Ferrari Mailing List: Mondial QV wrenching

[Rick Lindsay (rolindsay]

Hello Folks,

   I thought I would post a few pictures of the ongoing Mondial work.  Last 
weekend I got some quality garage time with the car.  I removed the exhaust 
that I had installed the weekend before.  The rattle was bothering me and the 
muffler didn't align just right because I reused the old exhaust flange donuts. 
 They were too compressed.

  With the muffler removed I did the obligatory start-up with the muffler off.  
That timid little Mondial sure sounds aggressive with open pipes!  While 
listening and looking for sources of pipe rattle, I noticed a little puddle of 
liquid accumulating in front of the right-rear wheel well.  I was prompted to 
an immediate shut-down to investigate further.

   Yep, it was a fuel leak, fortunately found with the car on the jack stands.  
It turned out the be a leak between the pipe fitting on the fuel pump and the 
fuel pump body.  I loosened the fuel pipe a tiny bit, just enough to tighten 
the pipe fitting and re-crush the copper washer.  I then tightened the pipe 
onto the fitting.  Remember, the (almost) full fuel pressure was on the line!

   After tightening everything and cleaning up, Nancy turned on the key and I 
verified that everything was clean and dry.  Disaster averted.  No leaks.

   I then reinstalled the exhaust with new donut gaskets and using washers at 
the mount points, aligned the muffler correctly.  It now hangs straight with no 
stress applied to the header pipe extensions.  BTW, 2-1/8" ID generic exhaust 
donuts, available at O'Reilly's work just fine.  

   Upon start-up the pipe-against-frame noise was gone.  I also realized that 
some of the rattle that I heard is actually IN the muffler and that it 
diminishes as the muffler heats up.  Aside from cutting it open and searching 
for broken welds, I don't know what to do.  This is a stainless steel factory 
exhaust from a EuroSpec car and its in otherwise, great shape.  Superformance 
has a beautiful aftermarket exhaust for my car but its over $1000 (delivered).  
I can put up with a little cold-running rattle.

   That's about it for the prose.  Here are some pictures.  Some are repeats.

   Here's the newly installed exhaust,
http://www.aubard.us/Mondial/HPIM1421.JPG

   Here's a look through the right-hand wheel well with the inner liner 
removed, before I cleaned up the oil mess, 
http://www.aubard.us/Mondial/HPIM1423.JPG

   Here's the fuel pump and accumulator.  The leak was at the fuel pump (left) 
outlet.  The accumulator is on the right,
http://www.aubard.us/Mondial/HPIM1428.JPG

   Here's perhaps a better view,
http://www.aubard.us/Mondial/HPIM1432.JPG

   Here's a view from the other side.  The clutch is right behind that oblong 
package containing the 'drop gears',
http://www.aubard.us/Mondial/HPIM1433.JPG

   On the bulkhead, behind the inner fender well on the left-hand side are the 
twin Magneti Marelli DigiPlex ignition modules.  The 308 engine, used in the 
Mondial, has two independent ignitions, one for each bank of the V8.  Arranged 
this way, the total amount of power available is doubled.  Ferrari ignitions 
are well known for their 'arc welder' status,
http://www.aubard.us/Mondial/HPIM1434.JPG

   Some of that previous tesxt was copied from a note I sent earlier to the 
Triumph TR3 list.

Regards,

Rick