioning using bolt heads as a hex tool to remove engine and gearbox oil plugs, but wasn't sure everyone may know an easy way to set one up. I thought I had a piece of hex that would fit my 348 gearbox fill plug, but I couldn't find one, so just made this one up. Just get a large bolt that has a hex head that fits your plug well, then double-nut the end. Mine was so tight I had to use an impact wrench to get it off. Why does someone need to tighten it so much??... it's on top for Pete's Sake and only gets Splash!!!. Because of that, I used Loctite red, which locks the nuts tight.. have to use a torch to get them off!!
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Cool Troy!! I don't think I'm a real klutz, but it sure seems like I have more than my share of tough jobs that just don't seem to go well on the Ferraris I've had! I'm glad yours went pretty well

 

Thanks guys - Troy... I'm with you on the adjustable stand... I may also make one next time.

Goth - I still haven't hooked up my front rad hoses... they are on the engine but offset from the tubes. Don't want to lean on the induction system, so I'll have to set up some kind of platform to get up there! Hard to access even through the wheel wells. Those hoses and getting the ECU cables fished through are the hardest items left. I have the cables attached to wires fed through the passage, but I'm sure still won't be the easiest thing to do.

PS Goth - I will probably have better pics of final Goth Exhaust installation, after I get the car on the ground, and in better lighting... ie, outside Looking forward to hearing it and reporting on it!

Also, after running new vacuum lines to the compensation valve under the induction system, I noticed that the throttle calbe runs pretty close to the hose. So I put a longer hose in and relocated it so it wouldn't interfere or get damaged by the cable. Something to be careful of (Before pic shown.. yup I reused the original silicone hose.. not as discolored as the pic seems to show).

Edit... While thinking of it, just another thought.... when you re-fasten things, think ahead of how you can arrange clamps, etc. so that it's easiest to get to them when the engine is installed!! Can you get to it through the induction system with a screwdriver or socket/extension? Or is it buried. Also the same issue with hose clamps, etc. up front!
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Just completed ECU cables today. I wrapped wire around each Bosch connector and another on each white connector. I fished the wire through the firewall before lifting up the subframe, but didn't try to pull the cable in as I worked to get the subframe installed. Probably could have saved some time, but it only took me about 2hrs to do it and connect everything up. So at least my time beat Troy on one 1 thing!

 

Hey Ernie - just keep in mind that as long as this has taken me, there isn't much honor to be gained by beating me!