More Procedures/Tips
Water Pump:
You can get a rebuilt water pump from Peninsula parts (BAP-Geon) for about $275 plus core charge of $100-$150. Way cheaper than $750 or so for a unit from Ferrari. Changing the pump is relatively easy. Access is from the right rear fender well. Just remove the tire and fender liner. I did this 2 years ago and it took about 2 hours to remove and 2 hours to reinstall.
Also, as an option, Ferrari has a rebuild kit for less than $100.
R&R Exhaust Headers:
Think I might have a crack in the exhaust header on my rear bank. How difficult is it to R&R the exhaust manifolds with the engine in the car. Would like information on both front and rear. Possible; Possible, but difficult; pull the engine?
I had to R&R my front header on my 84 308 gts a few months ago. It required the removal of the right rear tire, fender liner and right fuel tank. A few other hoses and heat shields as well. After these parts were out of the way the header came out toward the right through the open wheel well. It was also cracked and required welding. The rear header was welded by the previous owner. I suspect that this is a rather common item. I spent a long afternoon doing this. (about 6 hours) (You will need every universal socket and crooked wrench in your toolbox and skinny arms too!)
Hard to say on a GT4, but on my 308, all the exhaust can be removed with the engine in the car. You must remove the alternator, the water hose on that side and perhaps the forward cam cover to get out the forward headers. To remove the rear headers, you need to remove the muffler, any crossover pipes, the parking brake pivot assembly. I would assess it as medium to medium-difficult task, 12 hours minimum for both for a first timer.
Starter Motor:
The starter motor on my 308 has been acting up lately..... The starter spins but does not engage the engine. After a couple of tries it finally engages. This has been happening more frequently. Can anyone give me some insites on what the problem could be? Bendix type spring going bad? When the starter does engage, it turns over the motor just fine, ... and the battery is new... Are there rebuild kits or rebuild starters available? Cost? Suggestions of where to purchase? Is it a pretty simple DIY job? I've put starters in other cars but never a 308. Thanks for your help!
Sounds like the starter itself might could use a rebuild. The symptoms you describe are that of a solenoid failure. This exact thing happened on mine right after I bought it. I took the starter out and took it to a starter/alternator rebuild shop. It cost something like $70 to rebuild and that was for everything, including a new finish.
The starter is not too hard to remove. This is a brief account of how to do it, but it's been years since I've done it with the engine in the car but here goes:
1) Disconnect the battery (IMPORTANT)
2) Disconnect the wires going to the starter, this includes the battery main and one or two smaller wires.
3) Remove the nut/bolt at the rear of the starter holding it to the block.
4) Remove the three (I think) bolts from the front of starter, holding it into the clutch bell housing.
5) Somehow the starter can be manipulated out around the headers, you may have to remove the oil vapor separator.
I probably missed a few things, like removing the left wheel and wheel well liner, but this is the general procedure.
If it's the Bosch starter, just take it and have it rebuilt. If they ask, tell 'em it's from an Alfa or Fiat.
Brakes:
My car seems to intermittently loose its power brakes. If I'm traveling down a long hill were I'm gently on the brakes all the way down, the pedal resistance gradually get higher and higher, as if I've lost all the power assist. The problem can also occur if I pump the brakes several times in rapid succession. The problem is worse with the engine at idle so I'm assuming it's a vacuum problem. The engine runs and idles fine so it can't be much of a vacuum leak of that is in fact the problem. I suspect the power booster diaphragm but don't really know how to go about trouble shooting it. Any suggestions or thoughts?
I'm not a brake booster expert, so I'm not going to be able to offer any lengthy help. There is one thing that I would check and it's fairly easy to do so. Locate the booster hose going from the manifold to the booster. It's a braided cloth looking hose. Somewhere between the manifold and where it disappears behind the gas tank/wheel well there is a check valve. I'd remove the check valve and make sure it's clean, happy and not prone to being "sticky". The one on my car is totally made of metal, so it's safe to clean in gas or something similar. Reinstall it and if you have access to a vacuum source (a hand pump works good), apply vacuum to the booster hose only and then see if you can determine if there is any leakage between the check valve and the booster. Check the hose clamp conditions at all points, including at the booster.
Maybe run the engine at check the idle speed. Disconnect the booster hose and plug the hole on the manifold. Does the engine idle significantly different?
I suppose it's possible to rig up a vacuum gauge and check for leaks at various points and then check right at the booster inlet. This seems clunky. Any better ideas?