what is a major service?

My cars last 30k service...I'm pretty sure this is considered a (air quote) MAJOR (air qoute) service:
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Hey I have one of those!
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It has never been an official term. At one time most European cars had similar service schedules at 15k and 30k miles. In Ferraris case it was 12.5k and 25k but they changed to 15 & 30.
We actually used to call them minor major and major majors. Benz called them D and E service.
There was remarkable similarity between makes. Fluids and minor tune with valve adjust with a small list of checks on the minor, major tune with belts, even new chains on some cars and a long list of checks, adjustments, inspections etc.

A belt service is a belt service period. Belts were never intended to be done solely at big services. That just became the norm out of greed and misinformation. A major includes a belt service but a belt service is not a major. Salesmen say it out of stupidity or for obfuscation.

 

As Rifledriver says, a belt service isn't a major. Check pages 460-465 in the work shop manual what Ferrari recomends (for the 348)
All Ferraris
BR
Bertil

 

Major service: A generic term meaning something bad is about to happen you your wallet. Typically it involves changing timing belts and tensioner bearings and a lot of other stuff that you don't really need to have changed or done but get talked into because you are already paying $4k to drop the engine so why not spend another 2 or 3 k , or more, on things that might have a 1 in 100 chance of failing before you get suckered into dropping the engine again because you drove 4k miles over the next 3-5 years.

You will notice that was a classis run on sentence, which is the exactly exact definition of what a major is.

 

If you check Ernie's 348 major thread, that's what I would say.

Drop the engine, and repair/replace everything and anything that needs it.

 

Such as rear main seals that were installed backward during it's most recent "major". No wonder it was leaking.
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How?!

 

When I pull the motor from my 95 in a couple months (or less), I'm giving serious consideration to going through the entire engine. While I do have most of the service records, valve guides where done by a small shop. Now, the guy may have been the most talented guy on the planet, but I simply just don't know. Given 26K miles of 20 years, I think it would be wise to pull it all apart and replace / repair whatever looks suspect. It does not seem like that much more work once the motor is out.

I'm looking forward to this "Major"

 

Hill tensioner bearings were installed at the last major, so I will check them and if they feel rough at all or look damaged in any way, replace them.

 

A major is where you take the engine bay apart, fix everything that is wrong or will go wrong over the next 3 year in the engine and bay; then reassemble.

Its called a major because of the kind of damage it does to your pocket book.

 

LOTS of while you're in there stuff.

And about half of what my Mondial 3.2 Coupe is currently worth.

 

I agree with you 100% John. People can get really wrapped up in the super preventative maintenance part of it. But it gives some people a better peace of mind to get it all done and then maybe they are more relaxed when they take it for a drive and can enjoy their car more even although their pocket book it lighter.

Normally have a run to failure policy on my cars. If it isn't broke or leaking leave it alone. Obviously this policy can't apply to timing belts and tensioners because letting them fail would be more costly then the replacement.

That said I am doing Major Majors on my 348 and 355 because I have no service history on the cars and other then a new clutch on the 355 just before I bought it I have no idea when or if anything has ever been done on these cars. I've done 1000s of miles in each since ownership but it's time to really get in there and do everything then I'll probably go 8-10 years on belts and fix as it fails on other things.

 

Ok without the 50% of the time list...what do you think is a fair price for just that min service at a Indy shop? What is reasonable for an engine rebuild on a 355?

 

That is a $7000 from a good indy. You will never get away with that. The last 2 cars I touch both have broken headers, cats, and engine mounts. Can you say $5,000?

The last one has a old Spal fan, sucking up so much juice that the 30 amp fuse melted into 3 pieces, one evaporating totally, and destroying the NLA fuse board on its way out. I don't even know how much that will cost. And this is why preventive care is so much more important with certain things.

 

Speaking of fans (and apologies for a brief thread hijack) is there a good non OEM rad fan replacement? My left rad fan blew a fuse a couple of months ago, presumably the fan is getting a bit tired and drawing too many amps.

 

What would an engine rebuild cost out of curiosity?

 

$20k to $30k has been quoted in forza.

Robb

 

Spal makes them, just be sure to get the sealed non-motorsport version. The oem fan is a motorsports version that isn't sealed, hence they get dirty inside and fail.

 

Spal

https://webstore.spalusa.com/en-us/search.aspx?q=30102050+

 

Just headers and cats were already 5k, and that's aftermarket. Ask me how I know!

 

Thanks Mitch (and Pete)!

 

Anything that forces me to crawl my big ass under the car.

 

I agree this is basically a major provided that nothing else that is checked fails.

 

Thats what I would think...normal maint stuff....If a person wanted to add while were in there stuff or anything that needed done right there and then the list would be endless and vary from car to car. I think very few cars would come in and need only this done but all of that would vary. Lets say a car comes in for a major and need rear rotors and pads would that be considered part of a major? I wouldnt its just getting done at the same time.just my opinion