Just did my timing belts

This weekend, I replaced my timing belts and tensioner bearings. Thanks to Birdman's writeup and photos. Here're a few photos of why these items need to be replaced. The car has been in storage for almost 20 years and who knows when the belts were last done.

1) Old belt next to new belt. New is soft and flexible, old is hard and cracked
2) Old tensioner bearings were destroyed on removal, grease was basically gone and bearing was nearly seized.

On another note, Birdman's doc says that the new tensioner bearings are split center race. I got mine from AW Imports and they have a one piece center. I don't think this matters at all but it's worth noting.
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Wow! Too many years sitting around!!! Changing belts and tensioners is the first thing to do. Next, oils, hoses, alternator and water pump belt and what about the waterpump? Maybe is seized too! Check it!
I liked to do all this by myself, but I don't have the appropiate working space -tools- and time to do it. What a pity!
Good job again.

 

Can you post pics your new tensioner bearings? Thanks.

 

job well done! did mine a couple of years back and got my tensioners from Hill Engineering.

 

Yup, 20 years will do that!

 

Very good on being able to DIY. How much for the parts?

 

If its anything like here about 10% of having it done in the shop.

 

This is not a great pic but you can see the inner race is indeed one piece and not split. The bearings were $75 each from AW Imports. The and the inner is marked:

LORETT ITALY BREDA 1431/04
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I too am really impressed. How did it go? Straightforward, or a bear?

 

Never buy a Ferrari that has been in storage and just start it up! Cool thread.

 

The belt replacement in itself was pretty straightforward. The real PITA was just getting access. The A/C compressor and alternator need to be removed. On a '78, the alternator mounting nut is facing inward and there was no easy way to get at it. After removing the compressor, I had to remove the right fuel tank to be able to reach the nut to loosen the alternator. Still, it beats paying someone else to do it. Plus, I'm having a blast working on this car!

 

My alternator nut was inward also.

I pushed the alt all the way over and removed the two bolts holding the alt lower bracket to the motor block, then I removed everything, alt, lower bracket and tensioner arm as an assembly, and took the tension bolt assembly off, no need to remove tank that way.

After that, I modified the underside of the (new, longer) tensioner bolt so it would index in the tensioner bracket slot,and added a spacer in front,and now the nut is easily accessed from the front, with no need for a wrench at the rear of the alternator.

I didn't bother to reinstall the compressor. Maybe one day, but not now, as I have other projects planned that would require compressor removal again. I pushed silicone stoppers into the AC lines to keep contaminants out.

When the motor comes out for rebuild, two modifications I am going to make is to add terminal strips and sub harnesses to the alternator and starter, so i don't have to try and connect the wires at the rear of the alternator and starter, the wiring connections will be easily accessible from the front of the motor.

Doug

Doug

 

Yeah, I was planning on some sort of modification to this before I put it back together. Do you have a picture of your mod?

 

Did take a pic, what I did was mill the underside on the bolt head on both side of the bolt stud, about 3/32" deep such that the remaining material locks into teh slot.

Doug

 

Can someone post the link to Birdman's writeup and photos? I searched the technical Q&A without success.

 

Never mind, it occurred to me as I was posting that it *might* not be in the technical section, so I found it

http://www.birdmanferrari.com/service/timing_belt/timing_belt_procedure.htm

here.