engine mounting fail

The 456 and 550's have been notorious for bad motor mounts. Good thing you caught it, many found out by the sway bar knocking off the oil pressure sender and having the contents of the oil tank pour out onto the pavement with the occasional loss of a motor. Motor mounts for the 550 and 456 are the same and were redesigned a year and change ago. It is starting to look however like the new mounts are only better and not a real fix.

 

Why would a part like this fail? Sounds very shoddy but perhaps it isn't.
Philip

 

330-365 era cars motor mounts lasted 20-30 years. I still see originals working fine.

308 era cars mounts last 10-15 years

348-355 era cars mounts last 5-10 years

456-550-360 era cars mounts last 2-3 years


Are you starting to see a pattern?

 

Yes, and I am even more comfortable in my decision to buy the 365 almost 8 years ago now.

 

Brian
How do you tell when they are starting to go or have gone (and how much "flex" is too much?

I have replaced most of the rubber on my 77 308 - the instrument bezel rubbers come to mind as some that I haven't changed (and yes, the instruments fog with humidity change as a result). Rad hoses et al were done several years ago. The reaction rod bushings were changed this year (you could see they were cracked). My guess is the mounts are next.

I have "inspected" the motor mounts by pressing on the female-threaded protrusion and seeing how much it will flex under a two palm press (scientific, huh?). Two are tight. Two have a little flex. If I can move by hand (imagine the "Charles Atlas" two handed compression move) is it replacement time yet?

BTW, it is used almost exclusively on the track.
Philip
P.S., any part that fails with any regularity and a 2 - 3 year time interval is poorly designed, whether or not it has a horse badge or not.

 

If you have to shim the mounts up to keep the exhaust pipe (or it's heat shielding) on the right side off the frame tube that is usually a sign you need new mounts.

 

now I am really worried ...

 

Don't be worried, just do like me when something is wrong. ***** and scream at Ferrari to fix it and don't get bent over without making someone pay for it. Don't think for a minute that Ferrari has gone to hydraulic valves and timing chains because THEY wanted to go to the expense. They do respond but they do it like a cat being called to dinner, they make damn sure they leave the impression it was all their idea.




This thing edited out that word? What are you supposed to call a female dog?

 

a ferrari.

lol !

 

Brian,
I have a "clunk" when my 308 goes over sharp bumps. Last year I replaced all the suspension bushings and had the shocks rebuilt to fix it and guess what, it didn't fix it. Do you think this kind of thing can be engine mounts? (This has been suggested by someone else). How hard are they to replace? Does the engine have to come out or can it be done in place one at a time?

Birdman

 

Could be. Motor stays in. It can be dirty but it is an easy job if you can stand up while doing it.

 

Cool. I'll try it. (I'm spoiled...I have a lift.)

Birdman

 

OK, I'm looking at the parts diagram...there's a lot of parts in a mount. Which ones do you replace?

Birdman

 

Nevermind, I figured it out.

Man, those are expensive! $108 each from Ferrari UK! Anyone have a lead on a domestic source? Dennis McCann has them listed at $125.

Birdman

 

WHEW! And T. Rutlands will be happy to sell them to you for $193 EACH!

 

LOL, so very true. it also falls under one of "The Six Laws of Italian Sports Cars." Specifically, number 4


4)THE LAW OF PERSONAL ABUSE
"The more an Italian auto breaks down, the more endearing it becomes to its increasingly irrational owner." For example, you purchase an Italian Sports car, for all the money you ever hoped to earn, and receive a ticket for air pollution on the way home from the dealer due to the vast clouds of smoke that follow you. Several return trips to said dealer, accompanied by your rapidly dwindling cash reserves, cures the smoking. But now, the engine sounds like a food processor full of ball-bearings. After replacing every component in the car, including the radio speakers, the noise vanishes and is replaced by an odor reminiscent of a major fire in a goat-hair mattress factory. You still keep trying, G-d help you.

 

Oh no, I just replaced the motor mounts and rear shocks less than a year ago on my 456m. Now , Brian, you say every two to three years for motor mounts, ugh. How about designing and building some that will last five years so I can have them done along with my timing belts,ouch.
Winston
Junebug
Nigel
and Don