[carguy]

Doing my 3rd engine out service on a TR and thought I'd post some pics if I can. Normally I have the rear wheels/tires mounted so I can roll the whole drivetrain out the back. But when jacking the car up, using a floor jack on each side, one of them wouldn't go high enough. So I had to resort to plan B and set the drivetrain on a dolly and remove the wheels/tires to get the whole package low enough to clear the rear cross member. I'm getting better at this job but it's still not easy. The water hoses at the front of the motor are a huge pain in the butt, and the shock tower nuts are hard to get to. I left the AC compressor on the motor until I seperated everything, and then unmounted it from the engine and tied it up out of the way. This way I don't have to break open the AC system, capture the freon, and pay to have the system recharged later. I plan on doing a total nuts and bolts restoration of the engine bay. Fun fun fun....!

 

[Dr. Bob]

It is nice every time I see somebody doing their own work on their car. Aspecially engine outs

 

[Boxer]

I am very impressed. Please keep posting pictures as you progress.

 

[Andrew]

carguy,

That sounds like a fun project. Can you post a photo of the engine bay before you update and replace all the screws? It would be great to then see the progress after the project is done.

 

[Magnum6464]

Doing my 3rd engine out service on a TR and thought I'd post some pics if I can.

Just one word to say.....impressive

Your dedication to working on your own beast is truly is a wonderful thing to see!!!!!!!!
If you can post pictures as you go along it would be greatly appreciated because im still deciding between a 348 or a TR and im sure everyone here would love to learn the challenges and accomplishments your encountering throughout the whole process.

~

 

[carguy]

Thank You Guys....I appreciate your encouragement. The previous owner washed the engine with some kind of caustic cleaner and every plated or plain steel part is rusted and corroded. It even affected some of the bolt heads. As I was removing a bolt from the left upper intake plenum the allen head just rounded. Luckily I was able to drill through until the head popped off....pic attached. I eventually removed the entire CIS fuel system as a whole unit. It took a bit of time to get everything clear, but as you can see the whole works can be removed as one unit. Pretty tired now and I think I'm done for the day.

 

[jungathart]

carguy,
You are now one of my heroes!

btw, and seriously, would you mind if I ever bugged you for some TR help??

 

[carguy]

LOL....catching my breath....and....LOL again !!

Jungathart: Thank You for the high praise.....I don't deserve it though...but there are several other guys out there who are truly worthy, and they have always helped me in a pinch. (David F., Steve M., JRV, John B., Phil H., Bill B.....you may not know these fellows....but they are MY heroes)

I spend the whole day yesterday scrubbing and cleaning the engine/trans assembly. Used gallons of simple green, and some Kerosene too. I wore out about 5 wire brushes along with my fingers....and still the darn thing isn't spotless. If all goes right today, I will be checking valve clearances, changing the cam belts and tensioners, and maybe refinishing the cam covers. More pics on the way.....

 

[Boxer]

It sounds like your heroes have an enormous amount of Ferrari knowledge we would all benefit from. Any chance you can bring a few of them over here ?

 

[Magnum6464]

LOL....catching my breath....and....LOL again !!

Jungathart: Thank You for the high praise.....I don't deserve it though...but there are several other guys out there who are truly worthy, and they have always helped me in a pinch. (David F., Steve M., JRV, John B., Phil H., Bill B.....you may not know these fellows....but they are MY heroes)

I spend the whole day yesterday scrubbing and cleaning the engine/trans assembly. Used gallons of simple green, and some Kerosene too. I wore out about 5 wire brushes along with my fingers....and still the darn thing isn't spotless. If all goes right today, I will be checking valve clearances, changing the cam belts and tensioners, and maybe refinishing the cam covers. More pics on the way.....

Like Boxer said, bring some of those folks here so you can share the glory !!! hahaha!!! You can judge a man by how he takes care of his automobile, You wore out 5 wire brushes along with my fingers….the man loves his car….

Keep the pics coming, your inspiration to others will go a long way as well as bragging rights !!!!

By the way, I found Sunlight liquid soap for dishes the best out there for cleaning gunk and grease. I use 3 soap-1 water mix ratio and apply it with a paintbrush, let sit for about 10 mins then scrub with a brush and periodically dip my brush in water as im cleaning….fantastic and cheap to buy…..

~

 

[carguy]

I finished cleaning up the block and heads today. And I also glass beaded the cam covers and I will paint and bake them tomorrow, had to order the red crinkle paint as nobody had it in stock. The shade of red will be a bit darker than factory so I'm going to "fog on" a light dusting of brighter red over the top of the crinkle. I've also included a pic of the wire harness...or should I say nervous system. I'm making headway but it's slow going.

 

[Magnum6464]

I've also included a pic of the wire harness...or should I say nervous system. I'm making headway but it's slow going.

Great pictures...very nice work on the covers ! The harness doesn’t look too complicated, actually looks pretty simple compared to some I’ve seen. What year is your TR by the way ?

Keep those pics coming…kind of encouraging to know most of us could venture into this…or me at least.

~

 

[carguy]

Hello Magnum 6464, my TR is a 1989, Grigio Metallic with Tan interior.

Well this morning I masked off all the mounting surfaces, ends, and backsides of the cam covers. Then using the VHT crinkle paint I put on 3 very heavy, near running, coats about 8 to 10 minutes apart. Then after about 7 or 8 minutes I suspended the cam covers over my little shop furnace to apply heat. After about 7 or 8 minutes the crinkle started developing....neat to watch! While the cam covers were suspended I carefully peeled off all the masking tape, etc. The covers must dry for about 3 days, and then I will apply a fog coat of the proper red, and hope for the best. Applying this crinkle paint is almost an art form....not as easy as it would seem.

 

[Andrew]

This is fabulous! Where did you get the new cam cover? Let us know how it comes out after the second coat of red. My guess is that once it is in the engine bay and gets a bit dirty few could tell the color was off, but then again I guess you'll know and that is the real problem.

 

[Magnum6464]

Hello Magnum 6464, my TR is a 1989, Grigio Metallic with Tan interior.

The covers must dry for about 3 days, and then I will apply a fog coat of the proper red, and hope for the best. Applying this crinkle paint is almost an art form....not as easy as it would seem.

Never seen a Grigio with Tan…always black, always thought Tan would be pretty cool. It's nice to know there are some out there.

Just curious, if drying for 3 days…do you need to cover it up to prevent dust from latching on ?

Never heard of crinkle paint before, where did you get it ? and where did you find out how to apply it ??? Sorry if it’s a dumb question…

~

 

[carguy]

Crinkle paint is made by VHT and I think also Plastikote. Over the years I've used it where needed, like Hemi valve covers, and obviously Ferrari cam covers. Instructions are on the can as to how to apply it, but it's still not that easy....sometimes you have to strip everything down and do it all over again.


Yesterday I checked valve clearances, all within spec thank goodness. Then I cranked the motor to Top Dead Center, and verified this by checking the builder's marks on the cams and retaining caps....everything lined up perfectly. I then locked everything in place. Then I mark all sprockets and the timing belts in several locations. Then remove the old belts, and transfer the marks to the new belts yet to be installed. When the new belts are installed the marks MUST line up to the marks on the sprockets or I've done something wrong. Some say this is not necessary to do but I feel you just can't be too careful during this operation. I also installed new tensioner bearings. Sorry for some of the crappy pics....I'm just not good at taking pictures.

 

[Magnum6464]

I love the pics your providing……Are you using a shop manual or just going by memory from your last engine out ?

If your using a shop manual which one are you using ?

In some of your pictures, I see some sort of plastic guides/locks ? where did you buy then ?

~

 

[carguy]

Hi Magnum 6464: I'm pretty much going by memory now, not too bad. But I do refere to the shop manual occasionally. I bought a cheapie reprint off ebay a few years ago, but it is decent except for the electrical schematics and stuff. The original manuals had different colors rather than just black and white, to help differentiate complex layouts, etc.

The wedges for locking the cams...well....I carved them out of a solid nylon block a few years back. They seem to work well, but you do have to be careful not to overtighten them when locking down the cams.

This morning I have been working on removing the old fuel injectors, cleaning up everything, and then installing new fuel injectors, along with refinishing the intake plenums and runners. I also bead blasted the coolant expansion tank for refinishing. And the last pic is the air pump system and it's plumbing. This crap will not be going back on the motor, I will be making up some block-off plates for the heads in a day or two. And the story continues...

 

[Magnum6464]

By the way, you can call me Mario !
Keep the pictures coming…great information…I wish you were my neighbor, I would be wrenching with you and get the wife to keep us going with coffee !

The wedges for locking the cams...well....I carved them out of a solid nylon block a few years back. They seem to work well, but you do have to be careful not to overtighten them when locking down the cams.

You made your own with nylon blocks…..smart ! Never played with nylon, would they crack if you ever tight them ?

This morning I have been working on removing the old fuel injectors, cleaning up everything, and then installing new fuel injectors,

How much did the injectors set you back…not your average 12 pack !!!

The last pic is the air pump system and it's plumbing. This crap will not be going back on the motor, I will be making up some block-off plates for the heads in a day or two.

Your removing the air pump, do you have oxygen sensors and cats ? To my knowledge, wont the sensors get flaky with your idle/power/fuel consumption as well as overheat the cats ???

If you do have cats, I have another question, are you removing it to remove an extra belt from the engine to increase power ? I was thinking an electric pump would also work as a replacement, in the event of high temp to the cats, do you think it could be a solution ? or are you removing it because it’s getting old and not worth replacing and worry about that later ?

By the way, im not criticizing why your doing it, im trying to understand the advantages and educate myself a little more on Ferrari engines

~

 

[carguy]

Hi Mario...I'll try and answer your questions....

I doubt the nylon wedges I made would crack, but they might distort if you really really really cranked on them!

As for the injectors yes they are expensive. The original ones in the motor are steel and subject to corrosion over time. The new injectors are made of brass and I think there have been some improvements internally too. I purchased these injectors off ebay from a guy in the UK. I think the final price, including shipping, ends up at about $29 per injector. Very cheap! I don't expect to find a deal like that again. I think the normal price is around $42 each or so.

As for the TR air pump, it only operates from start-up till the engine is warm. Then it's disengaged. It's job is to pump air into the exhaust during warm-up and help burn off gases while the engine is running a bit rich. I don't like all the ugly plumbing and hardware....so off it goes. And it will take off about 15 pounds from the car, and TRs need all the weight reduction they can get! So the pump has no effect on normal running emissions, only during the warm-up phase.

As for exhaust systems, I'll be putting on a Borla system eventually. I'll try and find a pic of it. I bought a used and abused system, and spent lots of time fixing it up. It has a nice sound to it on the car.