Probably the Longest Timing Belt Life Recorded in a 360

Disclaimer: This is no way suggesting that it's OK. This is just a trivial posting to share my own experience with timing belt life for the 360.

I understand that there's big debate about how long a timing belt interval should be. We hear that it's 3 years or 30k miles whichever comes first from Ferrari (it was adjusted from 5 years as recommended interval initially).

Well, I pushed this a little bit to see how far the timing belt can really go because this is the same timing belt used for Toyotas and they last 100k or 10 years on them. I changed the tensioners and serpentine belts at the 3rd year interval (this is a must) but left the timing belt due to it still looks good even though it's way past the timing belt change interval recommendation.

With close monitoring, the timing belts were finally changed (Ferrari indie shop in Orange County) with signs of cracking on the seams where the belt is connected together to make it a full round belt. Guess how many years this belt lasted...

Not 3, not 5 but... 8 LONG YEARS!

Again, there's definitely a risk involved keeping it for this long. This post is just trivial (not recommendation) for it to be known that the belt lasted this long on my 360. That's all folks!

 

Why would you spend the money to change the tensioners and not spend the extra $100 to do the belts...???

 

I knew this will be asked. I performed some of the 30k service myself (Hill tensioners, serpentine and such) several years ago and have the new belts with me but didn't install it.

Why? I decided to leave it alone after inspecting that the belt is ok and after learning that I can't install the new timing belts that easy (there's a round cap blocking the bottom that requires a big wrench I didn't have and a bit small space). This sparked my interest to push the envelope even further and leave it until it's way past the recommended interval and have an indie shop replace a couple years later. That couple years later is this week. I did drop it off at a Ferrari indie shop this week to finally change it after it's been in the car way past the recommended threshold. 8 years.

 

Congrats for the 8yrs.
What sort of mileage interval was that ?

 

More of fortunately it lasted 8 years.

13,000 miles was the last belt change at 2008 and it's at almost 23,000 miles now.

 

Bravo for the successful experiment.

Where can I find documentation of the 5 year recommended interval?

Thank you

Craig

 

Interesting. When I had my belts changed they left the tensioners alone. When I asked, the dealership stated "they look and feel fine".

 

Reading previous timing belt threads again moments ago, it was actually 5 years interval at first then Ferrari sent an announcement tuning it down to every 3 years or 30,000 miles whichever comes first.

 

Yeah, the tensioners will look and feel ok but it is known to break without any symptom and when it break it damages the engine the same way as a timing belt that snapped, catastrophic failure. Hence, Hill Engineering developed a better one and I believe have a 5 year tensioner interval replacement (I maybe wrong on the interval) but I know it is better than the OEM tensioners which are known to break prematurely.

 

The belt change interval was never 5 years for the 360. OM 1623/00 for Euro 360s states 50,000 kms or 3 years, early US 360 OMs (1638/00) are 30,000 miles, no years recommended. Late US OMs (1835/02) show 3 years or 30,000 miles, whichever comes first. There has never been a 5 year recommendation.

The only Ferrari recommended 5 year belt change interval has been for the 575M, Superamerica, and 612.

 

Thank you for the clarification.

This is somewhat what I recall when I read through thousands of belt interval threads.

In any case, this is just a trivial thread for my 360 that had the same belt for 8 years which shows that the three year belt change interval recommendation maybe too conservative.

Had anybody heard from an actual 360 owner that their belt snapped after having it more than 3 (30k miles) or 5 years (50k miles)? Just curious.

 

I believe Ferrari also states to NOT re-tension a belt. So if you had not changed the tensioners you could have gone 10yr.

 

Your right it stated not to re-tension.

Maybe it couldve gone longer. I'll try that next time and target 10 years.

 

Willing to bet a box of doughnuts that somewhere out there are a few 360s with their original belts.

 

I tried to get all the service records of my car, I am not 100% sure but I can bet a box of donuts that the only time they were changed was at 10.5k miles in sep 2012 (model year 2003)
I will change them next year (5 years) and every year they do a visual inspection just in case

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Can't comprehend this thread. I wouldn't put old belts back on except maybe if like a year old timing belts and I had to do a repair that warranted getting back in there. Even then I probably would just replace them and start the 3 year countdown from there.

It's Just nonsense.

Why would you cheap out for a 100 buck item. What else are you skimping on If u are taking that risk with a 20k ( used engine without labor) engine.

Also many pros who are around here say there is no way to "inspect the belts".

You are very lucky. could they go longer than 3 years - absolutely. Putting old belts back on ... Well It's like washing a condom after use and reusing it

Just indefensible!





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When you say tensioners, you mean tensioner bearings or the tensioner bracket itself?

 

I'd think not on cars with more than 3 owners. Statistically one would have changed them.

A 230 mile one owner car.. possibly. Very possibly the original belt.

 

I changed everything including variators, but did not change the tensioners. Had to push real hard to get them back and as I remember at 30K miles everyone said that there is not much problem with them. Any other experiences?

 

I agree with Shark, there are a lot of people who don't care like we do. Although the last 360s are now 11-12 years old.

 

it is his car and his choice to experiment.
that's sufficient defense AFAIK

cheers

Craig

 

+1 (exactly what my thought was when I saw this thread...there are likely 550/575/612/360 all with original belts out there someplace.)

 

The whole belt change 'commandment' is mostly a revenue generator for the service departments.

I did a major on the CS myself a couple of years ago (a 4 year interval), and the timing belts and tensioners were essentially brand new. Just like my TR, 348, Mondial t, 308 and F40 were at similar intervals. I changed them anyway (since I was in there)... but it always seems like wasted effort.

btw....... if you do your own work,, you can do a major for ~$1K in parts and a few hours in the garage. With that access panel behind the seats, it's an incredibly easy job.
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I think there are two kinds of Ferrari owners (or any exotic brand), enthusiasts and posers, posers don't even know these forums exist, they buy the newest model, brag of how little they use the car and sell it two years later basically brand new and a couple of thousand miles (and lose a fortune) to get the newest model.
And enthusiasts like to ask questions and perform work on their own.
I like to think I am an enthusiast and I like to perform DIY projects everytime I can.
But it just amazes me the level of expertise some members have when a picture like that is posted and at the same time it is "an incredibly easy job"
Good for you sir


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OM=??