Testarossa engine removal step by step

Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login I have been a member on here since 1999 when I first saw fchat online using dial up. There were many members that helped me out a bunch back then but I never really contributed much. So now I’m going to do a complete detailed step by step with photos of engine removal. I have never done this before in this car even though I own this car for 20 years. It’s had 3 services done. Once when the rear blew out in 2001. Once in 2007 when I couldn’t figure out why engine was running crappy. (It turned out to be coolant temperature switch) and last in 2012 when it was modified my Norwood’s. I have a custom EFI managed by motec and the car has a custom exhaust. I believe it’s a Borla exhaust. So except for a few changes the procedure should be the same for the most part.

What started out as a blown coolant hose has now turned out to be a full major service. I was going to do it next year but oh well. Things happen for a reason I guess. My hose that goes from coolant tank to thermostat housing blew and car overheated. I ended up changing hose and when I went to bleed system the bleeder on the drivers side coolant pipe completely unthreaded the inside of the pipe. I have no idea how or what was holding it together in the first place. Anyways I can’t pull out that pipe with taking apart some major components so at this point —-yank the motor. I’m using a 2 post lift to make this job simple. I’ve changed timing belt on my 355 twice so far so I’m hoping it’s not too much different. If anyone has any tips or pointers along the way please feel free to chime in. It’s a learning experience. I’ve checked and searched old threads and I haven’t found anything in this procedure.
A little history in the car. I bought the car is 1999 with 12000 miles. For a while I was using it as a daily driver. Now it has 46000 miles on it. It is far from a cream puff but I don’t really care cause I love driving it.
Unfortunately I’m doing all this through my iPhone so I hope this works out. Can you imagine when I bought this car star tac flip phones were the rage and the last old school Ferrari (to me anyway) the 355 was just finishing production. How time flies. I like to work at a slow pace so everyone please have patience with me. I will post progress as I go along. I was in the process of rebuilding my 308 when this happened. Priorities. The testarossa can’t wait.

 

Ok first things first. Disconnect battery. I disconnected the positive cable.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Next up a lot people ask where to put jack to lift up car. In the front I used the jacking points where you lift car up to change tires. And in the rear I put the jacks right where the subframe attaches to the frame.
Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Phew that was hard work. Time for a break and a dip in the pool with the puppy
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

For today’s goals I wanted to take the bumper off and the exhaust. Took me like 2 hours. Most of that time spent was looking for tools cause I have them all scattered about cause I am too lazy to put them together. But I will now cause too much time lost looking for sockets it drove me nuts.
First up you need to remove lower valence before you get to bumper. It’s held by 14 10mm screws. I hope photos show all the screws. Taking photos is definitely not one of my strong points. There are 14 in total . 2 are connected to the rear quarter panel. You get to these from under car with an extension. And two are are at the lower wheel housing. Those are really simple to get to. If you don’t want to remove tire just use a 10mm wrench.
Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

The other two screws can be reached from next to tailpipe opening and the other screws hold the vent cover grill (don’t know what’s it’s called) to the frame. With all those screws out make sure you have someone helping you hold it so valence don’t fall or get bent out of shape while you’re unscrewing. Here are photos of those other bolts
Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

With valence out of the way now you can remove rear bumper. Remember bumper is heavy again have someone help hold while you unbolt. This is pretty straight forward. There are 12 17mm bits that hold bumper I’m place. 6 in each side.
Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Also before you remove bumper make sure you disconnect wire for license plate lamps. It’s on the passenger side and it’s a quick disconnect. Mine are yellow and black. With that bumper comes out. Just pull it towards rear of car.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Next up is exhaust. This is where things get different. I have a borla exhaust that is cat delete. The mounting is the same area but there are not cars now and for the life of me I can’t remember how it even looked like before to help you. Anyways from headers there are 2 13mm bolts with nuts on each header so 8 in total. Mine were rusted so wd40 did wonders. I’m gonna get new stainless bolts cause no point in putting these back. Also included photo without bumper and valance.
Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Next up I need to remove the air intake tray so I can get to exhaust from top. It’s held down by 4 10mm nuts. Just unbolt and move tray out of the way. There are two 17mm spring loaded holding the exhaust in place. Mine are a bit rusty. I’m gonna sand blast and clean as I go along.
Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

With those two 17mm spring loaded bolts out of the way exhaust system comes out from below. My donut gaskets look good still that connect to header downpipes so I’ll just reuse. And last this is how car looks without rear bumper and exhaust. That is all I got through today. Tomorrow I’ll tackle emptying fluids and we will see what else. Don’t have a plan yet.
Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Also found oil leaking from distributor seal as well as vacuum seal. I’m gonna tackle those when motor is out of car. Passengers side not as bad as drivers side.
Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I have the shop manual and it doesn't say anything about how to remove engine. Or is there another manual I don't know about. Unless I am missing something and not seeing it. Page checklist or even a guide would help a lot. This is manual I have
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Ok so today I put in a couple more hours. Brings total to five hours so far. I started with the rear window surround grill. It’s held in place by 4 10mm nuts. 2 are off the the curved side of window and the other two are directly in front of the Intake. One on each side. Take those nuts out and lift grill out of the way. It makes the front of the engine that much more accessible. I hope you can see in photos clearly.
Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Then I went u see car and loosened up the 17mm drain plug on the oil pump to empty the oil out. You also have to drain the oil tank and you get that from the bottom as well. That drain plug is a 22mm.
Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Drain all the oil in a catch pan or whatever suitable container. Just remember there are like 12 quarts of oil or so.

After that I drained the radiators. There is a 14mm drain plug on each radiator. You get to those from underneath. Crack the drain open and let it drip out because I took out a drain plug completely and I ended up taking a shower with coolant. It shoots out far.
Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Next up I disconnected the brake line going to the rear distributor. It’s 11mm. Use a brake line wrench as to not strip or round out connector. Mine was on there a bit tight. Once you disconnect it let brake fluid drain into a container. This is what I used to catch all coolant and whatever fluids I drain.
Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

while I’m letting those drain I attacked the oil cooler lines from the oil coolers that connect to front of motor. The lower hose is bigger than the upper one. I used an 2in adjustable pipe wrench to undo those connections cause I don’t have anything bigger than a 1 1/8 wrench and those are way too small. It takes a hard tug at first to break seal but after that you can unloosen with just fingers. Remember oil is going to come out of those pipes as well so be ready.
Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

While everything is draining I started taking other little things apart. The air hoses that cool the breaks. There is a clamp that holds it to radiator or fan housing. Then there are 2 10mm nuts on each side that hold the hoses to frame. You don’t have to take those out but I did. They can stay with the motor. Just have to unloosen clamp and break free from housing in front.
Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Last photo didn’t come up. So what you’re looking for are those 2 10mm nuts by shocks that hold up the brake cooler

 

Next on the driver side frame rail there is this big red plug. That is a connector that goes from battery to starter. When you unplug that check for any corrosion for that has been the culprit of many starter problem if not clean and corrosion free
Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Next up I tackled the emergency brake connector. There are two 13mm nuts that adjust the e-brake. Unloosen those so the cable slackens then use needle nose pliers to unhook spring to e-brake cable pulley. Then undo the 13mm completely and separate the 2 cables.
Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Remember there is no order I’m doing this at. I’m just seeing what needs to be disconnected and then disconnecting as I go along. Next I lowered the car again and started taking care of things from the top. All this while brake fluid oil and coolant is still draining.
I started by unhooking the coil plug from coil. I have msd on my car but the process is still the same. The coils stay with the frame. Remember one on each side.
Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login