Engine In timing belt change

+1 Well said.

 

Back to the original premise of this thread, I am not visually clear on what was chopped or drilled on the frame.

If you look at the pic the op posted looking rearward with the gas tank removed there is no through and through hole in the cross member drilled dead center to coincide with the purported hole that is alleged to be cut in front of the crank.

Where is the hole? Is this frame member a hollow rectangular box, I beam or what x section shape?

I am trying to figure out what was cut if something was and for what purpose. They obviously didn't put an access hole through the beam. If there is no through and through hole then what are we looking at that was labelled a hole directly in front of the crank?

The op also asked about the holes with rubber plugs in them in his pic and if others have them as well. As I would venture to guess no one has seen that beam from the gas tank side like he did that no one really knows if we have them or not. They are not there on the engine side in Dave's pic but they may only be on the tank side if it is a box construction and possibly a design consideration for routing something that was abandoned and plugged. I doubt those holes and plugs we're done by the op or a po.

 

Loving it, we get these about once a year, makes the winter months fly by Brian. You've not got the snow and cold bottling things up. Takes me 4-5 days to get done what I think needs doing, it gets done once, looks nice and my customers are happy happy. I know yours feel the same with your work, first time I saw some was on that Boxer and was very impressed by the details.

 

Cost me almost that to hire someone to clean and sweep around here. I pay a tech hourly, equivalent to 35% of shop rate. Gets expensive when work is slow, but flat rate is never an alternative.

 

Yes, I have one of these in the paper trail. Shop owners give out free quotes and dealers use them to trick buyers. I know 2 dealers responsible for falsifying documents because the owner got a quote, did not do the work and added to paper trail to up value.. Scammers. You must call all the shops in the paperwork to confirm work was done.

 

I would be impressed with your ability to fix the headers. I don't have that welding skills, or would do the same. As for removing the right header with engine in, we do that all day every day and no need to talk about it.

 

Brian
Im glad you can pay someone 25hr to sweep your shop...if I could charge 8k to do belts and a water pump on a 355 I would pay my guys 50hr and still be ahead of the game.

 

No, none of the above. It shows anger. Why? Because the pros are tired of being called thieves and stealers. Tired of customers coming to them for service saying "I read on the internet the job can be done in 20 hours". Tired of all the misinformation and B.S. on this site from so called experts with a keyboard. Some of the hack jobs these men have endured are disgraceful.
I am a DIYer. I have done majors on my past 308, my 348(gearbox as well) and my 355(heads, liners etc). I know the outrageous parts cost, the unplanned failures that add time and cost. I must be amazingly stupid and slow, took me 2 days to drop the motor, 2 days to install when I factor all the time to drain fluids, evacuate AC, disconnect etc etc etc. I estimate I needed well over 100 hours to complete all I had to do. I guess I am not as skilled as the experts on this site.
My advice to those reading and researching on this site. Trust the guys who complete more majors on 355s in a year than the so called "experts" see in a year!

 

+ 1
John
Im not the first guy that he's talked to like this...if it was me that talked this way with the name calling I'm sure I would be banned.

 

amg55, I just want you to know that I am interested in what you have posted. I suspect there are others here who feel the same, but are just watching and trying to stay out of the crossfire. I personally think the information you posted is valuable, and can only add to the overall knowledge base. Whether or not people choose to follow your example is totally up to them. I hope you continue to post, and that you don't feel like you've been chased away.

Somehow, this thread took a left turn into the discussion about the professionals and their businesses. I certainly respect the pros, and I hugely value their insight and knowledge on this forum. But I don't see the need =ever= for personal attacks -- just doesn't make sense to me.

- Eric

 

Everyone should be allowed to loose it one or twice in life. They're human.

If you got enough Internet keyboard jockies who don't know the difference between a muffler bearing and a spark plug, but criticise the cost of work because they only write a check... It can get very annoying I'm sure.

 

Rifledriver banned for 3 days for name-calling and inappropriate language.

Mike

 

Michael. You're right.

Eric, You, too, are right.

Curt, you're right, as well.

Mike

 

here's my 2 cents. We just had a customers Volvo S40 in . the tone ring on the flywheel bent and the crank sensor could not read correctly.

So , engine out
new flywheel and complete service while out.
all timing components
water pump
coils wires plugs
engine wire harness( cracked from heat)
cam sensor
crank sensor
gaskets
and much more

17.5 hrs labor

her bill , $ 2450.

I am in now way comparing a ferrari to a volvo ,(and i'm not talking internal work , basically a thorough belt service that required the engine out to replace the flywheel) the ferrari parts are much more expensive , i know that. but the point is , it's still a big job , over 17 hours. And actually it is harder to get the engine out of the Volvo , it's not mounted to a subframe designed with ease of removal in mind. it is ludicrous that a similar ferrari service could be upwards of 15K.

peace of mind you will say , an expert must do it. C'mon
First time looked under the skin of a 348/ 355 and laid my hands on it i was amazed at how basic the car is. A new toyota camry is light years ahead in complexity.
like they said , a major in the uk is $3500. So in the us , the peace of mind to only have the precious 355 worked on by an EXPERT is worth $10 , $12. OMG

 

John
+1000

 

So how many F355 majors have you 2 keyboard mechanics completed? Too many to count I am sure!

 

I never said that's what I pay, reread, it's simply that around here that people want/expect a stupid wage! My daughter manufactures aerospace carbon parts and receives a massive $12.50 for an hours work, luckily lots of hours and great benefits. A very skilled position.

If houses start at 7 figures there, how much do your workers get for that flat rate hour? How many hours do they average in a 40 hour week?

 

Key board mechanic? I'm an actual mechanic and garage owner. we do have a few customers with 348/355 cars. only a few because they are the few that we like , all other pretentious ***** wads that we don't want to deal with get told "were booked" . Does your shop tell YOU they're booked?

We have qualified tech's that are capable of performing timing belt services on all makes, you see , and i'll try to put this simply so you can understand, there's no difference putting a timing belt on a ferrari v8, compared to an audi v8 or a porsche v8 , they're all 4 cam v8's , and the principle is the same. A GOOD mechanic is capable of working on anything. If anything the ferrari is the easiest, Porsche did not design the car with ease of engine removal in mind.

 

i understand , i quoted that because it references the 8k number

 

watch how you talk to a mechanic , that could be your 355. ouch a hammer and sawzall . i'm clearly holding something much more dangerous than a keyboard in that pic.

ps ,matt , if you see this that pic was just a joke . in no way is a sawzall used on your car. You're one of the customers we like ! LOL
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I also own a shop. Not automotive, machine parts. I am well aware of what a qualified mechanic can accomplish, their value as well.
You are stating your opinion that shops that charge a certain rate for a 355 major service are overcharging their customers.
My question was simple, how many 355 major services have you done? What actual real world Ferrari experience do you have?

 

I have to agree with what you have said. I have two 355s and have owned them for many many years. I have done maybe 8 engine out services, as well as a recent full engine rebuild from the crank up. I know my 355s inside out and upside down and there is nothing about the 355s that phase me. There is no job on a 355 that i cant do because i have done everything. They are a great analogue car for the competent mechanic, with difficulty of 6 out of 10 IMO.
Now on the other hand, my daily drive is a 2006 Mercedes CL55. Now that bugger is so electronically technical, it scares the bejesus out of me. And I an forced to pay overpriced dealers who have all the diagnostic computers. Anyone who has owned one will understand when I say ABC, and it's only a matter of time
No, the 355 isn't a technically challenging car at all, as long as you do the work correctly and follow correct procedures it's a great car. The challenging part is paying the high prices for the parts. But that's what company's like Superformance and Eurospares are for.
Love the 355s

 

I've done mine. It is by far the simplest car we work on. Damn, most of the car is held together with Phillips screws.There is nothing exotic , nothing complex , and nothing out of the ordinary under the skin of a 348/355 . period.I can not see any way to justify the prices i see guys quoting. A freakin s10 blazer is harder to work on !