Worth Exploratory Surgery??

Very bad news. There is at least 1 or 2 bad valves. It is time the engine comes out for any repair. Sorry this happened to you.

 

The camshaft would have quit turning, the drive gear would have kept turning by being driven by the belt from the crank.
Anyway, valves WILL be bent.

 

Same dealer talking that did the major?

 

I agree, has to be some bent valves. I doubt a compression test would do anything except confirm you need to tear it down but that's where I'd start. You did everything right having it serviced so this WOULDN'T happen...so very sorry to hear this happened to you.

Good luck on it keep us posted as to what happens..

 

The cam pin falling out will have left some valves recessed and some poking out.
So.
The bad news is that some of your valves will have impacted the piston top and may be bent. The good news is that because the cam (and valves) were theoretically stationary, it should only be a few of the valves, and not all of them, which have been lunched.

The only way you're really going to tell is to take the head off and take a look inside.

As for repars, there's guys here in the UK who can do this entire job while leaving the engine in the car so not all is lost. Otherwise, you can pop the engine out and take the heads off yourself if you're even half mechanically inclined (speaking from experience - I did this last weekend).

you can have the engine out in about 5-6 hours if you go at it (this includes beer stops) then the heads are a doddle once oyu hve all the ancilliary stuff off (which is basically the exhaust manifolds, the inleft manifolds, throttle actuator and water jacket).

So, getting it apart is certianly in the realms of DIY if you are so inclined. Once out, you can evaluate the options. I guess it boils down to your time vs cash outlay.

 

Just to add. The heads are a doddle with the right tool The access to the 15mm nuts is tighter than the proverbial fish's arsehole...

 

Sorry you are toast. Take the heads off yourself and save yourself a huge amount of money. Then send the head to enginefixer. I'd leak down the other head for the obvious reasons 355 have issues. Besides after you see how nice enginefixer's head work is how could you leave the other head on? That would be like going to your wedding with a new dress shoe on one foot and a ratty old smelly tennis shoe on the other. Do a search you can see the nice work he does.

 

sorry to hear brother

 

You could probably remove the heads with the engine in the car but it would be absolutely necessary to have it out to reassemble it properly. No work saved here.

Pay no attention to anyone that suggests otherwise.

A special tool is required to remove/install head nuts.

Unless this is the kind of work you do or you are a careless "shoot from the hip" guy it will likely take a lot more than 5-6 hours (save the beer till you're done).

 

Sorry, just to clarify.
Start to finish, its about 5-6 hours to emove the engine from the car (for me, anyway - others may well be quicker). Its a bit more time after that to strip the manifolds, inlets etc and get the heads off. Assuming you do't round any of the head nuts (which is easy to do).

 

exactly...

 

I wonder how often DIY'ers introduce serious harm to their Ferrari doing their own maintenance...

 

Responsible for a big percentage of our income.

 

hahaha... you'd never hear about it from the guy - think of the shame and embarrassment...

 

I'm not so sure there's shame or embarrassment involved when a guy decides to try to fix his own toy. The shame and embarrassment comes when he goes to a "professional" for help in correcting what he's messed up (maybe an expensive learning experience) and is ridiculed for trying-something a truly respected professional would never do-often in front of others. After all, isn't the role of a professional to repair whatever damage is done for whatever reason? That's probably why RD, Helms, and a few others are highly respected on this forum.

 

I actually agree with you completely Bruce... I shouldn't have said that and now feel ashamed myself. I am a DIY'er myself and am very proud to be able to do my own major services etc. A lot of people told me I was crazy to even think about doing my own work.

I bought a brand new snap-on torque wrench in the middle of my 348 major service a few years back. My old wrench clicked when torque was met. Well, unknown at time the new one pivoted when torque was met but I didn't notice and was applying pressure waiting for that click (on the tensioner bearing bolt). Luckily, I sensed that I was applying too much pressure and tested the damn thing on my bicycle instead of my expensive Ferrari engine! I can tell you that I WOULD have been very embarrassed if I had of cracked that engine casing.

My comments were a hasty reaction to the optimistic times that some say a DIYer should be able to yank a motor and do major work...

 

Spoken like a true cynic. Some of us actually know when NOT to mess with the car! The rest of us are Stooges.

 

I think times are largely a function of familiarity with the work involved. The first time I pulled the engine on the 355, it took me 3 weekends of careful work and checking what went where and what had to be moved or disconnected and what didn't. And tackling things that hadn't moved for a long time and weren't in any hurry to do so.

As you'd expect, the subsequent times are HUGELY assisted by
1. Familiarity with the process and the tools required (eg, knowing exactly what type and size of spanner for a particular job saves masses of time); and
2. Everything being new (not old, rusted or siezed)

My only other thought is that, in my experience, pulling things apart is always the easy bit. Its putting things back together which requires time, care and attention.

Anyway, all just my 2c really and others will have different experiences.

 

+1
So glad Dave Helms is in the neighborhood. He and his team have made my 308 a real jewel. And they are working the 348 over as we speak.

 

No. Not at all. I know many owners who are just as capable as I at fixing the cars. I just believe far to many are talked into getting in over their head in an effort to save some money and in many cases it becomes a very costly mistake.

People who are capable of fixing these things know it and do not require any convincing.