Ghibli II winter works

spacecadet

Member
Messages
378
I would need some help regarding the front hubs. How do I remove the stub axle with the hub from the carrier? I've tried pushing it out with a shop press but it doesn't move at all. Tried around 3 tonnes, but I was afraid that I will break something.

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del mar

Junior Member
Messages
257
BE CAREFUL !

The little black abs connector will snap off if you look at it too hard.... Maserati have none left and I am yet to find what car it is from.

Bill Mcgrath have some new ones at £400 each.

I have been through 3 of them !!!

I would pull that part off first and put it somewhere safe. To remove mine I stood on the hub carrier and hit the end of the axle with a bit hammer - it then shot across the garage floor.
 

spacecadet

Member
Messages
378
Thanks for the notice, I'll take care. Tried to remove the hub itself but i couldn't open that nut, will try harder.

3 of them?? That should have been a painful process, pretty much what I had with the rear arms.

The hub itself is an SKF VKBA 3433, of course out of production. It was used for examplr as the rear hub of Lancia Kappa. The catalogue for that car lists VKBA 3544 as the alternative but it's nowhere near, doesn't even have the ABS connector. Also none of the better quality (***) are available, I've only found it at Optimal, so I try to stick to my current ones. The original ones were around £80, the ones available are even more cheap so I would skip those £400 parts.
 

del mar

Junior Member
Messages
257
Well **** me, I literally spent weeks trawling every 1990's car I could think of to find the part - Lancia Kappa must have been the only one I didn't check !

I broke mine tightening up the wheel bearing nut, as the nut tightens the entire axle started to turn and the sensor hit the brake calliper and snapped off - I did it three times !!! You need a 42mm spanner to hold the axle to stop it turning.

Mine came off easily - but on the car.

Old screwdriver or punch to bend the lock tab of the nut out of the way and then an impact gun. If you try it now the impact gun should at least break the bond between the bearing and the axle.

Looking now I have found the Optimal part - I will order one just to have a play with.

Thanks

Del
 

spacecadet

Member
Messages
378
Finally I've just removed them today. Had no lock hammering it out, the wheel bearings definitely have to be removed so that the carrier can be properly supported from beneath because the stub axle needed 5 tonnes to make it free.

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One side was quite easy, but on the other side the wheel bearing was stuck on the axle. While I was fighting with it the plastic plate with the connector came off giving access to the inner race which I could hammer out.

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The plastic can be put back, but I'm not sure if it still works. Also the outer inner race just fell off, seems like nothing is holding it after removed.

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The two bearnigs are not identical, one has markings inside on the inner race (SKF BAF-0021), this is with the loose inner race

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The other has only a mark on the hub, and the inner races seems to be held together

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spacecadet

Member
Messages
378
More updates from the last few weeks

AC compressor is back from the shop, pressure test showed no problem, but the hoses were leaking so those were remade

Noticed a slight exhaust leaks while visually inspecting the engine, which seemed to be a failed gasket.

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Removed the manifolds to replace the gaskets, but on one side I've found a small crack.

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I've contacted multiple welders, but none of them could guarantee the work of repairing cast iron, but then found some companies doing thermal metal spraying claiming that the process is perfect for these kind of repairs. Went with one, they also did a crack test and found another small, not visible one and repaired it. It was expensive because of the metal powder, but even after resurfacing the price is still a bit below a used part and I know this doesn't have any cracks now. Still needs some grinding work I might do later, but but exhaust manifolds, and turbo to exhaust pipe manifolds are at Zircotec now for ceramic coating.

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Also started working on the engine and measured the following

Valve clearances: intake valves are just on the tight end of the spectrum 0.35-0.30, but exhaust valves are all too tight, 0.40-0.35 (factory spec: intake 0.35-0.40, exhaust 0.45-0.50)

Valve aperture: Right block, intake: 0.60, exhaust: 0.65; Left block: intake: 1.05, exhaust: 0.60 (factory spec: intake 0.90-1.00, exhaust 0.65-0.75)

Strangely only the the right chain has slack which should account to this delay, left chain is tight. Is it common that the right side wears much more?

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Spent some time this weekend on cleaning the engine before doing the timing work on it.

Before:

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After:

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Will attack further areas later.

Today I've dropped of the suspension parts at the blaster after making sure everything is properly masked, I learned it's the best if I do as many preparation as possible for a better result. Also visited a company who I finally selected will do the refinishing.

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Maseratiman

Junior Member
Messages
214
My Dad had some cast iron welding done on a vintage car engine by a guy called Sosby in Leicester. Done in a kiln. His firms work is first class. He is one of very few people able to do it properly
 

Wally

Member
Messages
244
Very thorough you are indeed... and resourcefull : respect. Check the area under the camshafts for red bits: in that case some of the valvestem-seals are defect/worn. (but i guess you have already done this)
 

spacecadet

Member
Messages
378
My Dad had some cast iron welding done on a vintage car engine by a guy called Sosby in Leicester. Done in a kiln. His firms work is first class. He is one of very few people able to do it properly

Yes, and even less who don't back up when asking for warranty.

Very thorough you are indeed... and resourcefull : respect. Check the area under the camshafts for red bits: in that case some of the valvestem-seals are defect/worn. (but i guess you have already done this)

I have to do something to substitute the lack of experience :)

No haven't checked this yet, thanks for the tip. Actually what I wanted to ask how to proceed with camshaft removal and reinstallation? Remove the timing belt then the sprockets on the front and back first. How to lock the camshaft so it doesn't turn while trying to loosen the nuts? Or use an impact wrench? Then what to do with the spring load? Loosen the caps by small turns on every cap? Rotate the cams to a position with the least amount of spring load? I don't want to break or bend anything.
 

spacecadet

Member
Messages
378
Yes, but it only tells me to: unscrew timing pulley nut, unscrew rear sprocket nut, unscrew cam cap allen screws

My questions are very basic and I guess applies to any type of head job so not present in the manual, i.e. how to block the cam while loosening timing pulley / sprocket nuts, and how to make sure the load is even on the cam while removing caps.
 

Wally

Member
Messages
244
The nuts at the rear of the camshafts Can be released a bit before removing the camshaftcaps. The rest -if necessary- after removal. The nut is fixated with a sticky white sort of locktite. Not difficult to Loosen. I preserved timing by using tie-wraps to hold gear and chain together.