Hello, I am getting ready to change my exhaust phase variators since I have no record of them ever having been done nor do I have "VD" stamped on my car. My car is fine, but since I am doing other work, I will do this at the same time for peace of mind. This is PN 190042 https://www.eurospares.co.uk/Parts/190042/Ferrari/New/18472 for reference. Is there a special tool for this job? I thought I read about one a few weeks back, but I cannot find it. I searched here and didn't find anything.
Did many back in the day.. special tool and jig were used at the dealership. VD was never always stamped. Removing and replacing required SD tool for proper set up. Removal tool probably could be made. Not as simple as re and re. Research into this and then decide if you want to take this on yourself.
Thanks for the info. I found and read tsb 1232 from 2004 which talks about this. The work to do this doesn't look particularly fun, but it looks do-able. I can see in the steps where it says to connect and read data from the sd2, so I take the point. I realize it will be harder, but since I do not have an sd2 could I also use a goniometer to do this? Another question - is the date code on the variator visible once you take the access plate off to get to the timing belts? I also planned to visually inspect it to confirm I have old variators since the tsb has the "do not use" date codes listed. The reason I think my car was not done is that it was a grey market import and since it would not have been covered under warranty, the previous owners probably never did it.
Date code is usually readable. The variators were so tight from the factory the factory tool often did not work. Difficulty in removing was so common factory often just gave us a new cam. In many cases I removed the cam, disassembled the variator, cut the shoulder off and then you can just spin the shaft out with your fingers.
Thanks for the reply. My plan is to buy new variators and have them in hand if needed when doing the belt/tensioner/bearing service so maybe I will get lucky on this car for a change and I will see the green dots. Now that I have read more about this job it does not look easy but it is do-able. I am doing valve cover gaskets, the transmission mount, motor mounts, and fluids so this is the time to do it I think.
understood. I dug through my partial service records and cauley serviced it 10/22/02 when it was imported but I don't think they would have been replacing variators that early on and I don't have a complete list of what was done.
Generally speaking cars serviced at dealers got them and cars serviced by independents did not. For years independents didn't really know about them and were not equipped to do them. Easier to do 2 hit and run belt jobs. I still see 348s that never got their free upgrade to a ND alternator to replace the junk Delco because so few even knew if the went to a dealer they'd get it free, long after warranty expired. Very few independents keep up with what is going on.
Yeah I have learned this the hard way. I totally get it though because most independents cannot survive on ferrari work alone since there is not enough of it everywhere. It's pretty hard to be a ferrari encyclopedia and it takes experience. But I wish some people would just say they cannot do what they cannot do.
Their mistake is trying to be a jack of all trades. That is no longer possible. If you want to be really good you need to specialize. I never even work on Maserati or Lamborghini. I am lucky, I do not have to. I would have to turn away Ferrari work to do so. I have not been in Ferrari dealer network for 18 years but you still need to keep up.
yeah makes sense. well thanks for the info. It's good to know the range is from the "ease/simplicity" shown in the tsb on one end to taking the cams out and potentially breaking them on the other end.
I got the car opened up today and turns out the phase variators were replaced while the car was still in Europe so that is a big time savings. The bearings on the timing belts had been upgraded to hill during the last major which is good. The hydraulic tensioners though had a date from 2001 so those need to get replaced. The passenger side belt was extremely loose. Lucky it did not jump and grenade the engine. I didn’t check the exact hz on the driver side but it felt tight. It’s always what you don’t expect that gets you. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
Don't judge the tension on both belts at a single position. It is very often tight on one belt and loose on the other belt at rest. If you turn the engine by hand and at some point, the "loose" belt comes into tension, then that was not so bad.
Fair enough. It seemed pretty loose though I could slide it off the teeth with one finger. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
