400GT V12 rebuild | FerrariChat

400GT V12 rebuild

Discussion in '365 GT4 2+2/400/412' started by Flinch, Feb 7, 2010.

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  1. Flinch

    Flinch Formula Junior

    Nov 15, 2009
    302
    Holland and Sweden
    Full Name:
    Peter El Cheapo
    Hi guys!

    Thought I'd share my rebuild with you all. I have been working on it for a few months now. The engine has been apart for about 10 years and I bought it last year as a project. Het car has been restored in the past, but the engine shredded 2 pistons just after the first few hundred miles. The previous owner had recorded the engine strip so I had some idea of what happened. Now I am almost done, but small stuff remains, like ignition timing, testing and other loose ends. My goal is to have it running this spring

    Want to see pics? I threw it all in a youtube-clip => http://www.youtube.com/user/zwedenhuizen#p/u/7/l3Jd5uVQpsk
     
  2. jacques

    jacques Formula Junior

    May 23, 2006
    877
    Los Angeles/Florida
    Peter.. Thank you sooo much for sharing your labor of love with us all. I'm quite certain that you are going to be receiving many compliments on your fine work. Jacques.
     
  3. koisokok

    koisokok F1 World Champ
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    Dec 8, 2006
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    nine 0 two one 0
    its going to be a great spring time for someone!!! THXS FOR SHARING, :)
     
  4. 350HPMondial

    350HPMondial F1 Veteran
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    #4 350HPMondial, Feb 7, 2010
    Last edited: Feb 7, 2010
    Love the carbs.. and the Tail-lights.
    Nice Video, great song.

    Grazzi,
    Edwardo
     
  5. alastairhouston

    alastairhouston Formula Junior

    Apr 19, 2009
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    Alastair Houston
    #5 alastairhouston, Feb 7, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  6. Fritz Ficke

    Fritz Ficke Formula 3
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    Thanks great video.
     
  7. Ashman

    Ashman Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Great pictures, thanks for sharing!
     
  8. Rifledriver

    Rifledriver Three Time F1 World Champ

    Apr 29, 2004
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    Brian Crall
    That piston and rod were a mess. How did that happen? Any idea?
     
  9. Flinch

    Flinch Formula Junior

    Nov 15, 2009
    302
    Holland and Sweden
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    Peter El Cheapo
    I think too many cold starts and high revving while cold, without leaving a showroom! The excessive gasoline desolved the oil between the piston and liner. One piston seized up, an other one cracked at the side and in total 4 liners had vertical groves. No to other damages where found, so I guess that should be the only reason.
     
  10. Ashman

    Ashman Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Without leaving a showroom? That is an incredible amount of damage with no load on the engine even with a cold start, thick oil and a rich fuel mixture washing down the walls of the piston bores! They must have revved the piss out of that engine while cold over numerous cold starts. I would not have thought that could happen, but then again, I never would treat a cold engine that way either. That borders on criminal abuse of an engine!

    The good thing is that you will have a fully rebuilt engine and can treat it right from the beginning. You must be pretty excited at the thought of being on the road in only a few short months!
     
  11. Newman

    Newman F1 World Champ
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    Dec 26, 2001
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    #11 Newman, Feb 9, 2010
    Last edited: Feb 9, 2010
    Defective part or machined incorrectly, cant do that running up a cold engine in a showroom and the fact it was just rebuilt says someone most likely screwed up. We have an idiot lotboy here at the dealer that mats brand new cars right off the truck and ive never had to replace an engine in one of them yet.
     
  12. It's Ross

    It's Ross Formula 3

    Jul 30, 2007
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    Barrington, Ill. USA
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    Ross

    Agreed. I'd perhaps attribute spun bearings to cold revving but a bent rod?
    Regardless of cause glad you saved it.
    Did I see a '66 Barracuda in your garage also?
     
  13. Flinch

    Flinch Formula Junior

    Nov 15, 2009
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    Peter El Cheapo
    #13 Flinch, Feb 9, 2010
    Last edited: Feb 9, 2010
    Yup, l own some fun cars. Love the '66!

    About the con rod : The piston cracked and got stuck in the liner at an about 20 degree angle . The conrod was still pushing upwards and ripped the pin and what was left of the piston (thankfully the piston stayed in the liner and did not get smashed into the head)
    Other liners had serious grooves showing a lack of lubrication. All other parts (cams, bearings, heads and crank were okay. I have seen this before in racing engines with low weight pistons, but I can not call the 400 pistons lightweight. Oh well, **** happened and the engine has a new career ahead. And I will treat it nice ;-)
     
  14. Fritz Ficke

    Fritz Ficke Formula 3
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    Flinch, Thanks for sharing, please keep us up to date on your progress.
    On the con. rod with a carb. engine I can imagine people pumping the pedal to start it and washing the oil off the cyl. walls easily, and I wonder if enough gas can be pumped in by a over zelous/naive operator to hydrostate, enough to bend rod? or maybe a stuck/gummy float?
     
  15. brettski

    brettski Formula 3

    Feb 29, 2004
    1,754
    north of toronto
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    brett swaykoski
    nice video...all the best with the project.

    i found it very interesting that you installed the motor with the tranny bolted on...wow.
    i've only ever seen that done on domestics before.
    i noticed you had a cool boom to help... but i still can't imagine it's easier that way...
    that tranny is so easy to remove and install from underneath...very interesting though.
    i'm sure you had your reasons and i would be interested to here them.

    as for the bent rod, it could have been a few different things, or a combination of things.
    we fired a 365 motor yesterday that we just rebuilt...and it came to us with a bent rod.
    it had also had other similar damage as your motor...tough to tell what happened first.

    brett
     
  16. Flinch

    Flinch Formula Junior

    Nov 15, 2009
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    Peter El Cheapo
    #16 Flinch, Feb 10, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    The bent con rod will be a mystery for me as I did not take the V12 apart myself. I just had to put up with the story the previous owner told me. He owns a landrover workshop, so he has some experience fixing cars ;) But is still remains a story. My first thought too was that the piston ran into a large volume of somekind of fluid. But that still does not explain the cracked sleeve on anoter piston and some deep groves in some liners

    We scooped the engine and tranny in because of logistic and time issues. My buddy owns a very busy restoration shop and we just had one weekend to get the drivetrain in before his project arrived. And as he makes his money that way... We pushed the 400 to the neighbor becaus of the kinda large crane he has. We put the body on 20inch blocks and the complete drivetrain went in very smoothly. I think 30/35 minutes, with a 3 man crew (two always carring a beer, so they were not very busy). You will need some hours to get them in separately, so we went for our option

    btw : here is pic of the ruined piston
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  17. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    That is sure a beautiful car you have, because of this misfortune, it really looks in great condition!

    Enjoy!!!!
     
  18. Flinch

    Flinch Formula Junior

    Nov 15, 2009
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    Peter El Cheapo
    #18 Flinch, Feb 10, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    And it still is a perfect car, really like new! Here is a pic of my 400 from about 10 years ago when it featured in a dutch high-end car magazine
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  19. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    Never had seen it side by side to the Boxer before, to note the front glass, it
    could be the same part!

    That's a huge piece of glass, by the standards of the day.......
     
  20. jsa330

    jsa330 F1 World Champ
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    Great video of fine work! Wish I could do that.
     

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