DIYers Thread

excellent I am one of you guys too

 

This is the thread that should make most F owners see its not hard to work on your own car.

 

+1 on DIY'ing whatever I can and for all the reasons listed

Before I bought this car, didn't think I would ever work on it, before seeing it, figured it was too exotic and tricky

08 F430 turns put to be one of the most approachable cars to work on, especially with all the help from FCHAT. Thank you all. Not like driving it fun, but definitely fun.

Super jealous of you guys that can do hard-core work.

I'm using QuickJacks heavy duty units, they're awesome.

Got it in September, had it converted to 6spd, so far:
-Lots of cleaning all mechanicals
-Replaced cats with Capristo test pipes
-Removed shocks and had them rebuilt and shortened 20mm, installing this weekend
-installed the stock exhaust (after variators were installed 4 me)
-Undertray repair
-Replaced lots of mismatched bolts and screws
-K&N air filters
-fuel filler bib

Coming up:
-install Kline exhaust
-install BigDaddys
-install Sport seats
-install custom brake/clutch faceplates
-install Android head unit
-capote elastics replacement
-install bullet dash enclosures
-install taillight reinforcement kit

Wishlist
-scuderia yellow dash faceplate install
-replace suspension joints
-lots of carbon fiber if I get any cash, mostly want to do the steering surround if anyone has an F430 gated and wants to get in on it, @becausephilchow needs 4 more takers
-Scuding light kits
-wheels, possibly challenge style
-frunk strap replacement

 

I'm on the team too:

-Stripped and repainted scratched up interior (replaced LOCK w aftermarket decals on doors)
-Conditioned & cleaned all leather, shampooed carpets & mats
-Painted exposed area after adjusting gauge cluster leather lid (shrinkage of leather)
-Repaired BE 6112 single DIN Ferrari stereo and updated to v4.0 GPS (long process w hacking CF card w 2015 Audi maps) added aftermarket bluetooth streaming via mini-ISO input
-Added Scuderia Audio super amp and swapped rear "subs" to Pioneer
-Added front bumper skid guards, new CF front sill and new front under-body front black panel. Repaired any crack in other under car panels w epoxy
-Painted and epoxy repaired all scuffs on rear diffuser plate
-Epoxied rear tail lights to prevent structural failure
-Epoxied repair of the cracked Ferrari side markers w Mini Cooper sockets (made wiring adapter to keep wiring sockets stock)
-Ordered like 50x replacement missing/mismatched bolts + new leather strap for trunk tool box
-Oil, gearbox oil/filter, F1 fluid changed, New BMC air filters installed + New spark plugs
-Adjusted micro switches in the doors and cut open the siren and tossed the 15 year old batteries & soldered in USA replacements to fix the alarm
-Wired CTEK adapter behind driver seat for battery maintainer
-Cleaned, repacked and re-clamped passenger CV joint
-Fixed broken tabs on front bumper w epoxy and fiberglass weave
-Transmission mount & engine mounts replaced with new
-New TB boots installed due to wear from engine movement
-Added transmission mount heat shield
-Replaced missing rain drain + rubber access ports on bottom, new cabin filter
-Replaced AC dryer, vacuumed system and recharged AC
-Replaced thermostat and flush/fill new BMW blue coolant
-New Ferrari emblem rim inserts + new TPMS sensors and tire valves
-Added LED drl strip to headlights
-Replaced front brake rotors & added SS lines. Flushed all brake fluid w Motul
-New serpentine belt installed

To Do:
-Replace front/rear sway bar bushings + high perf grease
-Inspect and replace any other worn suspension parts
-New F1 accumulator bulb
-Add new mic for driver speech navigation
-Remove dash and install aftermarket metal vents to resolve minor shrinkage
-Actually drive car

 

Just finished painting my 430ccm cailpers and doing a oem big brake kit.
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I have so many questions for so many of you and am so impressed with everyone's work, would it be inappropriate to just start firing away with them?

This is def my new favorite thread!

 

Ask away. No one person knows everything and us like mined people are a special group. Love to learn help and pass any information that I might know. I might be a young one in this group but can get down with it.

 

Nice brakes !
Just a detail but, AFAIK, on the calipers "Ferrari" is usually written from top to bottom (F on the side of the bleeding screws)

 

Yes, I have to agree. The F is on the side of the bleed nipple.

 

That

I

That is the way I did it

 

I did one way upside down

 

I watched the ratarossa 360 belt change video and decided that it looked like fun. Bought a 360, changed the brake fluid, and headed to the track. The car ran great, but the headliner fell so I DIY'ed that one. It turned out great and once I have my life in order I"ll post pictures and a how-to of the approach I took. While I was there I hard-wired a radar detector.

After bringing the car out of hibernation I did an annual service for gearbox and engine oil. I have a lift, so it wasn't too bad. My bumper has larger gaps than I would like, though. I'll fix that during next annual.

This spring I took on the 30k service. I didn't think that it would be that much tougher than the belt service, but I was very wrong. That entails doing engine seals, gaskets, and spark plug O-rings. That cam cover is a giant pain to take off and put back on. I had to do it twice. A fun part of this adventure was having to re-degree the cams after I replaced the seals. I followed the Aldus procedure which involved measuring valve movement 1.66 and .60 mm +/- .08 mm while turning the engine by hand repeatedly to/from exact degrees. Eventually I got a perfectly tuned engine down to the millimeter.

Of course the insides of the car had to come out in the process, so I took on a side quest to do some detailing. All of this involved me obsessively replacing missing or worn bolts, running everything through a parts cleaner, and cleaning all the bits that nobody else will see. That's part of the reason I like doing all of this myself. Not only do I know that it's being done correctly, but i leave my 360 better than I found it every time I touch it. Except for the handbrake. The handbrake on this car seems hopelessly terrible.

I have more work left, like tiny drops of power steering fluid coming out of a hose. And I'm inspired by this thread to clean my intake plenum and maybe try to fix my noisy flappers. But right now I just want to keep driving it hard on and off the track. I do not baby this car and I think it seems to work better the more I drive it. If I leave it alone for too long, it idles rough.

x431 tells me that I'm at about 70% with my clutch. That's a job I might leave to the pros.

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Lot’s of great work here. some I’d do, some I wouldn’t have the confidence to do. For me, replaced front rotors/pads, resprayed rear challenge grill, replaced the right recumbent mechanism for the top (snapped a rivet when opening), tightened front challenge grills (removed front bumper), repaired cracked inner wheel well fiberglass panels, replaced alarm, replaced door speakers and added wireless bluetooth…. Image Unavailable, Please Login


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I still believe there is more you can move to at least every 2 years

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If you drive 1500 miles and do more than 20 miles or so each trip (not just a start and store or a 2 mile trip) and you keep indoor in a semi climate controlled garage no track time .. basically everything can be done every two years

Use a high quality brake fluid ..like ate 200 or better

Oil coolant power steering F1 gear oil etc all can last (not just saying ..I have scientifically proven it over and over using oil analysis) even more than 2 years ( minus the brake fluid)

Pollen filter ..hard to say ..when they get dirty or smelly ..that could happen quicker or last 3 years ..all depends on if driving in a humid environment or dusty environment and you use the air alot


In the end it comes down to what you feel comfortable with ..you will get 10!different opinions but I will say mine is pretty much fact based


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I'm a new 430 owner, and all service is up to date, but I couldn't help but start perusing the engine bay as I diy my other cars (Porsche, Lexus). For simple fluid changes, the F car drain ports and filter location are much more accessible than the others. Like others here, I'm simply going to document everything I do with the max detail. I already noticed 3 missing diffuser bolts, and that's after dealership and top indy services. No one will take better care of your property than you

Quick question for the group. My driver side exhaust tips are a little loose. Is a new weld the only fix, besides obviously replacing them?

 

It's always interesting (to me) the hodgepodge of miscellaneous and missing screws on the underside photos of BaT listings! The price of the car is irrelevant...

 

I think unless you take the time and put loctite the vibration drives the screws out seen it happen on my car

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