348/355 belt change possible by removing gas tank?

(ducking for cover).

 

OH NO....not this S#@T again!

Last I checked you can do it!!! It involves a torch and cross member if I recall correctly *sigh*

Pull the engine son....that's how it was designed.

 

Theoretically you can change the belts afer dropping the tank, cutting a structural component,.....

But I ask you, how are you going to get the dial indicator on the valve tappets to set the timing correctly? And assuming you can get the dial indicator set, how are you going to rotate the crankshaft and watch the dial indicator get to the proper timing point while working inside the gastank area?

That is, you can change the belts, but you may not be putting the cams at the correct timinig. At which point why bother.

These cars are not getting on towards 20 years old, there are lots of rubber and plastic parts in the engine bay that may or may not need addressing at the same time. It is a lot easire to find these and fix these with the engine out of the bay.

 

What ever this thread will contain, it will be the same old arguments. Round and round and round again.
This cutting of the crossmember thing. I find it amusing how a couple of pictures from a single car can develop into a brand new "urban legend".
Also the argument regarding all the rubber and plastic parts that may need addressing. This can also be said of any rear engined Ferrari were the engine stays in the car.
Yes the belts can be changed with the engine in, but as suggested, just remove it. Or if you do leave it in, just don't mention it on FC, or the prayer books come out

 

If the cams were properly timed and did not slip in the intervening years, there wouldn't be a need to degree the cams every time. It's not like they can go 'out of time' without a malfunction somewhere.

That being said, it's what, a 4-5 hour job to take the engine out if you know what you're doing? That's not much more than taking the tank etc. out and you can do a lot more and work a lot more easily with the engine out. I have a suspicion the whole 'engine out' being a major PITA is bandied about to make 360 owners feel better about their car and make shops some more money in labor (to a degree). After looking at numerous DIY's, it seems not much more difficult than pulling the seats and rear package tray/carpeting in a 360 and trying to time the cams while crouched sitting inside a 360...Maybe a spider isn't as bad but I have a feeling the folded top sitting in your face wouldn't be much fun, either.

 

These cars are not getting on towards 20 years old, there are lots of rubber and plastic parts in the engine bay that may or may not need addressing at the same time. It is a lot easire to find these and fix these with the engine out of the bay


Very true, even taking out the fuel tank involves releasing the many plastic 'quick install' fuel line fittings, however after 10-15 years they don't always play nice, risk of failure/fire and/or definitely more parts.

 

+1 I guess the horse just doesn't want to die.

 

Kind of like changing a tire without taking it off the car.

 

You don't have to remove the engine from the car to do a proper major...

Just remove the car from the engine.

 

Enzo is rolling in his grave...

 

I have heard that some people can do it with the engine in, and others have tried and failed ...........

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zavgk2_BJs[/ame]

When I get around to doing mine ....... I will be doing it the easy way .......

 

The ones who do it must have very tiny hands and fingers. Involves removing the mounts, tilting and moving the engine back a bit, squizing in from the front, .......

Good luck to you and please take some pictures while at it.
Dont want to see fingers taped up with bandaid

 

Curt, consider yourself lucky that you don't have to remove the engine to change the belts on your 360.

 

Curt there are huge advantages to taking the motor out that involve more than just swapping belts. While belts are the big enchilada there are many things that are just as important and will strand you just as bad as a bad belt. As with any car you can kick the can down the road or you can do the mechanical TLC that will pay you dividends.

 

Curt, I don't think the "while you're at it" stuff is endless unless you make it so. There are some areas that I believe need to be inspected when the belts are changed and I don't think you can get at them with the motor in place. One is the condition of the cam chain tensioner, this is the tensioner on the chain that drives the main cam gear off of the crank. The other is the rear bearing on the main cam gear shaft, the early roller bearing units are prone to failure. This bearing should be updated to the ball bearing unit. No need to ask me how I know about either one of these problem areas. Just my two cents.

 

ugh........

 

Do you guys know when they changed over to the new roller bearing units? I thought they changed from roller to ball bearings on the 348's?

 

Just so you know what you are looking at and the engine needs to be raised at the front to clear Xmember. (not my photo)
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