F355 major service | FerrariChat

F355 major service

Discussion in 'Technical Q&A' started by Mitch Alsup, Dec 22, 2003.

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  1. Mitch Alsup

    Mitch Alsup F1 Veteran

    Nov 4, 2003
    9,252
    I got my F355 with 22K miles in June of 2001 at which time it had a 30K engine service., this december we are doing a major with 40K miles on the clock

    Why?

    Well, since the last major it has done 32 track events. As one who drives to the track, drives on the track, and drives home; reliability is paramount. But the car was giving all the signs it should be looked at.

    The first visible symptom was the characteristic whine at cold startup of tensioner bearings that are about to die.

    The second was missing oil.

    As we shall se in a couple of frames, it was good we got in there and took a look.

    This first picture is the drivers rear quarter of the engine.
     
  2. Mitch Alsup

    Mitch Alsup F1 Veteran

    Nov 4, 2003
    9,252
    The drivers front

    Dave is holding a water hose that is about to fail.
     
  3. Mitch Alsup

    Mitch Alsup F1 Veteran

    Nov 4, 2003
    9,252
    passenger fromt
     
  4. Mitch Alsup

    Mitch Alsup F1 Veteran

    Nov 4, 2003
    9,252
    Passenger rear
     
  5. Mitch Alsup

    Mitch Alsup F1 Veteran

    Nov 4, 2003
    9,252
    As long as the engine was going to be out anyway, might as well return it to a state of clenliness.
     
  6. Mitch Alsup

    Mitch Alsup F1 Veteran

    Nov 4, 2003
    9,252
    drivers rear
     
  7. Mitch Alsup

    Mitch Alsup F1 Veteran

    Nov 4, 2003
    9,252
    passenger front

    The long oil hose hanging down is suspected of having a slow pressure leak.
     
  8. Mitch Alsup

    Mitch Alsup F1 Veteran

    Nov 4, 2003
    9,252
    passenger rear
     
  9. Mitch Alsup

    Mitch Alsup F1 Veteran

    Nov 4, 2003
    9,252
    transmission area
     
  10. Mitch Alsup

    Mitch Alsup F1 Veteran

    Nov 4, 2003
    9,252
  11. Mitch Alsup

    Mitch Alsup F1 Veteran

    Nov 4, 2003
    9,252
    Front of engine
     
  12. jeffdavison

    jeffdavison F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    Jul 29, 2002
    2,544
    Suwanee Georgia
    Full Name:
    Jeffrey Davison
    Mitch,

    Who's doing the service? What do you think the final ammount will come to?

    Just want to prepare for the inevitable on my 355 (probably early '05)

    Thanks

    Jeff Davison
     
  13. vref

    vref Karting

    Dec 18, 2003
    214
    1 Hr North of Housto
    Full Name:
    Jim
    fantastic pictures! you can really see how the engine comes out of the car with the suspension and all. Do you have any of the engine compartment of the car?

    Could you get to that bad hose without pulling the engine or was it buried in the firewall?
     
  14. f355spider

    f355spider F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    May 29, 2001
    17,913
    USA
    Mitch,
    Nice documentation, and appreciate your sharing this great information. Can you describe how you cleaned the engine? What products? Pressure washer?
     
  15. Mitch Alsup

    Mitch Alsup F1 Veteran

    Nov 4, 2003
    9,252
    I used simple green as a solvent/detergent and water (and compressed air to blow dry). 90% was done with a parts brush and 10% with a tooth brush.

    More pictures will be forthcomming as this process transpires.
     
  16. Mitch Alsup

    Mitch Alsup F1 Veteran

    Nov 4, 2003
    9,252
    The hose was where the overflow container is plumbed into the main water lines. You might have been able to get at it with the engine in the car, but you would have had to at least pull the bonnet, and perform the repair lying on the top of the engine.

    But the crack was so small, you would have not been there to take the look, and anything less than excellent dilligence would have missed the hose.
     
  17. titanium360

    titanium360 F1 Rookie
    BANNED

    Nov 10, 2003
    3,446
    what is the cost of major service on the 355?
     
  18. Mitch Alsup

    Mitch Alsup F1 Veteran

    Nov 4, 2003
    9,252
    Well, today, we found 2 more water hoses that are ready to die, I got a picture of one, but left the camera at the service bay. I decided to replace all water hoses. This decision will cause me to have access to the interior bay between the cylinder banks, so I can continue cleaning up the engine to a pritine state.

    Instead of 2 tensioner bearings having gone south, we have 2 original tensioner bearings (both original) one bad, one ok--both will be replaced. We know the tensioners are original because the spacing of the holes for the tensioning fork is different on the upgraded bearings. The belts look fine, but the tensioning bearings had to be replaced of face major trouble. The cams were within 1 degree of dead nuts on, we will set with a dial indicator tomarrow.

    The other bearing that is kaput is the alternator idler bearing.

    More as data arrives...
     
  19. vref

    vref Karting

    Dec 18, 2003
    214
    1 Hr North of Housto
    Full Name:
    Jim
    Sounds like progress. would you upload a pic of the car without the engine in it (engine compartment), be cool to see what it looks like?
     
  20. nart2222

    nart2222 Rookie

    Nov 28, 2003
    46
    are you going to replace your valve guides while the engine is out or has it already been done?

    N
     
  21. ze_shark

    ze_shark Formula 3

    Jul 13, 2003
    1,274
    Switzerland (NW)
    Hi Mitch,
    Intersted in this whine at cold startup, my car is doing something that appears similar, happens only at idle for the first minute the engine is on, a high pitch noise. Which tensioner is that and can it be replaced without taking the engine out ?
    Tks, JC
     
  22. Mitch Alsup

    Mitch Alsup F1 Veteran

    Nov 4, 2003
    9,252
    A picture of another hose burried in the bay:
     
  23. Mitch Alsup

    Mitch Alsup F1 Veteran

    Nov 4, 2003
    9,252
    On the right is a heat shield that has seen better days; Ferrari wanted $1200, an importer wanted $850; I mocked it up out of $25 worth of parts and 2 hours of my labor (e.g. $0). The aluminum frame was covered with a heat shielding fabric high temp silicone glue and pop rivits.
     
  24. Mitch Alsup

    Mitch Alsup F1 Veteran

    Nov 4, 2003
    9,252
    A look at the engine bay
     
  25. Mitch Alsup

    Mitch Alsup F1 Veteran

    Nov 4, 2003
    9,252
    And a look at why these engines breath so well. You are looking down the intake manifold. The throttle body at the top at WOT you can see the back sides of all three valves. The intake has a nice rough finish from machining and casting, and narry a port face needs the smallest matching.
     

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