1995 456gt cam belt change

I was thinking of doing a DIY cam belt change on my 456 - belts are original and mileage is 15,000. Unlike my old TR where the engine had to be removed, shouldn't the 456 belts be easy to change? There's quite a bit of room in there. Has anybody done this? I think it's pretty unnecessary to do all of the other 30k stuff, I just want to change the belts due to age. If I pull the old belts off and put the new ones on with everything in the same position, I won't have to worry about TDC pistons, etc. right? My only real concern is getting the correct tension.

I'm 300 miles from the nearest Ferrari mechanic and bored this winter so I'd like to try.

Any recommendations on where to buy the belts?

 

I'll be sure to take detailed pictures of the process. The 456 doesn't scare me like the TR. In the TR, everything was so difficult to access so I never did anything to it. I've got a few local friends I can call if I get stuck so it's not a big worry. I've done water pumps and clutches and head gaskets on BMWs and Mercedes without concern but I've always steered clear of working on the Ferrari for fear of damaging the paint or body while climbing around the engine bay!

 

The fax would be great - please email me at [email protected] with you email address and I'll email you my fax# (I just don't want to post it here).

Thanks!

 

I am going to start in about two weeks, I didn't even think about the Maranello application but it would be the same. If it's not too tough of a job, a person could do a cam belt change every three years and drive without this silly fear of belt breakage ( I know some of the belts break prematurely....). The cost is a factor but what really eats me is the down time and the distance I have to travel for service.

 

I spoke with the guys at Autogallery in Woodland Hills, CA today and they said for a cam belt change alone it would be $2,000. They said that the job isn't too tough because access is very good. Occasionally they see a coolant hose failure and they have NEVER seen a belt failure on a 456 or Maranello. They did, however, say that the recommended change is 3 years regardless of mileage. I plan on ordering the belts this week, anyone have a good source?

 

I decided that I'm going to do the job next fall. I'm in the process of tracking down a Staeger tensiometer - it turns out that it's needed to do the job correctly. Even at $2000 dealer price, the cambelt change should not be a major financial concern regarding purchase. In my opinion, why would you buy a Maserati over a Ferrari? The Ferrari was $220k new and you actually get quite a bit of beauty, refinement and exclusivity for that as well as the Ferrari badge. The Maserati will be just another used car in a few years.