Italian Tune-up. How "does" it work.

After reading the thread I took my '86 328 out yesterday for a run. After letting the temps come up on water and oil I ran it hard [6-7000 rpm] for 4 to 5 miles then backed off to 4-5000 for a mile or so, then repeated 5 times. The car ran great and temperatures, oil pressure all stayed fine.
After the 5 time I notice smoking when I backed off so I pulled over and saw black soot an some iol droplets on the rear bumper and lights. When I opened the rear lid I could see oil on the driver side rear wish bone and rubber drive boot; this obviously got distributed in the engine bay while driving.
I drove home a a reasonable pace 4-5000 rpm, which took me about 20 min., during which all temps and pressures were fine. BTW the car did run and sound much better when I got into stop / start near my house.
When I got home I check the oil and it was fine so I went to FC and checked the site for oil leaks etc. then I put the car up on jack stands and spent about 2 hours under it checking all the hose, connetcions and cleaning everything with simple gren and rags. After that I let it run in my drive way for about 20 minutes or so occasionally reving to 6000; and nothing no leaking no oil anywhere. After sitting all night in the garage the floor is clean.
Anyone have any ideas on where the oil came from, I would certainly appreciate your thoughts.

 

My cars rear bumper is covered with black soot every time I drive it, I've always assumed it's just crud being blown out of the exhaust. When I drive it really hard, it has more crud.

 

One of the points of doing this is to burn off the built up carbon deposits. If you were seeing black smoke, it's working. With the old Jags, I would do it a few more times and the black smoke would disappear. That's when you'd know that you'd cleaned out the engine. I'd always have to do home and clean the back of the car up from all the soot that the tune-up blew out.

 

I figured that the soot and junk was the blow out crap. It was the oil in the engine compartment that had / has me a bit concerned.

 

To make a real difference, get some top end cleaner which goes into the intake and is made to remove carbon deposits. You might be suprised how much better it runs then. Just incase you try this dont be suprised if the car blows alot of smoke out the exhaust for a few minutes- thats the carbon.

 

There shouldn't be oil coming out like that. With it being on the driver's side, you might have a leak around the fittings going to the oil cooler or a pinhole in the line or cooler itself.

I also remember a thread (I can't find it though) about someone with a similar problem. At high RPM's / high speeds the car would smoke really bad. I think it turned out to be a cracked CV boot that was throwing oil / grease onto the manifold.

Another person had a bad seal on the oil filter that sprayed oil out at high RPM's, so that might be worth a check as well.

 

I've heard this stuff works very well, but don't do it in your driveway...plumes of smoke. I just do some BG44k in a tank of gas...then give it the "tune up" on the highway. If you can, change oil a couple weeks after doing this (a precaution, like when using techron)

 

"Smoke?? What smoke? I couldn't see the smoke through the flames."

Ken

 

Dam you guys. I just tryed this in my 78 AMC Pacer wagon and nows there's oil and antifreeze all over the ground . Is that bad?

 

Absolutely normal. My old AMC Concord did the same thing. It also loved a new transmission every 2 years for no apparent reason.

 

Must only work on Italian cars. Tried it yesterday in my V-12 BMW and blew out a coolant hose! Looking forward to trying it in the 308 though.

 

While it is certainly beneficial for an Italian engine to take it to the red line once fully warmed, the reason the entire car seems so much more responsive, so much more in tune with the road after an Italian tune up, is you. The car did not change, you did- physiologically. Your blood pressure and sensory system is pumped up after an Italian tuneup, and your nerves are tingling and sensitive to every input from the car. It's proprioception, baby.

"I told you a Ferrari was useless in a city."

 

This applies to all cars. Not only is it beneficial for the car, it also makes you happy!

 

ROFL Classic! Definitely have to tune my 308 this week!

 

It's not a theory. When I worked at Autozone as a young man, an old man came in complaining of a sluggish engine. He only drove around town at 30 mph. I told him to take it out on the highway and drive to Choudrant and back (10 miles) at speed. He actually came back to see me saying his car was now running great.

Is your farm ok?

 

I nominate this for "Resurrected Thread of the Year".

 

Holy **** I just saw the date!

 

'79 308 GTS.
I'm one of those guys that shifts at 5k. Just did the Italian tune up Friday. Although I did not run at redline, I did run between 5500 and 6000 for 5 min twice. This felt really different to me, kept wanting to shift up. Road 65 mph in third. The first thing I noticed, when I stopped, it idled at about 1100 rpm, normally idles at 900, and was a very smooth idle. The car now feels better at all speeds.
Now, how often should I do this?