Asking for a friend. ;)
Yes, I changed the belt and tensioner to get rid of the gearchange squeeky sound, which has gone now for the time being.
That's great to hear! Did you do the replacement yourself or did a dealer/shop do the replacement? Thanks for the input!
The hardest parts are removing the rear under-tray panel and the noise cover on the P/S pump. After that you can change the belt in less that a minute.
Nice! Beautiful italia! Would this be doable with the car on jack stands and not on a full floor lift? In other words, can you do this job laying on your back? Thanks for the response, much appreciated. Ant
Great info! I sadly just spent over $800 on this exact repair, being that it’s apparently not covered by Ferrari’s New Power Warranty. If I’d known it was this easy, I’d have traded a few bloody knuckles and a couple of hours underneath the car for what amounts to a really nice dinner out with the wife...
I believe I have a photo of the belt and part # in my office. I'll search tomorrow and see if I can locate it for you Ray
Here is the belt Ferrari uses for the 458. Part # is 251220 You can buy them on eBay and also some of the on-line Ferrari parts suppliers. I thought I also had a photo of the original box, from when Ferrari changed the belt on my car, but I couldn't find it. Anyway, if you search that part # on the belt there (251220), you should be able to track down everything you need. Ray Image Unavailable, Please Login
I printed out the belt replacement procedure from the factory service manual (section A3.12), just in case it might be helpful to you. It's attached in PDF below Ray
Great post. Extremely helpful as always, Ray. One remark from an ignorant owner who isn’t very mechanically inclined: I thought the 458 didn’t have belts made of rubber, but metal chains Kind regards, Nuno.
The rubber vs. metal chain thing relates to the motor's timing chain. This is the large belt or chain which turns the camshafts (and thus the valves) and is responsible for keeping proper timing with the rotation of the crankshaft and pistons. Because its failure can lead to catastrophic damage inside the motor, having a chain made from metal is better than having one made from rubber. The rubber belts have many advantages (mainly advantages for Ferrari when it comes to building and producing the motor), but longevity isn't one of them. This is why on cars like the 360, people are always freaking out about when the last time a major service was done (which includes replacing those rubber timing belts on the motor). With the 430, Ferrari switched back to using metal timing chains (instead of rubber belts). So on the 458, for example, the motor uses a timing chain, which probably can last several hundred thousand miles in the real world. The belt in question on this thread isn't a timing belt. It's merely an accessory belt, which you can sort of think of like a fan belt basically. Ray
Here are a couple of photos I dug up via a Google image search. Image Unavailable, Please Login On this first photo, which shows the front of a 458 Italia motor, you can see the little rubber belt we are talking about, which snakes around and up & over the alternator in the middle there. Its job is mainly to turn the alternator and provide electrical charging. I'm not sure what else it powers, maybe the A/C unit and/or the power steering pump (but don't quote me on that). Image Unavailable, Please Login This second photos shows a 360 CS motor (which someone is selling on eBay). Here you can clearly see the two large rubber timing belts, which run up and over the camshaft timing gears. Notice on the 458 motor, you don't see any of this stuff. Why? It's because metal timing chains require constant lubrication from the engine's lubrication system. As a result, they are enclosed under the front timing chain covers on the 458 motor, so they can be bathed in motor oil. By contrast, on the 360, you specifically don't want any oil getting on the rubber belts, so they are exposed (on the outside) as far as the motor is concerned. Normally, however, they do have protective plastic covers over them (as shown in the picture below), which is to help prevent stones and things from bouncing up there and getting into the gear teeth. A timing chain is the way to go. I basically won't own a car or truck unless it uses a timing chain. For example, when it came time to buy an SUV a few years ago, I basically shopped by HP and whether or not the motor used a timing chain vs. a timing belt. Anything under 200 HP and/or with a timing belt immediately got checked off the list of potentials. Ray Image Unavailable, Please Login
Thank you very much for your time and patience educating me, Ray. Kind regards and have a great weekend. Nuno.
Ray’s the man! I did replace this back in May. The belt drives power steering, AC, & alternator. As Motob mentioned above, there’s a plastic cover for the power steering which has to come off with three screws, kind of a PITA. Cheers! Ant