Oil Rear GT330 Leaf Springs?

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tyang
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Re: Oil Rear GT330 Leaf Springs?

Post by tyang »

John Vardanian wrote:I guess one more thing... so, putting the flattened spring on its mounting points is one thing, but keeping it that way while you are connecting it to the axle tubes (with the four bolts) is another. I'd be interested in knowing how you do that part, Tom. I'll post a picture this weekend of how I managed.

john
Hi John,

The trick is you have to have everything lined up perfectly so as the spring compressor is in use, and the assembly is raised into position, the bolts slide through their respective holes and the nuts can be started. It's a combination of tapping, jacking, and compressing to get everything to line up. Cars with aluminum spacers require you to mark the position of the leaf spring bolt so it will line up with the hole in the spacer because once you get everything clamped together, you won't be able to see the alignment. I draw marks on the outside of the parts to make sure everything is going in the right way as you tweak everything in place.

Tom
'63 330 America #5053
John Vardanian
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Re: Oil Rear GT330 Leaf Springs?

Post by John Vardanian »

Thanks Tom, as I had the brake backing plates already installed, raising the square plate up into position was impossible. The only way the plate would fit in was by introducing it to the spring at a 45 degree angle, then shimmy it to horizontal position so it could be fastened in place. The brake shoe adjustment knobbs prevent the square plate from approaching the spring horizontally.

You might say to attach the springs then attach the brake back plates. This is another poison to itself as the eight nuts/bolts (or at least half of them) are extremely difficult to tighten, and impossible to torque, once the spring is attached. We live and we learn-- or is it we bleed and we learn?

john

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Image
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Re: Oil Rear GT330 Leaf Springs?

Post by John Vardanian »

As promissed, here's the trick I used for raising the square plate up to the spring. Note the gap between the two short pieces of lumber. This was to allow me to shimmy in the square plate up into position. Because of the two shoe adjustment knobs that are in the way (and cannot be bolted off the back plate), the plate has to be negotiated this way.

john

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tyang
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Re: Oil Rear GT330 Leaf Springs?

Post by tyang »

Hi John,

It looks like your locating arms are offset to the spring plate which is not the case with the GTEs and 330s. The bottom locating arm has to be removed so you can safely attach the compressing tool.

Yesterday, I had a bear of a time getting getting the locating arms place in one side. I ended up getting the spring compressor tool out again to nudge the bottom plate into a better position so I could get the locating arm bushing bolt to line up. I managed to get it all back together without getting hurt or cut!

Have I mentioned this is not a fun job?

Tom
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250GT
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Re: Oil Rear GT330 Leaf Springs?

Post by 250GT »

250GT wrote:John,
If made out of nylon or steel doesn't matter.
they fullfill the same purpose.
Metal "rondella" are correct for Ferrari EU,Bo,El, PF serie 1&2
Well I have never seen nylon side thrust washers on above org cars myself.
they probebly change it the mid-or early 60th.
They keep the rubber in the silent blocks together at torgue movements.

ciao
C.
I was a bit confused after Tom and Dycke conformed thast nylon spacers were place between silantblock and the shakle
But my memorie seams still intact
I checked the pre 1960 WSM for the rear.
But I cannot find them,
but are clearly visible at the GTE manual
see below.
I will check my stock to see if there are bigger and smaler shackles

C.
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GTE
GTE
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PRE 1960
PRE 1960
Unknown-1.jpeg (196.01 KiB) Viewed 11678 times
John Vardanian
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Re: Oil Rear GT330 Leaf Springs?

Post by John Vardanian »

Hi Tom, the radius arm fits are so exact that things need to be aligned just so or the bolt will not go thru. I found the lower arms fit easiest when the axle is lowered as low as possible and the upper ones just the opposite.

Cornelis, what you found out agrees with my finding. The PF had no plastic washers, rather tiny steel ones, as shown int he 508B drawing.

john
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DWR46
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Re: Oil Rear GT330 Leaf Springs?

Post by DWR46 »

My memory is fading in my old age, but I believe our 410 Superamerica, #1387 had the plastic washers. I do know that I did use new ones when we assembled the car. As to when the metal washers were replaced by the plastic ones, it would be a guess, as I am sure the factory waited until they had used up the stock of metal washers before they switched over entirely to the plastic. Also, they may have been interspersed for awhile.

A key to the date of parts being first used is contained in the part number itself. The "prefix" of the number will tell you what engine or chassis the part was designed for. The plastic washer numbers are 508E 600141 and 508D 51701. Therefore we know the first style chassis these washers were designed for. The metal washer has a part number (92997) with no prefix, thus indicating a "stock" part that had no specific chassis for which it was designed.
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Re: Oil Rear GT330 Leaf Springs?

Post by 330GT »

John Vardanian wrote:As promissed, here's the trick I used for raising the square plate up to the spring. Note the gap between the two short pieces of lumber. This was to allow me to shimmy in the square plate up into position. Because of the two shoe adjustment knobs that are in the way (and cannot be bolted off the back plate), the plate has to be negotiated this way.

john

Image
Along the same idea, here is a picture of a spring compressor from a 330 GT owner in Japan.
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Regards, Kerry
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Re: Oil Rear GT330 Leaf Springs?

Post by John Vardanian »

That is a really robust unit, it's a brick shithouse.
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250GT
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Re: Oil Rear GT330 Leaf Springs?

Post by 250GT »

John Vardanian wrote:That is a really robust unit, it's a brick shithouse.

I only know this slang/phrase in connection with women !
this means she has big breast.

"That girl is built like a brick shit house."

is that what you mean John?

C.
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tyang
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Re: Oil Rear GT330 Leaf Springs?

Post by tyang »

250GT wrote:
John Vardanian wrote:That is a really robust unit, it's a brick shithouse.

I only know this slang/phrase in connection with women !
this means she has big breast.

"That girl is built like a brick shit house."

is that what you mean John?

C.
Hi Cornelis,

Your comment made me laugh. Yes, in American slang, you are somewhat correct. As in the the "Commodores" song "Brickhouse," but a "brick shit house" can also mean "overbuilt and unnecessary, like a brick shit house!"

Tom
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Re: Oil Rear GT330 Leaf Springs?

Post by whturner »

Lubrication of rear leaf springs with liners (full length or just pads at the tips) should usually not be done with Grease (as with the old cars - not just British - which have the covered springs)
An alternative, which seems to work for me, it to use Motorcycle Chain Lubrication which deposits Graphite/Moly and the carrier evaporates leaving no greasy mess.
What I don't know is if the carrier for the Graphite/moly attacts the interleaf liners before it evaporates.
Anyone else try this?

Cheers
Warren
330 GT Series II sn 10069
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Re: Oil Rear GT330 Leaf Springs?

Post by John Vardanian »

Hi Warren, are you proposing to use graphite instead of the slippery plastic liners?

john
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whturner
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Re: Oil Rear GT330 Leaf Springs?

Post by whturner »

Hi John:

I am not sure if the Motorcycle Chain oil contains some graphite in addition to Moly' Sulfide. But it is very slippery stuff, and if it is compatible with the plastic liner, it seems pretty intriguing. You will notice almost all chassis grease these days contains "Moly". And Moly based products seem to have largely replace the former graphited oil libricants.
I have used it on leaf springs where there is no plastic interliner, like my '56 Ford F100. It is a dry lubricant, so no mess and is a soft grey color. Frankly I can't tell if it adds anything to a spring with intact plastic liners, but it does work where steel to steel contact is present. It would totally destroy the function of the old friction type shocks.
Since my car is not a show car, I can be a bit experimental.

Just a thought.

Cheers
Warren
330 GT Series II sn 10069
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