Oil Leaks and Wheel Bearings



9/20/13
Oil leaks and Wheel Bearings

365GT 2+2

Mark’s Platinum Award winning 365GT 2+2 is back at our shop. Even though Mark won an award at the FCA National Event this Summer, he has one more elusive achievement to chase, and that’s Cavallino. I warned Mark that there are no guarantees in life, and consistency is sometimes not easily found when it comes to Ferrari Club Judging, but I would always do my best to ready a car for a big show!
chain tensioner

One issue we needed to address before we continued on the cosmetic details of the car was to fix an oil leak. Mark drove his Queen Mother over 2500 miles this summer, and a small oil leak turned into a large one that was emanating from the timing chain tensioner.
o-ring

Replacing the gasket and seals required removing the tensioner and getting at this o-ring inside the tensioner. Removal and re installation was more complicated than it seemed since the valve covers had to come off to check chain timing as the tensioner was removed. Skipping a tooth on the chain could have caused major problems if we weren’t careful.
sway bar link

While I was under the car cleaning up all the oil, I noticed the bushing on the sway bar drop link had worn out, putting things out of alignment. The front brake pads were also worn out, so the necessary parts were ordered. When I pulled the pads to ready for the replacements I found one of the front hubs grumbling a little bit as it was spun. Knowing the amount of mileage Mark drives this car, it was smart to replace the front bearings.
parking brake

Mark also asked me to fix the parking brakes and when I pulled the pads, it was pretty obvious these pads were well worn!
bearings

It must be the season for wheel bearings because the front wheel bearings for Michael’s 330 America arrived in the mail. A couple of replacement parts were ordered along with a new felt dust seal to complete the assembly. The Ferrari 250 through most 330 cars have special ball bearing assemblies for their front wheels, but Mark’s 365GT 2+2 has tapered roller bearings with corresponding races. Each have their special way of being assembled, but both are messy greasy jobs. I rarely have photos of this process because my hands are covered in grease as I put it all together!

Just a Reminder about the October 5th Event at American Dry Stripping. I’ll be there showing the work to be done on a 330GTC. You don’t get many chances to see a Vintage Ferrari before they’re all shiny and done, so come on down! E-mail me and I’ll get you on the list!

On October 5th, 2013, I will be at American Dry Stripping: http://www.americandrystripping.com/ demonstrating some of the work they can do when stripping a car with media blasting. The event is from 11-3pm and the address is:

80 Wampus Ln 
Milford, CT 06460

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