[j brosseau]

before i go out into the cold garage and state messing with the 308 where does one drain the old fluid from? i am used to chevys with a foot or two of radiator hose from the engine to the radiator. this has what, 10-12 feet of hose from the radiator to the motor. so where would one look to drain the old fluid from. and what kind do you guys recommend filling it with? will dexcool work(orange). i know i probly need a phosfate free coolant. thanks for the help.

 

['75 308 GT4 (Peter)]

Joe, there are two drains, one at the bottom of the rad and another on the block (should be just above and to the side of the differential).

Yes, it also helps to loosen some of the hose clamps and drain some by the cooling PIPES (There's actually only 3 feet of 40mm dia radiator hose for the entire car. Just 4" long pieces joing the assorted pipes together).

You should also drain the heater system as well. Disconnect the sending hose from the rear cylinder head and the return hose from one of the pipes at the front of the car (underneath). Blow out if necessary to get rid of all in the system (keep the heater valve open!).

I'm not too convinced with this "magic" coolant. I run a 50/50 mix of regular antifreeze and DISTILLED water. Change often (every two years at most) and you shouldn't have problems with deposit build-up. Be patient, my GT4 required almost 24 liters of the coolant mix to fill the system (12L antifreeze/12L water)!

 

[j brosseau]

thanks, may try and tackle that tomarrow as long as the weather holds up.

 

[Dane]

Joe,

Has your car been sitting this winter? If so, does this mean you're ready to go again? I hope so!

Forza,

Dane

 

[j brosseau]

not sitting alot. i put about 50 miles or so on it this past saturday. it was a great day for a drive. took her out on some nice winding roads and really flogged her good. this is one of the best handling cars i have ever driven. puts my RX-7 to shame. my RX will kill the 308 in a drag race but the old gal 308 can turn on rails.

 

[mick dipple]

changing fluid

Hi Peter,read what you said about draining the coolent,Being that I have a verry limerted amount of automotive skills,Could I not just open the plug from the bottom of the rad and then buy one of thoses things that goes on the exspansion tank to keep it under pressure while flushing with the water hose..OR am I a complete basket case.Also while doing a oil change is there a copper washer or something that fits around the oil drain plug that I need to replace.Also how much oil is going to come out of the motor,is it about 9 quarts.My car now has gtx 20/50 oil ,Should I change to synthetic oil.Thankyou Mick ha: P.S. Off to Moroso in 4 weeks, After going on the track for a while Ill do all the fluids when I return..

 

['75 308 GT4 (Peter)]

I suppose there's no harm in using some pressure to assist in removal of the coolant, as long as it doesn't exceed the rating on the rad cap (12-15 psi).

Yes, there is a copper gasket for all of the drain plugs in the drivetrain. They can be re-used up to a point (by annealing the copper, ie: heating to cherry red and cooling off [either naturally, or by quenching in water]), but they're inexpensive to replace (buy a bunch at a time through the usual Ferrari suppliers)... Check your owner's manual for quantities (I think you're correct, about 9 quarts) and as for oil, you can try synthetic (but do expect leaks around seals with that, not at a serious rate, but nonetheless. Due to some incompatibility with the rubber of the seal and the oil. I use sythetic despite that, since the oil provides better protection of metal parts and oil drips are easy to clean off the garage floor). If you've kept track with consumption levels (and this will be listed too in the manual) and it seems to run fine with the GTX, you may continue to use that...

 

[mick dipple]

cleaning old coolent

Peter,As the block is made from allummium will that mean i should not use tap water to flush my system,,How about them cleaning products that you add to system and drive for a few hours,then drain..Also buy undoing the rad plug and putting a hose in the exspansion tank,would I then run the hose and the motor together.Would this clean the system out completley or am I missing something .P.S. When should the thermastat be changed..P.P.S Today I am haveing my timming belts changed for peice of mind $675.00 U.S. Plus the materail cost of the tensionners.. ha:

 

['75 308 GT4 (Peter)]

Mick, you may use tap water to flush the system, but use distilled water with the antifreeze mixture after the cleaning/flushing. The various cleaners available will work fine with aluminum-based engines. Just read the directions first to confirm.

If your car hasn't overheated and you've been paying attention to the water-temp gauge (to see that its been performing normally), there's no need to change the thermostat.

"...Also buy undoing the rad plug and putting a hose in the exspansion tank,would I then run the hose and the motor together...". Sorry, I don't understand.

$675 is very cheap for a belt change. Are they just replacing the belts? Whenever the belts are changed, cam timing needs to be verified and the cam covers need to come off for this. This is why belt jobs are normally more expensive than what you quoted.

 

[F355 Challenge]

The tensioners should be changed too along with the cam belts, Mick.

 

[mick dipple]

Belts

For $675 they will install new belts and tenninsioners ,Ihave to pay the cost of the tenninsions, ops , fogive my spelling . I realey would think that he would reset the timming of the belts.Im takeing the car to the same place the last owner took the car for the past 3 years..Getting back to the coolent thing,If I put the hoes in one end of the system,i.e. exspansion tank and turn the hose on,while undoing the bottom plug on the radeator, and then crank the motor up will this methord flush out the whole system..Hopefully this makes better sence,Mick..

 

['75 308 GT4 (Peter)]

Mick, I see no need to run the motor, but if that's what the directions on the bottle of rad-flush say to do...