The great belt change interval poll

Please note that the technical merits of this issue have been discussed to death already, and a full regurgitation of the relevant threads is available at any time using the search function.

A short summary of ALL relevant information:
1. Changing your belts at the factory specified interval reduces your chances of damaging your engine due to belt breakage compared with extending the change interval.
2. The amount of risk reduction is unknown.
3. The cost of changing the belts is high (if not self-maintained.)
4. The cost of rebuilding the engine is extremely high.

Without knowing the specific amount risk reduction, there is no possible way to calculate the risk-adjusted economic value of extending the service interval. There are opinions either way, but nobody can back it with a valid cost model. It all comes down to a personal decision. Do you feel lucky? Do you feel unlucky?

This poll is about YOU, and YOU fit into one of the poll categories.


If you are having difficulty making a selection, use the following guide to help you.

1) Do you have a car with belts? (Yes/No)
Yes- go to question 2.
No- Select poll option 4.

2) Do you or will you replace the belts at the manufacturer recommended interval? (Yes/No)
Yes – go to question 3.
No- go to question 4.

3) Have you or will you whine about the cost of belt replacement? (Yes/No)
Yes – Select poll option 3.
No – Select poll option 1

4) Have you or will you whine about the cost of an engine rebuild? (Yes/No)
Yes – Select poll option 3.
No – Select poll option 2.

 

Chains Baby!!! neener neener neener.

Dinos rule.

Took Ferrari another 30 years to get back to them, right?

DM

 

Yeah I locked in A

 

those that are so concerned with running costs of Ferraris such as belts should not own one as they can't afford them, buy a Porsche or Corvette if you want a regular average sports car with cheap maintenance.

Older chain driven Ferraris motors have issues as well such as jumping time and crashing pistons which Dinos were famous for and just basic longevity of the motors as they don't last near as long before a top end or full rebuild is needed vs belt cars, the Boxer was the first Ferrari to use belts but it was also the first Ferrari motor expected to last more than 100k miles before needing a rebuild and one that offered greater reliablity.

 

Pay out the nose or pay out the other end.

 

Changed them myself.....took about 3 hrs, belts that I took off looked new. IMO not the big deal that it is made out to be. Pg 11 on service times has 7.9 hrs with AC engine in car.
View attachment belts.doc

 

That extra time must be for smokos and test drives

 

...and an espresso or four....

 

ditto.

-rick / 79308gtb

 

I still think we should turn this topic over to the Myth Busters!!

 

Maybe I want to own a Ferrari or two or three and not happily swallow every expense that comes my way.

 

Ditto.....

 

I wonder if Rifledriver has voted in this poll!!!

 

I think we wore him out with the last weekly belt topic.

 

True, I know many airplane/jet owners who complain even more than f-car owners do LOL ...... So what, some of the expenses are "overpriced" IMO.

 

if the belt thing keeps coming up ...then why is't it a sticky??? there seems to be a lot of people asking for this info......and a lot of others are posting on it...sticky may work???

 

While I agree with not getting gouged paying dealer prices on some repairs or parts these are high performance cars and need high maintenance to be kept running as they should, this whole issue sort of explains why some of these cars turn into POS even the newer ones as some refuse to maintain them decently as they can't afford them or are just too cheap to and view them as they should offer reliability and running costs of a Honda by just changing fluids and adding fuel

 

I believe that much of this argument is being taken totaly out of context. I don't think anyone would argue that if you own a new car with warranty you shouldn't follow the recomendations for service to the letter. But a lot of us own older cars, and we question if some of these recomendations are really pertinant to a car built in 1983. With some discussion we can gain some insight into what others think and do, and make judgements for ourselves. I think one of the problems with F-chat is that most people apply a comment to their particular age of car, and it just doesn't wash. The fact of the matter is that going five years on a normally driven 308 is perfectly fine. Going five years on a newer car may not be.

 

Wasn't this thread for Ferraris and not almost Ferraris?

 

I would say my window is 3-5 years on the V8 cars. But don't just change the belt, service everything while you are in there.

 

I had my belts changed again earlier this year (thread here). That was more than 11 years and 35000 miles since the last time I'd changed them. I examined them closely when they came off... still looked great.

Not necessarily a recommendation... just a data point.

 

Well I did 14 years and 600 miles before my first change, but I wouldn't recomend that time and milege interval to anyone. It was simply a case of ignorance on my part.

 

For me it's 5 years or 52k miles, which ever comes first.

 

I'm doing mine less than 2 years after the last one, but only beacuse I want to freshen up everything.

 

My belts were last done in Feb 2005 with a major service. I plan to put 5k miles/per year on the car with use about 1-2 times/week. I am going to change it next in Feb 2009.