I have just bought it, and I am working around. I have discovered that there is a cover missing near the clutch, where timing adjust markers are placed, has anybody a picture of it so i can build myself a new one, has it to be completely closed ? Is it normal that the fuel caps gets very hot when the motor gets hot ? I have a single distributor version and I have just bought 2 MSD6A: has anybody some suggestion about the installation ? I'm thinking about intall a custom built support for the ignition near the coils. Thanks in advance, Alessandro from Italy.
Alessandro, When I purchased my GT4, I was also missing the piece you mentioned near the clutch. It is called a "Timing Inspection Cover Plate." I was thinking about fabricating one for myself as well, but you will need a gasket too. I decided that it would be so much easier to just order a new one, so I did. I got my plate and gasket from Ricambi America (www.ricambiamerica.com) for $22USD total. As for your issue about the fuel caps getting hot, I'm not sure about what you are referring to... Ignition is my handicap - I know *nothing* about ignition, but many here do, so hopefully someone will be along shortly to answer that question. Best regards, Aaron
Hi Alessandro Congratulations on buying a wonderful car. The cover plate is the same shape as the casting it covers. You also need a neoprene/rubber gasket the same shape. It is approx 2mm thick aluminum. Or you can buy the real thing from Ricambi as Aaron suggests. User name Peter has added electronic sensors to his single distributor on a GT4. Try this thread http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=80195&highlight=bracket Please register your car with the 2 dino 308gt4 registries linked from my site. We love to hear more history of these fine cars. Gerrit http://dino308gt4.com
Thank you all, I will look for the cover in Italy and will register as soon as my car will work, the mod to eliminate points it's of high interest, but let's go with the story. I bought it, my first (hope not last) Ferrari 3 month ago, the engine should have been just rebuilt. After clutch cable broken, door lamps shortcut, new battery, wheel deflate because of broken rim, i was ready for my first Ferrari drive. It was exiting, sound like a lion shooting from the exhaust on gas release, easily push till 8k rpm. The next day after few miles, i stop the car and restart, it won't get above 3.5k rpm, trying to go above it start shooting around like a big gun. I try to refuel cause it was empty, the motor room where hot (the weather too) and it was not easy to keep the fuel cap in hand. Hardly get back home. The guys who sold me the car ask me not to touch it and sent me his “expert”. When the car came back i had to pay 250$ (still waiting for rebate), he told me that points capacitors where changed . The car was not the same, it was smooth, yes it can get to 8k but not like a Ferrari (could capacitors be wrong ? Are there any special requirements?). I clean the spark plugs (they where wet and black), try to advance and retard but not so much changes. I was starting to think to be crazy and to think that the first impression was just the suggestion of the first Ferrari drive. Same day later i park the car while was raining (a lot!) when i took it the rear 4 cylinders bank was not working at all and i could hardly get home. It was time to start myself ( i am a programmer but my father and grand father has been repairing car since 100 years). I have disassembled the distributor, registered points (where too open), fixed the rotor that was shaking around, cleaned and greased the advance. Backward bank is still not running. The ballast resistor are missing from coils (Bosh red painted) but this, by now, should not be a problem, as soon as i get it posted from USA i will install MSD6 and Blaster coils. Tomorrow i will check the coils, the distributor cap and cables. Hope to get it soon working, happy to have so many new friends, Alessandro
Without the ballast resistors, you will "cook" the points. You should definitely replace them if you stick with points. If you go electronic, you won't need them. Sounds like you may have a bad coil, points, or wire somewhere if the rear bank isn't firing at all. Maybe the points are toast from the lack of ballast resistor? You can swap coils to test them and see if the problem changes banks with the coil. Pull a plug and see if you get any spark at all on that bank. Whatever you do, DON'T drive it with one bank out. It will dump raw fuel into the exhaust and you will end up with your car in a ball of flames! Birdman
You'll want to replace that cover asap! My friend did not have one on his GTS and when he had the oil changed, and the filter was removed some oil leaked down onto the chutch, no need to explain more there. After a few cans of break cleaner later it seems to work fine now but it was worrysome for a while! Cheers! DT
Now it works ! Sorry, the rear bank spark plug holes where full of water. I have seen on Gerrit's site some documents describing the mods to apply to solve the problem. I have checked the distributor rotor against the distributor cap, for cylinders 1-4 ( i have a single twin device ) there are 3 mm of air between the contacts, the other bank (5-8) is almost touching, may be best fitting rotors exists ? I have also checked voltage drops across the coils. I measured (with engine stopped) 10.4 Volts, and 0.5 Volts are lost going to ground, I will soon try two (1.8 Ohms) ballast resistor required by the coils, while waiting for the electronic ignition arriving from USA. Thank you all, Alessandro.
Oh the joy of first washing the GT4, When I first got mine I washed it like any other car, and wondered why it wouldn't start. It took ages to find the 4 swimming pools. Now I put a towel over the lump before cleaning. Heavy rain also cripples the cars. Another tip is not to use a pressure washer, although you can get the engine/gearbox nice and clean it destroys the speedo pickup/sensor, I have now done 2 of them in. Good luck with your car, I hope you have as much fun with it as I have with mine!
