Espada near-disaster

We had a clear, sunny day here today and I decided to run the Espada over to the filling station to top off its tanks before the next snow storm traps it it the barn for the winter. I was going through my usual roll-out, start-up, warm-up routine when I noticed I had forgotten my cell phone. I was ready to drive off without the phone, but at the last second I thought better of it and ran back into the barn for the phone. When I came back out I was thinking about how beautifully the car was idling. As I opened the door I caught a whiff of gas. Opening the bonnet I was horrified to see one of the fuel line fittings was leaking big time. I'm not speaking of a little drip-drip leak...we're talking a regular pee stream of fuel! Had I not stopped to get my phone I would have driven off with the passenger side headers getting washed with premium petrol. Oh, and I had also forgotten to get the fire extinguisher out of the Dino. I don't want to think about what might have transpired. Just goes to show that you must always be vigilant with these old sleds, even when they've just had a major service as mine had. Be careful out there!!

 

Thank goodness you caught it Daryl. I had a somewhat similar experience with my Bora many years ago. The fuel leaked out of the connections to the carbs and poured down into the "V" of the engine under the intake manifold. Fortunately, Maserati in their astute wisdom had drilled a whole in the block from the rear of the "V" directly to over the top of where the crankshaft exits the block so that the gas just kept spilling onto the ground as I drove. When a full tank became 1/4 tank over 40 miles I knew something was up.

Those banjo bolts with the paper washers require careful attention on a frequent basis.

Your Espada would have been a shame to lose that way.

Bob S.

 

Glad you had a clear sunny day there.......................

 

What a fortuitous catch indeed.... I'm very glad too that you didn't drive off.

Jedi

 

+1

 

Wow, terrifying moment you had there. Glad all worked out ok.

 

Had a simmilar incident with a friends totally restored Espada SII in 1992!

Check those hoses,and the clamps!

 

My drive checks.... from experience.


Check water
Check oil
Start Car and idle until it is warm. At least 15 minutes.
Idle with engine hood open
Idle with trunk open (Countach has fuse box etc in the trunk)
Check for leaks in the engine compartment
Check for leaks under the car


Check knock offs (experience with almost losing a wheel on the Ferrari) or wheel nuts.
Check tire pressures (Countach rear tyres can be almost flat and look inflated)

Always check the fire extiguisher is in the car. (last time a rag managed to fall on the exhaust and caught on fire during the idle...in the Countach!) Lucky I simply didn't drive off after starting the car. Smoke coming out of the engine cover is hard to notice when driving a Countach!