Ferrari Mailing List: Re: Stinky Question Update

[RANDYJEANE (RANDYJEANE]

Hi Doug,
 
When I think I know what I am doing is when I get in trouble. I  consider 
myself a car guy, but the finer points of tuning, adjusting  carbs, and other 
technical things have never been my area of expertise. I  am assuming the 
timing 
is retarded. The distributor is now a single on  the inside head with 
electronic sensor. I believe the micro  switch is hooked up and functioning. I 
don't 
want to give up my 15-18 mpg on  regular. Maybe next week I'll try a different 
brand of gas.
 
Here is a professional opinion from my mechanic in Dallas: "Does it have  
long crank times to restart after the smell??  Could be the carbs are  
"perking" 
from engine heat. Try opening up the engine cover to release  heat.  That is 
one of the reasons manufacturers went to fuel injection,  with the advent of 
emission requirements.  Carb cars tend to fume after  shutdown and its next to 
impossible to stop.  We might need to hook up some  vacuum lines to the 
charcoal canister which might help, but that setup on that  car is real 
primitive.

Check the rear trunk area floor immediately after  a run and make sure the 
insulation between the trunk floor and the exhaust isn't  smoking hot also.  
Seen that in the past. Should be a couple of shields  between the exhaust and 
the 
floor with some insulation between the last shield  and the floor.

Also since the shields on the headers have some melted  spots in them, could 
be insulation burning smell from them as  well."

My answer: "The car starts right up with a couple of gas peddle pumps when  
it is cold. At idle when cold it does smoke a little, but not when warmed up. 
No  change in oil level that I can tell and oil is clean. It has to crank for 
maybe  5-7 seconds before starting warm. The inside trunk floor wasn't hot at 
all. The  temperature gauge has not gone over 185 and is usually 1/8' to 1/4' 
below it. I  tried opening the engine cover after my run tonight. After 15 
minutes a little  odor. About an hour later there was some smell, but not as 
bad 
as it was. I'll  check the shields under the car this weekend."
 
Thanks for the help,
 
Randy
 
In a message dated 6/5/2007 9:43:08 A.M. Central Daylight Time,  dnt [at] 
dock.net 
writes:

Hello  Randy - well, from your credentials it would sure seem you are a car 
guy  and know your stuff.  The tuning for regular - just retarding the  
timing?  Does the car still have two ignition systems?  Does it  still have 
the little micro switch on the right hand rear carb?  Is  it still hooked up?

On the timing - Marelli does some neat tricks that  are not confined to just 
emptying our wallets.  For instance - inside  each dizzy are two sets of 
points - one for idle and one for  regular.  Then, on top of that, there are 
two plastic (one?) collar  the points rest on at idle.  The plastic tends to 
away - ergo so does  your base timing.  As such, I might switch to premium 
and enjoy the  (choke) 10 or 12 mpg.

Keep us posted.

DOUG
78 GTS  too


 



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