FrankenFerrari - V12 Ferrari 308

I have remained extremely lazy up until now but I figured I'd get the cams set and engine buttoned up tonight....then realized I pulled the timing cover with the engine at  #1 exhaust not TDC, so I had to pull the cams and spin them 180 degrees.  Then I couldn't get the the last timing chain sprocket on, a loop hiding somewhere in the chain, so cam back out so I could spin the engine safely, cams back in and sprockets on, ready for me time actually time the cams tomorrow. The goal is to have the engine at least sitting back in the car this weekend.

I'm told the ECU board design is final and we are now waiting for a few components with the first batch expected the end of march or early april.   My BMW ITB throttle actuator uses more power then normal ECU outputs handle so board guy is making me an external driver that is supposed to be plug and play and will also be sending me the ECU harness connector so I can get busy wiring it in. I am responsible to write a user manual, I'm about 2/3 through documenting what I see in the software and confirming how it works which should make the switchover pretty straight forward.....should.

We're using a chinese version of a 154pin bosch case/connector so it will at least look like a real ECU.  The final pinout has 35 analog inputs (7 are temperature capable), 18 fuel capable outputs and 12 spark capable outputs, , another 20 generic lowside outputs, 4 highside, a couple 1/2 bridges 8 hall sensor and 2 VR sensor intputs, 2 CAN  channels, pretty fast USB, internal SD card logging, accelerometer, 8 thermocouple inputs....I got most everything on the wish list I think.  Hopefully its everything I hope it will be.

Forget this part of the lazy was helping my son motorcycle shop.  2 weekend wasted with local options then fell apart only after me driving, then a couple weeks ago we did an after work/school thunder run down to Orlando then turn around and straight back for a 48 hour day.....but he was pretty excited with the result.  Now of course it's taking up room in my shop and time helping him sort a few things.  But its done and car work can now continue.

What engine computer is that (going to be)?

In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :

Its for the ferrari, the AEM/EL unit lost coil driver #1 so I need a replacement but I didn't want to fork out big bucks for a new one.....so like any normal person I got myself involved in an ECU startup company so I could get what I need at a modest price.  Website needs work but this is it

epicECU

In reply to mke :

Dang that's a pretty serious bike for a high school kid

In reply to AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) :

Yeah.....there was quite a lot of ..umm..discussion about that.  It is his money and in a couple months he doesn't need my signature anymore.  I told lana I could reprogram the throttle to make it slow and that was part of the approval, but I've not heard anymore about it 

Yesterday I got the engine ready to go back in

Today, I remembered I really needed to clean the oil out of the engine bay and the p-brake cable tube is in the way after I lowered the engine so the hood fits, , so not the car is a solid 3 oz lighter!

As I was cleaning I got thinking about the rear suspension and noticing how much easier it is to work on without the engine so I'm thinking I want to sort out the rear roll center now.  I was going to just offset the forks but I don't love that and I would need to remove or relocate a frame brace

My new plan is after dinner I'll pull the carriers and make plans to rework them to move the lower mount about an inch lower.  That will put the roll center at about 3.6" (stock is 3.5") and my plan for the front puts that at 4.0" (stock is3.0) and that should be a pretty good starting point so it won't need much sway bar wise. I truly do not understand what the factory was doing with the original tuning but this should help.  

I think I said before I'm pretty happy with the new 800/500 springs, I wouldn't want them any stiffer I do think but the car feels pretty good now.  Responsive, good.  Then moving the roll centers will get it cornering flatter.

I popped the second side apart and also popped out 1 of the old rubber bushings to start thinking about what I want to do for the new bushings.  I truly hate the design.

I'm leaning towards popping out the bushing supports and making new ones that hold spherical bearings.  

What I'm kind of struggling with is toe adjust.  the factory setup works by flexing the rubber bushes so I could leave rubber or urethane on the top arm mount...and maybe that is best so I know nothing will bind.  Or I need to make 1 or the top frame mounts adjustable....maybe put a rod end on the frame and the fork on the a-arm?  I could slot it?  I need to think about it.

In reply to mke :

Freaking Euro suspensions and their built-in deflection.  I ran across the same issue on my S6, it ate a set of urethane bushings on the rear lower control arms in no time flat.  Ended up going the cheap way and replacing them with a new set of rubber bushings.  It seems like you've only got one axis of rotation to worry about there, so the easiest solution would probably be slotted + eccentric washers.

The rubber wasn't the best for handling, but the S6 is a big fat station wagon with the motor way out in front of the rear axle, so that was never really in the cards.

mke said:

In reply to AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) :

Yeah.....there was quite a lot of ..umm..discussion about that.  It is his money and in a couple months he doesn't need my signature anymore.  I told lana I could reprogram the throttle to make it slow and that was part of the approval, but I've not heard anymore about it 

I won't belabor this but ... yikes.  That thing does mid-10 quarters @ ~140mph.  I wouldn't sell one to a kid unless he or she was a pro.  Please see about that throttle programming.

Pretty impressed at his saving ability.  I don't think I've ever seen a used V2 under $13k.

Jehannum said:

In reply to mke :

It seems like you've only got one axis of rotation to worry about there, so the easiest solution would probably be slotted + eccentric washers.

an eccentric is good for 1 direction.....maybe a second counterotating for the other direction?  Not sure.....I'm 3/4 thinking I'll just slot it and tighten the bolt and see how it does unless I come up with something more clever.

I did buy the spherical bearings

and ordered some steel tubing to make adapters from.  By the time I get the wheel carriers sorted that stuff should be here.

mfennell said:

Pretty impressed at his saving ability.  I don't think I've ever seen a used V2 under $13k.

Its a rebuilt salvage (supposedly a theft but who knows) which a little roadrash, its clearly been sitting outside in the FL sun and 14k miles....but at $7800 it seemed good and worth the drive to get it and certainly its not a trip he's likely to ever forget.  I did pay for the road trip and did give him like a $2k loan (which is about 1/2 paid back now I think) because it did seem like a deal we didn't want to miss. We almost bought a 959 salvage title locally for $6500, similar miles and condition but the guy didn't have paperwork that would actually let him transfer ownership, we drug him to the title place and she basically laughed at what he was showing her, kind of a mess.  We also looked at a low miles V2 crash bike....but it needed at least $3k in parts and the guy wouldn't move under $8k so it just didn't make any sense.  The hunt ate 3 or 4 weekends so I'm kind of glad its over.

I saw that crashed V2 on Zuckerbook with the $8800 ask.  He's going to be waiting for a long time.

Looking at your control arm you would think Ferrari would hire welders that can actually weld .... my Lotus was no better with wire still hanging out of some of the welds!

In reply to TurboFource :

The upper 1 is my fault  .....I did that in a tent garage 20+ years ago with I forget what for a welder.  Fixing it is on the while its apart list for sure.  I'd gotten some F550 wheels that were 10.5" wide (stock was 8) and had to relocate the shock.  

Didn't mean to flame your work, thought Ferrari did it!

In reply to mfennell :

Yes!  the bike is nice and runs good but man it needs a lot of love.  I offered $6500 and we left...but my son REALLY wanted it so we came up to $7100 a couple days later but he was firm at 8k.  He said he had 8600 in it I think it was fo the auction and delivery, but it needs a LOT.

Being honest i did like that it was unrideable and clearly would remain  unrideable for some time 

In reply to TurboFource :

That work deserves flaming, no question about that!

This is the shock relocate from way back so this is not the 1st time I've had at the wheel carriers

In reply to TurboFource :

Cut and ready to get welding tomorrow

I welded the bajesus out of them

and just like factory

I've "heard" that with some very coarse grit sandpaper and a hammer, you can make ported, err i mean machined surfaces look as-cast, if you wanted the full "Ferrari did this" look.

In reply to Pete. (l33t FS) :

Ok. I'm sorry for yesterday's sad finish, now they are diecast.