Classic Ferrari 365-GTC4 Restoration – Part 13

Ferrari Gearbox

The 5 speed gearbox on the 365 GTC/4 was built by Ferrari and was not a bought in unit. Each box has its own unique number:

Having rebuilt the engine, it seemed sensible to have the gearbox stripped and inspected, especially as 2ndgear was sometimes difficult to engage. Not knowing who to approach, I spoke with various contacts in the classic car field but without a great deal of success. 

One day I was driving to work on the M6 and decided to call at my engine rebuilder, Headshop UK in Warrington, and ask John if he could recommend a gearbox specialist. John told me that I needed to contact Young Paul at Selector Gearbox Center in Liverpool, John further added that Young Paul has been involved in the industry all his life and was trained by his father Old Paul who still owns and works in the business.  A meeting was arranged at Selector’s facility in Speke, Liverpool. The gearbox workshop area is small but is a hive of specialist activity. A Miura gearbox was being completed and I was pleased to have found a local workshop that ticked my boxes. 

The gearbox was duly delivered to Speke with the only condition that any fasteners required needed to be supplied by www.thomassmithfasteners.com   

Unlike most classic rebuild activities, Selector was able to start within a month which was a bonus.

The next visit was to view the stripped-down box and Young Paul produced a list of parts that are needed, see below, but this was not detailed enough. 

It was explained that more detail was needed to purchase the parts and that the 365 GTC 4 parts manual was required as it details all the unique part numbers that were used in the build process in 1971

TAV 23 details the parts used on the second gear shaft.

Some gears showed excessive wear and had to be replaced .

The identification process was not difficult but many of the original Ferrari part numbers have been superseded and it was challenging to detect the new numbers.

Once all the parts were sourced, the gearbox was rebuilt and is now stored waiting to be fitted into the car.

Classic Ferrari 365-GTC4 Restoration – Part 8

This classic car restoration project is proving to be slower and more challenging than anticipated! Our last report hoped that work would start in early 2014, but at last in summer 2015 the engine restoration is starting to gather pace.

The image below shows the engine block with the original Ferrari identification numbers – F101 AC 001 number 00174.

365-gtc4-engine-number-00174

A new set of pistons were received from JE Pistons in the USA and replacement valves also arrived in Autumn 2014.

v12 engine pistons for classic car restoration

The engine has been thoroughly examined and cleaned, the piston liners machined and little other damage was found.

ferrari v12 pistons

ferrari crankshaft v12

A few of the engine studs showed thread damage, and as Thomas Smith Fasteners is a leading manufacturer and supplier of both metric and imperial fastenings to the classic and historic car industry, we were easily able to manufacture the replacements in Grade 10.9 material (with M8 x 1mm pitch one end and M8 x 1.25mm pitch the other) on our CNC machining centre.

v12 engine studs cnc machined grade 10.9

ferrari v12 engine studs 10.9 classic car

The studs have recently been delivered to John at Headshop (UK) in nearby Warrington. These studs will be used in the rebuilding of the short engine using the gaskets that have been supplied by Maranello classic parts.

v12 engine gasket set

Here are links to previous posts in this series:

Part 7 – Engine stripped down, diagnosis

Part 6 -Bodywork, oil & water issues

Part 5 – Replacement door sills and exhaust

Part 4 – Alternator, driving on the roads

Part 3 – Engine, front wing, braking system, MOT

Part 2 – Car history

Part 1 – Introduction

Classic Ferrari 365 GTC/4 Restoration part 6

ferrari 365 gtc/4 restoration

The plan for 2013 was to replace the boot lid and start to make good the bodywork. Contact was made with HMG paints in Manchester who analysed some of the paint from the car in their laboratory and mixed an exact copy mix which they supplied in both a touch up canister and in a tin suitable for spraying.

The summer of 2013 turned into a nightmare. The car started to use water and soon it was noticed that the oil and water were getting mixed.

ferrari 365 restoration oil & water mix

Little compression on the cylinders, the future looked bleak. The mechanic said that it must be the head gaskets but wouldn’t predict which bank was involved. Other sages said that it could be the combined oil/water pump or the head gaskets or a cracked block.

Ferrari-Oil-Water-Mix

A decision was taken to take out the engine, rebuild as required and fit a new clutch at the same time. My mechanic was already committed for the following year but he kindly put me in the direction of a Ferrari and race preparation garage in Holmes Chapel who directed me to a specialist classic repair place nearby. When first visiting there, they were finishing off a full restoration on a 365 2+2.

 

Here are links to the articles in this series:

 

Part 6 -Bodywork, oil & water issues

Part 5 – Replacement door sills and exhaust

Part 4 – Alternator, driving on the roads

Part 3 – Engine, front wing, braking system, MOT

Part 2 – Car history

Part 1 – Introduction

Classic Ferrari 365 GTC/4 Restoration part 5

2012 started in an optimistic way. The rotten off side door sill was cut out and replaced with heavy gauge material.

ferrari 365 gtc/4 replacement door sill

The exhaust system had been modified in the 80’s when it developed holes in the silencers. To shorten the pipework and the cost, the steel outlet pipes were re-sited to exit beneath the doors.

ferrari 365 gtc/4 side exhaust

They worked well but left a gaping hole to the rear which looked odd as the bodywork was designed to accept the double banks of twin pipes from the V12.

ferrari 365 gtc/4 restoration

Contact was made with another owner of a RHD 365 GTC/4 at the tremendous Silverstone Classic event where he was showing his excellent condition blue car on the Ferrari owners stand. He told me that he had a stainless steel exhaust which was surplus to requirements which fitted easily onto my car. Although the previous design was quirky and unique it was not as Ferrari intended!!

ferrari 365 gtc/4 stainless steel exhaust

The new system is great!

Here are links to the articles in this series:

Part 6 – Bodywork, oil & water issues

Part 5 – Replacement door sills and exhaust

Part 4 – Alternator, driving on the roads

Part 3 – Engine, front wing, braking system, MOT

Part 2 – Car history

Part 1 – Introduction