348 Engine out service please help

Hi everyone

Just in the process of an engine out service so thought it would be a good time to refurbish the oil tank on my 94 GTS as it is starting to peel

Just wondering what product people use for this to be as close to factory as possible? Is it just VHT wrinkle finish or powder coat?

Also, the belt tensioner pulley’s were changed on its last engine out service which was 4 1/2 years ago however the car has only done 3000 km’s since so are they fine to continue using or do they need to be changed with every belt?

Any other advice would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

 

Not too sure about the oil tank, but as for your tensioner pullies I would definitely replace them they are cheap insurance. I think the general thoughts relating to the tensioners is that they get replaced every other belt. I know it seems like way overkill when compared to other cars that go for 10 years and 100k miles between belts, but if you start questioning timing belts on here you had better invest in some asbestos clothing.

 

If they are OEM replace them as part of the major service. Powder coat for tank in satin black is what I would do.

 

I think more to the point unless he has more complete information they should be changed to be certain that quality parts are being used. There are more junk bearings out there than quality. If they were a known good quality, that would be worth discussion.

 

I powder coated my 355 tank in a krinkle black. It needs to be full stripped. If they want to bead blast it, make sure it is completely sealed up before they start.
The tanks were painted form the factory so that's an option as well.

Unless you know the history and make of the bearings, they should be swapped with proper ones. I used Hill Engineering on my 355. Other options exist.

The same holds true for the tensioners. Unless you know the age, might be best to get a new baseline and install new ones. Kind of suck to have an unknown aged tensioner fail with the fancy new bearing in place.

Stripping the tank is a fun job.....smells great too. hahahaha

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as above, powder coat in satin black wrinkle.

as to tensioners; as they say, whilst your there!!

 

Thanks for everyone’s replies so far

Only proof I have on the tensioners is the receipt from Ferrari Gold Coast saying they were changed in October 2018 however not sure what brand the replaced them with

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This is what they look like now, not sure if anyone can pick what brand they are?

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wow I would have been tempted to just polish that tank after how good of a job you did stripping it lol

 

OEM.

 

VHT wrinkle paint works great the same as the red for cam covers. The trick to add longevity is to apply a quality epoxy primer to the fresh prepped aluminum prior to applying the wrinkle paint. This prevents the finish from "lifting" over time and heat cycles due to corrosion and poor bonding.

 

Decision made I’ve added PT-348 kit and a tensioner spring to my shopping cart. I’ll feel better knowing it’s all new

 

The OEM ones can be questionable even new. Thier life seems reported as short. The Hill ones are a different league of quality.

 

Now for the water pump, mine seems to be the original one still

Should I just replace with a new one or rebuild the original?

 

Up to you, check the bearing as rebuild kits are usually seals not the bearing. Many rebuild since new one cost is absurd, rebuild costs peanuts.

 

My WP bearing feels ok but still would like to replace it as piece of mind but the new WP price is ridiculous. Are there any options or anyone in Australia rebuilding these with a new quality bearing

 

Also just shopping around for a new one and Ricambi have it for $1586 usd eurospares for 795 pounds and superformance for 295 pounds. Why is there such a price difference and are any better than others?
Thanks

 

Aftermarket varieties cost less than a Genuine part. I've seen questionable aftermarket water pumps for the F355. Would not want to risk a subpar water pump on a 348.

 

Thanks Elliot

So I take the superformance unit is aftermarket and the Eurospares is genuine?

You’re not offering a rebuild service on them yet? I follow you on IG and you pretty much take care of everything else in house. Love your work

 

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This is a pic of mine. Would you agree it is the original. It also has green markings on the nuts, not sure if that was from factory or done at a later date?

 

You would have to confirm with the vendor if the item is genuine, I find most of the Superformance stuff is aftermarket.

I have not rebuilt a 348 water pump though.

 

Yea the Eurospares site says it’s genuine so I’ll probably just go with that

would you say mine was the original pump from factory looking at the pic?

 

I used "stove & BBQ" spray paint to refinish my oil tank and was very pleased with the finish.


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The pump in your photo is original.

When it comes to 348 pumps, I would advise 'use extreme caution'.

A failed pump on a 348 doesn't just cause the car to overheat --- it'll cause valves & pistons to meet one another in an unholy union. If the pump spins smoothly with zero sign of gritty movement or resistance, and there's no sign of movement on the shaft/pulley, and no visible coolant that has leaked, you might want to consider leaving it alone. That's just my personal option. YMMV.

 

Thanks very much for the advice

My mechanic mate helping me with this whole deal seems to think the same way. He has inspected it and said if it was up to him he wouldn’t touch it as it is exactly as you described. I was only considering it as I absolutely love the car and want to do everything the best I can

 

I’m just doing a parts order from Eurospares and asked if they had the hill engineering PT-348 tensioners and they offered me these
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Has anyone used them and how do they compare to the Hill ones?