1995 F355 GTS: Restoration and Major Service | Page 28 | FerrariChat

1995 F355 GTS: Restoration and Major Service

Discussion in '348/355' started by MAD828, Jul 15, 2015.

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  1. taz355

    taz355 F1 Veteran
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    #676 taz355, May 15, 2017
    The diecast ones are way stronger, look nicer, and is the main reason I bought a 99, as well as 2 pounds lighter.
     
  2. taz355

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    #677 taz355, May 15, 2017
    My above post was all bull chit by the way.
     
  3. Dave rocks

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    #678 Dave rocks, May 15, 2017
    155073

    :)
     
  4. MAD828

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    #679 MAD828, May 15, 2017
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    The ground strap is a nice touch, when driving behind the car you can see it, and it really pops being new. I also polished the raised lettering of the clutch pumpkin for that extra little detail.

    My next project is to remove the pumpkin, replace the triple seals and inspect throw out bearing and other seals. I have a leak that requires some attention.
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  5. MAD828

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    #680 MAD828, May 15, 2017
    Thanks for the kind words 👍
     
  6. taz355

    taz355 F1 Veteran
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    #681 taz355, May 15, 2017
    Its because of passion like this that some cars are 50 k and others are 100k.

    As i said before most good cars however are not being sold.

    Keep it comming Elliot I love this thread as well. Makes me want to go fix something on mine.
     
  7. INTMD8

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    #682 INTMD8, May 16, 2017
    Thanks Dave. Maybe the cheapest Ferrari part I will ever buy :D
     
  8. Rosey

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    #683 Rosey, May 16, 2017
    Very true Grant, there are big differences between some supposedly similar looking cars !!

    Well done Elliott in another task ticked off a once very long list.

    Let us know when you clean and polish deep inside the exhaust pipes !! :) :)
     
  9. MAD828

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    #684 MAD828, May 27, 2017
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    I had noticed gear oil dripping from the drilled plate in the pumpkin after a drive. So I thought id better take off the pumpkin and see what was up.

    Turns out the throw out bearing is shot and was probably the cause of a faint rattle I was beginning to hear, and the triple seals were leaking into the clutch area.

    The clutch plate looked to be wearing on the outer edge and the fly wheel face had some heat marks on it. Further inspection showed the flywheel to have developed a dish outside of the norm.

    So I thought now would be the time to refresh the whole setup.


    I ordered a Hill Engineering flywheel, flange seal, updated flange, throwout bearing and flywheel nut. A Valeo OEM pressure plate and clutch, triple seals and o rings and from MD clutches a voith flywheel rebuild kit including all bearings.

    All the parts are on route and I got stuck into cleaning the bell housing, pumpkin and degreasing the messy voith flyhweel whilst waiting.

    I prepped the pumpkin for a refresh, something I had been looking for an excuse to do since seeing my friend Andy's refinished pumpkin.

    Here are some pictures of the process:
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  10. MAD828

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    #685 MAD828, May 27, 2017
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Taking apart the Voith flywheel. New Kluber grease and o-ring incoming.

    The housing had some corrosion so I treated it with rust convertor and cleaned it up to get it ready for the refill of 180g of Kluber grease. The F355 flywheel is different from the 348 voith flywheel rebuilds I have seen documented.
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  11. MAD828

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    #686 MAD828, May 27, 2017
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    I really wanted the pumpkin to be finished really nicely so I spent some time preparing it for a refinish and I'm really happy with the result.

    It was degreased, paint stripped (it had some form of clear coating on it) sanded, filed and finally coated in an aluminium heat proof paint. The logo and Ferrari script were then file finished to reveal the bare alloy and provide some detail.

    I bake the pumpkin in the oven for paint curing. Its now ready to look the business on the car. I have new nuts and washers to replace the old ones too.
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  12. Robb

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    #687 Robb, May 27, 2017
    Man oh man, I love that. Great job as usual.

    At some point I will need to get some time with you as a counselor to bring out the best in my car... :D

    Robb
     
  13. MAD828

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    #688 MAD828, May 27, 2017
    Sounds great Robb!
     
  14. CTE55AMG

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    #689 CTE55AMG, May 27, 2017
    Wow, looks great
     
  15. steved033

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    #690 steved033, May 27, 2017
    agreed. As i'm planning out my home garage, I was shying away from portables because most of them don't allow engine drop access like this. This is brilliant.

    sjd
     
  16. brian0473

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    #691 brian0473, May 27, 2017
    Looks suburb. As usual.
     
  17. GTO Joe

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    #692 GTO Joe, May 27, 2017
    To bad the concours judges won't be able to see inside the pumpkin, just as detailed as the outside. Excellent work! :)
     
  18. Dave rocks

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    #693 Dave rocks, May 27, 2017
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Everything Elliott does is beyond superb. :)

    Restoration work can be very challenging- you really want to try and get all details as close to OEM as possible and sometimes it's just not possible.

    I've been asked if I plan to anodize my restored aluminum engine parts and while it's vert tempting (to protect them), I'm going to leave them as OEM. It will suck to maintain them and keep clean but it is what it is.

    This pumpkin looks so good now but I would probably not paint mine. And my 95 is the sand cast version which is much more rough then the die cast.

    Here is a photo for comparison.
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  19. INTMD8

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    #694 INTMD8, May 27, 2017
    True! Looking awesome :D

    I wouldn't think I would paint mine but have to admit what he did looks great.

    Sanding the lettering is the perfect contrast and I'm impressed by the restraint exercised in not painting them red :D

    Dave, was your cast cover cleared as well? I can't tell by looking at mine and didn't try to hit it with lacquer thinner.
     
  20. MAD828

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    #695 MAD828, May 27, 2017
    I was up in the air about painting mine too to be honest. However if you glass bead blast the die cast pumpkin the finish is near identical to the painted item. Except mine will probably stay that finish and not oxidize over time. I was also worried about testing out a blaster with my pumpkin and have the item ruined with too harsh a media. Painting meant I was in control of the outcome.

    The gearbox housing on my car is so clean that anything other than a fully finished pumpkin looks odd.
     
  21. MAD828

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    #696 MAD828, May 27, 2017
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    Here is a picture taken from MD clutches video on flywheel regrease found on you tube. They glass media blast the pumpkin and the finish is very nice and close to my outcome.
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  22. Dave rocks

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    #697 Dave rocks, May 27, 2017
    Hey Jim - my cast cover had nothing on it. Just bare aluminum.

    And Elliott - to be clear, your work is awesome and it's always a tough call when selecting restoration techniques.
     
  23. MAD828

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    #698 MAD828, May 29, 2017
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    Most of the parts arrived today! Wow the Hill Engineering items are just amazing, I think I just about have every item made for the 355 by HE.

    I fitted the flange gasket and 2 threaded rods and will install it and the throwout bearing tomorrow, along with the triple seals.

    Still waiting on Kluber grease, o ring and a bearing to get cracking on the re grease of the flywheel.

    Should be back on the road soon, which I'm looking forward to.
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  24. Modificata

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    #699 Modificata, May 31, 2017
    Elliott just finished reading your entire thread in 1 day (all 35 pages on Tapatalk) and what you have done with the car is nothing short of mind blowing! At the start I thought your car doesn't look bad, but each step you took knocked decades off the age. And well done on the Platinum, even though it was last year!

    I know how hard it is to do it right. A few years ago I did a mechanical restoration on a 456M and really all I did was do all the mechanicals. To do what you have done would have doubled if not tripled the effort. I now have a 400i in the garage which I bought 2 years ago in need of a full restoration. Sadly time keeps me away from starting that project, so I think I might need to get professional help.

    Like you I remember the launch of the 355 and being amazed. I'm equally amazed each time I see one today and may need to look into one again.

    Keep it up. Really enjoyed reading the story so far.
     
  25. Dave rocks

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    #700 Dave rocks, May 31, 2017
    Do you have a link for the "Pro Tool" stuff? Can't seem to locate the site...
     
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