I know I know, I couldn't be in a more wrong forum to ask this question, but still ;D .
I had an argument with my father whether or not his Ferrari 308 GTS carburetor had a dry sump system or a wet sump system (he owned it in the 80's so he wasn't sure anymore.) So after some searching we found out that his had a wet sump system as it's noted that all carbureted GTS are wet sump. But we also found out that the carbureted GTB's had a dry sump system. And after reading this we had a question, why are the carbureted GTB's dry sump and the carbureted GTS wet sump? You'd think they would use dry sump on both to keep using the same engine.
And again I know I should ask this at a Ferrari forum, but I thought I'd first ask here before registering to one just to ask one question.
Hi Max, ill ask my old friend Magnum PI and see if he knows. :)
I learnt an interesting fact the other day though. if I remember right, the prancing Ferrari horse indeed was from Stuttgarts city crest. A former German airforce fighter was shot down by an Italian who put the crest on the Italians plane as a mark of respect? He then took up racing and after he died car racing, the family asked Enzo Ferrari to use it when he was looking for a logo. Hence, a Ferrari is really a type of Merc! thats my logic anyway!
Hello
I recall Jeff Carter came close to buying a 308GTB - before he ended up with one of three Kremer Porsches I'd love to find - and made the comment that it (wet or dry) depended on whether the car was an Australian delivery or private import (European). Carter claimed the European cars were dry sumped for climate reasons. My understanding of the GTS is that it was more intended for the US market, and for climate reasons a wet sump was deemed favourable, but it may have been for US regulation reasons also. I also am unaware as to options listings - but can't imagine a manufacturer (even Ferrari) offering a choice, but I'm happy to be corrected.
As ever, asking these types of questions is like asking ten people to tell you how to make the perfect coffee - you'll always get fifteen replies!
Scott
OK, here we go:
All 308 GT/4 are wet sump.
All 308 GTS are wet sump
All 308 GTBi and GTSi are wet sump
All 308 GTB and GTS Quattrovalvole are wet sump
All carburettor 308 GTB are dry sump with the exception of the USA, Japan and Australian markets.
The reason that these markets were wet sump 308 GTBs despite being carburettored is because to meet emission requirements for their respective markets, they ran a second set of points to retard the ignition at idle. This second set of points is activated by a microswitch on the throttle linkage.
The problem being, this feature above dictated a second distributor, which sits right in the way of the dry sump tank on the rear left of the engine bay. In fact the dry sump and wet sump engines are slightly different in that the studs in the base of the block don't meet up with the transmission unless that case is specifically for that type of engine as the associated oil galleries that run through the block and case differ.
Back to the 308 GTS. No one really knows why these carburettor GTS cars were never dry sump in European trim. My guess is that since almost 50% of the GTS sales were to North America, I suspect that Ferrari just couldn't be bothered making a Euro only version. The GTS irrespective of market apart from the wet sump engine, has slightly softer spring and damper rates and a slightly shorter (Higher numerically) 5th. gear. With the GTB, they already had an emissions ready engine from the 308 GT/4 which went straight into these wet sump GTBs and GTS.
So why was the 308 GTB in European trim dry sump? Well, for homologation reasons possibly, the Michelotto Gr/4 cars were dry sump.
An Australian specification 308 GTS had twin distributors like its GTB brother, but oddly, the European version had a single distributor, so there was room to make it dry sump if they'd wanted.
Jeff Carter's claim is not correct, the dry sump system holds about 12 litres and has a noticeably smaller oil cooler compared to the wet sump cars with a larger oil radiator and about an 9 litre sump.
Funny that I knew Carl would be the perfect guy for the answers as soon as I read this thread! Sure enough, he came through with the goods; thanks Carl!