Showing posts with label maintenance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label maintenance. Show all posts
Thursday, August 2, 2018
Sunday, July 8, 2018
Maintenance : flaky distributor capacitor.
Remember this blog:
http://erwin400.blogspot.com/2018/05/engine-playing-up-weber-carburettor.html
Well, it turned out this didn't cure it after all (nevertheless worthwhile to check though). Despite I had run a few tests up and down the highway without any issue the problem is back again. The week after I had done this I drove my car to have the valuation report redone for the Insurance company. Only just a few miles away it started to play up again just as before. Sigh!
By now it was also time to get the bi-yearly MOT done. Plus it did require a proper 10k maintenance check up to be done. I have driven a problem free 10k kilometers untill this nasty issue popped up out of the blue. Initially Stefan, the mechanic, stopped doing any activity as he's planning to move out of the Netherlands. But since this turned out to be more problematic as anticipated he's staying a little longer and as such could plan in limited additional work. So I consider myself Lucky as he could look into this issue and also perform the 10k maintenance interval which does include the valve check/adjustment and distribution chain check/adjustment (if needed) and the fluids, filters, etc.
He suspected an ignition issue which makes more sense. As he has got the required test equipment he easily could check out the distributor. And it became apparent it was problematic indeed, see for yourself:
And a small video on how it should be:
I was being told these type of distributors tend to be problematic due to some internal timing mechanics being used. He's quite experienced with this matter and had given up to get this fixed. The best solution was to get it rebuild electronically. On further checking it appeared there was more going on with my distributor. Internally there was some fireworks going on:
The root cause turned out to be a flaky capacitor - Sigh!
So I had to look up the correct type and model used. This particular item was not listed in the part manual.
But further checking online revealed it was the following: Magneti Marelli CE29T part nr 56181116 and 0,25 uF. It's been used on many Ferrari's (likely other Italian brands as well). And for the records, the distributor is a Magneti Marelli S138C
Since Stefan had done already many electronic conversions he did happen to have a good capacitor on stock of the right type. Also the contact points got replaced and all was tested fine. Additional a test run was performed and no more hiccups were experienced. Phew!
I'm glad it did not require an electronic conversion as I like to keep car Original as much as possible and besides it's a very costly swap.
http://erwin400.blogspot.com/2018/05/engine-playing-up-weber-carburettor.html
Well, it turned out this didn't cure it after all (nevertheless worthwhile to check though). Despite I had run a few tests up and down the highway without any issue the problem is back again. The week after I had done this I drove my car to have the valuation report redone for the Insurance company. Only just a few miles away it started to play up again just as before. Sigh!
By now it was also time to get the bi-yearly MOT done. Plus it did require a proper 10k maintenance check up to be done. I have driven a problem free 10k kilometers untill this nasty issue popped up out of the blue. Initially Stefan, the mechanic, stopped doing any activity as he's planning to move out of the Netherlands. But since this turned out to be more problematic as anticipated he's staying a little longer and as such could plan in limited additional work. So I consider myself Lucky as he could look into this issue and also perform the 10k maintenance interval which does include the valve check/adjustment and distribution chain check/adjustment (if needed) and the fluids, filters, etc.
He suspected an ignition issue which makes more sense. As he has got the required test equipment he easily could check out the distributor. And it became apparent it was problematic indeed, see for yourself:
And a small video on how it should be:
The root cause turned out to be a flaky capacitor - Sigh!
So I had to look up the correct type and model used. This particular item was not listed in the part manual.
But further checking online revealed it was the following: Magneti Marelli CE29T part nr 56181116 and 0,25 uF. It's been used on many Ferrari's (likely other Italian brands as well). And for the records, the distributor is a Magneti Marelli S138C
Since Stefan had done already many electronic conversions he did happen to have a good capacitor on stock of the right type. Also the contact points got replaced and all was tested fine. Additional a test run was performed and no more hiccups were experienced. Phew!
I'm glad it did not require an electronic conversion as I like to keep car Original as much as possible and besides it's a very costly swap.
Sunday, May 6, 2018
Engine playing up - Weber Carburettor tipo 38DC0E110
I still had this outstanding issue which I encountered last year when I took the car out for picking up a set of wheels. At that small trip the engine was playing up occassionly. I was unsure regarding the exact cause as it came out of the blue. Prior to this I had droven the car long distance across Europe and parked it afterwards in good condition. Except for the leakage as stated in this blog: http://erwin400.blogspot.nl/2018/01/gas-leak-repair.html
As yesterday I mounted the refurbished wheels and the weather was nice I had another occassion to make a little test trip. Clearly the leakage was fixed but the engine playing up was still there. It manifested mostly when driving above 100 km/h but sometimes also at slower speeds. Still the engine runs so nice and smooth. I suspected the carburettors potentially needs tweaking or got dirty somehow. So afterwards I parked the car in the garage and had another look under the bonnet. Visually all looked good. So I just checked the large wing screw on the carburettors. And one of them was very loose, so I tighten it up. And also firmly tighten the other ones. I could not bother to get the car out again. And since I was around today I had time to check. So I took it out for another test drive. And guess what? It's fixed! I guess it sucked extra air via this "leak" when speeding and as such the gas mixture is off-set.
So todays top tip for 400 carb owners. If your engine is stalling / holding up at higher speeds, check the wing screws on top of your Webers.
As yesterday I mounted the refurbished wheels and the weather was nice I had another occassion to make a little test trip. Clearly the leakage was fixed but the engine playing up was still there. It manifested mostly when driving above 100 km/h but sometimes also at slower speeds. Still the engine runs so nice and smooth. I suspected the carburettors potentially needs tweaking or got dirty somehow. So afterwards I parked the car in the garage and had another look under the bonnet. Visually all looked good. So I just checked the large wing screw on the carburettors. And one of them was very loose, so I tighten it up. And also firmly tighten the other ones. I could not bother to get the car out again. And since I was around today I had time to check. So I took it out for another test drive. And guess what? It's fixed! I guess it sucked extra air via this "leak" when speeding and as such the gas mixture is off-set.
So todays top tip for 400 carb owners. If your engine is stalling / holding up at higher speeds, check the wing screws on top of your Webers.
Saturday, May 5, 2018
Refurbished wheels
Last year I bought a spare set of 400 wheels, as per blog:
http://erwin400.blogspot.nl/2017/11/ferrari-400-cromodora-wheels-rims-15-x.html
But I sold them. Which I shortly afterwards regretted though. Chances are slim I will come across a good set again. A few weeks ago I made a random check on an online auction website and by sheer luck a complete set of 5 was offered for a decent price. Needless to say I won the auction.
The wheels did require to be refurbished. So I looked up a specialist company who could take care of this job.
And the set of Michelin XWX which I had already on stock.
The rimms got powdercoated and this is what they look like when finished
Turns out they were made in 1979, which is perfect as my car is build in 1979
And the air valve, stamped Michelin Italy 1446
To be complete I purchased a new set of hub caps:
On to the garage to get the new tyres mounted:
To get the tyres fitted a special air gun (bazooka) was required
And presto:
Balancing:
And ready to be fitted
Before
Michelin XWX vs Pirelli P4000
After
And another step closer to perfection ...
http://erwin400.blogspot.nl/2017/11/ferrari-400-cromodora-wheels-rims-15-x.html
But I sold them. Which I shortly afterwards regretted though. Chances are slim I will come across a good set again. A few weeks ago I made a random check on an online auction website and by sheer luck a complete set of 5 was offered for a decent price. Needless to say I won the auction.
The wheels did require to be refurbished. So I looked up a specialist company who could take care of this job.
And the set of Michelin XWX which I had already on stock.
The rimms got powdercoated and this is what they look like when finished
And the air valve, stamped Michelin Italy 1446
To be complete I purchased a new set of hub caps:
To get the tyres fitted a special air gun (bazooka) was required
And presto:
Balancing:
And ready to be fitted
Before
Michelin XWX vs Pirelli P4000
After
And another step closer to perfection ...
Saturday, January 27, 2018
Gas leak repair
This was something I should have repaired way earlier. I'm not sure when it manifested exactly but at a cold start the car was occassionly leaking a few drops of gas at the back. It surely became worse which I noticed last year on my trip abroad. I already suspected something wrong with the return gas fuelline or such since it only happened when it was running cold. On my last little trip in November when I collected a set of rims the car was also playing up a little when driving. It was the first time I didn't feel exactly comfortable. So finally time today to look into the leaking. Unfortunately I still don't have a proper car lift so I had to use a jack to inspect underneath the car.
Then just running the fuel pump a few times and yes the leaking started. When checking I could see indeed the return fuel line, actual the last piece which is the rubber hose with clothing, became soaking wet.
And the gas drops found it's way via the chassis tube exactly above the exhaust tube. Nice. I guess I must have been a bit Lucky here. So time to get it replaced for a new one. Well, after almost 40 years it wouldn't do any harm. It was a bit of a fiddly job but doable. So here the dismantled hose:
Bought a new piece for € 6,- and had it replaced. In the boot I had to remove the clothing to reach the upper part of the tank hose where the return gate goes into.
Turning on the fuel pump a few times and presto no more fuel leaking. Started up the car after being unused for a few months and it almost ran in one go. Nice! Love the sound of it, it ran very well. I'm not sure how much effect this leakage on the fuel return line might had. I would expect little to none. But I sense on my last trip it must have caused the small hiccup / performance drop when driving.
Just had another look into the old hose and removed the clothing. And it came quickly apparent the rubber was aged and broken
Although the weather was very good today I didn't take it out on a test drive. Besides officially I'm not allowed to use it on the road either due to Dutch roadtax reasons. So I have to wait for the 1st of March.
Then just running the fuel pump a few times and yes the leaking started. When checking I could see indeed the return fuel line, actual the last piece which is the rubber hose with clothing, became soaking wet.
And the gas drops found it's way via the chassis tube exactly above the exhaust tube. Nice. I guess I must have been a bit Lucky here. So time to get it replaced for a new one. Well, after almost 40 years it wouldn't do any harm. It was a bit of a fiddly job but doable. So here the dismantled hose:
Bought a new piece for € 6,- and had it replaced. In the boot I had to remove the clothing to reach the upper part of the tank hose where the return gate goes into.
Turning on the fuel pump a few times and presto no more fuel leaking. Started up the car after being unused for a few months and it almost ran in one go. Nice! Love the sound of it, it ran very well. I'm not sure how much effect this leakage on the fuel return line might had. I would expect little to none. But I sense on my last trip it must have caused the small hiccup / performance drop when driving.
Just had another look into the old hose and removed the clothing. And it came quickly apparent the rubber was aged and broken
Although the weather was very good today I didn't take it out on a test drive. Besides officially I'm not allowed to use it on the road either due to Dutch roadtax reasons. So I have to wait for the 1st of March.
Thursday, July 21, 2016
Oil change interval advice from Ask Rob About Cars
The shop where I have my car serviced has been urging me to change my oil in my 2013 Mustang GT California Special more often. I've owned this vehicle since May 2012 and have 11K miles on it. Since I don't have time to drive it much I change the oil once a year since Ford recommends every 10K. The question is should I change it more often or is once a year with synthetic oil okay? Thank you, Russell in San Jose
Answer: Russell, modern engine oils and engine technology allow for the 10,000 mile oil change intervals. Keep in mind the manufacturer also offers a powertrain warranty for up to 100,000 miles so a 10k oil change interval is not harmful under “normal” conditions.
If your trips allow the engine to fully warm up and the oil temperature to get over 200 degrees regularly to evaporate moisture, you’re probably just fine. Keep in mind the manual says to start the engine every 15 days and allow it to reach normal operating temperature.
Ford puts particular emphasis on their oil life monitor stating a the oil change must be done within two weeks or 500 miles of the ENGINE OIL CHANGE DUE or OIL CHANGE message. Should the monitor be accidentally reset or inoperative, Ford states to change the oil at six months or 5000 miles and never exceed one year or 10,000 miles between oil changes. More extreme use as described in your manual will require more frequent changes and the readout should reflect this.
If you want laboratory data to compare, I highly recommend Blackstone Labs for a $28 oil analysis www.blackstone-labs.com. What would be interesting is how the oil life display readout correlates to the vehicle miles and the lab analysis.
Answer: Russell, modern engine oils and engine technology allow for the 10,000 mile oil change intervals. Keep in mind the manufacturer also offers a powertrain warranty for up to 100,000 miles so a 10k oil change interval is not harmful under “normal” conditions.
If your trips allow the engine to fully warm up and the oil temperature to get over 200 degrees regularly to evaporate moisture, you’re probably just fine. Keep in mind the manual says to start the engine every 15 days and allow it to reach normal operating temperature.
Ford puts particular emphasis on their oil life monitor stating a the oil change must be done within two weeks or 500 miles of the ENGINE OIL CHANGE DUE or OIL CHANGE message. Should the monitor be accidentally reset or inoperative, Ford states to change the oil at six months or 5000 miles and never exceed one year or 10,000 miles between oil changes. More extreme use as described in your manual will require more frequent changes and the readout should reflect this.
If you want laboratory data to compare, I highly recommend Blackstone Labs for a $28 oil analysis www.blackstone-labs.com. What would be interesting is how the oil life display readout correlates to the vehicle miles and the lab analysis.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Why, An Oil Change?
Automotive Maintenance - Why, An Oil Change?
The OnStar program notifies, an email tells, a light or buzzer sounds...What do you have to do now? Why do all of these things keep telling you to do maintenance on your vehicle?
Why all the questions...What is the answer.
There are different opinions shared about why notifications are sent out. Truth is you need them.
Vehicles
The OnStar program notifies, an email tells, a light or buzzer sounds...What do you have to do now? Why do all of these things keep telling you to do maintenance on your vehicle?
Why all the questions...What is the answer.
There are different opinions shared about why notifications are sent out. Truth is you need them.
Vehicles