6250 servicing vs "real life" ownership

I truly love my Mondial, but am as mechanically blessed as my 3 year old son (which equates to hammering everything very hard, repeatedly).

I have searched the forum and can’t find a direct hit on this (which surprises me and apologies in advance if I’ve missed it).

So - can someone please help explain how to look after my Mondial as the factory intended!?

In the UK, shops advertise an “annual service”, a “major service” and then “cam belts” which can be added to either annual or major. So I get that annual = oils, major = filters, plugs etc and I know the cam belts are due to be changed every 3 years (conscious there is never ending debate on whether that can be extended).

But, how does the 6250 intervals in the original book relate to these two advertised options when most owners aren’t getting anywhere near that mileage in years’ worth of ownership?

When I call the shops, many ask “what does it need/what do you want”. And I’m currently replying, “errrrr….”

For context, three years ago, mine had all belts and filters changed, and has had two oil services annually thereafter. So, I’m thinking I need a “major” – which should include…what? And how does a major/annual relate to Enzo’s intended 6250 intervals?

 

I'll relate to you what I'm doing with my 85 QV. I have only owned mine for a little over a year, so I'm probably not the greatest expert. I do drive it about 100 miles a month, so mine does get a healthy amount of exercise - which I believe helps eliminate/reduce some maintenance issues.

Anyway - I don't go much by the book service intervals. Given that these are now "Vintage" cars, and as you noted, we use them far differently than originally, I think a maintenance schedule should be based on time/calendar rather than 6250 miles as in the book. I follow something like the following:

Every year (regardless of miles) - Oil & Filter Change, Air Filter Change
Every 2 years (regardless of miles) - transmission fluid change

Cam belts & Tensioners - This is a very religious subject. Everyone has a different opinion, and they are very vocal about it. The book originally specified something like 100,000 miles. Then Ferrari reduced it to every 3 years/30,000 miles - which I think is very conservative. I plan on doing mine every 5 years, regardless of miles.

Other Accessory Belts (Aircon, Alternator) - Not sure what the book says, but I plan on every 5 years.

Coolant - I plan on every 2 years - I live in a somewhat Harsh climate (Texas) so I think 2 years is about as far as I want to go.

Brakes - As needed.
Brake Fluid - I plan on every 2 years.

As for a Major - In my opinion, if you are getting a Major (either engine in, or engine out), I'd want new Cam Belts, Tension Bearings, Water Pump, Cam Seals, Accessory Belts, axel shaft boots). If engine out - I'd have them take a good, close look at the exhaust headers for any cracks.

One last item - if you are on the original fuel lines, I'd have them replaced ASAP. They tend to weep and leak. Mine started leaking within a month of my purchase. They are cheap to replace, although somewhat of a pain to actually do it as some of them are in tight/hard-to-reach places. You can find many horror stories (especially in the 308 subforum) of guys/gals losing their car in a fire caused by a leaking fuel line.

Next year (2017) will be the 5 year mark for my cam belts. I plan on doing an engine-out major when winter sets in. I'm fortunate in that my adult son (28 years old), is a certified mechanic whom can do the majority of the work - or at least guide/advise me. Although, I still may take the car to a specialist shop.

Hope this helps.

Sid

 

Depends on your budget and how much perfection you require in your cars. But the priorities would be as follows:

First, safety: Fuel lines. Probably brake lines, or at minimum inspect carefully and frequently.
Second: Things that can cause major damage if you don't do and they fail: Belts and tensioners.
Third: Things that fail and can strand you: Water pump, and perhaps clutch slave cylinder.
Fourth: Things that often fail with advanced age and cause otherwise hard to diagnose poor performance: Battery, dist. caps and wires, perhaps coils.

Fluid changes annually are always a good idea, although even if deferred for a few years will not likely cause problems.

The things I associate with a "major" are valve clearance checks and distributor and cam seal replacement. Many of the other "major" items I view as more of the continuum of preventative
maintenance required.

I would encourage you to get to know your car even if you are not an ace mechanic. Simple things like lubing the door hinges, hood latches, throttle linkage, seat mechanisms with some Teflon lube, change the air filter, check tire pressures, and perhaps do the spark plugs cause you to inspect the car more generally, this is where you might spot a hose leak, a weep at the water pump, or see something loose, notice fouled plugs and such. Over time you will get the sense of what is normal or not, and allow you to get the car to a mechanic more proactively. I have found a slightly loose bleed screw on my radiator weeping, just hand tightened it up, a screw in my tire yet still holding air, and leak at the thermostat where the nyloc nut had worked a bit loose, just needed snugging up with Loctite, a throttle position sensor that did not click and was fractionally out of adjustment (two small nuts and Fchat threads on how to adjust), among other little things that when caught prevent problems, so doing inspections has a lot of value even if you have little technical skill. A good mechanic might catch these things, but just as likely you would catch sooner. Nothing has actually ever gone wrong with my car, so I can only assume that actually driving the car, and catching the little things and doing the four priority items I noted prevents problems.

 

Thanks Andy and Sid, that is very insightful. I am a perfectionist, so want her to be maintained accordingly.

I do feel like I am getting to "know my car" as you suggest Andy. I can sense different noises, know where the gauges should be after x mins of running etc. I'm also hypersensitive to fuel leaks (3 year old sitting within inches of the engine and stories of burned out Ferrari's give me sleepless nights) and regularly nose around looking for anything unusual.

I intend to get more hands on (I successfully changed the battery last year!) - it's a wonderful opportunity with both my boys to give them some grounding on the fundamentals of a car and provide as many memories as the drives out in her.

When I first introduced her to my in-laws, the female variant exclaimed "where's the engine!?". Well, I could at least answer that one .

 

For all the Ferrari "Mystic" these are actually fairly simple cars. Easy to get to know and love.

And, you never know where a vintage car might take you and your family (metaphorically speaking). I've had vintage cars (VW Karmann Ghias) since the time my oldest was about 5. With the various father/son (and sometimes Father/Mother/Son) projects, he became very interested in cars - to the extent that it shaped a career for him. He went to automotive trade school, started off as a service adviser, and has now moved over to the business side of a Mercedes dealership.

As for the female side of the family...LOL!! My wife thinks it's cool to own one, and she fully supports me in owning/having/driving/maintaining one. She just doesn't see the fun in driving it. I have an adult daughter, whom thinks that it is just a "smelly old car"!!!!

Sid

 

Blasphemy !

 

... and even a "smelly old car" is cheaper, safer, and more acceptable then a mistress!

 

To me, Jet Exhaust smells wonderful, to my wife and daughter - it smells like crap.

To me, old leather seats smell great, to my wife and daughter - it smells like a garbage dump

To me, Bacon is the most heavenly scent in the world. To my wife - it's nauseating!!!


Sid

 

I have to say, I LOVE the smell of mine. When I got in it for the first time, the smell instantly reminded me of my old 328 (took me back 7-8 years in a flash).
My wife says I smell the same after being in it - "Mondial cologne", perfect!

Back to the original topic, does anyone (just out of interest) have documentation on what was recommended in the 6250, 12,500, 18,750 etc services? I'd love to check recommended jobs on the albeit defunct mileage based schedule versus what has / hasn't been done on mine.

 

Did you look in your owners handbook - most Ferraris of that era had it all quite clearly broken down

 

Jimmie - thank you! I had checked the servicing book, but not the owners manual and there as clear as day is a fold out with exactly what I'm after. This is the second time I've posted a question that could be answered in the manual. I'm on a hat trick here, but will try not to score one.

 

You will scratch behind your ears if you haven't done it already as I see you are perfectly aware of the possible state of old rubber

Stories become reality and are closer to home then you think.
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/new-member-introductions/514803-new-owner-mondial-8-a.html

For if you want to do it yourself:
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LCofRMA-dI[/ame]

hahaha! my GF has a different phrase. You smell like your tracktor My always endless reply " well... then I would have bought the other sports car brand.

 

There is a possibility of a sudden oil drip on the engine passenger side that might actually smoke heavily as mine did. I am not certain if it was a main bearing seal or cam seal since I could not see where the leak was coming from. However, it was dripping onto the outside front exhaust port. I simply bought one of each and every stop leak product in the local Autozone. In two hundred miles the smoke went away. A few hundred more miles and it stopped smelling of oil. That was perhaps eighteen months and many thousands of miles ago.

I did as much research on the matter as a could and did not come up with a definitive product as best. I suspect they are all 're-polymizers'. Anyway, I ran another year and changed the oil and added half a bottle of ATP AT-205 Re-Seal just for spare measure.
I also add 8oz of oil to each tank of gas. Mechanical fuel injection after all? At first I only used synthetic 2cycl oil, but others use Marvel Mystery Oil which I have been using for the last year or so.

More controversial then Marvel Mystery oil is my response to the thermonuclear cooling system in these cars! Dozens of hose clamps. Two radiators and two heater coils. etc etc etc. So I installed 60/40 glycol [70/30 is max] coolant and depressurized my system. I simple and lightly snugged up the coolant cap to provide a seal for expansion and overflow.

That was three years and 13,000 miles ago and not added one ounce of coolant. I live at 2,000 ft elevation and routinely see low humidity 90F in summer. And I am a vigorous mountain driver. A new set of tires every year so far! Often run 4,500 - 6,500 rpm and many many 60-120 mph runs. And I planning for a 1/2 mile drag race this Spring just to get hard numbers. The car never activates the fans unless I am at idle. I do that from time to time simply to exercise them.


As always. "Your mileage may vary!"