My car sounds like a Cement mixer!

Cement mixer = cam drive bearings.

 

Can either of you elaborate on "cement mixer"?

 

Sadly if I am correct they will have to be changed....

Have a look, I can be wrong!

Other candidates:
Air conditioning compressor
Alternator
Water pumps

Alternators normally ignite the dash light when they fail, and I have had water pumps go to siezure with out much noise.....

 

"rocks in a bucket" sound.....

 

Got it -- thanks.

 

How about timing belt tensioner bearing?

 

If it's Cam drive bearings don't run it more then you need to.
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That would have been my guess too - also a lot less hassell to replace

If you are really lucky, it will be the ac tensioner, then the water pump.

Don't drive it any more - if it is the drive or tensioner bearing, a failure could hose the engine.

good luck,
chris

 

A failing tensioner bearing "squeels", the balls are not big enough to "rattle"......

That would be happy news though, if so.......

 

There is also a bearing inside the AC Clutch that could be an problem.
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Do they have A/C in England???

 

Whew! That's good news!

I was definately afraid for you, what's the mileage on this one??

You may want to check a pulley isn't rubbing on a coolant pipe or something....best of luck on "Summer"!!!!

 

Scariest sound I recall from an engine was a water pump giving up the ghost.

 

I agree, the water pump makes the cement mixer noise also.

 

That....and then there was the time my universal joint broke on my drive shaft on an MGB...upon acceleration!. This made a noise from the tunnel, which was right next to my hip, that almost made me give up the ghost! A great memory!

 

Mine was making a chattering sound and it turned out to be the cam drive pulley as Big Tex said. I could see it through the wheel well. It was a failed bearing and it tore up the oil seal behind it so there was some leaking oil when the engine warmed up. Fortunately the timing belt did not slip or I would have really hated life. I had just had the timing belts
replaced 3 months prior so it could have been bad luck or an over-tensioned belt. $1800 to
fix and that included new belts again along with the pulley, bearing, and oil seal. Definitely do not drive or run the engine. Good luck!

 

That looks painfully familiar.

 

Think that was an OPTION on most Euros, wasn't it? Like the right hand mirror was on a Porsche or Mercedes in Germany. Not sure about the mirrors on Ferrari's in Italy.

 

Anthony, try removing the AC pump belt and running the engine - see if it sounds the same. The later 308/mondial AC pump belt has some plastic cordage embedded in it and this breaks down over time and can make a heck of a noise - sounds like all the cam tensioner bearings are rattling and about to seize. I know this potential "fix" sounds a bit hokey, but it's worth checking.

 

It may look a little familiar....
Well I'm happy to say I didn't have to do the work this time, this was done by Verell and John Wise back in '04, you can follow the thread here, it's a good read....and should prove to be very insightful on the method used to tackle the repair. I personaly think if your in there replace all 4 drive bearings and have piece of mind. http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28437

Please let us know what it turns out to be and share what you can, a video with sound would be great. I wonder if Cam Drive Bearing issues are more common on QV's just a thought.

I purchased my car a Euro QV also, from the PO in Vegas 2 month ago, amazing car, Euro QV’s are the best 308s in my opinion, just look at the numbers..I do wish sometimes they had carbs though.

Performance Comparisons
Model 0-30 0-60 1/4 mile Top Speed
308 GTB Euro 2.3 6.5 17.0 154
308 GTS Euro 2.5 6.6 16.6 150
308 GTB US 3.1 7.9 21.1 140
308 GTS US 2.3 7.3 19.8 145
308 GTBi US 2.5 7.6 22.6 140
308 GTSi US 2.9 7.9 22.1 140
308 GTBi QV-Euro 2.1 5.7 14.3 154.5
308 GTSi QV-US 2.3 7.4 18.5 144

 

Mine sounded like a diesel truck & it was 1K miles after the major. The noise came out of nowhere when starting it one morning. I had it flat-bedded to a Ferrari shop. $1800???? I LIKE your mechanic. Mine was over $4K and the mechanic groused when I asked him to do it with engine in. My thread is in the archives somewhere.