348 Major Pricing

I'm looking to get a major done on my 348. What do you consider a fair price and what should it include?

 

There will be many opnions on this subject. Here is mine: all three belts, all new seals and gaskets excluding lower end, clean and replace kluber grease, new tensioners, drill extra oil weep holes in cam area, remove cams, check valve clearances, add/replace shims, index cams, ALL filters, check fuel lines, check injectors (possible send out for service) change / flush ALL fluids, check oil pump chain, check sump screens, new check valves, rebuild water pump, all new hoses (silicone/Helms), check throw out bearing and clutch surfaces (grind/re-line if needed), check compression/leakdown, new iridium plugs, check plug wires, check manifolds, clean engine bay, replace hood struts, and if you still need more just keep digging. I'm sure I missed something. Water wetter & zx7. Price anywhere from $7 to 9K depending how how far you go. Easy to bust $10K if you really love your car.

 

Agree with what you said. I don't think most garages would include the clutch change in a major. I would assume that it would be in addition to it. On the other items what would be a fair price?

 

I agree with the motor stuff. Depends how many miles since the last time the clutch was looked at, but IMO I wouldnt' fool with the clutch if it is working well. If your car is pre-front bearing TSB you may need to upgrade the bearings on the jack shaft that runs the cam sproket. I did mine myself with the 30K kit from Ricambi and did the oil weep hole drilling (Ricambi will loan you the jig). I also put new plugs in - mine was a 30K major. I talked with a guy (Tom?) at Sport Auto in Winston Salem and I belive his price would have been about 7K for the major - I think he does really good work, I think he did Daniel's car that works at Ricambi. If you have the time, expertise and a lift it is quite fun and interesting to do it yourself, but not a beginner job.

 

I just realized your car is a 94, so no need for the bearing thing I mentioned above. Mine didn't need it either.

 

That would be an understatement ... It is on a scale from 1-10, at least a 8.5

 

I might do it myself or with Terry at Apex Vintage. I was bidding on the major offered on eBay that went to the Dan Wheldon Memorial Trust. It went for $6978.09. I bid $6850 so I just missed out. Oh well, looks like I get the fun of doing it.

 

Check vintage fixed price major service at Ferrari long island and fort lauderdale. I think it is in the 6500$ range all in.

 

Ata boy!

Plenty of guys have done it, and so can you.

 

I have an '89, so I'd imagine this may include my car. Do you have a link to the bearings?

FWIW, Foreign Cars Italia is advertising $4259.95 for a "Cam Belt Service" in the latest Forza. I assume it means just that, no water pump or extras, but I can't be sure.

 

Dude, you have the means and capability to do it yourself yet you are actually asking about a price to get it done elsewhere?

Should be a no-brainer

 

Jim is referring to the oil pump and related bearings/tensioners:

http://www.ricambiamerica.com/product_info.php?products_id=261292

 

The means and capabilities is not always the best choice. I just finished a major on my 360 working side by side with a garage in the area that has a guy with many years of experience. Although I could have done it I would have missed several things that he noticed and I did not know to look for. It cost me a few thousand dollars but now I know everything to look for and am certain that I am starting with a 100% car. I never plan to sell any of my Ferrari's (unless someone wants to make me a rediculous offer) so I look at it as a long term investment. The few dollars spent now can save thousands later. Besides the event was for charity and I could have written a portion of it off. Not a bad thing either.

 

Thank you, sir!

Since that came out in '92, it has probably been done. I'll check my service records. From the TSB, it looks like a noise issue -- were the parts actually failing or just becoming nuisances?

Anyway, sorry to hijack, carry on!!

 

"noise" was Ferrari's way of pretending this was just a nuisance issue. So clever with the words, those sneaky little fellows are.

I think they used this wording to avoid being on-the-hook for engine-out recalls. (This is just my opinion/theory... but I think it was a grand CYA move. Dave Helms can probably elaborate, since he lived it)

Failed oil pump tensioners can lead to catastrophic engine failure. The "noise" issue can best be described as:

1) The silence of your engine not running.
2) The rattling of 1000 moving parts with no lubrication crashing into one another
3) The sucking sound of your wallet
4) The wailing of your heartache and tears.

Pick one... it's all the same.

 

That pretty well sums it up. I was also told the other day by a former Ferrari mechanic that Ferrari does not consider it an oil leak until the oil hits the floor. Since most of the newer Ferrari's have a belly pan of some kind that can be a bunch of oil until you see it on the floor. What a great CYA move while under maintenance.

 

Head goes into hands as I dart for the service records...

Jeeze, Ferrari! I'm glad to have people like you guys at my disposal, naive soul that I am

 

I didn't mean for the cost savings that DIY would get you, I meant for the experience of joy of doing it yourself

 

Have to agree with you there. I love the feeling of doing the work myself.

 

Yes, absolutely...I really do have fun and enjoy working on mine myself

 

Make sure you check the condition of the wear pads on the oil pump chain tensioner and the cam chain tensioner. The wear pad on my cam chain tensioner was literally crumbling to pieces. Not a pretty picture.