TR engine out by do-it-yourselfer...

Okay....this posting is for ferrarifixer Phil, who is very persistant. I can't be totally sure of the acuracy, but here is a rough estimate of my time and some of the costs:

I believe I spent between 190 and 220 solid hours working on the car. Remember I have no air compressor or power tools, no hoist, did it all the honest way. I also took my time and never went on to the next step unless everything was ready....no short cuts or "creative" rigging of anything. If anything the engine bay is cleaner and has much better attention to detail than when the car was new.

Some basic times:
Install fuel injectors - 2.5 hours
Check valve clearances - 1.5 hours
Install new cambelts & tensioners - 2.5 hours
Refinish all fuel lines - 6 hours
Refinish cam covers - 3 hours
Clean engine and frame - 12 hours
Clean engine bay - 6 hours
Refinish Intake plenums & runners - 3 hours
Refinish air cleaner - 3 hours
Make spark plug wires - 4 hours
Refinish wheel wells - 4 hours
refinish brake calipers/rotors - 4 hours
Install aluminum pedals/ shift knob - 2 hours
Engine removal and replacement - 20 hours
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TIME SUMMARY FOR THESE JOBS: 73.5 HOURS



Some basic costs for parts, etc.
Fuel injectors - $309
Injector o-rings - $22
Gaskets - $405
Cam belts and tensioner bearings - $195
Stainless nuts and bolts - $145
Starter solenoid (Ace) - $39
Oil Filter - $25
Air Filter - $37
Materials for ignition wire rebuild - $27
Exhaust gaskets - $3
Aluminum pedals and shifter knob - $220
Miscellaneous paints and solvents - $100
Fuel line and fittings - $115
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COST SUMMARY FOR THESE ITEMS: $1,642

So me being just an enthusiast my costs for this job would be around $5,600 if I earned $20/hour for 200 total hours. Add a reasonable profit of 40% and you have $7,840 price to a perspective customer. You may think the profit margin is too high, but just tell that to my bloody fingers and cut up hands. There are many unknown costs like ruined clothes, disposal of oil and antifreeze, lots of little odds and ends. And remember the liabilities for making an error on a Ferrari are much much higher than a "normal" car. This job wasn't just a full service, but also a restoration of the engine and engine bay.

I know my costs were a bit higher than those shown. I believe the total hours are quite acurate. And remember I took my time, did things right, left nothing to chance.

Phil...I hope this information helps you.....let me know....Sincerely; Jeff

 

Yes Brian you are right...my list didn't have these items because I had them on the shelf so to speak. I'm constantly searching ebay and occasionally good deals pop up and I take advantage of them, even if I don't need the parts at the time. I bought new fuel filters for only $28....etc. I have noticed that really good deals are getting more and more rare, prices keep going up a bit at a time. The engine oil is around $80 at Walmart when it's on sale. Spark plugs were $24 for NGK's off ebay for a set of twelve......I bought 4 sets (all the guy had) since the price was so good. Being resourceful does have it's rewards.

SO EVERYONE PLEASE NOTE that my listing is for what I had to buy over the last few months....NOT counting what I had laying around. So add accordingly for cam seals, etc.

THANK YOU Brian for pointing this out...I wasn't very clear in my previous posting. The profit margin thing was for a regular guy like myself....definately NOT a proffessional mechanic's rate. This is what I would charge if someone wanted me to do this work on their car....me being just an enthusiast.

My personal feelings about mechanics are: If you find one you like, and they are good, and you can trust them....then you pay whatever they charge. Treat them like gold....because that's exactly what they are. There are a lot of bad shops out there who take advantage of people....especially woman....so finding a good shop is worth whatever it costs. On several occasions I have caught shops cutting corners, or not replacing parts when they say they have, or just charging outrageous prices for the work performed. There are good shops out there and they are a blessing....so never take them for granted.

My car had it's major service less then 2 years ago with many new items, so some items didn't need replacing. And the valve clearances were great..so no money spent here. Buying shims can get expensive if needed. As are some of the coolant hoses. The short hose segments going to the thermostat housing are around $50 each or so! It doesn't take long to rack up quite a bill.

EVERYONE please keep these points in mind. My listing wasn't meant to be an exhaustive resource for what's needed for a TR major service. But this is what you can expect for a car that is in good mechanical condition without any major defects, and you just want to spruce up things a bit.

PLEASE DON'T BE MISLEAD BY MY POSTING of estimated costs and times.....keep things in perspective everyone. This was more of a "refurbishment" than a major service....granted I did do many of the major service items, but not everything. If anyone out there would like to post additional information please do so.....

 

I bought the injectors from a fellow in the UK off ebay. The cheapest I found in the US was around $42 each.

No doubt about it....good deals are drying up fast as people become aware of what they have, where parts interchange, etc. It really helps to know other applications that may use the same parts are our beloved Ferraris. Like you said Brian I too see parts prices on the rise. That's why when I find a good deal I jump on it and just put parts on the shelf.

Another thing people need to keep in mind is that it takes lots of hours searching to find good prices, and many don't have the desire or maybe the spare time to sniff out things. That's certainly understandable. And when you find good prices it sure don't last long....

Buying in bulk helps defray some of the costs....but you had better have a use for everything or your spending money you could use somewhere else. Sorry to ramble on and on here.....get carried away sometimes.

I now return you to our regularly scheduled programming......

 

bpu699: Oh yes I'm still way ahead of the value curve. I negotiated with the seller based on the huge amount of work I had to do....and he lowered the price considerably. I could have done a "quickie" lipstick job on the engine bay and had it looking acceptable for much much less and just drove the car another 4 years. But I'm very fussy and I want a perfect engine when I pop the hood. I'm the only Ferrari within 25 miles or so...and I also want to make a good impression for these cars. People have high expectations when they think of Ferrari and will nitpick things apart....that would cause me a serious stress disorder. So I do what I do and then can relax and enjoy the car. The paint and interior are excellent and now the engine bay is up to the rest of the cars standards. I'm very happy with it.

And when you can say (and prove) that you did it yourself it gives you a huge sense of accomplishment. These TRs are really great cars and don't deserve the rap they often seem to get. Treat them right and they will reward you with very good reliability and lots of attention, and their performance is all-around pretty good too. Granted their not a pure sportscar....but they do many things very well instead of just excel in only one or two areas. I will always be a die hard fan of TRs !!!!

 

Wow....a thread out of the past...!! Surprisingly the engine is still very clean. I have done a few wipe/mist spray/wipe sessions and I'm happy to report that the motor stays quite clean. I am also careful not to drive in the rain or down dusty dirty roads. I also cover the engine bay with plastic when I wash the car. I too...wondered how long it would last....but it looks at least 95% as good now as it did then. I'm also happy to report that the home-grown spark plug wires are still working fine too. The ONLY thing that has changed is the red on the cam covers has gotten slightly darker. I'm debating on spending a weekend masking things off and fogging on a very light coat or brighter red on them - haven't decided yet.

Thank You Barabus for your inquiry, especially after all this time....I'll try and get a few current snap shots of the ole girl and post em up.