Did Ferrari of old tend to leak? | FerrariChat

Did Ferrari of old tend to leak?

Discussion in 'Technical Q&A' started by 2000C4, Dec 6, 2012.

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  1. 2000C4

    2000C4 Rookie

    Nov 19, 2004
    41
    Auburn, CA
    Full Name:
    Aaron Masters
    Regarding Ferrari of the 60's and 70's. Does anyone know it they tended to leak oil?
    This would have been before silicon sealant.
     
  2. finnerty

    finnerty F1 World Champ

    May 18, 2004
    10,406
    I'm not aware of any Ferrari that is NOT prone to leaking oil somewhere :p.
     
  3. Smiles

    Smiles F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Nov 20, 2003
    16,673
    Pittsburgh, PA
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    Matt F
    My 1967 330 GT had a slow drip.
     
  4. 2NA

    2NA F1 World Champ
    Consultant Owner Professional Ferrari Technician

    Dec 29, 2006
    18,221
    Twin Cities
    Full Name:
    Tim Keseluk
    Fluid containment, not high priority for English or Italians "back in the day". Both are a bit better now.
     
  5. shross

    shross Karting
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Sep 11, 2005
    162
    Calgary, Alberta
    If it ain't leaking.... it's empty
     
  6. UroTrash

    UroTrash Four Time F1 World Champ
    Consultant Owner

    Jan 20, 2004
    40,486
    Purgatory
    Full Name:
    Clifford Gunboat
    It's not leakage, it's CCRP*


    *Continuous Chassis Rust Prevention.
     
  7. TheMayor

    TheMayor Ten Time F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed

    Feb 11, 2008
    106,140
    Vegas baby
    My Dino had the typical problem in them. The distributor lies on it's side and oil leaks up from the drive gear. Of course, leaks directly over the exhaust so every now and then a small puff of smoke from a drop would waft out from the rear vents.

    Then some wise guy would pull up to me and yell at me "your car's on fire! I saw smoke".

    I would just nod my head with a little grin and drive away. You should have seen the looks on their faces. :)

    I was at a Maserati dealer once in the early 80's. They had a brand new Quattroporte sitting in the showroom that I wanted to see. Under it: an oil pan with drops of oil.

    The answer is yes, they all leaked.
     
  8. 4redude

    4redude Formula Junior

    Jan 13, 2005
    732
    Fungus Corner
    Full Name:
    Brian Keegan
    I was once told by the Rolls Royce Area Technical Manager regarding their motorcars:
    It's NOT a bloody leak. It is a patented Rolls Royce engineering accomplishment. It is
    called "Controlled Seepage".
     
  9. bernardo66

    bernardo66 The Crazy Cat Man
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Dec 14, 2003
    26,527
    Montreal Canada
    Full Name:
    Bernie
    + 1
     
  10. El Wayne

    El Wayne F1 World Champ
    Staff Member Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Aug 1, 2002
    18,069
    San Marino, CA
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    L. Wayne Ausbrooks
    Today, they do not have to leak oil or anything else. My '63 GTE had a minor oil drip when I bought it. Had the motor rebuilt by a competent engine guy and it never leaked another drop.
     
  11. SoCal1

    SoCal1 F1 Veteran
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Jun 14, 2011
    8,630
    SoCal LA/OC/New Mexico
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    Tim Dee
    The old casting techniques were not what they are today, sealing leaks with exotic alloys like aluminum back then was tricky.


    Leaks were considered to be the car "marking its territory" like any good animal




    :)
     
  12. cheesey

    cheesey Formula 3

    Jun 23, 2011
    1,921
    they only leak if the leak is ignored and not attended to...
     
  13. M.James

    M.James F1 Rookie

    Jun 6, 2003
    2,721
    Worcester, MA
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    Michael.C.James
    +1

    The old stuff was all hand-cast aluminum with sand molds. Not every mating surface was perfectly flush, and machining precision was not as high as it is today.

    I would also add that the engine gaskets in our Ferraris were NOT meant to live for a quarter-century without replacement and STILL take these motors to red-line after warmup....things can fail simply due to fatigue or age. Why are gaskets any different?
     
  14. andyww

    andyww F1 Rookie

    Feb 7, 2011
    2,775
    London
    #14 andyww, Dec 12, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Not only 60's and 70's cars.

    This is an excerpt from the first service of my 1989 328.
    If it had been me, I would have got them to fix this on a brand new car!

    I have now fixed this, 23 years later. It was bad sealing of the gearbox pan, easy fix.
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  15. Steve King

    Steve King F1 Rookie

    Feb 15, 2001
    4,367
    NY
    Us old Jag guys used to call it "controlled seepage" . We also had a problem where if the wiring harness "leaked smoke" the car would not run well. I never heard the Italian explanation .
     
  16. M.James

    M.James F1 Rookie

    Jun 6, 2003
    2,721
    Worcester, MA
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    Michael.C.James
    Exactly - I am amazed at how many current owners don't realize that by replacing certain gaskets with NEW ones, a touch of Hondabond along the bottom-edge of the cam-cover mating surface, and a few good sealing nuts on the oil pan cover....suddenly, their Ferrari is leak-free!
     
  17. rdefabri

    rdefabri Three Time F1 World Champ

    Jun 4, 2008
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    Rich
    Or as they said about old Triumphs and Harleys - "if they don't bleed, they ain't alive!"
     
  18. Steve King

    Steve King F1 Rookie

    Feb 15, 2001
    4,367
    NY
    Don't know about honda bond but I see Phil Swift sellin that there FLEX SEAL on the TV. Looks like all you gota do is spray the stuff on the leak and wahla it stops. 2 cans for 19.99 . LOL
     
  19. Rosso328

    Rosso328 F1 Veteran
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 11, 2006
    7,345
    Central FL
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    Paul
    Agreed!! "Don't call a repairman. That'll cost you thousands!!"
     
  20. rdefabri

    rdefabri Three Time F1 World Champ

    Jun 4, 2008
    33,571
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    Rich
    It will fix your boat - no leaks. Throw in a Shamwow and life is good...
     
  21. andyww

    andyww F1 Rookie

    Feb 7, 2011
    2,775
    London
    #21 andyww, Dec 16, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    This is fixable though:
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  22. rkljr

    rkljr Formula Junior

    May 16, 2011
    723
    South of Boston, MA
    Full Name:
    Richard
    My '79 does have a small leak but it is the result of a bad seal that is about to be replaced. It is unusual in that the brand new seal has a crack in it.

    No other leaks and any well maintained and/or rebuilt engine should not leak. These things are old and if you do not replace stuff it will leak.

    That said, I have seen plenty of leaky engines.

    Never heard of electrical systems leaking smoke, I like that one.
     
  23. Steve King

    Steve King F1 Rookie

    Feb 15, 2001
    4,367
    NY
    Need to clear up the terminology here. A LEAK is when you find a puddle of some fluid on the floor. WEEPING is when there is fluid covering some parts of the engine or frame. So please be specific as to the issue as we don't want to spread misinformation. Oh yes sometimes weepage can turn to a leak if it is not wiped by the owner. Also SEEPAGE is a form of weep. I keep a roll of paper towels in my tool kit. LOL
     
  24. andyww

    andyww F1 Rookie

    Feb 7, 2011
    2,775
    London
    On the original Lotus Elans the oil leaks were generally referred-to as "automatic anti-rust treatment". It worked as well, often kept the chassis from rusting.
     
  25. jsa330

    jsa330 F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Oct 31, 2003
    10,046
    75225
    Full Name:
    Scott
    Took years to root out and fix the leaks from my 330 2+2. A very slight seepage from the differential was the only one left unfixed and not a big deal enough to worry about.

    The 308 has suffered from coolant, transmission, and engine leakage. Now closing in on the last of them.

    I'm an OCD type when it comes to my car and can't put up with leaks.
     

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