328 Replace Alum. Coolant Pipe

After dealing with an intermittant coolant leak the source of which I was unable to locate, I finally isolated it to a pinhole leak in the aluminum pipe from the thermostat. The leak-which became a small geyser which allowed me to find it-is at the point where the pipe is close to and rubbed against the screw fitting on the horizontal strap on the pass. fuel tank.

Please correct me if I am wrong but I believe that I will have to remove the gas tank to get the pipe out and replaced or repaired. Is so I can see how to get the vertical strap off but do not see how to get a wrench on the screw fitting on the horizontal strap. Any guidance on this?

Thanks.

 

Not sure how to do it...but don't think you have to remove the tank..had it done on my car....common problem...they changed the routing from 88.5 on...

You can have that pipe welding back up, then cover the area with a bit of rubber hose to prevent a recurrance.

 

Thanks Dave. By the way my 328 is an 88.5. It appears that there was a rubber sleave over the pipe as it went by the strap fitting. Even so either the sleave moved and exposed the pipe or the strap fitting wore through the rubber sleave and then into the pipe.

 

Hi Russ,

I found that I had actually written up an inspection procedure at one point, didn't get into removal as mine didn't have any holes. I did replace both coolant hoses with NAPA yellow-stripe though without disturbing the gas tank, so I think it can be removed after draining coolant down and leaving gas tank in-situ.

Carl

Edit: it's 2 MB so I can't upload it here as an attachment. Shoot me an email at: [email protected] & I'll forward to you.

 

Further work inducates that I will be able to get the pipe out without removing the gas tank. Any thoughts on repairing the hole in the aluminum pipe. To do it right I expect that I will have to bring it to a shop that knows how to weld shut the hole.

 

Russ,

I just repaired mine, not too long ago, for the same reason. You don't need to remove the tank. You do need to drain some coolant, and remove and replace both rubber hoses that connect the pipe. You will need to loosen the alternator pivot bolt, as there is a bracket that holds the pipe in place attached to that bolt. Replace both hoses on the pipe with Gates white stripes 1.5 in ID.

Regards,

Milton

 

Russ,

I forgot to say on the previous post that you can take the pipe to any radiator repair shop and have them weld the pin hole on the pipe.

Regards,

Milton

 

Thanks Milton. I hope to get the pipe out today and get it welded next week.

 

I had the exact same thing happen to me on my '85 308 at midnight in Montreal during the weekend of the 2004 Grand Prix--what a pain!!! Anyway, I was able to remve the pipe--there are connector hoses at each end. I had the hole welded shut and then slid a 1.5 " piece of hose over the welded area for extra security.

 

Thanks Guys for your help. I got the pipe out without removing the tank or loosening the pivot bolt on the alternator. The pipe had a groove cut in it about .5 inches long although it was not cut through for the entire length. I plan to have it welded and then put a piece of hose around it so that it will not happen again. The rubbing action was the pipe against the threaded fitting on the gas tank strap that allows the strap to be loosened and tightened. Although there was a rubber sleave on the pipe I suspect that it had shifted exposing the pipe to rubbing against the threaded fitting.

 

When you reinstall the pipe, position it so that it's centered between the alternator pulley & the gas tank. Should clear both of them by about 3/16". Then the rubber will just be for insurance.

The 308s didn't have that horizontal strap, but still the pipe would get out of postion & rub against the gas tank. Actually a bit riskier as it was a toss-up whether the coolant tube or the gas tank would develop a leak first!

A PO repaired my tube with what looks like a spot of JB weld. Not sure whether it was just to thicken up where it had been rubbing, or if a hole had actually developed. So far it's holding up fine. If it ever develops a problem I'll welld it.

 

Got the tube leak fixed and now am beginning the process of reinstalling it. I say process because nothing is simple on these cars-everything is a process. I took the heatshield off which is just below the pipe that the repaired pipe goes into. Did this to get better access to the point where the two pipe are joined by a rubber hose. Hope to finish it this weekend. A question.

Do you put the rubber hose first on the aluminum downpipe and then work it on to the horizontal pipe or vice versa? The answer may save me a lot of time and frustration.

Thanks.

 

Do you mean the rubber hose to cover the weld and insulate the pipe from the fuel tank strap? If so, before installation, just cut a short piece --only a few inches is necessary--and slide it onto the pipe over the weld, using liberal amonts of silicone lubricant to ease the process . Realistically speaking, you don't need it on there at all if the pipe is centered properly. However, it serves as good insurance in case the pipe wanders in that direction again.

 

Thanks Doc. The hose is the hose that connects the aluminum pipe that I fixed to the pipe that runs up to the radiator.

 

Hi Russ,

Put a good amount of silicone lubricant on the pipe that runs from the radiator, slide the rubber hose into that pipe then move in the pipe you just had fixed, again put some silicone lubricant and move half of the rubber hose over the fixed pipe. At the top connection, first place the rubber hose on the fixed pipe the slice over the thermostat housing. Use new hoses clamps. Refill your radiator expanssion tank, and bleed the system at the thermostat and at the radiator at least a couple times.

Regards,

Milton

 

Thanks Milton. That will save me some time.

Russ

 

Rant On/

The bloom is fast coming of the rose of Ferrari ownership.

It seems to me that Ferrari designed these cars using a CAD program that located parts, hoses and screws to maximize the frustration and difficulty in doing the simplest tasks. I have spent the morning trying to get the aluminum pipe that I fixed back on to the pipe to the radiator but with no success. It appears next to impossible to get the attachment hose onto both pipes(the fixed pipe and the pipe to the radiator). For something as simple a task as this should be I may have to have my car flatbedded to my mechanic to have this done.

Rant Off/

 

Hi Russ,

And you were thinking about saving time!!!!! not on a Ferrari, it'll never happen.

When I replaced my it took a lot of time to replaced that hose onto both pipes. Take your time, if frustration is taking over, stop, drink a beer or two, then try agian. The space around the two pipes is very limited and is hard to fit your hand around the hose to move it onto the pipe, but can be done. DO the bottom end first, then the top end. It'll not work if you do the other way around.

If you need more help, give me a call, and I'll try to explain over the phone.

Regards,

Milton

 

Thanks Guys for the advice. Right after my rant I went back out and got under the car. The fixed pipe (the aluminum pipe coming out of the thermostat) finally went into the hose on the radiator pipe and then it was a matter of putting everything back together. Here are some observations that might help someone else doing this for the first time:

Get a very small quarter inch drive ratchet from Griot's garage. It has a handle about 4 inches long and is a great help getting at various nuts on the hose clamps and heatshields.

Remove the heatshields. I futzed around trying to do this with the shields on but couldn't. The shields are not that difficult to get off-for a Ferrari anyway- and with them off the job is a lot easier. Note carefully the way they came off. I didn't and I wasted alot of time figuring out how they went back on.

I was able to do this without removing the pivot bolt on the alternator.

As Milton noted, attach the fixed pipe to the radiator pipe first. In doing that put the 1.5 inch hose on the radiator pipe first-lube the pipes liberally so the hose will slip on. Then work the fixed pipe onto the radiator pipe. I got the fixed pipe onto the hose by giving it a good straight in shove. Then work it into the thermostat hose.

Then adjust the pipe to make sure that it clears the alternator belt. I put a semi section of hose on the pipe where it is near the strap clamp for the gas tank. That is where the clamp rubbed through the pipe. and fixed it tight with two hose clamps.

Let me know if anyone has any questions about this.