Front to Rear Coolant Pipe

I did a water pump replacement this last year on my 86 mondial 3.2. When I got into the project I discovered a mix of rubber elbows and aluminum pipes that made their way to front radiators. Since I was doing the timing belt change as well, I decided to stay on task and not replace all the rubber fittings. Kinda wish I had done it but honestly the (2) long rubber hoses that sit on top of each other running down the middle channel scared the hell out of me. What if I couldn't feed it back thru the slot? I inspected the rubber fittings and they looked to be in good shape so I left that project for another day. I think the biggest improvement you could make to the system is to add a bleeder valve at the lowest point to allow for a simple draining and antifreeze flush.

I used 50/50 prestone antifreeze premixed........florida climate

 

I did too scratched behind my ear to replace the center pipes, but know what sometimes comes out, and one pipe was leaking a drop from time it was a ticking time bomb. Bartzagato really had a nasty issue with one of his pipes, which he discovered at a later stage after he noticed the temp went up slowly.

It's very doable, but it just takes some time and you certainly need a lift. The side affect is that you need to re-align your shift shaft stick (gear stick)

Recycling some of Bart's and my bits.

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/anyone-replace-the-center-pipe-coolant-hose-before.440201/page-3

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/lady-greys-radiator-has-aged-a-lot.507815/

The horror of Bart's Mondial:


https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/temp-slowly-creeping-up.504097/#post-144416490

 

Before I ended up stripping most of the car, I planned to rebuild the water pump and change out the pipes as they had started to show signs of stress/wear.

The water pump was pretty good and really just needed a good clean out - though didn’t look like the most powerful of impellers!

I went with silicone pies and found -them easy enough to source direct from a manufacturer - I took them a metal pipe pre-bent to match that bent pipe just after the rad.

I had a couple of the aluminium pipes replaced where they’d chaffed on other parts - oddly affordable from Ferrari UK. The main long pies were a PITA to pull out. That was mainly because of how swollen they were in places and outer layers deteriorating.

Once I ended up pulling the engine I think I considered an aluminium replacement, suitably protected to insulate and prevent vibration. I figured it’d be stronger - the bulged pipes had generated a sense of ‘catastrophic failure’ / slow leak and rusting floor - and lighter (slightly) and easier to fit /remove if ever I needed to (albeit with the engine out). I also looked to fit drain valves; as it seemed crazy how draining down the system seemed to risk spilling antifreeze.

I’d just had my house re-plumbed, so I was perhaps a bit pipe obsessed!?

I also looked at waterless cooling. At the time there were a few threads and possible issues with some brands and reaction to aluminium and creating a kind of ‘chewing gum’. However, I think there are options out there now. One issue mine suffered from was internal corrosion of the header tank, due to a chemical reaction of the coolant and metals - quite normal where water was part of the mix. I replaced the header with a copy part - very nice (super performance I believe) and I rebuilt the float / sender.

That said, the thing had lasted 20 years on stock, so I don’t think OEM is that bad.

Nonetheless, when I get back to the car and sort engine options then better drainage and cooling will be on the cards.


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