How many times have the threads been pulled/stripped out of Ferrai sumps and oil tanks....?? Here's a photo of a 288GTO sump hole that I cleaned about 5mm of green fur off before, draining the oil. The green fur and corrosion pitting is due to the reaction of steel plug, copper washer and alloy sump, and oxygen of course. Using aluminium washers dramatically reduces this problem. Luckily here, the thread survived, but it's just lucky...... Image Unavailable, Please Login
Any idea of how long a time interval it was between the plugs' removal ? My plug area showed absolutely no sign of any fur or pitting with the same elements when changed at least yearly. Also the oil draining in pic looks pretty darn clean for 'used' oil. Is this coming from a very little used garage queen type car ?
Absolutely! Car had sat around for 3 years since last oil change, where I suspect the old copper washer was also re-used.
I am using fiber washers, do you think they are OK Phil? I started when my sump stripped. I wish I knew about timeserts back then. I like the fiber as i dont want to strip the threads and they let you tighten them down with some leeway. I did find one semi loose this last change, but I think becuase it was a new washer after they get saturated they seem to tighten the best.
The shame it that Ferrari uses such a short threaded drain plug, usually not more than about three treads on it, and after many years of use and over tightening, the threads get pulled, streched, distorted (what ever you want to call it) and becomes very difficult to screw in. And there are a lot of threads in the hole that you are screwing the plug into. When I run into this, I will get a generic replacement drain plug of the same size and thread pitch that has at least twice the amount of threads on it. This makes for a very secure and confident seal. I have never had or seen an issue with corrision around a seal ring but either type should work fine. What I hate about the 288 is the oil tank drain being the oil temp sensor. Those tapered threads will eventually be trouble.
I don't hate anything about 288! How could you!! But yes, the tapered plug thread for the tank seems a strange engineering practice for a sump plug/temp sender. But it's not like a 288 does big mileage usually. I think it might only be the 5th or 6th service the car has had that I just did. I dont like fibre washers. Even though they can be generally used in most places with no ill effects. But on this point... I've got a fire damaged 308 in at the moment that had the inlet filter plug fall out one carburettor on targa tasmania this year.... fibre washer came loose and plug fell out. Fuel spills into alternator and WOOSH!! So, Robert, Fibre washers are not for me, but it's your call.
