Greetings, I am in the process of disassembling a 308 2Vi engine from a 1981 GTSi. The odometer reads approximately 17,500 miles but it is not verifiable. This is the one of the reasons for taking it apart and undestainding the condition of the engine . I have removed the cylinder heads which will receive an overhaul with new stainless valves , guides, etc. No issues there. However, the pistons, bores, and engine bearings , etc . have generated some questions which I would like your thoughts if possible. 1) Rod bearings do not show any indication of wear. They look new in most stations. Are they re-usable? 2) Are the rod bolts and nuts re-usable? I did take notice that the WSM for the 308 QV/328 specifies that the nuts NOT be re-ued, but no mention of the bolts. 3) Seven of the rods are coded with the letter "P", desiganating the weight range. One rod is labeled "S" but it appears to have been ground along the beam to reduce weight. Is this an acceptable procedure ? The edges are sharp . Attached are photos of the "modified" rod, and a standard rod for comparison. 4) One cylinder liner has some localized corrosion . The reamining liners appear to be in in good shape. If the high spots can be removed with a light honing, can the liner be deemed servicable without completely removing the "low" spots also? Attached is a photo . 5) The pistons and rings do not show any signs of damage, with the exception of some light scuffing on two piston skirts. If the pistons and bores measure within servicable limits, are the rings re-usable? I would appreciate your thoughts. Mike Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I have heard that the Rod and Main bearings are reusable. But, you can't re-use rings, because you don't want to re-use the pistons, anyway. Cast BORGOS are crap. Get some new JE's have them weigh your rods, , to see if they match. If not, Ferrari rods are a dime a dozen. And are strong. (Get new rod nuts from Pat at NORWOOD autocraft.) Liners are usually Really good, don't worry too much about the corrosion, just hone as best you can. ( I was always told that pits in the cylinder liner are used to hold oil. A race car trick.) Edwardo Post photos when done. Ciao,
You didnt say exactly why you tore it down other than to inspect it. The pits your refering too, can you feel them with your finger nail? If so, you wont know how they will clean up until you try honing the cylinder, but you would probably be better to bore oversize if you can really feel them. From the pics they look like simple stains, and if you cant really feel them, a light honing should work out alright. Cast Borgos are crap? Well, compared to todays technology that may be true, but as some of these have run over 30 years and still look good, I would say thats being a bit over critical. If the bores clean up with light honing, and IF the piston to skirt clearance is tight, you can certainly reuse them. But no to the rings. Buy brand new ones. Bearings can be reused as well, provided they are truly within spec. Mic the crank, and then plastigage the oil clearance, checking in at least 4 locations radially around each journal. Preferably 8 locations. The rods should all be the same weight code, IMO, also according to the GT4 OWM. Now you have to ask what you want in the end. Gaskets and seals are rather expensive. By the time you have the heads done with new valves, and buy all your gaskets and seals, you should be into the motor a good $5K in parts and head labor. A set of rings from Ferrari will make a good down on a new set of pistons. At a bare minimum you should pull all the oil plugs on the crank, have it professionally checked and polished, and all oilways in the crank should be thoroughly rodded and cleaned. Do you really want to put it back together with used bearings? The difference is that you have to weigh it being a rebuilt engine or an overhauled engine. Used bearings and honed cylinders is rebuilt. New pistons in new bores with new bearings and everything done is close to (or may very well be) a complete overhaul. Might seem dumb, but putting all new parts into the engine and running used bearings might really bother you. I know it did me, and that and a lot of other things are why my car is still in peices. I have over $8K in engine parts and am still a ways from any kind of assembly. It really is a sickness. This "whats on ebay today" thing isnt helping me either.
Edwardo, Thanks for the input. I appreciate your time and effort.I am looking into new pistons and a connecting rod that has not been modified. And yes, I will post more photos. Ciao, Mike
Artvonne, Thanks for the insight. I have been reading your posts along with several others,and I will say that this project of mine would never have started without the information shared on this site. It is indeed invaluable and inspirational. I understand your point about overhauled vs. rebuilt. It is exactly what I'm struggling with. For me, it is difficult NOT to do things right....but as you point out, there is a price tag that comes with it !! Regarding piston rings......my understanding from reading posts related to excessive oil consumption, is that the original piston / ring combination was the culprit. If I were to keep the stock pistons, does it make sense to purchase rings other than the Ferrari version ? Can the pistons be fitted with "modern" ring configurations, i.e. three rings and modern materials? Any experience with this? Regards, Mike
This is where you need to ask more questions. You will have to weigh all your options and make your decision based on cost and performance. While a few might cry foul, thinking because its a Ferrari we need to spend all we ever hope to own to make it perfect, You and I, and many others are looking for ways to gain maximum use from these cars without breaking the bank. And given todays financial crisis this issue may be of greater interest to more people than ever. I am not wealthy by any stretch of the term, so finding ways to keep the car on the road (or get it back on the road), while maintaining a budget is a high priority. But I am a mechanic down to my bones, and while I can justify some cuts, others are not open for discussion. I like to use the term "fresh" in regards to engines, and I think a few here know what I mean. While all of us would love to have a car like Newmans, and he should be solidly commended for his work, the reality for many of us is thats its just not a reasonable expectation. Most of us would just like to know we can keep the car presentable and be able to drive the car the way it was intended without fears of blowing it up. Follow the OWM as much as possible. While it has its errors, the odd spec with the decimal moved once to the right, or a torque spec raised by a factor of 10, for the most part it is the single greatest source of reference. Perhaps Dave and Brian will weigh in here too, they would know if new rings on those pistons are going to work out okay or if you need to go "the whole nine yards". Just rememeber, it ran when you took it apart, and as long as you put it back together correctly it will do so again.
