550 cam belt endurance - data point

I love my 550 !

 

Jim: You offer a very useful and unadulterated view on the matter. From my experience and observations it's not the belts but the bearings.
I checked my belts/bearings, recently and I was relieved to see that they were happy in their home. The last belt change/service was in May 2014.
From a reliable source the belts have a service life of 8 years, regardless of mileage.

Do like wblink, "Bill" and drive the car!

 

Eight years from manufactured date or put in service date?

 

It is Dayco's expiration date of the blue bandee dayco belts not in use sitting on shelf. So if your new old stock belt is 8+ years old don't use it. Personally, I'm a belt snob. I buy recent manufactured Ferrari yellow banded belts because ferrari cherry picks the dayco belts.

 

Oh boy, another belt thread. If you look at Dayton's or any other belt manufacturer's info, it will state "follow the manufacturer's recommendations". We know what that is.

 

I'm not going to change my belts and see what happens - said no one ever

 

Ernie said that ... and then changed it at 8 years.

 

Playing chicken with a Ferrari V12...fun .

 

I disagree 100%.. In over 40 years of working on Ferraris with belt drive engines I have not one single time seen a bad bearing take out a set of valves and pistons. I cannot count the times I have seen a bad belt do a lot of very expensive damage.

When the bearings go bad typically the noise will drive you right out of the car. I have seen a lot of bad bearings but they were investigated 100% of the time to find out what the noise was all about. Not a single time have I seen one driven to failure. If someone, anyone says they had a bearing failure damage a motor it is only because they ignored the extreme symptoms it was causing.

 

A belt failure has one symptom and it makes no noise and gives no warning.


By the way, we own a TR and a 328. I hate working on cars for free but my belts get changed at 5 years.

Seen way too many examples of why that service life was arrived at.

 

Brian- Funny thing is, that is exactly the number Ferrari ultimately came up with for our V12s. Experience and recommendations match, who would have thought it?

 

I really don't understand why people grouse about changing these belts. In the competitive L.A market there are plenty of "major services" in the 2500 buck range. At the same time the 1st service on a generic new Cayman S which is 90% an oil change is $800 bucks! If I was a pro mechanic there are a lot easier ways to make a living than fixing Ferraris and dealing with the Ferrari owner personality. I don't think the good pro Ferrari mechanics are charging enough!

 

Pretty shocking.

 

OK

I respect Brian's opinion. I'll change the belts, and all of the while you are at it stuff.

 

Terry & Brian

A little off topic but what would you recommend for a flat twelve that sat for three years in terms of starting it up?

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Brian is the expert here.

 

If it was mine I'd be taking it out. Do we know the status or service history prior to parking it? It's pretty rare when someone says "My car is perfect, think I'll let is sit for a few years".

 

Something like 9 years and 4000 miles ago ..full engine out

I am sure it would need another major .. the question really is to start or not to start. Just tow to mechanic and get done or drive there

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Tow bills are cheap.

 

Thanks for the feedback

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hahaha !

 

As you all know I drive my car ... So how many Miles would necessitate changing belts and bearings etc...before the five year mark.
Most of the miles are L.A. to Vegas

Thank You !

 

Ferrari has always said 30k.

 

Thank you Brian!
I’m at 84,000 miles trying to make it to 100