Could The Mystery Of My Broken Ferrari Be Down To A Tiny £5 Part? (Ferrari 308 GTS) 

FULL INFLUENZO EPISODE LIST: ru-vid.com/group/PL-JmG4958QS8v5Bn2lol3bm8YQ4UNRstU

Before you do anything I’d speak to Iain Tyrell, if he doesn’t know what valve stem oil seals, then nobody does

I remember working on a builder's supply van engine way back in time. That filthy, craptastic vehicle had a real lot of miles on it and the valve guides were worn. The customer just wanted to thrash it for another hundred thousand. He didn't want to spend much money on it. I ended up putting two sets of valve stem seals on each valve stem. The crappy teflon type then a neoprene cup type off some other vehicle over the top of them. Double-bagging it worked! I enjoyed seeing that van tearing around the streets without leaving a smoke trail.

Well if it was me I'd pull the whole engine out... you've gone so far now... almost criminal not too and you'll feel so much better 👍😊

Fantastic, fantastic, f….ng fantastic!!!! Why has it taken all my life to find something on the telly worth watching?! Edge of the seat stuff? That expression was made for the latest series of videos!!! Just brilliant, my friend. You have my admiration in spades for your tenacity, your practical skills, the bravery you had in spending all that money and just getting on with it… This country was built by people like you! Keep it up!!!!!

You have my utmost respect for doing this yourself because most Ferrari owners won't even clean their car themselves, let alone do the mechanical work, but I must make the comment that you are learning as you go along. I'd be interested to know the fit of the valves in the guides (I suspect they're OK) because in truth, if the valves and guides are in as new condition, the stem seals don't really have much work to do. We run most competition engines without stem seals because a) we know everything is in good nick and b) because it's one less thing that can break up and cause problems; smoking and oil consumption are never a problem under these circumstances whether the engine be a pre-crossflow pushrod engine or a 16V BDA. Now it looks like your bore wear may be fairly good (but it needs measuring), but so far as I can see from the video, your cross hatching is absolutely minimal. The entire face of the bore should be cross hatched (ideally with a plateau honed finish) and with no polished smooth areas at all. The tiny grooves of the cross hatching actually retain minute quantities of oil as the pistons go up and down and it is this that lubricates the rings. Oil that is attached to the bore wall like this doesn't really burn because it is kept cool (relatively) by the bore wall itself that is in contact with the water jacket. Ideally, you need to pop a piston out (yes, even as a non-Ferrari specialist I know it's not the work of a moment) and inspect the rings for wear and perhaps more importantly, check that they haven't relaxed and lost their tension against the bore wall. You're doing a lot of work if you put it back together and find it's just the same.

Mark I had my heads done last year. Stainless valves to replace the sodium filled ones, new guides pressed and honed to size and with new viton stem seals. When the heads were assembled it was still found necessary to further machine the guides to obtain the correct working height. Seals came from Superformance part no 4174355. Just make sure they are sized properly to the guide.

Fantastic that you found the issue. I am with you, that getting a modern seal is a much better option. Looking forward to seeing you finally get it all sorted.

Big shout to the guys who built the heads for stepping up and helping out. Well done that company.

Caution: You said you had turned the engine over several times with the heads off but I don't see any hold-downs for the cylinder liners. My advice is to NOT do that anymore as you run the risk of compromising the base seals. You can make a hold-down with a large washer and a length of PVC pipe over the head stud. You need 4 of them - one between 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 and 7-8. Either intake or exhaust side, doesn't matter.

Remember that cylinder liners are also wear parts. The liners shown in video looks polished due to normal wear. Some honing scorers are visible but obviously most is worn out. A new good honed liner has a matt surface with small scored lines criss cross, this is to ensure that the oil film stay and lubricate the piston skirt and rings. At 16:05 shown a surface mark that looks like metal fatigue, this can be changes in the metal structure due to wear and age. And might be a sign that the liner start to reach the end of its life. Again remember that pistons, rings and liners are wear parts that needs to be overhauled and replaced at some stage in an engines life, some sooner rather than later specially on a Ferrari. All the best.

My late Dad was an Alfisti from 1971 'til the day he died, never owned anything but various 105's from then until 2015. In the UK days before he repatriated to Oz (in1982) he had an Alfa and BMW-trained Italian mechanic called Mike Sasso (who he'd found back when he was running Cooper S's). He had a GT Junior 1600 from 1979 on, a really nice one but which had lost a bit of performance by 46K miles (IIRC) and he had Mike take the head off for a looksie and overhaul ... BUT - Mike made it clear that before he'd do the work he'd have to be sure the pistons, more particularly the rings, would be able to withstand the restoration of as-new compression (which he decided they could), the risk being wafer-thin rings "blown-a-to pieces" somewhere down the line, as he described it in his Roman accent. Of course he had to gauge that by examining the bores, as you just did with the 308 ...

General advice when disassembling anything for repair work or other reasons. Get some plastic bags like those sold for food storage etc. Place all of the fasteners and related hardware in labeled bags. For example Left Bank Exhaust Manifold Screws and Washers. Also it is a good idea to write the fastener size, type and grade on the bag. In the US we used bags for U-Line in various sizes. Also on this engine I would imagine the head should probably be replaced due to being torqued to a certain setting and then being stretched. Say 70nm + x°

Fingers crossed that this will get the engine sorted once and for all. Well done.

Excellent stuff Jack. ALWAYS good seeing the Influenzo work-in-progress. Teflon valve guide seals are never going to seal as well as the 'rubber' style ones that will have some flexibility to slide on the valve stem while holding back the oil. One thing I used to do on 'K' series engines for Caterham Se7en use was remove the spiral spring around the actual valve stem of the seal. Reason ? They had been known to break. If there is minimal 'slop' in the valve guide the seal alone is enough. Thanks for the content. Great viewing!!!!!!

There is a 308 tuner in the us called nick’s Forza and he makes higher grade guides for the 308s. Also some cool bored / long stroke 308 motors.

Love watching your series of problem investigating and elimination. As a owner of a DS its great to watch someone else trying to fix problems rather than myself for a change !

Even though the original plastic seals are not a great design they should not immediately fail either. Nice to see the re-builder is amenable to a solution. Use Viton seals in the re-assembly. From memory I believe OEM BMW M5 stem seals will work but you will want to confirm that. Murderous approach to remove the heads in place. One day you'll pull the motor and see how much easier it is.

This has been great to fallow. I have a Porsche that I've been working on for a few years like you I didn't have the room in my garage. I pulled the engine and even though the cars almost back together it's been a marathon. It's double the headache because making these videos while working on a car is not easy.

Awesome video. Hopefully you get the car fixed. Loving this video series. Keep up the good work.

Easy for me to say as I collect British classics in an entirely different price range. But when I acquire a new I car, I pull then engine and trans, at the sign of any issue, have everything measured and inspected replace what needs to be replaced, get any machining done that needs to be done and am done with it. The key is to find an expert happy to advise on the way one should build each particular engine and trans. Time is a beautiful thing, it exposes all the design flaws from stock and solutions are developed, if you have the right advice, assembling a fresh rebuild isn't difficult, its resolving all the known flaws and which direction to take to achieve this that is difficult. For the cost of doing everything three times you are probably close already to having done a full rebuild once properly. There are improvements to every classic car engine that those that know do on every build, if its a car you are going to keep, thats the way I would do it, then it's done and you can actually use the car. Next episode....... so the bottom end is a bit tired, now I need to have the heads disassembled carbon removed, new valve seals and do the entire thing again in addition to the bottom end. Or even worse, valve stem seals didn't work, resolve that and revert to prior statement. Get expert advice and sort it top to bottom. The doing is easy, knowing what to do, not so much.

Glad to see you have found the culprit. While you have the heads off if you have not already done so it would be a great time to replace all of the rubber hose parts for the fuel tank vents and the main fuel supply and return hoses.

Highlight of my day when I see one of your videos on the Influenzo! Keep up the great work!

Glad to see things coming along with a proper diagnosis. It's also nice to have a fairly dry bottom end 😂. Hopefully you finally have the chance to have a proper smokeless drive. Nice to see the Benz in a cameo as well lol. Best of luck

Jack. An interesting video. I think I speak for all your channel followers, we love the 308. However, this is my 70 year old humble opinion: my son's car (vauxhall SRi Turbo 16 valve) had 6 valve stem seals that came adrift, causing lots of blue smoke on startup and after long periods of idling, but very little when revved and running and it never fouled a plug. I have to agree with other comments, you MUST remove the engine, strip it fully and measure/inspect everything properly. I would bet good money that the plug foul-up and blue smoke is ring/bore related. There is certainly next to no honing on the liners. Remember, there are many engines with no valve stem seals by design, and they don't foul plugs up, they just use a bit more oil than you would like.

This has been a bear for you but as a viewer and fellow "petrol head", it has been enjoyable to be on the journey with you. Thanks.

This might also be a case of "don't overthink it". I'd ask Mick at QV what he'd use for VS seals & probably go with that.

I'm really glad that you seem to have found the issue. I love these cars and have been really interested in your journey. Living vicariously though you. Keep posting these videos please!

Seems like you're finally turning the page on this puzzling oil burning issue Jack. I really admire your persistence in getting to this stage & it's good to see you smiling, knowing you've identified the cause of the problem. It's been a long, tiring and at times frustrating journey, but hopefully now you can see lightvatvthecend of the tunnel. Well done!🙂

Well done Jack, really feels as if you are nearly there with it. Look forward to seeing it running properly

These analysis clips regarding your car problems & how you explain everything in detail with clear visuals is so refreshing :) Pls keep up the awesome work...

Very interesting, good to see you are getting to the bottom of the oil burning issue!

Luv this series. Thx for allowing us to follow your journey 😎

Jack, I've been following this journey from the start. Your passion and enthusiasm are incredible. Look forward to the next episode. Keep up the good work

Really happy you may be getting close to solving the big issues with this car. Hopefully you will be able to enjoy it as a driving machine soon!

Great episode Jack, good to see it's potentially a simple solution. With Ferrari my experience has been that OEM isn't always necessarily best, particularly as the models age and the inherent issues with original parts make themselves known. That said, caution should always be exercised and this video series really has become an excellent tutorial.

Great video as usual. Can’t wait to see where this goes on the parts. Always very informative and entertaining. All the best !

I’m sooo glad you FINALLY found the solution for a problem that haunted you and the Influenzo for sooo long! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻

Really interesting stuff Jack, any work done on the Influenzo is great content buddy.👍

Great news Jack finally looks like you've found the problem! Im also having a similar story with my VQ35DE rebuild, got a noise which shouldn't be there!

I’d definitely use the modern type of valve seals, as they’re more flexible. The original Teflon type would be too rigid to make a consistent seal.

Q: are the valve guides original? If so, then the OEM spec valve guide seals ought to fit perfectly. If, on the other hand the valve guides were replaced, perhaps they were machined to an incorrect OD in the area that the seals fit and that is making the fit with the valve guide seals loose? I would recommend fitting new valve guides now that you have it apart - that way you can choose to (a) go for OEM dimensioned guides and stick with OEM valve guide seals, or (b) fit some guides that are dimensioned to take the VAG valve guide seals whilst being the correct length and major OD to fit the heads (this is obviously a custom machining job, but simple enough if you have an OEM VAG valve guide and a 308 valve guide for reference).

Hello Jack! your patience is commendable to say the least. Another very interesting video as usual. Can't wait to see the follow-up on this valve guide issue.

Cracking on and finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel seems so rewarding-well done! Your exhaust headers seem a bit crusty. There is much to be gained by ceramic coating them inside and out. Besides looking infinitely better, the coating acts as a thermal barrier and keeps the exhaust heat inside the pipes where it belongs, to be exhaled through the muffler, rather than radiating through the pipes and heating up the engine bay. The process was pioneered commercially by an outfit called Jet Hot here in ‘Murica, but I have to assume it’s readily available there too. Insist on a place that fully dips (submerges) the pipes, rather than simply spraying the outside. Normally they are a dull silver color, but if original appearance is valued you can then use standard exhaust paint over the coating, which will then hold up so much better because the paint won’t be subjected to nearly as much heat as it would if it was sprayed directly onto the bare steel pipes.

We used to use ford valve seals(2a DOHC engine from sapphire) in VW's as they fit better due to the mini barbs on the capment ring and you can swap the in/out seals to match the needed size.

Good to see your positivity is still intact and glad that you've found the oil ingress issue. All the best lad.

I started my search for a 308 or a C2 Corvette here in the states just after you bought your 308. I watched many of your early shows and saw what you had to go through on so many levels that I am now a proud owner of a 1963 red Corvette. I had to do some updating of tires and brakes but nothing like you have had to do. I also have the advantage of being able to go to almost any auto store and buy parts for the small block Chevy V8 something you have not been able to do. You were an inspiration to me and in a major way helped me buy the car of my dreams. I admire your can-do spirit and hope all turns out well for you. F I A T aka Fix It Again Tony is still in play!

Wonderful vid, love not just these cars but the way you present your videos and take the viewer along on your journey by showing all the work you do such as with the BX vids

Yeah mate, make sure you put those stem seals on the inlet valves and not the exhaust! Only saying. There's a little known mod here in the UK at least. Evacuated sump/crankcase. Moroso sell them. It's a heat proof one way valve firing crankcase pressure down the exhaust. The exhaust acts like a Syphon and can give negative crankcase pressure when revving. Higher your revving, higher the vacuum. So no oil leaks, cylinder contamination and cleaner less black oil. The other desirable side effect is a mild turbo effect on the under side of the piston on induction stroke. Win win. Check out moroso check valve and vac pumps. Cheers e buona Fortuna!

Great video Jack awesome to hear found out to get the old girl fixed The first video I found of you during the 1st lockdown is when you purchased the car

I wouldn’t mind if you put through an infomercial if it helps fund the channel

Your attitude is fantastic - the Influenzo has the right owner for sure!

Lovely Jubbly video Jack. I remember the old Ford's OHC from the 70's and 80's they were notorious for vavle stem seals and blowing blue smoke on a cold start up.

Had a 308GTS - similar to you getting the engine right was a major pain in the proverbial... originally was only running on 5 or 6 cylinders and required a full rebuild (I didn't do it myself so kudos to you!. All the best with getting the "Influenzo" fighting fit! Very informative and interesting video 👍👍👍

Still love these videos Jack, just looking at the rear with the number plate stuck on, and I’m excited 😆, keep going matey 👍

You're doing a great job and I hope this finally nails the problem. I'm amazed you have only had this car for 2 years...seems a lot longer.

Jack. I agree with with the chap who mentions the cross hatching in the bores being nearly worn away and the point he makes of rings either going slack or getting gummed up is a very valid point. Have you checked what the compression values are supposed to be v's what you actually got? be worth popping the pistons out and cleaning them up. fairly easy job I'd have thought as you plan the sump seal change. only cost could be new rod bolts and you could check your big ends and 3 of your mains while your at it!

All I can say is that you must have the patience of a saint. Hope apon hope it is just the valve stem seals. You deserve abit of luck for all the time and hassles you have had with the car. I don't fancy putting the front exhaust back on again. Yup your right there's just no room to work. Best of luck with the engine rebuild and hopefully hopefully that's the end of it. Everything buttoned up for the final time. You deserve a medal for all the hassles you've had. At least you can final enjoy the Ferrari you bought.

Best possible outcome and you should shortly have a nicely run-in Ferrari.

Nice news, love the Influenzo, is the gift that keeps giving and in the content side of things that's great. The suspension if they are Koni talk with Ratarossa as he had his ones rebuild

Love this car, I hope to see it run at its peak soon!

Great vid Jack….lovin your car journeys, keep up the good work 👍👍

I'm stunned an engine rebuild company would re build a head with the customer supplying the parts ! More so given the fact that the parts weren't genuine. If something goes wrong (as in this case) then there is ambiguity as to who/what is to blame. Any really important mechanical building the parts should be supplied by the builder. That way there are no ifs or buts - they're responsible for the end result.

Great news Jack, there's little like a 'double nutting' to make progress & you feel better! Hope the 308 racers get back to you ASAP about the valve stem seals used. Final thing, surely all big decisions in the spirit of the Influenzo need to be done in pyjamas, late at night, after alcohol?! 🙏

Glad you found it!! Maybe check piston height at TDC. Good video keep at it Thankyou!

This is interesting to me because of the Alfa Romeo head I just had redone. The parts supplier for the valve guide was adamant that they were to be used with seals exactly like your originals - apparently the white part is actually teflon. Those were NOT original to my Alfa. The chaps at the machine shop, however, declared those to be crap and instead sourced some good rubber seals for me.

Bad luck Jack on this rework. I am puzzled that there isn't some consensus in the 308 world about what the modern upgrade for valve stem seals should be.... or even if it to just buying factory replacement parts....

Glad you found the problem. When you get the car back together, drive it easy for about the first 500 miles.

Another entertaining and informative episode. As you suggested a complete teardown and rebuild (including the bottom end) is probably unnecessary. If folks who race this model speak well of the updated seal design it sounds like a viable solution. Either way, the ongoing saga makes for excellent viewing. FYI, I'm encouraging auto enthusiast friends here in Boston and vicinity to watch and subscribe. Well done!

We always new it was valve stem seals .Did not realise you supplied them and after market not OEM .Lesson learnt .The hard way folks .

Nice to find some explanation for the oil coming down the guides Jack, I'd think as they were such a slack fit over the top end of the guides they could have been "pumping" the oil through on each valve stroke. Good work removing the heads.

"a couple of things that worry me"....superb understatement after 2 years..PS just added my support via patreon

It's been an up and down journey with the influenzo and now you found the issue. I'm the same about not knowing what an issue is. When you find it, it's a great feeling.

This is the perfect time to have the exhaust headers double ceramic coated and heat-shrink wrapped. That's a big help in under-hood temps.

Have to say watching you work through the why’s and ways of getting at and disassembling etc is refreshing. Too many just get another to do the tricky work (mentioning no names that rely on a giant of a man from Georgia USA called Jared).

Interesting stuff Jack as always. Love these 308 Vids (Si from bath )

And i thought i had problems with my 33 year old SL, Jack you show us the way defeat isn't an option press on to success

New modern seals may need guides with the tops machined to hold those seals. Not the end of the world but will add quite a lot to your bill. Consider that before the shop does lots of work on reseating the valves etc. That will need to be done all over again if you fit new guides.

I am unsure if I missed it, but why did you not simply remove the engine? Removing the engine seems to be a lot of work, but it is not (about 6 or so hours) and the positive to this it allows you to easily and effectively inspect and review other parts of the engine. Also, removal of the cylinder heads can be challenging, as over time a bit of corrosion/electrolysis occurs between the aluminum head and the head bolts (steel)... which in a number of cases requires the use of a metal plate "puller". In the end I suspect that there was little to no time savings doing this work with the engine in the car and in fact would actually consume more time than a full engine out.

Great news - fingers crossed that that’s finally a fix!

Great video as always Jack. Keep up the good work. ✌🏼

Hi Jack,....sooo pleased u have conclusive proof of oily com. chambers prob ...turned out to be the most obvious after all -the fact that the heads had just had full refurb obviously tends to deflect u from that possibility.... Cant wait to hear her on full chat again :) - Time to save up for an Ansa Quad when this is proven :) - U lucky boy :) Dont suppose u would swap for my 1962 Ford Angla 'hotrod'?!

Another great video. just don't ever think the gear linkage seal will never not weep oil..

That head you removed didn’t fall on the garage floor. A lucky day

Great car, as usual pretty nice video. The whistle in the background for those first minutes drove me nuts.

Well put together investigation thank you

congratulations mate, you did a great job. it will all come okay.

Cool video and first responder. A lot of people would remove their Omega Seamaster before taking apart a Ferrari engine...but that's just me.

great to see you getting deep on the 308

Kudos to your patience. One look at that exhaust manifold and i would have just torched it.

This sounds like the ol saying "You can buy a Ferrari but can you afford to own a Ferrari?" I found this out with my DUCATI 916. To be quite honest these Red Mistresses are high maintenance high performance precisely machined to go fast & then rebuilt after so many hours. Expense was not spared when they were designed & they certainly weren't designed as daily drivers. Nylon has never been reliable under extreme heat & cooling. If you plan on keeping her apply your backyard mechanic enthusiasm & maintain your passion for enjoying the finer things in life its an iconic ride & well respected in the driving community. I can only imagine the feeling you get when you open the garage door on Sunday meeting your mates for an early tea with your mates. Youll get through it life is too short to drive an average car.

Good work Jack. Hopefully this will get to the bottom of it.

Good on you for avoiding the awful adverts in your videos. Have you thought of adding a tipjar on your channel as well as Patreon? Good luck with the seals!

If you need to add some commercials in the video to keep some cash flowing just do it in my opinion. Even the biggest channels do it and it can be skipped, not all google ads can.

Id be tempted to pull that sump and have a look at them rings the bores need glaze busting for a start sump gasket and a set of rings are not expensive while you are in there

TC is looking down from heaven and is happy with this video

Seems like a good time to re-connect with Iain Tyrrell. Surely he has come across the valve stem seal issue. Love your channel!

the mark on the bore might have been from honing if it was done with a ball hone if it was started then stopped but like you said if you can't feel it don't worry about it.If you use the same valve stem seals put a drop of flange locktite on them before installing or which i might do first ring one of the manufactures of valve stem seals and give them valve guide and valve diameters and ask for a cross refrence for other manufactures seals cheers from down under

Glad that you've actually found something wrong at last. Re the bottom end, stick to the old adage " if it ain't broke don't fix it." Can't you get to those exhaust nuts from the inside by removing the bulkhead?

You certainly have more patience than I. I have a 308QV that I wanted to do a valve adjustment on. My back wasn't going to allow me to do all that bending and reaching over so I ended up pulling the whole assembly out. And yes seeing its out many other things to do on this 38 year old. I just thought I could better job of it that way. All the best to you and I look forward to your successful conclusion.