3200 improvements?

[Evo Cymru]

G'day all,

While trawling through the buyers guide for the 3200 on Pistonheads I cam across this reply on the hread attached to it:


"There are faster cars on the road, but if she is put on the correct settings for the engine, which came from the factor with the cams set to minimal power output, produces closer to 390bhp and a fatter torque curve throughout.

They run with a cripplingly heavy unsprung weight, you can lose 10kgs on each corner, I removed 40kg on mine. the result was astonishing. £1200

Far faster than its contemporary Ferrari 550 on the road and track.

If you buy one take it to a Bosch centre, ask them to fit the correct bits from the Bosch range for all the senders/receivers, DO NOT use Fer/Mas parts, although they have the same name they are bulk purchase and have lower tolerances.

This stops all the CEL issues in an instant, it costs £800 but the car is infinitely better and doesn't scare you with warning lights.

Take the car to an independent Borg-Warner specialist (if auto) and get them to 'clean up' the rather badly made Ozzie auto-box, this costs £750/1000 and the car is transformed further.

Next, just take her to a good garage and get the turbo actuators looked at, almost all don't fully open, I never found one that did in my search, get them working correctly and then ask the mechanic to apply a little dab of copper-ease and then cover that dab with propeller grease.

Do all this and the Auto will trounce any manual version and seriously bother a F430.

If you're really serious, and these cars do breed enthusiasm, you'll book a holiday in Switzerland and spend £1500 on updating the computer systems at the specialist there, the communication system runs at 800baud on the standard car, but a few mods and it talks at 3200baud, they include mapping that is at the extreme of the original parameters and the fuelling is corrected to suit."

Hadnt really considered changes that could be made to them - any thoughts/experience of these?

Regards

Oliver

 

[allandwf]

Hmmmm... sounds like sales talk to me, most taken with a pinch of salt.

 

[Phil H]

The one factor which has often been said to require attention on the 3200 is valve timing; it seems there's is justification for that and there's been much discussion on it over the years. Unsprung weight caused some debate on the MF a long time ago.

As for the rest, well imho if it ain't broke don't fix it.........

PH

 

[Parisien]

Dunno....sounds as if maserati deliberately handicapped the 3200................ok maybe unknowningly or at the behest of Ferrari.......


P

 

[safrane]

I think you have to be realistic here. Remember the engine was old and a evolution of the Bi-Turbo from many years ago. If it could be fettled to beat a light weight F430 based on tech from almost 20 years ago then every other Modena car maker must have been asleep...shedding so weight will not make a 3200 a two seat mid engine rocket...its still a 4 seat GT with lighter wheels/brakes

 

[Phil H]

Dunno....sounds as if maserati deliberately handicapped the 3200................ok maybe unknowningly or at the behest of Ferrari.......


P

That has often been suggested Frank. Maserati's Fiorano lap times were said to have embarrassed Ferrari, and it is alleged that 3200 valve timings were 'adjusted' accordingly. I do think that Masers are seriously underrated cars, and the fact that they don't have the cachet of Ferrari keeps prices down, so when it comes to bang for bucks it's good news.

PH

 

[Contigo]

I spoke to Mike Roberts about that post and he says most of it is twaddle. I mean the actuators is basically saying up the boost!

The Bosch thing is also a bit silly as alot of the parts including the PP are Bosch and we know how unreliable those can be.

 

[Evo Cymru]

Thought I hadnt much mention of these ideas before - just wondered if anyone had any experiences with further fettling their cars. Wonder what he means by 'cleaning up' the auto box??

 

[CatmanV2]

That has often been suggested Frank. Maserati's Fiorano lap times were said to have embarrassed Ferrari, and it is alleged that 3200 valve timings were 'adjusted' accordingly. I do think that Masers are seriously underrated cars, and the fact that they don't have the cachet of Ferrari keeps prices down, so when it comes to bang for bucks it's good news.

PH

There mus, surely have been *much* simpler ways of reducing the power than messing with valve timings.

C

 

[conaero]

Indeed Chris, just retard the ECU map to satisfy Ferrari but it looks like Ferrari wanted a way of not mac king it easy to reverse, hence the hard route.

From what I have heard, twaddle or not, is that the timing chains were set up retarded to decrease the power.

From a personal perspective I am glad they did as the last thing the 3200 needed was more power. Brakes and viscous handling were not great on the 3200 and maybe a factor why Masetati retarded the timing?

 

[CatmanV2]

Indeed Chris, just retard the ECU map to satisfy Ferrari but it looks like Ferrari wanted a way of not mac king it easy to reverse, hence the hard route.

From what I have heard, twaddle or not, is that the timing chains were set up retarded to decrease the power.

From a personal perspective I am glad they did as the last thing the 3200 needed was more power. Brakes and viscous handling were not great on the 3200 and maybe a factor why Masetati retarded the timing?

Yeah, I can get why one might want to make it hard to undo, but I *think* both of us could come up with some pretty easy software blocks (always makes me wonder how hard companies are really trying to protect their products).

I've got no 1st had experience of the actuality of the valve timing, so I'm saying nothing

C

 

[beau]

Iv never believed about the valve clearances, what ********, no manufacture is going to so that, it would make it drive **** and risk burning valves out etc

 

[MUC3200GT]

there is a german maserati specialist who has some tuning options on is page

http://www.maserati-tec.de/html/index.html (Maserati->3200->Motor)

Although in all there is a differnt exhaust (EMPTIED) maybe form the appraoch one can deduce something:

So 405 HP
- ECU optimized parameters

450 HP
- ECU optimzed parameters
- removal of electro mechanical limts (what ever this is - allow more boost pressure?)
- changed valve timing

The higher ones 490 and 590 are than with changed turbos, changed head etc...

Somewhere else I have seen 420 HP ECU mod...

 

[allandwf]

There was a 450, ( allegedly,) modded one for sale when I was looking for mine. Dark blue if I remember. Decided it was too much of an unknown, possibly asking for trouble at the time. Can't remember who did the mod though.

 

[alfatwo]

There was a 450, ( allegedly,) modded one for sale when I was looking for mine. Dark blue if I remember. Decided it was too much of an unknown, possibly asking for trouble at the time. Can't remember who did the mod though.

Prindiville do a couple of ECU upgrades for the 3200 to 400 plus,but like you said Allan more bhp is the last thing you want

The cars are heavy,so getting them to handle better what be the way to go if you had any spare cash...

Dave

 

[Evo Cymru]

Ahh you've just reminded me of a road test I read in Evo magazine many years ago - should have thought of that! Company who did the work were called Carcalla I believe? Car developed something like 450 bhp?

Not sure I would want that much! As mentioned by others suspension and brakes would be my first port of call...

Oliver

 

[Contigo]

I have the article in PDF format. It developed 450bhp.

 

[Phil H]

Iv never believed about the valve clearances, what ********, no manufacture is going to so that, it would make it drive **** and risk burning valves out etc

That depends on the tolerances you have to play with, does it not?

PH

 

[alfatwo]

Iv never believed about the valve clearances, what ********, no manufacture is going to so that, it would make it drive **** and risk burning valves out etc

Beau

Didn't Rob Grimaldi check your cam timing out a few months ago,was it miles out

Dave

 

[beau]

Beau

Didn't Rob Grimaldi check your cam timing out a few months ago,was it miles out

Dave

i did mine my self, grimaldi told me it was ok,

then later on i found out by my self one side was was out by at least a tooth.