Talked to Capristo today and they will change the valve completely. They are sending me a new unit with UPS express and asked me to send the old unit back. Excellent service and very nice people to deal with
Would this fix a P1448 engine light code? Mine recently popped up, and from what I was told, this may be the issue. Car runs fine in any event.
You need more diagnosis that simply the code. Some of the things that could cause it: 1) Stuck valve 2) Detached or cut vacuum hose 3) Bad cat ECU 4) Bad thermo probe 5) Defective vacuum valve There may be other things too, don't simply replace the valve...that may not be your problem. The oem valve rarely fails outright...usually it simply rattles. I would more likely suspect a bad Cat ECU or thermo problem if the valve is functioning properly.
I emailed Nick at Nick's Forza Ferrari and he is going to get me the heat shield/heat sink, along with the updated diaphragm and send them to me next week. Though I have been using the Capristo valve for about 7k miles and 18 months with no issues, in the back of my mind, I am concerned of potential failure, since it has happened to one person here and the update now exists. Nick was very gracious and said no problem he would get the parts to me pronto.
6) Dirty connector to vacuum valve. This seems to be the cause of andmoz's P1448 problem last weekend. If you look up under the car behind the passenger side rear wheel, the first two electrical connectors that you see go to the two vacuum control valves. Disconnect them one at a time and clean them with a small wire brush, electrical cleaner, and an old toothbrush. Then spray with a can of compressed air, reconnect, clear the codes, and verify that it doesn't return.
Thank you all for the info. If it is a bad ECU or other problems that was noted, are those easy fix issues an idiot like myself can tackle? Or should they only be delt with by a professional? Any lift equipment needed? I have driven the car nearly 400 miles with the light on. I was told by a Ferrari mechanic its not a big deal. The car still runs like it should. No lag in performance, nor and type of smoke from the exhuast, etc. Please advise. Also, is there a guide (similiar to a compleete idiots guide to "Fill in blank") to working on these Ferrari's. specifically the F355?
No surprise...the rubber boots to all the connectors crack and crumble...and even when new, they do not fit tightly around the wires. I had new boots installed by the dealer during my major service and there was still water infiltrating the connection. It was running down the wire during a car wash or run in the rain, and would seep past the boot. New boots from Dave Helms solved the problem, his fit every snuggly around the wires! His are more robustly constructed and should hold up much better against the engine heat.
So, do you think I have anything to worry about? If the car has gone over 400 miles in Rain, and shine? With ofcourse the P1448 code coming up? The nearest Ferrari dealer is 250 miles from me. That is why I inquire about these things. Also, is it an easy fix for the mentally challenged auto mechanic (me)?
I've been "through" most of the Amp connectors on my car. They all have bad boots but the only connectors that had corrosion were the two for the vacuum valves. Definitely a place to keep an eye on. I always shoot them full of WD-40 before putting the connector back on.
The vacuum connectors are really easy to get to. No lift needed. Just lay on your back and look up just behind the passenger wheel well. You will see a metal plate with a couple small round vacuum valves with electrical connectors plugged into the sides of them. Press in on the clip and pull off the one of the connectors. Thoroughly clean the metal contacts in the connector and the valve with a small steel or brass brush. Use electrical cleaner as well. The make sure they are dry before reconnecting. Reset your codes with an OBDII reader and see if they come back when the car is running. If you need pictures, I can try to take some this weekend.
Yesterday I received the updated diaphragm and heat shield/heat sink from Nick and Nick's Forza Ferrari, he was very kind to inquire with Capristo about offering me the updated parts. Here are the pictures, notice the new heat sink now has some holes drilled in it on one side, to increase the heat transfer? Nick recommended to mount this with the holes facing forward, to the front of the car and away from the muffler box. My thought was to mount the holes facing to the right, away from the valve and pipe...probably shaving hairs and makes little difference.... Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I still have a concern about heat transfer from the pedestal the diaphragm and heat sink sit on. On the factory oem exhaust valve, there is a very thin material uses as insulation. While the heat can still transfer up through the three mounting bolts and the shaft, in consulting with "JH355" he suggested that any insulation would reduce the amount and speed of heat transfer to the diaphragm, which is a good thing. For this reason, I obtained some thin, asbestos impregnated rubber insulating sheet, used for high temp applications. I rather crudely cut it out with some scissors and a knife into the approximate dimensions I need, and will place this between the diaphragm and the heat sink. Any comments? Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Seems like a good idea to me IF it's a heat shield. And... it seems like it is a heat shield rather than a heat sink if the factory but an insulation sheet in there. Otherwise it should have been metal to metal. Not sure if the mounting bolts can be changed out or if they are already stainless steel. Stainless steel is a poorer conductor of heat than alu. or steel (although I think it also retains heat longer once hot). I have to say that it bothers me they added a heat shield to the original design and now are putting holes in it. Indicative of continuing problems?? Having said all that I would say the best you can do is to get rid of the upper cats. to reduce the temps. to start with. I wonder if, with no upper cats., it might be better to have no heat shield at all (a little more air flow around the main body and quicker cool down).
Looks, from your photos, that those are studs rather than bolts so I guess no changing them. Rubber and asbestos seem like an odd mix. I guess you'll find out if it will handle the heat No big deal really if it doesn't. Can you still get stuff with asbestos in it or is it some "old stock?"
Don't know, I picked it up from a gasket making shop....I told him it needed to resist 900 degrees F, and said this was no problem. Google says a match produces 600 to 800 degrees F, so I held two matches to it (one at a time) until each burned out and it did not melt or burn , I simply wiped off the soot. When I held a butane torch to it (2400 degrees F?) it of course burned...
JH355 suggests that since it is made of aluminum, he would suspect this is more of a heat sink, rather than heat shield. That is one reason I am putting the insulation material between the heat sink and the diaphragm, rather than between the heat sink and the pedestal mount. I don't want to inhibit the heat sink, the ability to draw off the heat from the valve, while at the same time, reducing the ability of the diaphragm from picking up/transferring heat from the valve. Drilling holes in it, also would seem to imply a heat sink, since it would not be blocking engine heat on one side, unless the purpose was to allow the "sink" to cool off more quickly through air going through it?
No idea, I hope is just part of their continuous improvement cycle. I have the very first original design, and have used it for 2 years and 7k miles, with absolutely no problems. I just wanted to update to the later style diaphragm and heat sink/shield as a precaution. Image Unavailable, Please Login
It's hard to say or analyze what Capristo are thinking. Could just be some hit or miss engineering on there part. I don't know how much air flow there would be, if any, going past the bypass valve. Putting holes in the "can" reduces surface area so I'm not sure it's a heat sink function. Adding area (as in fins on "proper" heat sinks would make more sense to me. A Challenge grille and no cats. are the best bet in my book (and a longer warranty on the valve
It does seem the Capristo blocks exhaust gases a bit more because of the stepped areas. Probably insignificant. Certainly can't hurt to keep it as cool as reasonably possible.
My thought on all this, is the heat is transfered from the valve body itself, through the pedestal mount...to the diaphragm. Not from radiant heat from the exhaust system to the diaphragm. Shielding might be effective in reducing heat to the diaphragm, but if the aluminum shield is functioning at a heat sink, that might make more sense. I agree, drilling holes reduces the reduces the surface area, but like drilling brake rotors, if there is some air movement, perhaps that is a useful trade off? I do know the factory valve had some insulating material (very thin) between the mount and the diaphragm. Obviously they were concerned with heat transfer to the diaphragm. I am not sure why Capristo omitted this feature, but cannot believe they are unaware of this.. I would like to put something there, on the off chance it indeed will help. I don't see much negative to doing so. I have not heard of the factory oem valve having diaphragm failures, I wonder why Capristo is not using the Pierburg diaphragm that Ferrari uses?
The factory diaphram failed on my by-pass valve ..... it was just a pure silicone membrane ......... I put together a new billet piece with a replaceable diaphragm. I use a fiber reinforced membrane now and it has yet to fail .
After my diaphram heat failed I cut a small section of graphite foil as an insulator between the diaphram and the body(0.50mm thick). We use graphite foil in our high temp furnaces(2000C+) that get a heck of a lot warmer than any section of a gas motor. Of course they are under vacuum.
