Hello all, I just acquired my ‘03 360 a few weeks ago, and have put a little over 1000 miles on it by now. While cleaning the engine bay the other day, I noticed an area on the frame (engine brace?) under the throttle bodies that had some dried drips and moisture on it. I cleaned it off, as well as the hoses that run to and from the oil supply above the frame, and went for a drive. When I got back, the drips had returned, and upon closer inspection with a mirror and a flashlight, the weeping seems to be coming from the tubes connecting the throttle bodies to the intake manifold. I attached a couple pictures below. My question is, could this be any type of blow by / PCV system as in other cars I’ve had? The oil is not currently overfilled, and the car has been serviced for the last several years at a very reputable Ferrari specialist, so I’m not concerned that they overfilled it under their care, but I can’t vouch for any shops before that time. I haven’t yet pulled any of the tubes or MAF, as I don’t have replacement band clamps on hand, and I don’t want to remove the existing ones if I can’t re-secure them properly after inspecting/cleaning. Thoughts? Thank you, Jeremy Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
it's possible that overtime that rubber got brittle and the band cut into it which would expose it to leaks. the rubber coupler is available for sale separately and I've had to replace this recently as well. I used a rolled edge worm clamp and that was a mistake. I overtightened it and it cut through the rubber. Stick with the Oetiker clamp here.
Even if that were indeed the case, what fluid would actually be leaking out of that boot? Obviously, a throttle body is only supposed to move air. What should I be looking for here? A PCV issue? An oil supply / blow-by issue? Not sure where to start the troubleshooting…
Blow-by very common in air-cooled P-cars, not sure about these. Get the right rubber and clamp replacements and take a look inside would be my suggestion.
As far as I know, the OEM clamps are unobtainium right now from any source. A similar, adjustable ear clamp is available but it is not the oem clamp. I've been very successful removing the clamps using an awl (pointy) tool. Since these connections aren't pressure fittings, reusing the clamp is ok. Tightening the clamps (use the ear clamp tool) may stop the seepage. If the clamps are really loose, you may be able to pull the throttle body right off the intake without touching the clamps. If the connector has been removed and a new clamp used, they may not have crimped it tight so they could get it off later without destroying the clamp. If you want to inspect the manifold for overfilling, the TB can be taken off without removing the clamp. Four bolts and the vent tube hold the TB to the manifold connector. The oil seeping out of the connector kind of indicates an overfilling in the past.
That’s the plan. Heading to my local supply house tomorrow to pick up all the associated band clamps and pliers involves in the R&R of the MAF’s, throttle bodies and connector tubes. While I’m in there, does anyone know the best product to clean any and all associated electronics inside the throttle body? MAF cleaner, contact cleaner, regular old throttle body cleaner? Still, and most importantly, what could that fluid be, and where could it be coming from, if not an oil overfill situation? Thanks again!
My local supply House does actually have a full and complete selection of Oetiker clamps. While they don’t have the exact 95 for the throttlebody to intake tube, for example, they have the 94.5, which has a range of above and below 95, for example. so it may not be the exact OEM decimal points, but the range will fit each of the different connection sizes appropriately. And do you have any theories on what the seepage actually is?
That's great! Buy 50 of them and resell them here. I'll take eight right now. My guess: It's engine oil from the breather tube that attaches to the throttle body.
My guess is the same as yours. Question is: is that considered normal in these cars, or a cause for concern and investigation into root causes?
Where you able to solve this? I’m having the same issue but only from the passenger side. Where both of your throttle bodies leaking? Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
My passenger side was worse than the drivers. I could spin the boot by hand with the original clamp in place. I just removed, cleaned, and installed the new clamp so it was tight and couldn’t spin. There’s some dried film around the driver boot, but not an active drip, so I never replaced that one, but I did buy it in case I decided to replace it. As to the “why”, apparently it’s normal?
So weird, i’m installing some oil catch cans on mine, have you thought about doing the same? Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
I have thought about it, and while researching it, I got some various and strongly voiced opinions from either camps, like everything else on the internet. I ultimately decided to skip it because I couldn’t reach my own conclusion about which side of the debate was right
