Do you subscribe to the "3 year belt change" rule?

<segway for humor> wasn't that how Lamborghini was created back to scheduled debate.

 

In Canada...about 5K-6K at the dealer.

 

We go through a Onan 7KW about every other year in each truck.......
some go home with the engineers!

 

LOL! And then I bet they don't break.

So why doesn't the station mechanic just change the generator oil at least every month? Does the GM tell him not to? Seriously, they will throw away more food from the executive lunch meeting than it costs for a couple of quarts of oil.

 

The news director only budgets for the oil to be changed every other month, 'She' knows best

they have service done from outside vendors

 

Or does she. I guess all those busted generators say other wise.

 

the list is long

 

TUBE GUY Quote,
While everybody else sucks, we suck less.


Part two,
Here's to sucking less and to those who suck more!

 

No disrespect intended, but:

Doug, Brian currently has over SEVEN THOUSAND posts on Fchat ! If he didn't want to post he didn't and doesen't have to. No one forced him to reply to any question or comment here. If he didn't feel a question was worthy of his time he was free to ignore it.

He seemed to take pleasure in two things (on Fchat).

1. Giving out excellent, concise, expert advice on Fcars.

2. Berating people who either didn't do the research he thought appropriate or people he did not agree with.

Also, why did you ask belt shelf life questions here on Fchat when you could just call your brother

Regards,

Stew

 

Brian is watching 'cause he was on this chatline yesterday 08-08-07.

 

I dont think thats a fair statement. Just like Dave, others, and even myself, I am sure Brian felt a commitment to keep people from leading others astray with mis-information and questionable procedures. When people suggest procedures to others that are comparable to what hacks would do, some of us feel compelled to put our two cents worth in.

When you have a guy, in this case Brian, and lets say he does 200 clutches on a particular model of car after being taught by the factory, I would say he is seasoned and his experience stands head and shoulders above just about anyone's, especially someone who's done one or two. To discredit his opinion, argue with his experience and knowledge, and basically tell him he dont know what hes talking about, is such a great level of disrespect its not even arguable.

With Brian we had among us a Ferrari trained mechanic with 30 years experience in both road and racing cars. There is not another on Fchat that comes close to that level of knowledge. The fact that guys like Dave helms and other mechanics hold him in high regard should tell many of you bench racers you should have shut up and listened. Very seldom in life do we get to pick experts brains, much less have them open up and dump. We had Marcel Massini in the vintage area, a long time Ferrari enthusiast with great volumes of knowledge we could have tapped. But people dissed him and hes gone. These guys, IMO, have earned respect, and for some of you to act as childish as you have, trying to make your point, has only cost the rest of us to lose that access to knowledge. Okay, you guys made your point, Brian was a jerk. He's gone. Great. Now who do we have with 30 years mechanical experience with Ferrari who wants to step up and get kicked? The greatest thing about the internet is the ability to share information. But probably its greatest downfall is some idiot who changed a spark plug once on a lawn mower can argue with the guy who built it. FerrariChat didnt gain anything losing Brian. Not unless turning into Pakleds is gaining something.

 

Stew,

To answer your question, Why did I ask F-chat about timing belt shelf life.

For the same reason you are on F-Chat,
The camaraderie of fellow F-chatters. I easily have more automotive experience than 90% of the people on here, I like the camaraderie, it's a great way to pass the day at work on the computer.

I absolutely like talking to my brother, but he is one fellow Ferrari person, and I really don't think he minds that I ask fellow F-chatters for their opinion. He has probably assisted a many of you. I am very sure that if the advise given was wrong, he would chime in. (always has in the past!) F-chat has how many contributers? They live in every corner of the world and I have been fortunate to either read or chat with a lot of you in the past 18 months. Isn't that what F-chat is all about? If it isn't, I am out of here too.

If you are not able to understand that viewpoint, one of us doesn't need to be here

 

These kinds of postings are always fun.....half the people say 3 yrs, half say closer to the owners manual and the other half are somewhere in between. I use 7 years and installed the hill engineering 348 bearings (lots better than factory) at 20k miles. As I remember, Rifledriver had great contempt for FNA and I feel the new directive for belt service at 3 years is motivated by greed. Everything I've read, all conversations and dealings I've had about FNA and dealerships lead me to believe thay have their own best interests at heart and stick it to me whenever possible. But the cars are unlike anything else, are fun to share with others and fun to work on. I've spent 25-30k in parts that I have installed and at least 30k in professional service over ten years. (Hope my wife doesn't see this.) YMMV

Jeff Pintler
89 348tb, 86TR
I too miss Rifledriver.

 

A Pakled is a member of a fictional alien race in the science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation.

Pakleds are short, stocky humanoids with large bushy eyebrows. They are fairly simple-minded, but they keep pace with the capabilities of other spacefaring races by stealing technology (such as shields of Romulan design) from ships they encounter.

Pakleds tend to speak in a very simple and childlike way (for example: "We look for things. Things that make us go. Can you make us go?"). This can fool a Good Samaritan into thinking the Pakleds are harmless and helpless; the Pakleds wait until their benefactors' guard is down, then use a show of force to take what they need. --Wikipedia--

Dennis Miller would be envious of the obscure reference.

Regards,


Stew

 

I don't know Brian and have not been on this board very long and admittedly have not read much of the old posts where these confrontations took place, but I do think I understand the situation a bit.
I work for a well respected aftermarket company, and most of our tech guys have all but given upon trying to lend their expertise on internet forums.
It is easy to feign authority when you have anonymity, and there are always guys who will argue with a recognized expert in order to stroke their own ego. Many of the onlookers may not know who the posters are, and don't know who to believe.

"Never argue with an idiot, onlookers can't tell the difference"

 

Doug you put it beautifully. This should be a place of camaradie. As you know there are Fchat places to argue and discuss politics and such.

Let me understand, he is so upset with Fchat he doesn't post anymore, but he still monitors the site ?

There you go ! If someone doesn't agree with you, you and or they should leave ? Did you ever hear the term "agree to disagree"

Fchat should be fun, even enjoyable. There is no need to be "difficult".

warmest regards,

Stew

 

You people didn't hear my answer, obviously........you have to go by "The Book" but the Book for YOUR CAR!

The Old Books have been superseeded by New Books along with the stack of Tech Bulletins, which for my 76-77 cars is TWO INCHES tall, OK?

For a new 360 Staradle, the original question, the Book is correct as there are NO Tech Bulletins changing it, so go with that.

If you don't have all applicable Tech Bulletins, do whatever you feel best and proceed in your ignorant bliss, simple as that.

#20405 belts........Last Fall at LFSC, $6K 30K mile Service, who amazingly still WORKS on old Ferrari 308GTBs! (Some dealers no longer want to.)
#22127 belts.......the last time JRV changed them, about five, maybe six years ago......degreed the cams too.
#22641 belts.....12 years old when I bought the car in '04, went 2,400 miles home then to FFQC in New Orleans, 600 miles more.

#22641 has been parked since Katrina though, a tornadoe hit the barn and now I have to move it, first stop will be new belts.

I think 3 years is overkill but any time you ignore Factory advice, you do so at your own peril.....

I talk to Rifledriver, how's things with you, Doug......

 

Stew, a lot of folks have left over the years.......as you and others note, experience is not valued on the Internet by those who "think they know better"......

It is hard to strike a balance when there are different 'opinions' and so little respect for experience...hard to know the answer.

Ferraris are rarely driven, or repaired properly, by folks with small egos......

 

You get a second medical opinion when needed, but you want the BEST doctor when you go under the knife!

When I worked for Intermedics, we noticed hardly ANYONE 'Bargain Shops' for a pacemaker........

 

"Ferraris are rarely driven, or repaired properly, by folks with small egos"

BigTex, that is golden!

 

*Elvis voice*

"THank ya.....thank ya very much........."

brb....lunchtime..peanut butter and banana.....LOL!

 

Brilliant !!!!!!

Regards,

Stew

 

lets see : 1/2 + 1/2 + 1/2 = 1.5 or a NEW 100% !? lol, just kidding.

what!? Don't understand this, do you mean you installed the bearings at 7 years 20k or didn't do your belts until 7years 20k?
because in either case, I believe the bearings are less a trouble than the belts, but certainly you don't mean you waited 7 years on the belts. IMO that is truly taking a chance believing in Ferrari or not.

yes. However, RD's contempt for 'some' of FNA's directives were not entirely across the board. He would show pics of 'here is a customer who brought this in...' and followed by the disclaimer '...can't tell you more...currently may go into litigation...'

He was a stronger bastian of the 3 year or 30k rule and OFTEN said so.

I get his advice almost DAILY on another forum, and he is STILL saying that change them at 3 years, 30k...still posting the same pics too.

I don't because I STILL get his daily, sage, advice 'elsewhere'. and he is still the same Brian, and still cares. FC, has sometimes gotten too combative. I has a LOT of energy, a LOT of diversity, but sometimes goes overboard and looses it's 'nicer' side.....
don't care if people don't like others with softer shells, this is an exchange place. Even I have become more 'stinging' in my comments [just look here] which I don't care for....thus why I've searched elsewhere.

FC's best asset is number of concurrent guests, with large backgrounds to offer....but it COULD go through a cycle of .. diminishment, which I believe it is somewhat seeing now. We all only have so much time in the day to cheat on work day and log on to muss over our fav stuff. I, personally, can't keep going through the same common threads for that ONE nugget of knowledge..I would much rather see it on a CONTINUAL THREAD that gets added, and which is easier to find.

No, don't get in a tizzy. Your question ONLY opened the common can of worms. Kind of like asking: "Do I now drive with my hands-free cell phone, or hold that crap to my head and drive without a brain". <--- the rules have changed in CA, SO, get over it.

if you want to take chances, go do it.

Your 'reason I asked it was....$$$' was NOT how you phrased it. I could assume you meant to save money, but then the old stuff comes up about, what are you truly saving? I say, NOTHING. just do it. it's no big deal, if it's too expensive, buy a 50k belt changing Toyota.

 

thanks jcr! i checked out nick's wbsite.
i didn't mean to offend anyone's sensiblities. rather, i always support any engineering improvements which
improve the breed. on the surface, nick's package seems to have accomplished that.

bill brooks