Ferrari 400 seat runner advise please | FerrariChat
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Ferrari 400 seat runner advise please

Discussion in '365 GT4 2+2/400/412' started by rustytractor, Mar 25, 2012.

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  1. rustytractor

    rustytractor Formula 3

    Mar 25, 2012
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    Russell Schacter
    #1 rustytractor, Mar 25, 2012
    I know it sounds like an odd request but does anyone know how many ball bearings there are supposed to be on each side of a 400 seat runner ?

    I recently bought a low mileage 1978 400 auto which is in lovely original condition but has a few silly issues, one of which is the seat runners. At some point these must have taken off and stripped down but were reassembled without any grease so the ball bearings run back and forth under acceleration and braking. The passenger side then decided to systematically dump all the ball bearings on the carpet and then fall apart - which was nice!

    I've now reassembled it but could only find 14 bearings in total, 7 for each side of the runner which doesn't seem enough. I've now bought more bearings but don't want to load too many per side as it will affect seat movement. Can anyone advise?


    Also need an ashtray if anyone has one knocking around. Thanks.
     
  2. tr0768

    tr0768 Formula Junior

    Oct 28, 2008
    736
    Lake Stevens Washington
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    Howard Musolf
    #2 tr0768, Mar 27, 2012
    I did remove my seats a couple of years ago and most of the track balls were under the seat. It seems that if the seat is slammed back and forth the track opens up and the balls will leak out. I refitted the inner and outer track mechanism and added all new balls from my local bearing supply. I found the outer track was spread and that allowed the balls to fall out.

    I also added a modest amount of white lubriplate to hold everything in place as I assembled each track. I am sorry to not remember how many balls I bought but metric balls are reaidly avalible.

    Howard Musolf
    1981 308gtsi
    1982 400i Cabriolet
    1988 Lotus Esprit Turbo
    1920's -30's Spint Cars
    2 many brass cars
     
  3. Ashman

    Ashman Three Time F1 World Champ
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    #3 Ashman, Mar 28, 2012
    Howard, do you remember if it was obvious when the track became filled when you loaded the ball bearings?
     
  4. rustytractor

    rustytractor Formula 3

    Mar 25, 2012
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    Russell Schacter
    #4 rustytractor, Mar 28, 2012
    I knew it was a daft question when I asked it, not many people would know how many there should be (unless they were a total lunatic) or remember how many they fitted if they'd had the same problem as I do but I thought it was worth asking. I thought about pinching the runner end in to stop the buggers coming out again but thought it best to wait until I fitted the extra bearings (which I now have).

    I can do a few "trial and error" fits but I'll try increasing the number to 15 on each side first and see how that works.

    Thanks anyway Howard
     
  5. tr0768

    tr0768 Formula Junior

    Oct 28, 2008
    736
    Lake Stevens Washington
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    Howard Musolf
    #5 tr0768, Mar 29, 2012
    I can't remember what I had for breakfast today and I have the same thing everyday!!!!! Now you want me to tell you how many balls, thats asking a lot of a old guy wiith way to much on his mind.

    After consulting a gypsy fortune teller down the road, and a sooth sayer up the road, I have a definitive answer for you. I have no idea.................

    As I remember the track was rather full on both sides. There was some room for movement front to rear for the balls in the track. My biggest issue was the spread track allowing the balls to leak out.

    It appeared that the seat had been slid all the way back and the driver pushed the seat back up against the track, bowing it outward. I was able to narrow the outside track and expand the inside track. I then fitted a bit larger metric ball and the clearance was just right. The oversize balls took up for the wear in the slide area.

    Thats my story and I'm sticking to it..........................

    Howard Musolf
    1981 308gtsi
    1982 400i Cabriolet
    1988 Lotus Esprit Turbo
    1920's-30s Sprint cars
    2 many brass era cars
     
  6. Ashman

    Ashman Three Time F1 World Champ
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    #6 Ashman, Mar 29, 2012
    I KNEW it! Ferrari 400 owners have oversized balls! :D
     
  7. rustytractor

    rustytractor Formula 3

    Mar 25, 2012
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    Russell Schacter
    #7 rustytractor, Mar 30, 2012
    Ashman, my balls may have been big enough to buy the car but they're now like my wallet - shrunken, empty and not worth getting out !
     
  8. rustytractor

    rustytractor Formula 3

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    #8 rustytractor, Mar 30, 2012
    Howard, thanks for the advice, my runners will probably be in the same condition as yours so I'll no doubt need to delicately modify them accordingly with a hammer and large vice!

    As for your larger than standard balls - that's just a little bit too much information.....
     
  9. Ashman

    Ashman Three Time F1 World Champ
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    #9 Ashman, Mar 30, 2012
    :)
     
  10. tr0768

    tr0768 Formula Junior

    Oct 28, 2008
    736
    Lake Stevens Washington
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    Howard Musolf
    #10 tr0768, Mar 30, 2012
    I was always told by the older guys, it ani't the size but how you use them that counts.

    Howard.
     
  11. rustytractor

    rustytractor Formula 3

    Mar 25, 2012
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    Russell Schacter
    #11 rustytractor, Apr 4, 2012
    That's why everyone with a 6 says its as good as an 8 or even a 12. Obviously i'm referring to cylinders....

    What else could I possibly mean ? Do you think I'm sick or something ?
     

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