348 belt change engine "in" at 12,700 miles | Page 2 | FerrariChat
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348 belt change engine "in" at 12,700 miles

Discussion in '348/355' started by Markie1949, Apr 29, 2005.

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  1. Ken

    Ken F1 World Champ

    Oct 19, 2001
    16,078
    Arlington Heights IL
    Full Name:
    Kenneth
    #26 Ken, May 3, 2005
    I can't speak from personal experience with Ferrari belts, but I know a LOT about DIY issues as the car I have (Lotus Europa) is definitely a "poor man's sports car" and no one who owns one can afford to take it to the shop for every little thing; we pay the same labor rates as you do; so we are forced to do most of our own work.

    As a result, you will see a lot of bodging in any Europa. Some jobs are done better than others depending on the skill and dedication of the owner. The bottom line is we want to drive our cars and keep them on the road. We are all experts in both good and bad ways to do things on our cars.

    The standard of a DIY job will rarely if ever equal the standard of a pro shop that knows what it's doing. This is a FACT! What I am willing to accept on my car that I do myself I would never accept from a shop. Never.

    For example, I broke a U joint pin on my shift linkage. I needed to use the car so I stuck a drill bit in that fit like a glove. Would I accept that from a shop?? NFW! But for now it works for me. I'll get the pin next parts run.

    So you guys who DIY your belts on the cheap at home, I say great! It's your car! And all you shop guys, don't think this guy is saying it's the best way and you all should do it like him; he's not. He's just saying it works for him and maybe it will work for some other DIY guys. You all have to decide what your standards are on your own.

    Ken
     
  2. Husker

    Husker F1 World Champ

    Dec 31, 2003
    11,792
    western hemisphere
    #27 Husker, May 4, 2005
    I know you can change the timing belt without removing the engine. I change my after every fill-up just to be safe. ;)
     
  3. 348SStb

    348SStb F1 Rookie
    Owner

    Apr 9, 2004
    2,991
    Palm Beach County, FL or Nassau County, NY
    Full Name:
    Dave
    #28 348SStb, May 4, 2005
    All right, now that the tit-for-tat has stopped (I think)...

    Markie1949--

    Can you tell us how many total hours of work this was? I'm assuming that there were two of you working on it the entire time.
     
  4. Markie1949

    Markie1949 Karting

    Apr 4, 2005
    82
    Utah
    #29 Markie1949, May 4, 2005
    I did most of the "grunt work" by myself. It probably would have taken a day of my work and a day with help IF I had known what I know now. I have a drive on lift, thus I know the hard way about the fuel tank not coming out because of its width. I didn't replace the water pump, the documentation that came with the car said it had been done @ 1000 miles before [car has a total of 13080 on it now]. I would say that if you don't have access to a lift, this procedure would be virtually impossible to do. It is tight between the forward bulkhead and the front of the engine but managable [unless you have a really big head :) ] As I previously stated, I replaced the timing belt, accessory belts, cam seals, cam O rings, and cam bolt O rings. I also replaced the front main seal because it was also leaking [I dyed the oil to find all the leaks first], but I'm not going to bother telling anyone how I did that because this forum seems to have a few people little better than those found on riceburner sites talking trash. I have never represented this as anything other than a belt job I did because I was "in" there to fix oil leaks from the "usual suspects" This is not a "major service" My car was up for the winter, I am an amateur mechanic, and I enjoy working on cars and bikes. I'll try and post some pix, but that will have to wait until I can't enjoy the other things I like to do this spring ] [you should see my 1971 Norton Commando!] I also painted the bottom of the car where it was black, body color, I think it looks much better, and I just had the Targa top also painted body color. That was a real improvement to the car's looks IMHO.
     
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