Got the car, I'm the process took a while so we're on the road late, but everything is good so far! Image Unavailable, Please Login
Oil pressure seems a bit low, can't tell if the gauge and circuit are just old? Its around 5 or 10 at idle and goes up to approx 40 around 2000 and stays there from 2000 rpm up. Is that what the oil pressure relief valve is set at? I'd love to get a modern gauge on the oil pressure when we get home for a more precise reading There's no engine or valve noise or anything else I'd associate with low pressure and it's running very smooth and solid. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Just read some info and people say the gauge is notoriously inaccurate which makes sense. We are seeing the tach bounce every once in a while and drop to zero and for a little bit read half the actual rpm, which I assume because the ignition runs 2 banks of 4 cylinders and one was probably loose and dropping out. Drive is great otherwise! It does feel like the heater is on all of the time, but you guys warned us about that
Congrats on picking up your 308! That is typical behavior for the sender. If you want the oil pressure gauge to read correctly...you need this https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/modern-oil-pressure-sensor-kit-for-3x8-mondial-etc.567312/
Had a smooth ride first day. A little too hot in the car and way more traffic than I would have liked coming out of Portland but we got through it and into the nice open highway. Engine feels like it's running great. Got as far as Medford Oregon. The woman at the front desk of the hotel offered us a special parking spot where they would be able to keep an eye on the car. Everyone we see loves it. Had my first Magnum pI reference today. "Hey. That's the one from Magnum PI right? It's beautiful!". Image Unavailable, Please Login
Re the oil pressure - the gauge indication is too low above 4000 RPM IF the gauge is correct. As noted, it may not be and can easily be checked with a manual gauge. It's probably the gauge/sender but needs to be checked. The gauge MIGHT be accurate within itself - although the indications are wrong, the needle may move in proper relation to pressure. In any case I wouldn't take the RPM past 5K until the oil pressure is checked and verified that it is within spec. As far as the gauge reading, of course it would be good to have it correctly display pressure but if the needle moves in correct relation with actual pressure, you could just "know" that and not worry about what it shows. I wouldn't buy anything at the moment other than a manual oil pressure test gauge/kit if you don't already have one. Once you have determined the actual oil pressure you can proceed with whatever steps you think appropriate.
First thing the Help Desk will ask is if you tapped on the face of the gauge? I did notice within the last year that at cold start the needle would occasionally stick on "0" and require a light tap on the gauge face to start registering properly, but I never noticed the needle sticking while driving. The idle to 4k RPM pressure readings sound fine, but I agree with Mike about exceeding 5k RPM; better safe than sorry. One low-pressure situation that you need to be aware of - which I forgot to cover before you left and can be fatal to your engine - is the loss of oil pressure in hard right-hand turns. This is something all stock 308 wet sump engines share and a number of strategies exist for dealing with it: over-filling the sump, installing a sump baffle (what I would have done had I kept the car), or installing an Accusump system. However you choose to address it, the important thing is to avoid hard, right-hand turns until you do. IIIRC, you guys were planning to mainly use Interstates on your way home, so outside of attacking on and off ramps it shouldn’t be a problem for you. Just keep it in mind if you decide on any two-lane excursions. Finally, regarding the cabin temp: make sure both heater controls are in the Off/Fresh Air position. We had some very warm days in Portland last month and it’s possible I left the heat on. Otherwise, sounds like you guys are having a great trip; enjoy the run to SD today! - Dave
Here are some highway shots. I've been pleasantly surprised with how comfortable it is to cruise in. Yes, there is heat coming from under the dash and the seats aren't perfect, but there are no squeaks and rattles, and it's not as noisy inside as I expected with when the windows are up. The chassis is also stiffer than I expected for a car without a solid roof. We also figured out how the AC works and we're able to use it a decent amount today. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
We decided to drive into San Francisco to have lunch with an old friend. That turned out to be quite stressful. Traffic was a nightmare. At one point we were going slower than first gear idle speed for a full 20 minutes. Once we got through that we had to deal with the crazy streets and stoplights and stop signs on ridiculous inclines. I've included two shots out the windshield in San Francisco, and the common sight of me refueling. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
One more shot at a view point some distance south of San Francisco. Had to make an emergency stop to pee. Unfortunately the parking lot was mostly full and there was no restroom. And it's hard to take a surreptitious pee anywhere near this car! It's too low to hid anything and it's drawing everyone's stare. ...so everyone at the view point has a nice vista of a stream of pee coming out from behind a tree. We are still on the road. We decided to push through and get home tonight. As long as the car doesn't have other plans I should make it home just after 1am (2 hours from now). Image Unavailable, Please Login
There’s no better way to bond with a new car than an epic road trip. Thanks for sharing the photos of your adventure, I love to see it. These cars are for driving, not polishing.
