Anyone had a Timing Belt break down/accident?

Suggest you search the archives - there was a huge thread on this not long ago - and many more before that. There have been a few known belt failures but I don't recall any inside the recommended service intervals. The feeling was there may be a few more that we don't know about owing to the owner "embarrassment factor" (i.e. where cars have been neglected and badly maintained).

In brief, Ferrari specify different belt intervals for the US than for Europe - same parts used, no logical explabnation for this.

If a belt breaks you are in for "Valve salad" as you put it (I like that one, must remember it )

You need to pay as much attention to the tensioner bearings as you do to the belts.

The best policy seems to be to change the belts according to use.

Frequent but "moderate" (i.e. not track) use seems to be the best option for longest life.

Infrequent use (i.e. not starting the car for months on end) is ill advised

If you track the car regularly you should do the belts & bearings more often.

If your belts get contaminated with oil or coolant consider changing them.

HTH

I.

 

It really depends on how the car is cared for prior to you getting it. I personally would try and have the belts serviced as part of the negotiation. It is good piece of mind. Most people know this and that's why belt changes are such a strong selling point. I would be more concerned about the fuel lines. A burning car is much scarier than having an engine rebuilt. IMHO.

 

I would second the above response virtually to the letter. I would also add that if a belt on a 348 broke at high speed, unlike a 308 with seperate belts for each bank, you get to wreck both banks at the same time. But at high speed the damage could be fatal to the block if things come apart in a big way. It has happened on 308's, where its cascaded through the piston and folded up a rod, shattering the liner, and stuffing metal out the side of the block. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

going on yr 6 with my belts on the TR, its used about once a week. Bring up regularly to 6,000rpm. She is still fine. Will due by yr 7. Negotiate belt change if not recently done, better still hammer out a better price and then bring it to someone you trust to do the work for you....everything, and you will have piece of mind.

 

The book says every 52,500 miles. The dealers say every 30,000 miles or 3 years. The general concensous among owners is every 5 years reguardless of milage.

The belt isn't the only issue, the tentioner bearings are THE really important part. You can put a new belt on every 5,000 miles if you want to, but if you don't change the bearings it's a waist of time and money. Of the belt breakages I have heard of, they were because of a tentioner bearing freezing up, or the bearing in the water pump going out. The bearing/pump stops freezes, the belt burns up and then KABLUWIE, your pistons and valves beat the crap out of each other.

So before you by the car, make sure you have PROOF, of the last time the timing belt, tentioners bearings, and water pump were changed. If they do not have the paper work proving the stuff was changed, consider it never done.

One more thing make sure you get a pre perchase inspection of the car before you buy it.

 

I have personally repaired an engine that has had a belt break. I don't know the circumstances of the belt breakage, as I bought it broken, but it must have been on startup-after sitting quite a while-due to the small amount of damage. The only damage was 8 exhaust valves bent. Of course, at $132 per valve and $500 worth of gaskets, that's no small thing.

 

Use that to negotiate the price down. I don't know what the dealers charge to do the engine out major in Sweden, but hear in the States it is about $6,000. So Either they deduct that out of the price, or they pay and have it done proper. Again make sure you get the paper work for ANY work claimed being done. If they can not provide proof, it was never done.

 

At the cost of a broken belt, I would change a belt out after purchase just in case the paperwork was forged, copied, falsified, or the mechanic missed something. Then YOU know where your at, and your starting fresh. Maybe not right away, but id be planning it just the same.

 

I bought a 1982 Mondial. The paper work looked very good. All receipts, recent belt change (within 3000 miles/2 years). What I failed to notice is the mechanic did NOT change the tensioner bearings. On the way home the rear bank bearing locked up. Did I neglect to say the way home involved a drive from LA, CA to Raleigh, NC? Sorry.

I got to spend a week in Beautiful downtown Grants, MN. I was incredibly, unbelievably lucky that the belt did not break. Lots of smoke, lots of noise, but no broken belt.

If you change the belts CHANGE THE BEARINGS. VERY cheap insurance.

Paul

 

I bought my 81 308 GTSi in January this year. The owner warranty service
showed the 30,000 mile was done in 89. The shop that did the work stated that belts had been changed in 89. I insisted that belts be done before
I took the car. The mechanic that did the belts said that the one behind the
AC had never been changed. It had a roller that was clicking also.
The easy side had been changed. The rollers were good on that side and all
it required was a new belt. While they were there I had new belts for alternater and ac also.

So make sure it is done by someone you trust.

stephen
ps the 308 had 39500 in Jan 05 when the work was done.

 

Paul,
Wow man, you have got cojones buying a Ferrari in LA and driving it to NC right away!! And MAN are you lucky that timing belt didn't break or jump one too many teeth!

To add to the discussion, my take on timing belts in Ferraris is:

Change them every 5 years, regardless of mileage. You cannot specify the change interval based on mileage because Fcars do not get driven enough and the belts will be brittle from old age long before they will rack up too many miles and wear out. Mileage works on an Accord driven every day, not a Ferrari.

ALWAYS ALWAYS change the tensioner bearings. They are simply not that expensive compared with the labor of the belt change and it's not worth taking the chance.

There is absolutely no point in changing only one belt! I have heard numerous stories of 308/Mondials that had only the rear one changed because the front one is hard to do. What is the point of doing only one? A chain is only as strong as the weakest link. The engine is only as "strong" as the weakest timing belt!

Birdman