Belt Change and lift question

I just did a 328 timing belt thing totally on the ground, and I have a lift. It turns out 95% of what you need to do can be done with the car on the ground, on jack stand, and with the lid removed. 80% of the work is done from above.

 

The belt change is relatively easy. The hard part with the Ferrari is access. Having adobe it from the ground having a lift would make it much more comfortable. Imagine taking the wheel off stooped over or at the perfect height. Not too high, not too low. Just right.

 

I did the belt change on my 308 with it on my 4 post lift - it was easier than just using jack stands, in my opinion. There were plenty of tasks performed through the right side wheel well, that having it at standing height rather than just off the ground was a big advantage.

 

No need to lift the car other than to remove the wheel. No need to remove rear deck. Easy. You can sit on a crate and its quite relaxing

 

If you are contemplating just a belt change then removal of the lid is not required. But if you want to do a complete major with valve adjustment, then life is much better with the lid removed. Plus, you will like yourself more if you have to wrestle with the AC compressor from above with the lid removed. Trust me on this one.

 

I use jack stands even though I have a pit that I can stand up in. With the jack stands it hurts to be on your knees but the advantage is you can easily see where everything is at as far as marks and TDC etc. I wouldn't like to raise and lower every time I want to take a look..............which is often in my case.

 

I recommend removing the hood for the belt service. It will make your job a lot easier. With the hood removed you can see much better as well. You really need to have good lighting.
Over the years I have performed the major service many times, removed and overhauled the engine and every imaginable repair without a lift. A lift is not required, but it may make some jobs easier.

 

I bought a MaxJax 2 post lift about six months ago, before I got the 308. I've managed to get by, doing pretty much everything imaginable over the past 40 years without it but honestly I wish I had gotten one twenty years ago. It really makes a lot of things much, much easier. I don't need to do my belts yet but I am going to do the axle CV's and won't be laying on any cold concrete to accomplish it.

 

The greater question is how many years ago was the belt change last performed? If more than 5 years ago, it's due based on age.

 

I did my belt change on a 4 post lift. Most of what you need to do for the belts requires access through the wheel well. I used the ramp as a table to hold the parts as I took them off. That way they didn't get lost and I put them back on in reverse order. It's not difficult, just take your time.

 

I like my mid rise scissor lift for 308 belt changes. It gives really good access to the belt/wheel well area. I always remove the engine lid, too. It only takes about ten minutes and two friends or relatives to safely remove it.

I don't currently have a Ferrari picture with the lift, but here is a current project so you can visualize the access and work area.

Best of luck with yours!

Jeff
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I go to every possible length to avoid removing the lid as I hate doing it. There is always risk of damage when removing/fitting it and getting all the shut lines all round to be absolutely OCD correct takes ages of faffing about.

Using the guide pin holes its possible to get it roughly correct but a tiny bit of misalignment at the hinge results in a lot at the end.

I dont see any reason to remove it for a belt change but for a valve adjustment or cam seals definitely needed.

 

It takes me 15 minutes to remove and replace the hood, that includes making space to store it. It is an easy one man job and alignment was done by assembly line workers much faster than that and quite well. I suspect others can accomplish it too. It is a waste of time and a clients money not to get it out of the way.

Guide pin holes? Never used them.

 

That 328 lid is not a one-man job for me. I am not big. But it should be removed if you are gonna do anything serious.

 

Guess I have never really got the hang of aligning the lid quickly.

Any tips would be welcome. Last time I did use masking tape to mark the outline of the hinge plates on the lid which helped.

 

It is really simple. I look at how it fits and move it in the slotted holes accordingly.

 

Me neither.

 

Haven't done it yet but I've been thinking there has to be a way to do it one handedly. When I removed the hood from my truck I just set a big empty cardboard box on the engine lowered the hood onto it then unbolted the hinges, the hood balances on the box and can then be removed. Could probably do the same sort of thing with the 308, maybe even make up a simple hoist to lift and store it as well.

So any tips from a pro who's been doing it for years would be welcome.

 

It took 3 of us yesterday to get the engine cover back on. If you fabricate a hoist it will have to hold the cover at an angle to allow you access to reinsert the bolts.

 

I'd love to hear the fast and accurate way to remove and re-install the engine hatch!

I disconnected the gas struts, then used a few old couch cushions on top0 of the engine/bulkhead to prop the hatch part-way open, so I could access the hinge bolts while the hatch was part way open.

Same for re-installation of the hatch - propped it on a few couch cushions, then I could angle it and make the first pass at bolting it on. However, it took me quite a bit of fiddling, ie loosening and adjusting the hinge bolts, to get the gaps and alignment close to correct.

 

Yes I imagine the first attempt would involve some fiddling, there would be a learning curve. But if a systematic method could be worked out it would make working on the engine a lot more pleasant, although I do currently use the rear latch hooks to hang a four foot LED shop light which is kinda nice for illumination of the work area.