Another long term storage, this time a T-1 Coupe

[Jbrooks]

Spent the morning heat shrinking and re routing the rear harness. Installed a remote starter switch for maintenance and hard starts. Just a simple 12 mm marine momentary switch next to the voltage regulator. Wire from Batt on the regulator, through the switch to the 50 spade on the starter solenoid. I will also install a hot start relay on this one at the same time. So both the key switch and the button power the coil on the relay. Simple and should be done on all the 356’s.

Can you find the secret switch

On a funner note today, rebuilding the carburetors. went through the dip. then the ultrasonic cleaner, and blow out the passages with air. I reassembled them, they looked very good, went to leak check and set the float level . I leak check by putting 20cc of gas in the vent tube, and let them sit, then look for shinny or wet spots. Then I run the pump and fill the bowl an check the level.

Well one wont fill. pump runs, no fuel in the P-Tool. Pop the top, lift it run the pump. no gas through the float valve... Pull the valve, blow through it is good, try blowing through the banjo fitting, no luck, Ah Ha passage plugged, blow it with air, no luck. probe it with wire, it goes through and see some black debris, keep probing, the put a plastic tube form a aerosol can it from the small end and push out the carcass of a beetle from the passage. it was about the size of the passage. I have no Idea how long it ha been in there.

bug debris remnants on the left, a good carb on right.

[JTR70]

Interesting joint where they grafted in that T5 rear seat pan.

[Jbrooks]

Justin

Not sure on the trans yet. They swapped the nose to a 741 I think, it’s on the ground and hard to see right now. They hacked in a T-5/6 shifter and piece pipe. Then Installed the shifter rod after the trans was in, by chopping some on the center tunnel. Just not sure why, I really need to look at the forward trans mount. Welds are poor but I have not measurements yet.

Spent the last few days chasing wires, and the turn signal stalk. The wires were chopped off, the single color wires crimped in the ends. Laying on your back under the wheel is so much fun. Not sure about a couple things yet, T-1 used a brass block and screw for connections, now some switched are original for some bullets and some spades. Like the ignition looks like a 911/912 key in the back but wired like 356 with spades and the original key fits.

Also using ferrules on the new wire connections. They crimp over the bare ends and make assembly simpler

wires are always so much fun, after simple hydralics.

[JTR70]

I like those termina ends. Yes, very few bullet connections on a T1. Most connections under the dash were spade.

[Jbrooks]

More component repair, for an almost “completed car”, but it all needs to be done.
Back to the ultrasonic cleaner. photos are Before…. Then On for 3 seconds…… then 10 seconds later….. it is really fast at first, the goo just jumps off. This was pretty nasty inside after this the pump is probably next.

Short 24mm wrench, 19mm crows foot. The nut has left and right hand threads, so you turn it down to the base, then screw the nut into the tank, keeping the selector point to the tube you hold it straight with the crows foot and seat the nut into the tank. A bent 19mm might give clearence between the wrenches, but crows foot was fine.

If you get a cleaner it “can't be too big”. You can also put parts in a glass jar, with different chemicals and submerge the jar. The sound goes through the glass, works well. I hope to finish the wiring, and get the engine started by the weekend.

[Jbrooks]

The battery cable is done, dip soldered and just a little longer than original. Too many skinned Knuckles over the years from the original wire length. I think only 5-6 more days of wires, then the carbs back on and it might be ready to start. Tail pipes are fitted, made from stainless, almost stock, probably a little louder!

Photo of the parade in Levenworth Wa. A Bavarian town over the other side of the mountain on US-2. Their Mayfest celebration

thanks for looking

[JTR70]

Cable end looks good. you do nice work. Like the stance on that A coupe with the hood straps.

[Jbrooks]

The saga continues, today I passed 2000 miles driving down and back to the storage facility. But the new starter system circuits are in. Put a hot start relay and remote starter switch in. The extra long battery cable worked out better than I expected, I looped it over to the right along the first 3 loom tabs the back over across the top of the starter almost to the clutch cable and then back over to the solenoid. Fits snug but I think you could unbolt the starter and pull it with the big cable attached. Yes with the 3/0 welding cable attached to the solenoid bolt. ( Disconnect the battery before trying this ). The dash wires continue to be a challenge, lots of wire stubs to translate and terminate.

Shifter will also be a challenge. Boob chopped it up removed the monkey motion parts, and cobbled in about 3/4 of a BC shifter system , put a T-5 shift coupler, and a 741 nose on the trans with a T-5 dual front mount. He Split the tunnel because the put the trans in before the peace pipe rod, then Tacked it back together. Major problem will be the shifter movement. The stock T-1 long shift lever and monkey set up has a 4” lever advantage between the shifter pivot point and shift rod. The T-5 is only about 1-1/2“ so the shift knob needs to move twice the distance for engagement between gears. 356A’s were pretty famous for long throws, this on is almost twice as far, the H pattern in 18” wide. Not sure about a cure, maybe arm extenders. I think I found all the gears today, reverse will be especially difficult but I think achievable

Replaced the bad rear brake pipe to the LR cylinder. Good news it fits, bad news, it bleeds , but no firm pedal. Did not spend allot of time trying to get it to bleed, I believe the master cylinder is bypassing internally. Too many bad wires still to worry about stopping.

Carburetors back on, I hope to move on to the engine for a while. Will start with valve adjustment, then a leak down series. If that looks reasonable, then compression test. After compression and oil fuel pressure validation, we will do a full electrical tune. I need to put the muffler and tail pipes on before trying to start it. Debating clamping or welding the tail pipes, it a Dansk muffler, so I know I will need to measure and straighten and parallel the head flanges. The tail pipes are .087 wall 304 stainless tube, so I may laser weld them. That will give me something solid to pull on.

but we progress, thanks for following.

[JTR70]

I hope she appreciates your effort, especially the miles you're accruing. So you have to make this shifter puzzle work? She won't go for a 644 nose cone with the correct shifter tower for 356A. Money might be issue? All those parts would run some money now that I'm thinking about it.

[Jbrooks]

Another day in the books. Not too much to report on the 356. Have a good Ferrari story today.

Jim Simpson who owns the facility I am working at, is a factory trained Ferrari guy. . He had a 308 trailered in from the upper islands, please diagnose “ running poorly” . Did you know a Ferrari uses a polystyrene distributor rotor! No kidding like a styrofoam cup the cheapest but lightest injectable plastics The carbon button stuck, allowing an arc between the center cap and rotor, that arc heated up the rotor, it started to melt and the spinning spread thin threads like Cotton Candy Inside the cap. I have never seen what looked like very fine spider webs inside the cap. At first we thought it was spiders, but a closer look, it was melted rotor threads. Go figure.. Ferrari. Nice looking but lots of cheap stuff inside.

if you see spider webs in your Ferrari distributor , take a close look at the rotor.

[Jbrooks]

The 356A monkey motion shifter is all gone, but the T-6 selector lever does reach all the detents. It’s miserable loose, the throw from 1st to 2nd is 20” long, it works like a bent shit can lid, “ You can make it fit, you just need to work on it”. I will know better after I can drive it. It’s like driving a tractor trailers truck, the throw is so long the shift knob just ends up in a different county.

More wiring today, made a new wire harness for the rear lights. Boobb replaced the rear bee hives, but ordered all fronts with dual post bulbs. I had Celeise order a Vintage Trader 356 T-1 LED Kit. But the reproduction front sockets use a dual filament bulbs. I had built the harness to light up both lights and use both filaments. That was easy with a jumper since the left and right are split at the fuse box. Now the LED bulbs do not for the sockets. I called Jules at VT when I realized the sockets were wrong for the original T-1 kit . He immediately knew what had happened and had new bulbs in the mail in under an hour, and no charge. That’s customer service!

Boobb chopped off all the wires under the dash, everything is short, even the main power cable between the battery and fuse box. . It’s a real mess but we are slowly overcoming all the defects. The light control relay is missing, and unobtainable. I can use a modern double pole single throw relays to replace it. Might be better in the long run.

I still have not started on motor or transmission other than rebuilding the carbs, every time I clear something on the list two new things show up. Now the master cylinder needs rebuilt. Even worse it been 50 years since I worked a T-1 this deep. Many things I forgot about these early cars. But I hope to have it driving and reliable by July.

[Jbrooks]

Not much new. Another week of wires, the more I look, the worse it is. some mufflers parts came in, so I can fabricate tail pipes. Photos show the ferrules I use on the wires. These make stranded wire easy to manage. They crimp around the bare wire. Shown is the new harness into the beehives, works well. The crimp tool and kit is pretty cheap, it makes life easier. The authenticity police might not approve, but some things have improved over time.

Had a get together Saturday and drive over on the Olympic Peninsula, good meeting in spite of the rain. Mostly 911’s but several 356’s even with rain. I drove my 912, and Celeste (cars owner) came up for the day. Visited a very interesting car collection, with hundreds of motorcycles. She is in the photo with the burgundy coat in front of my “deer hunter” 912. Raised with 215/15 light truck tires, it just rips up the old mountain logging roads up in the national forrest.

tool link:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=ferrule+crimping+tool+kit

[JTR70]

Looks like it was a nice turnout of cars. Is front bumper of your 912 black on purpose or is that on the to do list?

[Jbrooks]

ONE WIRE AT A TIME. Well after a couple weeks of wiring I think I can see light at the end of the tunnel. I never realized how bad someone could mess up a wiring harness.. And if you cut the wires to the flasher, or light relays or splice wires together with out matching the color codes. We have been starting at the bulb a working back to the fuse box, or turn signal selector, one at a time. I could not believe he cut the stalk harness 1/4" below the disconnect bullets and then spliced in a foot of red wire into the stalk, but did not match the original color codes from the harness. I do have Greg Bryant’s big windshield size color wire diagram, with out that I would have had to punt this one.

We have been starting with color code, then meter to the fuse box, then on to stalk switch or relay. After a good trace, inject power into the wire, if not too big of a voltage drop then test with a bulb.. one wire at a time. Cant believe how many miss connected wires there are. Also the 8Ga from battery to the fuse box was clipped right at the conduit above the battery. I sid manage to get a new battery cable in a couple weeks ago an a hot start relay with a push button next to the voltage regulator. I have finally crank the engine over and have oil pressure. The starter wire (50) is shorted into the ignition (30) somewhere so if you connect the battery to fuse box wire, touch the key and the starter runs. Never seen that before.

jumpers, a kludge a couple bypass & work arounds and some extra wires but the original lamps finally light up

BOOB ordered new reproductions but the wrong beehives, all dual filament fronts assemblies. I had Celeste order a T-1 LED kit from Vintage Trader, I called Jules, told him of the double filaments, and he sent new rear bulbs at no cost. I wired them in parallel so you now get two turn signal or four brake lights. Way brighter than the original bulbs.

I can believe it’s been almost 90 days and I still have not got to the motor yet. I did oil the rings and finally spun it over, got oil pressure and oil flow into the filter housing. Leak down and compression checks next, then on to the suspension. All the front end bolts are finger tight, the gas tank looks OK visually, the steering box and trans are still dry. But we are getting close. Celeste found an original Washington plate and a 56 year tab. We hope to have it re-registered and a new title in a couple weeks. The 356 Groupe annual Bull Session is the 18th of July. I hope to have it done by then.

Justin its black, It seems to skip off big rocks up on the logging roads, its easier to rattle can black on the scuff marks. its really a kick about 50-60 and power slide the curves.

[JTR70]

LED's are the only way to go. He includes the blinker unit but its for the later T2 plug in socket that the T1's don't have. Have you got one for this conversion?

[Jbrooks]

Justin: I will make up an adapter, all the wires are cut off anyway. I also need to make a head light and horn relay circuits with modern relays. Missing lots of electrical things.

I did swap out the headlights with led’s today. The previous Boob did not but the buckets back together correctly. I need to order some springs and rubber pivot kit. I think the buckets can be saved but there is no way they will adjust like they are. The old reflectors were cobbled together, they were painted black and sheet metal screwed together. Every time I start something it seems Boob was there first.

Nothing like pulling a light bucket, and find 4 retainer springs laying in the fender bucket, and 22 gauge wire & spades on the headlight plugs, and some 0.010 safety wire holding the entire mess together. Plus the glass lens was loose with the inner seal popped out.

I did get a leak down and compression test done, both good. But the valve covers are both glued on. I have no idea what he used for sealant, but man I have never seen any stuck like these. Tried a heat gun , but did not get too far. Gave up and just crossed my fingers on valve adjustment. Since the leak down was better than 90% and no real noise from the carbs or muffler, I did a compression test. That had 120psi, so it will run. I figure the rings are just still a little dry from sitting. I did get a good pre-oil through the plug holes a few weeks back, so I hope it wicked well.

should have it running this week. I need to go through the fuel system. The tank look good but I need to look at pump the hoses and pipes. Then do leak test, pump pressure. I did the carbs so we are close. I need to figure out the valve covers. Adjust the valves, verify the push rod and valves rotate when look at the oil flow to the rockers, lots of petty stuff, but I did not put it back together, and Boob did not know what he was doing.

thanks for looking