Quattroporte III catch-all thread | Page 6 | FerrariChat

Quattroporte III catch-all thread

Discussion in 'Maserati' started by Quattroporte3, Jun 27, 2011.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. Quattroporte3

    Quattroporte3 Formula 3

    Nov 13, 2010
    1,060
    Ouch!

    What a shame, William. Unfortunately I don't know of anyone who can repair or restore that kind of problem, I'm not sure it's possible.

    Hope you can find a good (and reasonable) solution!

    Cheers,
    Thor
     
  2. Thestash

    Thestash Karting

    May 8, 2011
    205
    Wappingers Falls, NY
    Full Name:
    Tony Pistachio
    #127 Thestash, Feb 11, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Hi,
    Does anybody know exactly how they originally mounted the front Cibie Fog lights to the bumper? Maybe a picture example?
    I just acquired a brand new set and would like to mount them properly.
    The spare parts manual (attached) is a little unclear. I need to fabricate my own bracket (#101) as I'm told they are no longer available. That is fine but I'm not exactly sure where the bracket actually attaches to the car.
    Its a 1979 Euro Version 4Porte.
    Any help would be greatly appreciated.
    Tony
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  3. Thestash

    Thestash Karting

    May 8, 2011
    205
    Wappingers Falls, NY
    Full Name:
    Tony Pistachio
    Hi,
    I’d like to replace the oils in the Rear Axle & ZF 5 Speed Gearbox on my 1979 Euro version 4.9 4Porte.
    I’m a little confused about all the API & MIL designations. I’ve been searching and the closest I can find is AmericanAGIP.com “GEAR 80W90”.
    The plate under the hood reads:
    Gearbox – AGIP F.1 ROTRA SAE 80W/90 API GL 3
    Rear Axle – AGIP F.1 ROTRA MP SAE 85W/90 MIL-2105 B 85W/90 API GL 5.

    I’m not racing this car. It’s only lightly driven once a week or so. Is it really necessary to go with AGIP? Also I hear the AmericanAGIP is not the same as AGIP from Italy.

    Any information would be greatly appreciated.

    Tony
     
  4. Quattroporte3

    Quattroporte3 Formula 3

    Nov 13, 2010
    1,060
    Apropos my speedometer sending unit and Tony's recent inquiry, does anyone know what kind of grease I should lube the speedo with?

    Also, I'll be greasing the u-joints on the prop shaft, is there a modern equivalent for the factory spec'ed grease?

    Agip FD33 & Agip F1

    Also, as an aside, my prop shaft nuts were self locking with teflon inserts, which I'm told are wrong. I can either go with the factory plain nut and washer or a modern metal locking nut.

    Any reason to choose one over the other?

    Thor
     
  5. Quattroporte3

    Quattroporte3 Formula 3

    Nov 13, 2010
    1,060
  6. Quattroporte3

    Quattroporte3 Formula 3

    Nov 13, 2010
    1,060
    Finally got back to working on the car, and installed all the subassemblies back into the casing. Everything went in really smoothly and it's amazing how nicely everything fits together. Very slick.

    We called it a day when we got as far as installing the valve body, because we were having problems getting the parking rod from the valve body into the parking sprag in the extension housing. Munroe shows it as being disconnected from the valve body, then re-attached afterwards, while the YouTube series from Southwest shows it being installed before the extension housing is in place. Mine is already in place...

    So 4 questions:

    1. Can the valve body be installed with the extension housing in place without removing the parking rod and installing it on it's own first? If so, how?

    2. The band adjust screws are square. I wasn't able to find a socket that fit them, so I adjusted 'by feel' using a regular wrench. Is there a special socket for this screw so that I can use a torque wrench? I'd rather get it right now, even though they can be adjusted later.

    3. End play on the input side - I started with the thickest fibre washer on the stator when I installed the oil pump, but when we screwed the oil pump in and tried to measure end play (by pulling/pushing on the input shaft with the casing lying on the bench) it wouldn't budge. Thinking it might simply be too tight, we removed the oil pump and replaced the fibre washer with a thinner one. This time we go just a tiny bit of movement, but it's still more or less immovable. I'm thinking that we're doing this wrong, and there must be a better and/or easier way to measure end play. There isn't a whole lot of metal to grab onto, everything is oily and slippery, and there is a lot of weight in the casing on the input shaft. Can anyone give a few pointers here? I want to get it right the first time!

    4. I've asked several sources where I can find the little rubber grommets that fit in the shift linkage between the shifter in the car and the valve body gear selector, but no one seems to carry them. Does anyone here know where I might find them?

    The plan is that next time I visit the car, we put the transmission back in the car and take care of the other details (broken fuel line, etc) so that I drive it out of the shop.


    Thor
     
  7. Quattroporte3

    Quattroporte3 Formula 3

    Nov 13, 2010
    1,060
    Found the answers to almost all of my questions.

    1. Yes, the valve body can (and should) be installed with the extension housing in place. It just takes a little fiddling and care to fit.

    2. The socket is a 5/16" 8-point (double square) one. Snap-on and others offer them.

    3. Stand the transmission on the output shaft (on something that won't damage the end), endplay can now be ascertained easily.

    4. Still looking, none of the Mopar places seem to carry them. Is this a Maserati-specific part, or Chrysler? Does anyone have a source, or even a part number? Campana didn't have them either.

    Thor
     
  8. Quattroporte3

    Quattroporte3 Formula 3

    Nov 13, 2010
    1,060
    #133 Quattroporte3, Mar 31, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    I'm getting closer, was able to get the valve body installed, double checked the band tensions (found the right socket!) as well as end play, and got it all buttoned up, with the shift linage bracket, speedometer and other external hardware mounted.

    Checked that the torque converter fits and has the proper clearance (1/2"), and am ready to put it all back into the car tomorrow. If all goes well I'll be driving her home tomorrow afternoon.

    Fingers crossed...

    Thor
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  9. Mexico074

    Mexico074 Formula 3

    Aug 14, 2008
    1,225
    Harriman, TN USA
    Full Name:
    Michael Demyanovich
    Congratulations Thor...

    Looks like excellent work!!! I hope you will keep your notes and photos of
    what all you did as these may help others when the time comes!!!!

    Could you tell us a little about the socket you ended up using??

    Thanks...

    Mike
     
  10. Quattroporte3

    Quattroporte3 Formula 3

    Nov 13, 2010
    1,060
    Hi Mike,

    I posted info about the socket further up in the thread, it's a 5/16" 8-point (double square) socket.

    It turns out that the 727 is a heavy beast. Two of us were not enough to lift it on to the transmission jack, although we did get the torque converter marked and aligned, and primed with 1L of oil.

    Lastly - to anyone who's done this job before, any tips on getting it back into the car?

    The oil filler tube sticks out at a precarious angle - can the transmission be put back in the car with it on, or is it easier to put it on after the transmission is bolted up?

    I've gotten conflicting advice regarding the torque converter - we've marked the flange and converter for correct orientation and placed the converter on the tranny.

    Most of the descriptions I've seen say something like:
    - put the torque converter in the transmission
    - jack it all up to the right spot,
    - push the transmission backwards a few inches (thus disengaging the torque converter from the input shaft splines & oil pump)
    - screw the converter to the engine flex plate,
    - move the transmission forward again to seat the torque converter back onto the input shaft.

    Based on how much coercion was needed to get the converter on the input shaft with the transmission sitting on a bench, I'm guessing it will be neigh impossible once the converter is bolted to the flex plate and the tranny is floating precariously on a jack. The QP3 factory service manual says to jack up the front of the engine to tilt it and help with removal/installation, we found when we removed it that there isn't really any room for the engine to tilt, so this wasn't actually possible! So much for the official manual...

    There are access cutouts on the left and right (starter motor cutout) of the bell housing - I wonder if it might be easier to jack the transmission/torque converter combo up the the right spot, then bolt the converter to the engine through the cutouts, without pulling it off of the input shaft.

    If anyone's actually done this before (or even just seen someone do it), I'd really appreciate some advice at this point!

    Our next and final attempt is scheduled for Wednesday.

    Thor
     
  11. Quattroporte3

    Quattroporte3 Formula 3

    Nov 13, 2010
    1,060
    (Posted here for completeness)

    We got the tranny and new torque converter put back into the car, all hoses and connections made, and put the prop shaft back in and torqued everything down to spec. It went a lot smoother than I had anticipated and ended up being much simpler that I had feared. Filled it with 4l of ATF, pulled the cable from the coil to the distributor just to check that the neutral safety switch (NSS) was functioning correctly before actually starting the car, and hit a wall.

    The car refused to start, regardless of the gear selector position. I've never seen anything like it. With the key in position 2, all warning lights come on along with the buzzer, the fuel pump runs, and all electrics in the car work fine (seats, windows, lights, etc). After a few seconds the lights go out and the buzzer stops, as usual. As soon as I move the key to position 3 (start engine), all the warning lights on the left side light up, and nothing more happens. The starter motor doesn't move at all, but seems to be wired correctly (thick cable on thick lug, thin cable on thin lug), and we get ground/continuity at all ground straps.

    We measuerd the NSS while in the transmission in all shifter positions, and no position gave us continuity, so we suspected something there. After pulling and testing the plug, I can say that we get continuity betwen the two outer pins (of 3 in total) when the plastic middle section is depressed or when we short the center contact (ball bearing on a spring) with the threads/body of the switch. So it seems to be working correctly. We measured from the metal part of the plastic wiper attached to the rooster comb in the valve body to the chassis and got continuity, so that seems ok too. When we finally dropped the pan, we found that in P position, the metal on the rooster comb was not in contact with the NSS, only while in N. Still, the car would not start in N either, so I'm really at a loss to understand what the problem is.

    I haven't changed the NSS, and the modifications to the valve body do not involve the rooster comb, wiper or anything else connected with the starting circuit. There was no washer around the NSS when I removed it, nor was there one in the rebuild kit, in case that matters (the threads would connect it electrically to the transmission casing in any event).

    We tried grounding the center pin connection on the molex to the chassis to see if the car would start, but we got the same problem as before - all warning lights lit up, but the starter didn't turn over. My friend tried other connections on the same molex (3 leads coming off the NSS) and managed to blow a fuse when he hit one of the outer pins (I believe it was a pink wire on that contact). I'm not sure what fuse it is, it's the leftmost in the box under the passenger side. The service manual doesn't say anything about the electrics, but I'll have a look in the MIE Tech Binder and see if I can figure out what it's for. After the fuse blew, none of the warning lights or buzzer came on when I turned the key to position 2, so it might have something to do with the ignition system.

    So at this point I'm out of ideas, and not sure what to do now to get the car to start and run. I'm on overtime at the garage I rented space in, they want me to finish up, and I had hoped today was my last day there. Tomorrow I'll have to try and find fuses that fit (the ones under the passenger foot well) and hope to have another go at getting the car to start.

    I'm very grateful for any and all advice or suggestions you may be able to provide!! It all worked fine before I took it apart, and have only replaced the worn parts along with installing a shift kit (which doesn't affect the rooster comb or wiper, or NSS), so I don't really see what could have happened.

    Thanks for any help or suggestions you can provide!

    Thor
     
  12. Quattroporte3

    Quattroporte3 Formula 3

    Nov 13, 2010
    1,060
    Thanks so much to everyone who replied!

    The problem turned out to be the starter motor. I replaced it with the spare that the PO had graciously provided (maybe he knew something I didn't? ;-) and she fired up instantly.

    We went through it methodically and made sure that the neutral start switch was working correctly, then that the starter motor was getting approx 12v when I turned the key over, which implied that the relay was doing it's job correctly.

    I can't describe how nice it was to get the car running again and drive her home. I'll post more about the transmission rebuild (along with problems it fixed - and several that remain) in the QP3 thread.

    Thanks also to the PPO (Mike) who reminded me that the starter motors are always a problem on these cars, and to MIE who gave some important troubleshooting info while we were in the midst of it. I was so focused on the transmission and everything we'd done there I had completely forgotten that starters are consumables on these cars.

    It's great to be part of such a great community.

    Thor
     
  13. Thestash

    Thestash Karting

    May 8, 2011
    205
    Wappingers Falls, NY
    Full Name:
    Tony Pistachio
    I’ve encountered the same intermittent problem with the starter. Turn the key and I can hear the small relay under the dash click but nothing else. I hear two click’s actually. I had the starter rebuilt and it seemed fine for a while (month or so) and started failing again intermittently. It still fails occasionally but will engage after simply holding the key for a few seconds.
    One day it happened again and holding the key didn’t help. I turned the ignition key on walked around to the battery and connected the small wire that goes to the starter solenoid to the battery to crank the engine and she started. The faces on the people watching me were priceless. That ruled out the starter/solenoid. That small wire has a male/female connector conveniently located right near the battery. Good to know to get you home.
    My 4Porte has a 5 Speed so there is no neutral safety switch. Although it could use a clutch safety switch. ;-)
    With all that said I’m pretty sure my problem is the small relay’s contacts getting worn because I always hear the click(s).

    Glad you got to drive her again!
    Tony
     
  14. Quattroporte3

    Quattroporte3 Formula 3

    Nov 13, 2010
    1,060
    #139 Quattroporte3, Apr 5, 2012
    Last edited: Apr 5, 2012
    Here's a quick rundown for installation. I know a guy who does this solo and says it's no problem, but I needed 2 other guys to help (the tranny is a heavy beast and there's a lot to pay attention to while putting it in).

    - assemble transmission completely, including dipstick tube, oil pan (only 13 screws for now - one screw will potentially be 'missing' as there is a bracket on the fuel line that the oil pan screw holds in place, rear right corner), shift linkage bracket with shift linkage, neutral start switch (ensure it connects correctly with the plastic/metal wiper arm connected to the rooster comb in the valve body), etc. Plug the dipstick tube with a rag.

    - remove starter motor mounting bracket from engine block (otherwise you won't have any way to attach the TC and bolt it up later), 4 nuts and it's off.

    - check (empty) torque converter (TC) for fit on flex plate. It will only fit 1 way, the screw holes on the flex plate are not symmetrical. Find the proper alignment and check that all bolts screw in and that the converter can move (slightly) freely against the converter entering flange, attached to the engine's crankshaft. Things like rust, burrs, and paint can cause the converter to 'stick' in the flange, which is not a good thing. My refurbished TC was painted bright blue, I sanded off the paint on the TC pilot (the part opposite the hub that mates with the crankshaft) and the mounting pads to ensure a level and even fit all around.

    - Mark TC & flex plate when you find the right orientation. A dab of paint is fine.

    - grease the pilot on the TC and the crankshaft centering flange with grease, you want them to slide, not bind.

    - mount TC on input shaft of transmission. Be very careful, it's easy to destroy the front seal if you're not careful. The TC has 3 'levels' of fit. There are 2 splined shafts (input shaft & stator) plus two lugs further inside that drive the oil pump. Support the TC while gently rotating and easing it on to the tranny. I've seen some people say they put the transmission on end to help, I think that would make it more difficult.

    - Align the TC while on the tranny so that the paint mark is in the same orientation as the flex plate mark.

    - put it on a tranny jack (this is where having 3 guys helps) and position it under the car.

    - jack it up, but not too far. The output shaft needs to go over the fuel lines (they have enough play that this isn't a problem, but it will be if you forget about it at this point), keep the kickdown linkage arm out of the way and above the transmission casing, connect the console shifter arm to the shift linkage when you get the casing high enough. The dipstick tube goes up between the battery and heads, right by the number 4 spark plug, and just fits. You might have to rotate the casing slightly to get it past the transmission tunnel wall.

    - jack it up to the correct height to mate it with the engine block locating dowels. Ease it into position until it's flush against the engine block. Do not draw it up with the bolts, you'll risk cracking the bell housing. Put 4 bolts in finger tight (lower - longer 2, and sides are easiest and all screw in from the front of the car). Note that the driver side bolt (just above the starter motor) has the battery negative cable attached to it.

    - press the TC against the tranny so it's completely seated (we used zip ties to keep it in place while we were juggling the tranny about), you should have between 1/16" - 1/8" max clearance from flex plate to lugs on TC. More and you need to use spacers. Less and your converter isn't properly installed on the transmission.

    - press the TC against the flex plate and install all 4 screws in order, using Locktite. We put them on finger tight before moving on to the next, as it's apparently very easy to attach the converter so that it ends up being crooked on the crankshaft, and the flexplate will flex to accommodate... So first finger tight, confirm everything is ok, then torque down (good luck getting a torque wrench in there!)

    - put the last two bolts in to attach the bell housing to the block, torque all bolts down (double check the torque rating, which I think might have mixed up in/lb with ft/lb.)

    Note that all the stuff in the service manual about tilting the engine, etc didn't work for us at all - the engine tilt is extremely limited due to the front crossmember (hits the bottom pan) and the steering rack in the rear (bottoms out almost immediately).

    At this point you've done good. The really difficult (imho) parts are now done. You should be able to (carefully) remove the transmission jack, and move it further back to aid in installing the crossmember support. Jack it up enough so that you can attach the bracket to the car and extension housing of the transmission (there is a steel block that should have been screwed onto the transmission when it was put back together).

    - install crossmember/rear transmission support. Mind the fuel lines, which go over the crossmember. Torque all bolts down.

    - Attach fuel pumps on bracket to crossmember. Attach forward fuel line (where lines from both pumps meet and go on to the front of the car) to the front of the crossmember.

    - connect speedo and neutral start switch wiring to car wiring loom (molex connector), zip tie out of the way. Connect earth strap from chassis to right side lug on transmission housing (by the corner of the oil pan, where the fuel line bracket is held in place by one of the oil pan screws)

    - mount starter motor bracket, then attach starter motor wires to starter and install starter motor. Note that the insulated cables go behind the headers and against the firewall, with any slack on top of the steering rack.

    - install propeller shaft (you marked it before you removed it, right?), larger diameter flange in front, use new locking washers & nuts, torque down.

    - secure propeller shaft support & tighten down.

    At this point you're pretty much done. We then adjusted the shifter in the car to correspond with the positions (clicks) on the tranny, but later found it was both more accurate and simpler to pull the oil pan (next time I'll do that *before* I fill it with 4l of ATF!) and adjust while watching the rooster comb and wiper so that the nss makes contact at the right points and the rooster comb has "clicked" into each gear. Tighten the adjusting bolt on the shifter.

    Fill the transmission with 4l of ATF, check that the nss works (can only start in P and N), start the engine and move through all shift positions (keep the brake in). We did this on the ground first, then later with the car raised on a lift to observe the wheels and make sure everything was tight, with no leaks.

    When everything is warmed up, add ATF until it's full (8l is the official capacity). Take the car out and see if everything works as it's supposed to.

    We spent about 6 hours in total getting all of this put back in, filled and checked. Next time it would only take 4 hours, and 3 would probably be enough for someone who really knew what they were doing ;-). We hit a few snags along the way and had to redo a few things, but all in all I think it went really well.

    After all, I drove the car home today, that's quite an achievement.

    Cheers,
    Thor

    p.s. I've taken pictures of the whole process. Let me know if there's any interest in me posting a few more from the install.
     
  15. Quattroporte3

    Quattroporte3 Formula 3

    Nov 13, 2010
    1,060
    Just some thoughts at the end of what has been a long and sometimes frustrating process.

    I'm really (REALLY) glad I took this project on myself. It took longer than I had expected (doh), but was very rewarding in many ways.

    I can't say that I notice a huge difference in how the car drives now, and how it did before I rebuilt the tranny. Which either means I did something very wrong, or the 30 year old Torqueflite is a pretty solid beast, even in old age. It does shift a little bit quicker and more precisely now, and it feels like more power is getting to the wheels now than was before. All of that is good.

    The speedometer *still* doesn't work, which is something of a let down, especially after ordering the little metal rod from MIE and spending hours at the kitchen table filing down the one end to fit. I tested it before installing it, and with a drill attached got electrical impulses on the output, although I don't recall how much now. How much is the output supposed to measure? I'll go back and re-check it. The old bar was too short, worn down, and this one seemed to fit perfectly after I cut it to size and filed the end to fit in the worm gear. I greased it with assembly grease before installing on the extension housing. Maybe the problem lies elsewhere, like in the dashboard or in some electronic component between the speedometer sender and the dashboard?

    Shifts are occurring very early, as low as 1600 rpms from 1st to 2nd and 3rd, then a bit higher I can feel the lockup function kick in. Since the speedo isn't working, I can't say how fast I'm going. Still, it's quite a bit lower than before. I haven't yet adjusted the kickdown linkage (haven't yet found out how in the manual) and am still unsure of the filling level - the user manual states (pp. 169) "with engine idling and transmission lever in N add fluid up to the mark 'Add one pint' on the dipstick". The next point says exactly the same, then it says that if the engine is cold it should measure up to the "add one pint" mark, and when warm will rise up to "Full".

    So with a warm engine and the transmission in N, do I really want to get a dipstick reading of "Full", or is "Add one pint" correct? The Munroe 727 Handbook says it should be filled until "full"...

    I'm also very disappointed in that one of the main reasons I overhauled the transmission in the first place was to address a nasty vibration/shaking in the car. When I first got the car it was really serious, I thought it would start falling apart. It only happened in 3rd gear, and only between 2100 - 2800 rpm. Shifting to 2nd gear stopped the vibration instantly, as did keeping the revs under/above the problem range while in 3rd. Driving in the same rpm range in 1st or 2nd never resulted in vibration or any undue noises or problems. The issue got a little bit better as time went on, and with the new overhauled transmission in the car I was surprised to find it still exists! It's not as bad as it was, and the rpm band is narrower, now from 2200-2600, but it's still there. At this point I'm not sure where to look. AFAIK the wheels, driveshafts and propeller shaft are all rotating at the same speed, regardless of gear. I.e. shifting from 3rd to 2nd doesn't change the speed of any components except for the transmission, TC and engine. Since a change to 2nd stopped the vibrating, I had assumed it was the TC, and the shop that rebuilt it said that it was indeed in poor shape. Yet the problem persists.

    Are there any educated guesses as to what might be causing it?

    I've also noticed that what I previously thought was transmission slipping appears to be engine related. It still feels, at some speeds and gears, like the car suddenly halts or hesitates, losing power before picking up speed again, and I note that while idling it still on occasion backfires. It seems to be random, sometimes it runs very smoothly, other times not at all, without any obvious pattern.

    Anyway, I'll save that one for another day. Right now I want to get my speedo fixed, and figure out where the vibration is coming from.

    Any ideas?

    Thor
     
  16. Jalpa_Mike

    Jalpa_Mike F1 Rookie

    Apr 2, 2004
    3,019
    Sequim
    Full Name:
    Michael Wilson
    Thor:

    Glad to hear it was something as simple as the starter.

    As to the vibration, I would pull the driveshaft and have it balanced. It really sounds like it is a balance issue. After it is balanced, I would make sure it is properly aligned. Maserati has a special tool for that ( very easy for me, since MIE is only 3 miles from my house and I could rent it from them for an hour). ;-)

    Good luck and keep us posted.

    Mike
     
  17. Mexico074

    Mexico074 Formula 3

    Aug 14, 2008
    1,225
    Harriman, TN USA
    Full Name:
    Michael Demyanovich
    Congratulations Thor on getting the car up and running!!!

    I didn't get a chance to read through all the entries, I have limited time
    right now... But look forward to reading them thoroughly in the next
    couple of weeks...

    I think in one you mentioned you had some additional pictures and if
    anyone was interested, you would post them...

    I am interested and I am pretty sure others as well... So please post
    them... This info is extremely valuable to all us QP III owners!!!!

    Again, congratulations...

    Mike
     
  18. Thestash

    Thestash Karting

    May 8, 2011
    205
    Wappingers Falls, NY
    Full Name:
    Tony Pistachio
    Thor,
    I'd agree with this quote so my best guess is some kind of harmonics going on between the engine and drive train. In other words it'll only vibrate at a certain speed AND a certain RPM.
    Mike’s suggestion to balance the driveshaft just might disrupt the harmony and smooth things out. Can you notice any missing weights from the driveshaft?
    Tony
     
  19. Quattroporte3

    Quattroporte3 Formula 3

    Nov 13, 2010
    1,060
    Hi Tony, and thanks Mike and other's for the kind words and good advice.

    No, I inspected the driveshaft very carefully before we reinstalled it, there were 2 square weights welded to it, nothing missing.

    There are also two small punched dots on each flange to aid with lining up with the output shaft and differential, and both were aligned correctly.

    First I have to set the kickdown control in the engine bay as it's shifting way too early and won't kick down on WOT. Then I'm going to get the speedo to work. Then see if I can go for a ride with someone from a tranny/car shop who can give me a hand and maybe check/balance/align the driveshaft.

    Cheers!
    Thor

    p.s. More pictures on the way!
     
  20. Quattroporte3

    Quattroporte3 Formula 3

    Nov 13, 2010
    1,060
    Would you mind renting it from MIE for an hour and FedEx'ing it to me for a week?

    :p

    Thor


     
  21. Quattroporte3

    Quattroporte3 Formula 3

    Nov 13, 2010
    1,060
    I was wondering if anyone has used or know what roof racks will fit the QP3 without damaging the sills or the paint.

    I've seen soft ones with neoprene, but I would imagine they might be hard on the paint at speed (small vibrations and wind rubbing away at the finish).

    From what I remember, older (pre 1985) cars almost always had sills/rain gutters on or above the doors, on which roof racks could attach. I don't know if any will work with the QP3 without damaging it.

    Sometimes the room in the trunk just isn't enough for longer trips, or when bringing along larger items.

    Cheers,
    Thor
     
  22. Quattroporte3

    Quattroporte3 Formula 3

    Nov 13, 2010
    1,060
    My radio works now, along with the electric antenna.

    Yesterday I wanted to fine tune the shift lever positions relative to the gearbox as it seemed slightly off, so I removed the seat control switches and popped the cover. While I was adjusting back and forth to find the optimal position, I had to wonder what the fuse holder under the panel was for. It held a 1A fuse that was blown.

    Since the stores were still open, I swung by and found the closest replacement I could (the original being 29.5mm - 1 1/8", only 20mm and 32mm are available here so I went with the 32mm), plugged it in and the radio came on! The antenna came up as well, although made some weird noises and only extended partly, so I'm going to clean and grease it to see if that helps.

    So it seems the longer I have this car (a bit over a year now), the more little details I discover. Not all the fuses are in the 3 fuse areas like the manual says - there's also a fuse in the trunk by the electric antenna, apparently to protect it as well.

    Regardless, I'm happy to have a working radio!

    Cheers,
    Thor
     
  23. Quattroporte3

    Quattroporte3 Formula 3

    Nov 13, 2010
    1,060
    Can anyone tell me specifically where the wiring harness goes from the speedometer sending unit on the transmission to the speedometer in the instrument panel?

    I repaired the sending unit, putting a drill on it and spinning the little bar results in a (low) electrical output. I don't know how many volts it's supposed to generate, from memory I think it may have been 0.5v DC or so.

    The speedometer in the car still lies unmoving at 0 except for once in a while when decelerating where it will suddenly jump up and appear to work for half a second before falling back to 0.

    I want to start tracing the wiring and testing for continuty to verify that the wiring hardness is ok. That would leave either the sending unit or the speedometer in the instrument panel as possible culprits.

    Thanks for any tips!

    Thor
     
  24. Thestash

    Thestash Karting

    May 8, 2011
    205
    Wappingers Falls, NY
    Full Name:
    Tony Pistachio
    #149 Thestash, Apr 14, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Thor,
    The best I can come up with for you right now is attached. I cannot physically verify this because I kinda pulled my back out. Sometimes the drawings don’t exactly match the car.
    Also sometimes there are misrepresentations in the documentation itself. For instance in the back of the book it indicates #71 on page 2 of the attached PDF is the “Tachometer Impulse Sender” but in the drawing the wire VEVI (Green-Violet) clearly goes to the Speedometer wire # 119 (pages 1 & 3 on the first PDF). The only thing in between is one of those “C” Connectors (C1-VE) Second PDF attached. These connectors are ALWAYS a problem. C1-VE is one of three “C” connectors located under the dash on the drivers side of the car. I would remove the instrument cluster. Its easier to get to them. Four simple screws just under its front lip. You can get to those screws by simply sitting in the drivers seat. Then pull the cluster toward you. Unplug and clean ALL the connections you can see. You also need to unplug the consumption gauge vacuum hose if I recall.
    Tony
    PS DISCONNECT THE BATTERY FIRST
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  25. Quattroporte3

    Quattroporte3 Formula 3

    Nov 13, 2010
    1,060
    Tony!

    Thanks so much for the drawings and tips, I'll have a look as soon as I get a few hours to spare.

    Hope it's something as simple as a loose/bad connection, that would be great.

    Cheers,
    Thor
     

Share This Page