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Snapped timing belt 355

Discussion in '348/355' started by ang308, Dec 2, 2015.

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  1. ang308

    ang308 Formula Junior
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    #1 ang308, Dec 2, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Sorry for the long post. I have a 95 f355 berlinetta that I've had since 1999. The timing belt snapped on me a couple years ago and I had put car in storage until I had time to work on it. A few years ago I bought a spare 355 motor just to have in garage as a topic of conversation piece. It came out of a 95 15000 mile car that had crashed in a front end collision. Timing belt snapped in 2013 and i had changed the belts back in 2008. I had a header leak and tried not to start car or move it. You know the usual ticking noise on start up that would quiet down a tad but never go away once motor warmed. So if your car sounds like a lifter noise chances are it's a header. My car had 28000 miles on it.
    So one day I decide to change the drivers side header. I bought the headers from fab speed without the air injection rails. So much easier to work on and put back I car with those rails out of the way. I did it with engine in car. Not a bad job. After a couple hours and a few busted knuckles I went to start car and heard a rhythmic clacking noise. Thought made the lifters being hydraulic bled out and revved the motor a couple times. Noise didn't go away. Car ran smooth and when I looked at the front of motor while it was running saw the passengers side cams not moving. Bad news. My heart slipped into my stomach. Turned car off and put a cover on it and just let it sit until now.
    I had moved into a new house and was having a 2400 sqfoot garage built and since car couldn't move I left it outside for a year with afar cover. I say this because in the pics you will see the timing driving gears a bit rusty. This is the reason for that. Anyways had a 2post lift installed in garage so I can maintain cars without being on my back working on them. The last 2 timing belt changes I did with 2 floor jacks and took forever to do. With the lift I had motor out in 6 hours. The little things in life that make one happy. I also bought a hydraulic table cart from harbor freight. Best 300$ one can spend if the have one of these ferrari so that come out with subframe.
    We'll first thing I did was look at timing belt of course. Timing belt got split in two length wise. Looks like belt somehow went over the drive gear and split. Have no idea how that happened but if you look at driving gear looks like the rear lip is bent. Have no idea what would cause that. The tension eras both from hill engineering still work good. It was a freak thing.
    So now is where I'm gonna need help from you guys. I swapped everything from this motor to the spare motor. Alternator, ac compressor, power steering. So far so good. Next up was to undo all the wiring harness. That was a pain. But everything is labeled and put aside. Now I'm up to splitting the motor from tranny. Here is where I ran into a small kink. Since subframe is on this hydraulic cart I can't get the two bolts off the bottom of engine. So now I have to get engine hoist and lift subframe up and tilt the front so I can get to those 2 bolts. Will tackle that this weekend. So when I undo those bolts how hard is it to separate engine from tranny? I undid the top 6 nuts already.
    Also when motor is out I ordered from rica bit the 2 updated axle heat shields because the boots are torn to slivers. So easy access then. My question is do I have to undo the axles from the hub as we'll or if I just undo them by the tranny I can maneuver the new boots on?
    Also since I ordered the headers with out the air injection other than a check engine light can I do away with the whole system. By the way I don't have cats on car. Which solenoid powers the bypass exhaust valve?
    I am typing all this on iPad and I believe I'm only allowed one pic at a time so I will have a few posts so I can post photos. Thanks for any help in advance.
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  2. ang308

    ang308 Formula Junior
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    #2 ang308, Dec 2, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  3. ang308

    ang308 Formula Junior
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    #3 ang308, Dec 2, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  4. ang308

    ang308 Formula Junior
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    #4 ang308, Dec 2, 2015
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  5. ang308

    ang308 Formula Junior
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    #5 ang308, Dec 2, 2015
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  6. ang308

    ang308 Formula Junior
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    #6 ang308, Dec 2, 2015
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  7. ang308

    ang308 Formula Junior
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    #7 ang308, Dec 2, 2015
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  8. ang308

    ang308 Formula Junior
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    #8 ang308, Dec 2, 2015
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  9. ang308

    ang308 Formula Junior
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    #9 ang308, Dec 2, 2015
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  10. ang308

    ang308 Formula Junior
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    #10 ang308, Dec 2, 2015
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  11. 97 Spider

    97 Spider Formula 3

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    #11 97 Spider, Dec 2, 2015
    Is that a white Diablo? I envy you so much.
     
  12. fatbillybob

    fatbillybob Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #12 fatbillybob, Dec 2, 2015
    Gearbox will split off engine easily. Axles need to come off and be serviced (both ends). You got tons of work to so just to have a decent driver again. Example...Brakes are toast. I would leak down the used donor motor just to know where you are and of course it needs service belts etc.
     
  13. Eric C

    Eric C F1 World Champ
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    #13 Eric C, Dec 2, 2015
    Any idea why the timing belt snapped?
     
  14. 2NA

    2NA F1 World Champ
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    #14 2NA, Dec 2, 2015
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  15. ang308

    ang308 Formula Junior
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    #15 ang308, Dec 3, 2015
    Motor was already leaked down and compression tested. Was good across the board. I'm gonna do water pump rebuild and time the engine so I can change belts. All that is the easy stuff. As far as brakes and all other stuff that may have gone bad from sitting I will see after all is put back together. I had a corvette that sat for 10 not started or moved and when I rebuilt the motor and got car moving it only needed one caliper. The rest worked perfect. Tires are getting changed for sure. But I agree on the axles I should take them out and service them because it's wide open and easy to do it looks like with motor and exhaust out of the way. Yes it's a long road ahead but hopefully I will be done just in time for spring. It will give me something to do over the winter. And I am greatly appreciative for this site and all the help.
     
  16. ang308

    ang308 Formula Junior
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    #16 ang308, Dec 3, 2015
    When putting motor and tranny together there is no gasket or do I put a bead of hondabond on anything? I've never did this before. I have the workshop manuals but haven't looked at that yet.
     
  17. ang308

    ang308 Formula Junior
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    #17 ang308, Dec 3, 2015
    Also I am gonna rebuild this motor in time and keep it as a spare never knows when it comes in handy. Hopefully bottom end can be saved. But won't know til I open it up. But that's for another time in another thread
     
  18. ang308

    ang308 Formula Junior
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    #18 ang308, Dec 3, 2015
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    Yes it's a 94 vt that I converted into a 2wd. It's a beast for sure
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  19. Robbe

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    #19 Robbe, Dec 3, 2015
    what a collection! It explains why you were in no hurry to start on the 355...

    But a question, the 355 engine with the broken belt did run well, only with a ticking noise?
    One would expect that with a broken belt on one side, it would not run at all...
     
  20. ang308

    ang308 Formula Junior
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    #20 ang308, Dec 3, 2015
    Other than the ticking noise with new headers car ran so smooth and quiet. You wouldn't even know it. Can't wait to get it running. Ordered a whole bunch stuff from the sponsors here
     
  21. phrogs

    phrogs F1 Veteran
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    #21 phrogs, Dec 3, 2015
    Between the trans and engine its that o-ring in the trans case that does the sealing. Keeps trans fluid in. Otherwise its just metal on metal when putting them back together.
     
  22. tr512

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    #22 tr512, Dec 3, 2015
    I'm thinking of converting my Murcielago to a 2wd was it worth it?I was told that they drive better,faster,easier on the clutch,better MPG.
     
  23. Markphd

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    #23 Markphd, Dec 3, 2015
    Welcome to my world... my timing belt (on the passenger side) did the same damn thing and I have no clue as to why. The bummer was finding 13 bent valves (better that the worse case of 20)!

    As I tore into the car, I found all sorts of things going south, most notably the wiring harness had worn through and bare wires were exposed. This has led me down the path of deciding to go with an aftermarket ECU system rather than continue having the factory ECU throw check engine lights for things that don't matter and in some cases are no longer there (air injection, SD ECU's, bypass valve, etc).

    Anyway, your question has already been answered, but separating the engine from the transmission is trivial. Rebuilding the CV joints is messy but a relatively easy job, especially with the subframe out, and definitely once you pull the transmission is super easy.

    Best of luck. It's a fair amount of work you have ahead of you, but so worthwhile.
     
  24. Markphd

    Markphd Formula Junior

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    #24 Markphd, Dec 3, 2015
    I am willing to bet that the bottom end will be fine... the valves are the parts that give up the ghost.
     
  25. ///Mike

    ///Mike F1 Veteran

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    #25 ///Mike, Dec 3, 2015
    Thanks to their flat plane cranks, our engines behave as though they're two four cylinder engines sharing a block. So if you lose one bank it's not nearly as noticable as it is on the typical 'murican V8.

    Good luck with the project.
     
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