Just for fun... can anyone beat this milage for a 16 year old 3200GT!

[jasst]

The last car I heard with it was a local guy to me who bought the car at Carfest auction 2 years ago (same auction I bought my Golf). In the end he sold it to F-Tech for absolutely peanuts! A real shame for him...

If that's the one they told me about, it had over 1cm of endfloat!!

 

[Contigo]

Yes it was bad and I'm disgusted with the so called specialist who did the rebuild!

Buck Rogers just buy my auto and be done with it

 

[alfatwo]

Dave, there is one for sale on ebay with c.1,000 miles more than yours. Don't know if anyone knows the car? I've made initial enquiries to the vendor. It sold at auction beginning of April for just under £15k with commission and new owner is moving it straight on. As a suspicious buyer can't help wondering if it went to auction because of the end float!

Interesting about the end float repairs failing a second time. I was thinking if I bought a manual 3200 I'd splash out getting the engine fitted with modified thrust washers by Giallo, my local Maserati specialist. Possibly an expensive bit of preventative maintenance that doesn't remove the risk?

I'd really say to any 3200GT owners out there get the end float clearance checked out correctly with a dial gauge. It's an easy DIY job.. like I said there was no symptom's on mine

New cranks aren't available any longer, but if you catch it in time there is a solution....


Dave

 

[highlander]

D

I'd really say to any 3200GT owners out there get the end float clearance checked out correctly with a dial gauge. It's an easy DIY job.. like I said there was no symptom's on mine

New cranks aren't available any longer, but if you catch it in time there is a solution....


Dave

Maserati should never have been allowed to get away with such a critical failure which if the cars were not treated preciously and only rarely driven, would have appeared within 3/4 years (given average UK mileage of 10-12/year)
Does not affect the auto as much as the manual but it is an inbuilt fault in the engine nonetheless. This and the wishbones and the way Maserati dealt with both is the reason why I would never buy new from them, a bunch of bankers.......using both interpretations.

 

[sospanbach]

on the same subject mine has done 59k manual 3200 and no apparent symptoms as yet, speaking to a chap with the same car at Brooklands his had done 100k engine still great, marios mentioned when he serviced mine he stripped a manual engine down that had 75k on it and the thrust washers were a1, correct grade oil frequent changes don't depress the clutch on start up if after all that mine goes t..s up cross that bridge when I come to it dave

 

[allandwf]

Not all seemed to be effected, but wise words and no harm following. There have been many theories over the years, bad washers, fitted wrong way round etc. Just have it checked annually or sooner, and hopefully no more wrecked engines.

 

[sospanbach]

yes goes for service round about january time will get it measured just to be safe, last service he commented the engine was great lets hope it stays that way regards dave

 

[Gp79]

is it worth buying a used 3200 engine if you're running a 3200? for 4k it is much cheaper than repairing so long as it has no end float! and runs well!

If you have the space to store it then I'm sure the used engine value can only go up even if it is never required.

Probably worth doing on the 4200 / GS as well if you plan long term ownership or just buy another car for the spares. again if you have free storage.

 

[alfatwo]

In all this very expensive mayhem, one thing was easily sorted, the original valve /cam timing was incorrectly set from the factory way back in 2001!

I've heard lots of stories true are not about this sort of stuff....suffice to say now the old banger feels like it has another 50hp!

It's still brutally nuts for such an old car


Dave

 

[jluis]

Dave, I'm curious to know which set of bearings were worn.
From the pictures you seem to have 1 good set and another worn thin.

If that is the case and if the problem is caused by the heavy clutch, then the worn set should be the one in contact with the crank when the flywheel is pulled towards the gearbox.

 

[Boomerang_GT]

The flywheel pulled towards the gearbox? It is pressed away from it.

 

[zagatoes30]

So this is probably the only time that I will be able to be knowledgeable on the subject of a 3200 as it is my car that Ewan speaks of. I bought the car from the second owner at 26k with full service history. I have had nearly 10k of enjoyment including a blast down to Italy that I reported back on in this forum. Late last year I had a momentary oil pressure fluctuation on one trip which caused me to watch oil pressure like a hawk. I tried the "depress the clutch and watch the pressure" test no movement on the dial. A month later fluctuation happened again - I took the car in for inspection even though full pressure was registering on the gauge. End float was measured at 0.8mm!! Apparently 0.2mm is max tolerance. We shall see if this one gets back to the road again.

Even my best "man maths" is having difficulty making this one work!

Is that the one Emblem have stripped at the moment?

 

[Ewan]

Yes Andy.

 

[alfatwo]

Dave, I'm curious to know which set of bearings were worn.
From the pictures you seem to have 1 good set and another worn thin.

If that is the case and if the problem is caused by the heavy clutch, then the worn set should be the one in contact with the crank when the flywheel is pulled towards the gearbox.

Jorge, The worn set are the ones that came out of the engine, the other was a new set for comparison

They were just in the verge of spinning which would have scrapped the engine block

The photo wasn't very good so here's another couple





Dave

 

[alfatwo]

So this is probably the only time that I will be able to be knowledgeable on the subject of a 3200 as it is my car that Ewan speaks of. I bought the car from the second owner at 26k with full service history. I have had nearly 10k of enjoyment including a blast down to Italy that I reported back on in this forum. Late last year I had a momentary oil pressure fluctuation on one trip which caused me to watch oil pressure like a hawk. I tried the "depress the clutch and watch the pressure" test no movement on the dial. A month later fluctuation happened again - I took the car in for inspection even though full pressure was registering on the gauge. End float was measured at 0.8mm!! Apparently 0.2mm is max tolerance. We shall see if this one gets back to the road again.

Even my best "man maths" is having difficulty making this one work!

If the bearings haven't spun due to the fact they've worn so thin... Its quite involved but it's fixable!

Dave

 

[Billy3200]

Dave - thanks for the positive thoughts! I will be discussing the way forward with Emblem on Friday. We shall see what the options are particularly with so many parts becoming difficult or impossible to source.

 

[alfatwo]

Dave - thanks for the positive thoughts! I will be discussing the way forward with Emblem on Friday. We shall see what the options are particularly with so many parts becoming difficult or impossible to source.

You can still get all the parts to do that job..ie big end and main bearings, oversize thrust washers, gaskets and seals etc.


I also had the 16 year old water pump replaced as it was easy to fit when everything was stripped out

Go for it!


Dave

 

[miket]

The flywheel pulled towards the gearbox? It is pressed away from it.

Manual 3200s have a thrust bearing that pulls to operate the pressure plate on the clutch, therefore it does pull on the flywheel & crank!

 

[urquattrogus]

It's days like these that I'm glad mine is an auto.

 

[allandwf]

It's days like these that I'm glad mine is an auto.

Auto is still not immune, just less likely.