Ferrari 365 C4 project

We have been working on the C/4 project and have the engine apart and ready for shipping to the machine shop. The engine ran well but was very smoky, big suprise. With only 45,000 miles on the odometer I was curious to figure out what caused this oil burning, was it broken piston rings, bad valve stem seals or guides? We do not get to open up too many original engines around here so it is a pleasure to work on something that we know has not been messed up by someone who does not know what they are doing.

Upon close examination I found all of the piston clerances to be prefect and no rings broken or even having lost there sping temper. What we did find is a weakness that most Ferraris suffer from -- absolutely worn out valve guides. In looking at the design of Ferrari cylinder heads, there appears to be no reason for complete wear-out at 40,000 miles. They have long guides and they do not suffer from seats and guides that come loose like other engines. My experience tells me that with these engines powered by multiple carburetors, the valve stems often have the oil stripped away from excess gasoline, creating this intense wear. I will also go so far as to blame the driver of the car for constantly "jabbing" the throttle, which shoots raw gasoline from the accelerator pump circuit into the cylinders washing down the bores and valves.

Needless to say, this engine is going to have new pistons, rings, bearings and a full valve job. It will be fully detailed and running as new. I am looking forward to posting the before and after photos.