Ferrari 348 Ts English

Ferrari 348 Ts www.ferrari348ts.blogspot.com.es

Moisés Romero Rodríguez (Moiluck) 1

Ferrari 348 Ts The legend back to the road

Moisés Romero Rodríguez (Moiluck)



Index of contents Introduction 2 Ferrari 348 specs & history 4 The first contact 11

The work ahead 12 The review 13 General information & Maintenance schedule 15 Bodywork paint restoration 24 Wheel arches & rear subframe restoration 33 Battery disconnector switch issues 45 Fuel pressure regulators 49 Custom exhaust system 55 Exhaust heat wrap 60 Air filter box & exhaust heat shields respray 64 Wheel spacers & wheel caps 67 Door wiring connector repair 71 Engine lid restoration 74 Flywheel re-grease 78 Sticky interior restoration 93 Seats restoration 96 Aluminium door sills 105

The legend back to the road 119



Introduction

Welcome to my blogsite about the Ferrari 348. I have always been a motorsport enthusiast, of races & sport cars, having among my favorites some examples like the Lotus Elise, the Porsche 911, the McLaren F1, the Honda NSX, the Radical Sr8... As a Honda fan, I own in my little collection a Honda S2000 with it’s 9000rpm engine master piece, and a little and racey upgraded Honda CRX Del Sol.

However, Ferrari has always

been my most admired car manufacturer, which I constantly followed on races. Being a child, I already knew barely well most of the Ferrari cars and their specs due to the car magazines, and the fondness for cars inherited form my father, we dreamed together someday have a Ferrari. I lived in a small town in south of Spain without automotive tradition. Not very special cars used to roar down those streets until a strange day, when the owner of a

Ferrari 328 Gtb Rosso Corsa parked that beautiful piece of art on the street. That was my first chance to see a Ferrari in front of me, and I still remember how impressed I was, when I realized that car was even more beautiful than the pictures. I spent a few minutes admiring the details, imagining what it would feel to drive it.

The dream came true with this

Ferrari 348 Ts, that required a restoration, but it was still awesome.

I would like to share my

impressions about the 348, and the experience acquired as owner and



restorer, so everyone interested, every Ferrari enthusiast, or new owner, can better appreciate this extraordinary machine, and maybe learn something new. It’s also going to be a journey from an aged 348 Ts who needed some care and love, to the great looking, reliable and even colectable Ferrari that now it is.

Alongside several

pictures taken during process, I will explain how you can perform yourself some of the more common repairs needed to keep the 348 on the road, some simple restoring tips to get it looks much better, and I will share with you some ideas to improve the driving experience with more performance, and a better soundtrack.

If you have a dream, go for it and never give up, because you will get it if you really wish. Gentlemen, start your engines!



FERRARI 348 Specs & History

The Ferrari 348 was launched

in 1989 at the Frankfurt Auto Show as the natural replacement of the succesful Ferrari 328. The new model from Maranello impressed the public and the press with it’s awesome looks and technical highlights, and became one of the most desirable cars at the moment.

The beautiful body lines

created by Pininfarina remembered his V12 big brother Testarossa with the side strakes ducts for cooling the radiators, the rear lights cover grill, or the front bumper and headlights. However, the 348 is more compact

and with it’s lighter V8, performs better on twisty mountain roads and race tracks. With it’s impressive bodywork dimensions of 4230 mm lenght, 1894 mm width and 1170 mm height, and it’s amazing lines, the 348 leaves no one indifferent. 1393 Kg kerb weight, 0 to 100 Km/h in 5.6 secs, and 275 Km/h max speed are

the performance levels of this dynamic, agile and versatile Ferrari.

The interior, an extremely

elegant Pininfarina design, handcrafted with high quality leather, envelops the driver with a luxury and unique leather fragance as the beginning of this fabulous driving

experience. Minimalist and tidy, without innecessary and distracting gadgets, it was made just for stay focused on driving. Inside, a tiny Momo steering wheel in front of the driver with the legendary center cap of the black Cavallino Rampante over a yellow background. The traditional shift lever with the metallic clicking



selector gate. A bare instruments console with just the necessary to drive; odometer, revolution counter, water thermometer, motor oil pressure gauge, and some warning optical displays. An stylized center console incorporates the motor oil thermometer and fuel gauges, Fog and emergency lights switches, heated rear window switch, an F1 style button for oppening the fuel filler lid, and it also contains some of the few concessions to comfort; the A/C controls, the Hi-Fi system, an electronic clock display and the door locking switches. There are 2 more confort elements controlled with some buttons at the doors; electric windows and side mirrors. That’s all what a 348 driver needs for one of the most extraordinary driving experiences in a road car.

The 348 gave a sample of it’s racing heritage with it’s innovative design based on a pressed steel monocoque, 50% stiffer than the predecesors 308/328’s tubular chassis, and with a separate tubular engine subframe, that can be unbolted in a couple of hours to preform a complete engine out service. More competition layouts samples are the mid-mounted 300 hp

3.405 cc quad-cam 32 valve V8 engine, potitioned longitudinally with a transverse gearbox like the F40, 288 Gto or F1 cars. The low center of gravity to improve the handling, due to a low sitting dry sumped engine.

An extremely easy access clutch design behind the rear bumper, that allows to change the clutch disc in 30 minutes with a Challenge/race exhaust system (1,5 h. with the stock exhaust). The high precission independient suspension, with swinging arms made of pressed welded high tensile steel sheet, to reduce the effect of unsuspended masses. And the manually adjustable ride height Bilstein threaded shock absorbers with Eibach springs. All these elements make the 348 a trackday car as proven later with the Challenge Series, in which a road



legal 348 could be easily converted for racing with a really simple Ferrari Challenge kit.

The not powered assisted

steering is just wonderful, precise and direct. Not designed for driving in trafic and frecuently parking, it’s one of the best Ferrari steering creations ever for twisty mountain roads or tracks. It’s a very important part of the experience that can make the driver feel like in a go-kart.

The 348 was partially

manufactured in assembly line as part of the innovative changes happend in Maranello, however human hand was a very important part of the process too, so the handmade atmosphere is still present in the car, and Mr Enzo Ferrari spirit aswell.

The Ferrari 348 was replaced

by the F355 in year 1995. During the 5 years of production, several models and variations of the 348 were made: 348 Tb (Berlinetta. 2895 units) and 348 Ts (Targa. 4230 units)

From 1989 to 1993. The first

production of the Ferrari 348, Tb and Ts models, were introduced with the

rock solid F119D, a 300 hp 3.405 cc V8 quad-cam 32 valve engine. From 1991 to 1993, the 348 Tb/Ts was

improved over the years with the purpose of solve some issues, with Nippon alternator and starter, new alignment specs improving the handling, improved front suspension shocks and springs, double clutch disc changed to a more reliable simgle disc, oil sump tank ground strap to improve gauge operation, front timming bearing to reduce the noise, harmonic balancer replacement reducing weight and adding 2 hp, improved clutch thrust bearing, battery relocation from rear to front place, different seats upholsery, Motronic 2.5 upgraded to 2.7 in late models, and more...



348 Serie Speciale (116 units. Only for North America)

With a total production of 116

units in year 1992 and only for North America market, this model had a different exhaust system and produced 310 hp, had a front lip and naked rear lights without grill.

348 Spider (1090 units

produced) From year 1993 to 1994, the

manually convertible model was made with both engines F119D (300 hp) and the new F119H (320 hp), with newer spring valves, higher compression, larger intake mainfolds, more efficient single muffler exhaust and the electronic management system Motronic 2.7. The rear track was 50 mm wider.

348 GTB (252 units) and 348

GTS (137 units) From year 1993 to 1994 and

replaced by the F355, this model was only available in Europe and Japan. Powered with the 320 hp engine F119H with newer spring valves, higher compression, larger intake mainfolds, more efficient single muffler exhaust and the Motronic 2.7 electronic management system.

348 Challenge Race car In year 1993 the Challenge

Series began as a single marquee for amateur drivers. Any 348, except Spiders, could be converted with a Challenge kit requiring 110 man hours.



The Challenge kit incluided: - A full roll cage - OMP racing seats - 2” four point harness

(replaced to 3” six point harness in ’95)

- Fire extinguisher - Battery disconnect - Plexiglass for the front fog

lights - Front and rear undertrays

ducts for brake cooling - Originally Slicks mounted on

stock 17” rims - 18” Speedline magnesium

Challenge rims in 1995 Additional modifications were

allowed: - Upgraded ECUs with 7800

rpm redline - Advancement of timming to

preexisting holes in drive pulleys - Improved fuel pumps - Lower 1st and 2nd gears - Thermostat removed to allow

better cooling - Racing brake pads - Aeroquip type brake hose

supplied by Ferrari - ABS disabled but not

removed - A/C compressor belt removed (compressor not removed)

- Stiffer springs and dampers supplied by Ferrari - Camber allowed to be changed within specific limits - Car allowed to lowered but no part of the body, it could touch the ground if both side tires were flat. - 1360 Kg minimun weight minus driver - Fuel conditions: to cross the finish line - Engine not allowed to be modified and had to run with stock cats.

348 Challenge Road Car (45 units. Only for Notrh America)

Only 45 factory Challenge

road cars were made in year 1994 for Notrh America (32 Tb’s and 13 Ts’) With street trim, upgraded ECUs, less restricted Challenge exhaust similar to the single muffler exhaust, Drop down main gear with shorter 2nd and taller 5th gear, eye hooks for the clip in the harness, mounting moints prewelded for the roll cage, aluminium pedals, undertray brake brake ducts, front and rear tow hooks, solid suspension bushing and stiffer springs, lighter front and rear fiberglass bumpers. And a Challenge



kit option to convert to race trim in 60 man hours.

348 GT Competizione (GTC) (56 units)

Designed specifically for the

GT3 Championship in year 1993, at least 50 units had to be made to meet the requirements, so based on

the 348 Gtb platform, the GT Competizione was the most extreme version for the road. Radically lightened with Kevlar and carbon fibre bumpers, seats, doors, sill panels, and by eliminating every confort feature, incluiding A/C, leather upholsery and mats, the 348 GTC reached an amazing dry weight of 1180 Kg complete with all the safety equipment of the Challenge version. With no difference about the F119H 320 hp engine form the Gtb, with a free flow exhaust, racing shocks and springs, 18” rims, short gear ratio, racing clutch with reinforced disc, larger brake discs

and calipers derived from the F40 and without ABS. This radical 348 wear fairly the Scuderia Ferrari shields on the side fenders like the 288 Gto or the F40.

348 Michelotto

Michelotto is a succesful race

car developer company from Padua (Italy). This company began in 1969, and stablished a close relationship with Ferrari over the years. Many legendary race cars were realized due to this colaboration, like the Ferrari GTO Evolution, Ferrari F40 LM, Ferrari F40 GTE, Ferrari F333 SP, and more. About the 348, Michelotto achieved great succsses with this 2 models:

- Ferrari 348 CSAI-GT (1993) for the Granturismo Italian Championship.



- Ferrari 348 GTC LM (1994) for the Le Mans Series. 2 Cars were made, with 3 engine evolutions with 380 hp, 430 hp and the awesome Evoluzione III, with 460 hp.



The first contact

I was really excited first time I test drove a 348, to be honest. I had driven a 360 Modena through the London M25 a year before, so it was not my first Ferrari experience. I should not have been intimidated by a 300 hp rear wheel drive car, because I also had driven more RWD sport cars before, like a Porsche 996 or a Honda S2000. However, when I was arriving to the open-air parking next to a mountain road, and I saw that beautiful red machine waiting for me, the matter became serious.

Not being the first 348 in front

of me, I couldn’t stop looking at that awesome Ferrari. It wasn’t in perfect condition, paint needed polishing, the engine, with no oil leaks, was dusty and dirty, worn tires, rusted door sills, randomly working electric windows and side mirrors, faulty central locking, the interior was dirty and the seats had a worn and cracked leather. Nevertheless, and incredibly, the car was still impressive.

When I started the engine, I

really felt intimidated by it’s deep and loud tone. It was a 348 Ts with a single muffler exhaust, just because

the second muffler was removed by installing a pair of Koenig tail pipes. The car also had emptied stock catalytic converters, so the sound was great, and much louder than the stock Ts.

I drove the 348 through the

twisty roads and it gave me confidence enough to feel how the rear wheels were slightly sliding, precisely controled by little throtle and steering wheel corrections. With a minimal structural torsion, the frame was stiffer than I expected in a Ts model. The engine, with a nice torque from lower rpms, was even better from 4200 rpms, and the soundtrack aswell.

I finished the test with a big

smile in my face. The car was fantastic, exactly the kind of Ferrari I always dreamed. I also tested a very expensive yellow 348 Gtb in great condition, and a black 348 Ts with alternator and flywheel issues. However, first impression is what counts, and here it is.



The work ahead From the day of the test until

now, it has been 7 years of a beautiful and exciting restoration project. I used to work with the car in my spare time, and it was a huge task of internet researching looking for parts, workshop manuals, information and DIY tutorials about the 348. I took my time and I did it carefully, patiently and not rush. It’s better to check twice and do it once. Wrenching a Ferrari is not too different from another car, however, if something goes wrong, it’s going to be expensive. I did perform myself much of the work needed in my 348. I paid to professionals for doing the job I was not confidence myself.

This is the list of the most

significant actions carried out to get this Ferrari back to the stage:

- Timing belt engine out service. - Alternator belt and A/C

compressor belt replacement. - Engine oil and filter change. - New oil cooler radiator and

new thermoswitch. - New RH water cooling radiator

and fresh antifreeze. - Gear oil upgrade to Red Line

75W90NS for smooth shifting. - Upgrade to iridium sparkplugs

NGK DR8EIX. - Fuel injectors cleanning. - Fuel pressure regulators

replacement to SARD Racing. - Fuel filters replacement. - Air filter replacement. - Dual mass flywheel regreasing

and drive shaft triple seals replacement.

- New Magnaflow 200 cell high flow catalytic coverters and

high eficience custom exhaust system.

- New lambda sensors NTK OZA527-E4.

- Exhaust ECUs and thermocouples removing.

- MAFs cleaning and adjusting to standards.

- Throtle body and linkage cleaning, adjusting and regreasing.

- Alternator rebiulding. - New tires. Kumho Ecsta Spt.

215/50/ZR17 front and 255/45/ZR17 rear.

- Wheel spacers for improving handling and looks. 15 mm. front / 25 mm. rear.

- Wheel aligment. - New wheel center caps and

bolts. - Brake and clutch fluid change. - Electrical connectors pins,

wiring and grounds cleanning and repairing.

- New relays and fuses. - Door wiring repairing. - Body paint polishing / re-spray. - Rear subframe, undertray,

suspension arms and wheel wells restoring and re-spray.

- Interior upholstery restoration and re-dye, and sticky coat removal.

- Custom made door sills.



The review Beyond the performance

figures, what a car can make the driver to feel, is not based on an exact science. In most cases, the conclusions are based on a subjective judgement, and they use to be constrained by several factors; the expectations about the car or the prejudices about a car manufacturer, the driver skills, and his car preferences.

Being aware of that, I will try to

be objective. The Ferrari 348 is not a car for everyone, and I’m not talking about money. What I mean is, you will love it, or you will hate it. There is no midpoint, because this car hasn’t a midpoint really. If you think you can use this Ferrari as a daily car, you are so wrong. It’s not a Porsche 911 or a Nissan GTR. The 348 is raw and noisy. The clutch pedal has a hard touch. The gearbox needs to be properly warmed up until you can shift gears smoothly, or even to get into 2nd. With no power assisted steering, parking is a good exercise for your arms and it will make you sweat. The low driving position and the wide door sills make really difficult to get in and out the car. The reduced rear view and the low ride can stress the driver trying to not damage the car at any bump. The urban cycle fuel consuption of 19,6 l/100km and the not unexpensive maintenance costs of a classic Ferrari 20+ year old, are also parts of the equation.

The 348 is and old school

Ferrari for the road, that can make the driver feel like in a race car. This car really wants to be tracked, as it’s closer to races than the streets. On

twisty mountain roads and tracks, the 348 roars in it’s territory. There, the driver will realize the purpouse for which it was designed, and he will feel what this Ferrari really can do.

The bodywork dimensions are

awesome, it’s really wide and low, and its lines are a Pininfarina master piece, beautifully designed while impressive. With all those functional air intakes for engine cooling and breathe, the car has a radical look with great style.

The minimalist and tidy cockpit

is spacious and confortable, with a plesant fragance of leather coming from the elegant upholstery design. The seats are narrow and holds the driver well, however for a trackday, carbon bucket racing seats are highly recommended in my opinion. The instrumentation is simple, useful and accurate, except for the fuel gauge that ranges when hard cornering. The little steering wheel is just perfect, and with the Cavallino Rampante center cap, it constantly reminds you are driving a Ferrari.

Do not be fooled by the beauty

of the body lines or by the elegant leather interior. The Ferrari 348 has a beast inside, a fantastic combination of a powerful mid-mounted engine bolted on a very stiff frame with a high performance suspension. This temperamental machine with ABS as the only driving aid, is very stable at normal cruising, demanding when going fast, and it will require pilot skills when you approach the limit.

The engine, with 300 hp and

317 NM torque, pushes really hard at any rpm, and it’s brilliant from 4200 rpm to the 7400 rpm redline. Obiously far from the actual



standards power figures, the 348 still a pretty fast car that can give you a fright if taken lightly.

The stock exhaust system

works well and it has also a nice sound, although it’s much quiter than the current less restrictive custom exhaust system with the high flow 200 cell catalytic converters installed. Withit, the power increase is substancial, and the sound is impossible to describe just with words. At startup it’s so loud that everyone in the neighborhood can hear the car at cold idle. You will love it, or you will hate it, but it’s so impressive anyway. At cruising, the soundtrack is wonderful, and it changes along the rpms with a loud but not annoying howl without drone.

The exhaust soundtrack is

addictive, like the traditional shift lever with the metallic clicking selector gate. It has a really classic look, and once the gearbox is properly warmed it works well, but not being the fastest shifting ever, to be honest. The 5 speeds gearbox has an interesting arrangement with the reverse gear in the natural 1st gear place. This provides a perfect setting for twisty roads, by getting 2nd and 3rd gears faced.

The clutch pedal needs to be

pressed hard while the disc operates smoothly with high precission. The dual mass flywheel is too heavy, and it keeps the engine revving slower than it should with a lighter solid aluminium flywheel. I can imagine the great improvement.

Without electronic control aids,

the 348 uses an old school setup; a wide track, a low centre of gravity, firm suspension and a mid-mounted

engine for an ideal weight distribution. And it works pretty well because this Ferrari handles great. It’s is cornering much faster than the driver thinks. You will need to be an advanced driver to find the limits, and the car will nobly comunicate at every moment. With a progressive behavior, any wheel slip can be safetly controlled with throtle and steering wheel. The not powered assited steering is awesome. The car just goes where you want, like on rails. It’s direct and communicative. The suspension is firm and solid. Absorbs irregularities to perfection without uncorfortable rebounds and it keeps the body horizontal without rolling.

To stop the beast, 4 vented

brake discs and calipers with 4 pistons are needed. Although it’s more than enough for the road, some cooling ducts and high performance brake pads are a must for trackdays.

Technology progresses over

the years, and cars aswell. Today’s cars are more powerful and more efficienct. With many electronic aids and gadgets that make everything easier. But they don’t have the 348’s character.

In short, the Ferrari 348 is

unique and exclusive, and due to the actual emissions regulations it’s now an unrepeatable car. It offers a driving experience as special as its emblem represents for motorsport.



General information & Maintenance schedule



















Bodywork paint restoration At first sight, this 348 bodywork appearance was not too bad, but it really wasn’t as good as a Ferrari should be. I was thinking about a complete respray at an specialized garage initially, but after some researching I realized that it was going to be up to 3000€ for a really high quality painting work. I thought it was worth trying first with some polishing and restoring. The air intakes for the radiators and engine breathe were faded and worn, and the rear grille aswell. These are not critical parts of a car, but they made it look aweful and aged.

Before a spray job, sanding the parts first is highly recommended to get a smooth finish without edges or flanges. Then a deep clean up to make sure there is no dirt or grease on the suface. Otherwise paint will not stay well and it will ruine the finish. This is the the more tedious part of the process, alongside the masking tape. It is very important to take your time with no rush and make sure before spraying, that everything is properly masked. Double check everything is clean and masked, and now it’s time to spray. I used matte black paint to match the stock look. With patience, I applied thin coats in a few minutes intervals to let them dry.









Bodywork polishing:



Final results:









Wheel arches & rear subframe restoration Wheel arches, suspension wishbones, undertrays or the frame, are very important parts of a car, but as they are not visible, many owners often forget servicing. A Ferrari more than 20 years old deserves some cares agaist rust and to keep it looking good everywhere, even where no one can see. I think a car enthusistic will notice this little details quickly with just a first view. And the sum of many details really makes the difference. Starting with the front wheel arches. It needs cleaning, remove panels, sanding, cleaning again, and masking to get everything ready for spray. I used a heat resistant black spray paint that I have proben myself in my Honda Del Sol, and it still in place 9 years later.

As shown in pictures below, it seems that somebody has been working in

this car before and did a really poor job; there are some parts incorrectly assembled, missing bolts, and a wheel arch is broken in 2 pieces. Now it’s time to assemble everything properly with every the bolt, and to repair the damaged wheel arch.



Missing bolts and some panels incorrectly assembled



A good cleaning



Wheel arches out for repairing, sanding, cleaning and spray.



Panels out for sanding, cleaning and spray.



During the spray.



Finished



Now it’s time for the rear wheel arches.



A lot of sanding here...



Wheel arches out for sanding, cleaning and spray.

Wheel arches finished.



Cleanup.

Finished.



Rear subframe finished.



Battery desconnector switch issues Having intermitent starting problems with a Ferrari is embarrassing. When I turned the key on, it was like the russian roulette, it could start at first try, or it could just make a loud clicking noise at the strarter without engine spin at all.

The 348 starter requires 12-volts at minimun, if less, it will not engage and will make that clicking noise. It is very important to check every grounding often. Keeping it clean and rust free will save lots of problems. In addition there are 2 battery disconnector switches that are prone to fail.

My 348 has a rear battery setup, located in the engine bay. It has a

disconnector switch for the negative wire just placed over the battery, and another for the positive placed under the air filter box. After more than 20 years these things can have too much free play, and alongside engine vibrations, they can cause some electrical issues.

I decided to delete both desconnector swithes because they were in a

really bad condition. Then I runned new negative wires form the battery terminal to the subframe and to the gearbox. And a positive wire from the starter to the battery. I also placed new connectors and an easy access bullet proof desconnector switch to the negative battery terminal. It solved the problem.



Air filter box disassembled to access the positive disconnector switch.

Here is the positive disconnector switch.



New wire sealed through the original housing and covers.



Ready for connecting to the positive terminal.

New negative disconnector switch installed.



Fuel pressure regulators A fuel pressure regulator (FPR) usually fails when it can not keep the fuel pressure required constantly due to a cracked membrane that leaks fuel to the return pipe or to the depression intake pipe. It doesn’t affect the normal driving when there is minimal leak, however that leak drains fuel when the engine is turned off, so the fuel pressure is too low for the next start up causing a hard start.

After having some hot starting problems, I decided to change both fuel pressure regulators. There are 2 types of FPR for the Ferrari 348: - 137960 (Ferrari ref.) / 0280160731 (Bosch ref.) Valid for the early model. 3.0 bar. Inlet M14x1.5 / outlet straight barb to hose with clamp. - 147281 (Ferrari ref.) / 0280160738 (Bosch ref.). Valid for the later model. 3.8 bar. Inlet M14x1.5 / outlet M16x1.5.

I decided to install adjustable FPR's as used on racing/modified cars. So I bought 2 FPR's from Sard Racing (a Japanesse aftermarket company), and 2 gauges. Now I know the fuel pressure is ideal at both cylinder banks.

Both FPRs can be replaced taking almost nothing apart of the car, but I like to have the more free space as possible for working confortable. So I removed the air filter box, intake pipes, idler control valves and the oem FPR's to figure out it's thread pattern.





The aftermarket FPR's come with 1/8” npt to straight barb adapters, so I needed a machining workshop to make the adapters:

- 1/8” npt to M14x1.5 - 1/8” npt to M16x1.5 I want this modification to be reversible. Maybe I need to change to stock in future.

Custom brackets are also required. But it was really easy; I bolted the new FPRs to the lower part of the original FPR’s bracket, so I could install everthing in its engine’s original place. I also used a pair of 30 mm aluminium spacers to get the FPRs at the perfect height. They are not apparent to the eye except for the gauges that can be seen discreetly.



Installing hoses.

FPR installed in place.



Idle control valve and intake pipes installed.

Finished.



When everything is reinstalled in it’s proper place, and check again that’s all right, it’s time to start the engine, checking for fuel leaks and adjusting the fuel pressure. In the 348 workshop manual can be read that the early model (3.0 bar) needs to be adjusted with engine idling and the depresión intake connected, to 3.4 bar. So I decided to set my later 348 (3.8 bar) to 4.3 bar (maths basic level).

The test drive was great. No fuel leaks, strong and stable idle, instant

throttle response... I supouse that a more than 20 years old FPR membrane isn’t in its perfect condition, so probably it’s not able to keep the fuel pressure as high as required.

Check the fuel pressure in a classic car is a good point, and replacing the

fuel filters and cleanning the fuel injectors aswell. I took the fuel injectors to an official Bosch service for an ultrasonic

cleannig with great results. Highly recommended. And a good practice is to lube the injectors rubber o-rings with some grease before reinstalling in the fuel rails to avoid o-rings damages.



Custom exhaust system

For every sport car, the exhaust system is a very important part for performance and driving experience. In 1989 Ferrari designed a nice exhaust for the 348 Ts, with 2 catalytic converters, 2 lambda sensors, and 2 multi-chamber silencers that connected each bank of cylinders to equalize pressure. It complied with emissions and noise regulations, and it offered a more than decent power with a nice and quiet soundtrack.

Today, 25 year of technology advances give us more efficience catalytic

converters and exhaust silencers, and it provides more hps, lower emissions and more eficience fuel consumption.

My 348 Ts came with a single silencer exhaust, just because the previous owner removed the second silincer by installing a pair of Koenig tail pipes. The car also had emptied stock catalytic converters, so it was decated and it did not pass emissions tests. The sound was great, and much louder than the stock Ts, but it had a hard smell that stayed in clothes and hair.



The new exhaust setup attempts to be simple, with minimal flow restrictions and avoiding drone caused by inner turbulences. It has been made of stainless steel Ø2.25” pipes, with a pair of high flow metal core 200 cells catalytic converters (Magnaflow 59906), new lambda sensors (NTK OZA527-E4), a pair of straight-through silencers, and the same Koenig tail pipes. It also has a different design with independant (not connected) bank of cylinders exhausts, like in F1 cars.





With fully working catalytic converters, the new exhaust system works better, it passes emissions tests, it’s street legal and it has no smell. In combination with the less restrictive straight-through silencers and the free flow independant design, it makes more power and a really awesome soundtrack. Without any drone, it is loud but it does not bother. It emits an amazing stereo howl that changes trough the revs. Being oviously a personal perception, to me, it’s like a beautifully sounding race car.

The independant design

could be questionated just because most road cars have connected exhausts. However the 348 has totally independant cylinder banks, controlled by independant ECUs and sensors that can perfectly manage it when everything is properly working. With both MAFs, throttle body linkages



and idler passages adjusted to perfection, this sytem works great.

This system also

deletes the stock exhaust ECUs and thermocouples, in charge of swtiching off a cylinder bank when the catalytic converters temperature is too high. These ECUs are prone to failure due to moisture, switching off a bank with no reason. After having several problems with it, I decided to disconnect both ECUs without consecuences. With less restrictive catalytics that cool down faster, I will not need these expensive and annoying ECUs anymore.



Exhaust heat wrap

I wrapped the exhaust with 10 meters of titanium fibre exhaust wrap and

some steel clamps. I’ve been reading that it's not required to wet this kind of



wrap for installation, and it's true. But I highly recommend using gloves and protective eyewear, because this thing emerges a itchy fiber when installing. To be honest, the installation was really tedious, so it should be much easier with the exhaust out of the car.





The review: - Some smoke and smell when heating the wrap for the first engine start. - First 5 minutes idling and the cats are still cool. - 9 minutes later and water cooling fans start. - 15 minutes idling and the smoke and bad smell has gone forever. The cats are warm (I can lay my hand on the cats for a long time) - 20 minutes idling and some revving, and now the cats are getting hotter but I can touch them with my hands without burning myself. The engine block is now much hotter than the wrapped exhaust. - After a hard drive and instantly stopping, I could touch the cats and the wrapped pipes with my hands, however just for a pair of seconds. Before wrapping, I could loose my skin doing this. The engine bay was cooler than before too. - The engine bay temperature goes up when driving with traffic, but not as high as before. - The wrap has not changed its nice looking after the test, it's just shrunk and tight.

It’s a good improvement to protect electronics agaist high temperature.



Air filter box & exhaust heat shields respray After doing an engine clean, now it’s time to make the engine bay looks better with a little and simple restoration. The air filter box and the exhaust heat shields were faded and stained. It’s really easy to remove, just a few nuts,



clamps and hoses. Then clean well before respray. I used heat resistant matte black paint for the air filter box, and high temperature resistant paint for the shields.



Finished and assembled.



Wheel spacers & wheel caps

In year 1993 the Ferrari 348 Spider was launched with a 50 mm wider rear track contributing to better handling and an awesome look.

I decided to improve this 348 Ts with 30 mm wider front track and 50 mm

rear, so I bought high quality wheel spacers from Hill Engineering. 15mm front, and 25mm rear, both with longer bolts to replace the existing worn and cracked bolts. The spacers fit perfectly to the hub, and they are really light weight.

The car handles better now, it’s more stable at high speed and cornering.

About the look, the rear wheels are now how they always should have been, and front wheels maybe not so wide, but they don't rub the fenders. It is a really nice improvement in handle and appearance. In order to get the best finish results, I also bought fresh wheel caps from a Ferrari dealer.



Before:

After:



Before:

After:





Door wiring connector repair

I was having a common and embarrassing problem in the 348 with both door wire connectors. The electric windows worked intermitely and slowly. The central locking and the electric side mirrors did not work at all.

Both wire connectors at the

doors were damaged. It seems that somebody tryied to repair it in the past with catastrofic results. I decided that it was not worthy to try another repair because those connectors were in really bad condition. I just eliminated both connectors and passed the wires through the connector housing to keep it looking as stock. First step is to disassemble the front wheel and the front wheel arch to have clear access. It’s an easy repair, but it can get complicated due to the reduced room.



After cutting the wires and disassemble the connector, I pulled out the pins with the pilers. Then, I emptied out both connector pieces (not completly finished on the picture yet). My plan is to pass the wires through the emptied connector and then weld the wires. When the work is finished, just slide the rubber protector sleeves at the doors, and everything will look like stock.



I used heat-shrink unions to keep moisture out of the wires. It just requires some heat to seal the wires permanently. When everything finihed, simply slide back the rubber hose and tight the connector.



Engine lid restoration The 348 engine lid is made of aluminium. It can rust superficially without affecting the metal integrity, however the paint can badly peel off.



This is a simple work, just disassemble the engine lid, sand it to eliminate

rust and paint until get a smooth surface, masking and spray. I used a heat resistant matte black paint. Once painted, I replaced the sticker with a brandnew from www.eurospares.co.uk.





Engine lid finished.

Bolted to the car. I also glued the insulator pad in place with a heat resistant epoxy resin.



Flywheel re-grease The Ferrari 348 has a dual mass flywheel (FW) that works as a powertrain damper bacause the clutch disc is not springed. There are 64 parts inside the FW and 200 gm of a very compact and sticky Kluber grease that lubes the ensemble and keeps it in balance.

There is a weak point with the triple seals at the inner propeler shaft, that can fail and leak gear oil to the FW. The FW can be also contaminated with clutch fluid. Any leak inside the FW will ruin the grease integrity and will produce unbalance and friction.



A clear indication of a FW that requires re-greasing is a loud metallic rattle when engine stops. A faulty FW can also cause hard start problems when hot. It’s because when the grease is corrupted, it gets liquid at high temperature. When the engine stops, the grease moves to the bottom producing unbalance. At next engine start, the crank sensors will send the unbalance signal to ECUs and they will make the engine will just spin without starting.

An oil leak or break fluid leak coming from the clutch inspection plate is

probably a future FW issue. It’s not a difficult work really, but it requires some mechanical skills and to

take your time, being methodic and patient. In a stock 348 it’s required to remove the rear bumper and the exhaust silences first. My 348 is a different story with the custom exhaust that allows to do all the work without removing it.

Besides standard tools and some rags, cleaning papers, degreasant and

a brush for aplying the kluber grease, these are the especial tools and parts that I used for doing the job:

- 348 Kluber re-grease kit from: www.maddogclutches.co.uk. The kit contains:

• 200 gm of Kluber grease.

• Triple Seals 3 x genuine Ferrari part no. 137249. • Shaft 'O' ring and Ferrari snap ring. • Complete set of 348 flywheel 'O' rings 1 large, 12 small. • 2 longer bolts required to open the 348 flywheel.

• As a gift they incluided the 348 clutch bolt kit: fresh pressure plate and ring gear bolts for free. Unfortunately for me this bolts are for the AP Racing single clutch type, and they are slightly different from my Valeo single clutch type.

- Flywheel ring nut socket. I bought an used axle nut socket for Dana 50 & 28 (1/2" Drive) (76 mm x 80 mm.) 1985-1995 FORD & GM. Ref: NOS OEM # 45966. An easy find at any autoparts store in the US, it was more difficult for me to get this tool, because there aren’t cars with Dana 50 axles in Spain (as I know). I bought it from a from NY seller, and I paid 29€ Shipping incluided. It still a nice price. This tool worked fine with an impact gun. The nut was really tight and I used an old wheel rubber to avoid the flywheel to rotate while using the impact gun. The nut was unbolted in 5 seconds.



Another option, a little more expensive but perfect fit high precission tool at www.hillengineering.co.uk.

- Clutch Alignment tool from: Kingsborne Clutch Tools www.clutchtools.com. Item: IH10 seems to work for all Ferrari models from 1967 to 1998. And I can say it fitted perfect in the clutch shaft pattern, but I had to add some adhesive tape for a proper fitting in the flywheel gear (see the pictures). Everything worked fine at once anyway with a good price ($10) and Fast Shipping. - Torque wrench to recommended specs: 13NM for the pressure plate and ring gear bolts (single clutch type) 24NM for the pressure plate and ring gear bolts (dual clutch type)

I personaly tighted the bell housing/pumpkin nuts to 20NM, but this is what I did at my own risk because I couldn’t find anything about it. I repeat this is not my recomendation, it’s just what I did (however seems to work fine).

Flywheel ring nut: As I have been reading in some specialized forums, 206NM is the recommended torque. I can’t imagine how to use a manual torque wrench to 206NM without causing the flywheel to spin, or how to use a torque wrench with an impact gun. When trying to loosen the ring nut, I noticed that the ½” impact gun was at it’s limit, so I used the same gun to the limit with some thread locker for tighting the nut when reassembly.

- It’s recommended using a press to reassemble the flywheel in the bell housing/pumpkin. It could be done with a hammer, as I did for extracting the FW from the bearing. But reassembly is a diffrent story, and I didn’t like the idea of hammering the flywheel, so I went to a metal workshop where they pressed the flywheel into the bearing very carefully, using some steel pieces as a solid base. It worked great.

There is an allen bolt in the center of the flywheel ring nut, and it’s not clear what it’s used for. Many discusions have been opened about it, some people loosen it before they loosen the FW ring nut, and others leave it alone.

I left the allen bolt alone because, in my oppinion, this allen bolt was factory

adjusted to keep the inner shaft (that one with the triple seals) in it’s proper place. I think this allen bolt avoids the inner propeler shaft to travel outside more than needed locking the tiny spacer in place, the same way the metal clip near the triple seals does, avoiding that shaft to travel inside too much.



Clutch, ring gear, and pressure plate disassebly.

Here is the flywheel leak.



Flywheel ring nut disassembled.

Ring nut socket for Dana 50 & 28 axles.



Here is part of the FW grease leaked to the housing.

Time for some cleaning with a degreasant. I sealed the bearing for protection.



Everything clean and ready, waiting for the flywheel rebuilt.



The flywheel.

The grease inside has a hard smell and it’s in a very bad condition.



I took every part for cleaning one by one, trying to keep everything tidy.

Some parts look the same, but there are some differences. It’s very important to reassemble every part the same way it was. I made some explanatory drawings.



To extract this part, first unscrew 2 bolts in the back of the FW. Then screw the 2 longer bols that came with the kit. They will extract the bearing pressing the part. Do it carefully, tighting both bolts just a bit every time to not bend the FW.

Everything is clean now and ready for the Kluber grease.



I used a brush to spread this sticky grease evenly.

It’s very important to grease every part.



Flywheel finished and back in place.



Now it’s time for the clutch disc, pressure plate, and ring gear reasassembly.

Clutch alignment tool doing its job.



Thrust bearing, shafts and housing cleaned.

Just slide out the inner shaft to see the triple seals. They caused the oil leak. I replaced the triple seals and the metal clip in front of them. To don’t damage a seal while installing in place, I soften the seals under boiling water for a few



minutes, because they enter really tight through the shaft. I let them cool down,

constrained the seals with my fingers, and I knocked the shaft into place with my hand very very carefully. Finished after a perfect test drive at my father’s home.



Sticky interior restoration The Ferrari 348 has most of the interior parts covered with a rubber black stuff. It has a very nice touch when brand new, but they become sticky along the years. This stuff is really sticky and stain the hands and clothes easily.



I simply removed the parts, cleaned and spray with matte black paint. It has a different touch, but it still looking stock. It’s an easy fix for an unpleasant issue.



Roof handles ready for spray.

Finished.



Seats restoration

Both seats were in really bad condition, faded, cracked and worn. But before re-upholstering, I wanted to try first a less drastic and not as expensive solution.

I used a leather re-dye kit from Gliptone (Liquid leather) that contains a

cleaner, a conditioner, a degreasant, a gloss enhacer and a color match dye that can be applyed by sponge, brush, or what I choosed, spray.

The job is very easy, but you need to be patient, and follow every step of the process as instructions suggests.

- First, remove the seats out of the car, and everything you want to dye.

- My seats were very cracked, so I used a fine sandpaper very gently for smoothing the surface. It worked well, and it made a better finish. It requires to be very careful not to damage the leather. This step is not essential, don't do this If your interior is not as bad or if you don't want to take the risk.

- Clean the seats (or anything you want to dye) with the special cleaner and a brush. Later with a damp white cloth. Repeat the process until the leather is really really clean.

- Next step, use the conditioner with a dry white cloth. Let it dry, and repeat a few hour later or next day. I repeated 3 times until the leather was soft. It's very important because once the dye is applied, it's recommended to not conditionig the leather in the next months.

- Repeat the cleaning again.

- It’s very important to use the degreasant. It's some kind of solvent (smells like thinner). It's going to remove any residue, oil or grease that could make the dye to don't stay well in leather. I must say that this step is the point of no return; you can see how the colour fades as this degreasant is applied. Do this if you're sure you're really going to dye the leather.

- The last step is to apply the dye. For the best results, I took the seats to a professional workshop to spay the dye. It worth the price. The dye is water based and it must be thinned with 10% / 15% of water for using with a spraygun. Apply very thin coats and let it dry thoroughly, and mix some gloss enhancer for the last coat for building the preferred gloss.



Seats removal.



Driver seat front screws were a nightmare to unbolt. They were rusted and deformed. I replaced them with hex head bolts for easy future removals.



Right hand seat before dye.

Left hand seat before dye.



A good time for some cleaning



Repairing some rusted areas of the seat rails.



Dyed seats.





Finished and back in place.



Aluminium door sills

Both door sills were badly rusted giving a very bad impression of the car to everyone who opened the door. It seemed that the whole car was rusted to the frame, when it really doesn’t. So I decided to manufacture the door sills myself. - First, remove the door sills out of the car. There are 3 bolts under the rubber doorframe. It’s very easy, once unbolted just slide the door sill outside. Mine were not glued.



- Now it’s a good time for a clean up. I also made some paint touches in several areas of the frame to prevent rust in the future.



- With the door sills out of the car, I made a paper template, and then I went to a metal workshop for they to cut a preform. You will need only one template because the other sill is the symmetric. I choosed an aluminium plate 1.2 mm thick. I preferred aluminium because it’s very light, and if well painted, rust will not be a problem. The most important part is that they folded the plate as the original sills. I couldn’t have done this fold at home. - At home, I used the paper template for drawing the outline to cut the pieces with the perfect shape. I used an electric jigsaw, a small handsaw for areas without room, and a metal file and sand paper for smoothing the edges.





- It’s a good practice to compare the new pieces with the templates and the original sills every now and then, to make sure you’re going in the right direction.





- Once the parts are properly cut, it’s time to test whether they fit in the car, and to adjusting if they doesn’t. I didn’t drill holes for the 3 original bolts because I just used doublesided adhesive tape.



- After checking that fit, the next step is to prepare the sills for painting. The aluminium preforms that I bought were white painted. It’s good because there’s no need of primer, just sanding slightly for smoothing the surface. Otherwise an special primer for aluminium will be required, and then also sanding.



- The new sills are painted in black colour and sanded with a 800 sandpaper in the same direction creating a brushed effect. They are now ready for the Ferrari logo.



- A Ferrari purist might not like it. I decided to paint the logos using vinyl masks, so I designed a pair of logos and I went to a printing labels company with them in my pendrive. One, the “Ferrari” logo, and the other, a potencially controversial “348 Evoluzione Speciale”. Yes I know, but I have worked so hard with this car, and I have modified so many things of this car too, that it’s already an evolution, and it’s special because it’s like no other car.



- Painting the logos with silver colour spray. I applied very light coats and let it dry thoroughtly. It’s better to don’t use too much paint, to prevent creating an astetic edge between the silver logos and the background.



- Ready for the clear coat.



- Satin clear coat applied and everything back in place.





The legend back to the road Back to the road again, this Ferrari can now proudly hold up its prancing horse emblem as a part of the motorsport history that it really is. I feel priviledged of have had the opportunity to work on this project, and with my small contribution, to preserve this piece of art for a few more years. The 348 is now being more appreciated by Ferrari enthusiasts and classic cars collectors worldwide. With its unmistakable lines and old school concept, the 348 stays true to Enzo Ferrari. At the same time, prices are rising considerably and there are fewer for sale. If you are looking for a 348, don’t wait too much, because they will become more expensive and rare. If you are already owner, you might like to keep it in good condition. Being an easy car to maintain yourself at home, there is also a great support from owners and skilled people at online forums worldwide: My 348: http://my348.com

My Ferrari 348: http://m.myferrari.page.tl FerrariChat: http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/

I hope it’s been helpful and you enjoyed. Thanks for reading!

Automotive

Ferrari 348 Ts English