Major Service Limit

You are probably 100% right but as they are very difficult to replace/check the 200 euro extra gives me a piece of mind.

 

A lot depends on your use of the car. Red line it at the track a lot and maybe you need to stick to those 5-year intervals. Those of us who drive maybe 2500 miles per year, not so much. (I can see Plugzit groaning right now). I'm on the 5-6 year interval, but maybe I'll even stretch to 7 now that I have Hill bearings installed. It should be remembered that the major involves more than the belt. It's the tensioners, alternator and alternator bearing, valve lash on 348's, fuel filters and all the annual stuff we're supposed to be doing which we probably don't. I think the important message is not to put it off too long but definitely do it according to a reasonable schedule. For 348 owners, don't sweat it, your engines are pretty bulletproof. For 355 guys, I'd be only a bit more diligent only because you need to stay on top of those headers and CV bearings. Remember that the greater heat generated by 355 engines does effect greater wear on heat-sensitive components.

 

Spot welding the pulley fences is far more of a concern for me.

Good luck!

 

I went 9.5 years and around 30,000 miles on my last belt. I changed it when something broke because I wanted to see just how long it would go. What went was the water pump impeller (made out of plastic and probably the original part from the factory), both the idler and tentioner bearing (new parts that came in a yellow box with black horsies on from the first time I changed the belt) the drive pulley bearings both front and rear (original from the factory most likely), the oil pump tensioner pad and the timing chain tensioner pad (both more than likely original parts from when it left the factory), the tentioner bearing for the alternator (original from the factory my guess again), and the valve cover gaskets where leaking. The belt Itself was in decent shape, minus the skid marks from the tentioner & idler bearings going bad (there was an audible squeal when the engine first started), and it was marginally stretched. My car currently has over 86,000 miles on it. If you want to see the play-by-play of everything I did you can read my engine out thread, which can be found in the 348 DIY sticky.

 

The Legend had spoken

 

I love these threads.

 

OP has a question, some good responses, presumably the thread is not for you, why even bother posting.

 

Because I do love threads like this with widely diverging opinions, which is all they are, and a little sarcastic humor is appropriate. Mitch nailed it when he said:

I personally have no problem going 10-12 years, but I wouldn't recommend that to anyone. It's my car and I do what I want.

 

When you reach more than a few weeks here you will begin to understand this place

And, wait until the next GCK thread

 

Why, Dave, WHY!!!! My heart can't take it. LOL!

 

So you left out the most interesting fact. It is your decision to NOT let it go this long again. Let me remind you of your changing your alternator belt by the side of the road midway to Indiana.

 

Yeah... only sightly better than a DSM forum in that regard. At least the information is really good, so there is that.

 

Well I’m currently past the 4 year mark since that thread. The reason the alternator belt busted was, I forgot to properly tighten down the securing bolt on the front of the tensioner. D’HO!!! So the bearing got loose, the belt walked off and got shredded. Also I changed the belt at a quick lube shop.

I may change the cam belt at the 7 year mark, or I may push it to 100,000 miles. Haven’t made up my mind on it yet. If it granades big whoop. Ill just rebuild it. But I don’t think it will. I beat the hell out of that engine and it takes it like a thoroughbred on the home stretch of the Kentucky Derby.

 

I arranged for my '93 to have a major when I purchased it in 2015.

There were questions from my mechanic as to whether it was its first, ever.

The car did 19,000 miles in 22 years.

Most of the decade prior my purchase was apparently sitting and being shuttled from dealer to dealer.

 

A 22 year old virgin?... Wow, that's rare.

Lots of good info here!
Thanks for everyone's comments.

I think we have our answer:
5 years as conservative
7 years as standard
10 years as daring
11+ years as Russian Roulette

 

That sounds about right from a time perspective.

 

It should have more to do with how the car is used than just time alone. If the car is tracked frequently, then 7 yrs is russian roulette. If its just driven mildly then maybe 7 yrs is conservative?

 

Tim are you saying that is had gone 21 years without a change?

 

Correct, the waterpump was wasted, belts tensioners looks good 15k miles garage queen

 

Nice
You saved enough money on belt services to buy that new car for the bride

 

Good to hear. It's been 5 years on my 355 and I don't feel like doing it just yet. I'm thinking that I'm on the 7 year plan.

Just changed the belts and tensions on my 612. It had been done by Ferrari of Ft. Lauderdale in 2012 by the previous owner. Bearings seemed fine and the belts looked almost new. 6 years there. Used the Hill bearings so it should be good for a while.

When I changed the belts on my 328 just after I bought it, they haden't been done in 12 years. Again bearings and belts looked fine. Doen't mean that they wouldn't have failed the next day but the made it 12 years without an issue.

 

FYI, water pump on my 85 308 is original with 33k miles; 355 water pump is original with 27k miles. Tensioner bearing on the 308 were change at 25 years, 27k miles. Still in fine shape.

 

I'm detecting a suspicious lack of hysteria about extended service intervals…

 

That’s because we have pretty much busted the 3 year mumbo jumbo.

 

Heres my car history
I am slowly working up to Tims belt service interval
4, 4, 5, 7,
Next one 10 ha ha