400/412 Timing chain or belts | FerrariChat
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400/412 Timing chain or belts

Discussion in '365 GT4 2+2/400/412' started by Pyrford Ranger, Jan 31, 2011.

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  1. Pyrford Ranger

    Pyrford Ranger Formula Junior

    Jan 21, 2011
    306
    Surrey UK
    Full Name:
    Rob
    #1 Pyrford Ranger, Jan 31, 2011
    Just like to say thanks for the repsonses so far to my buying thread.I've just had an email chat with a dealer who sold a 412 auto for a friend he said it was great condition (silver, blue leather) wanted £17750 ,would take an offer at first but in the end did take £15500.
    He said 412 have timing chains which needs little/no maintenance, but the 400 uses belts which do need changing regularly (v.expensive i imagine) is this correct?
     
  2. Ashman

    Ashman Three Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Sep 5, 2002
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    John
    #2 Ashman, Jan 31, 2011
    The dealer is incorrect. All of the V12s in the series, from the 365GT4 2+2 through the 400, the 400i and the 412 use the same engine architecture and therefore use a timing chain, not camshaft belts.

    The timing chain can stretch through mileage and there is an adjustment screw on the front of the engine to make the adjustment for proper tension. Once there is no longer any room for adjustment, (generally around 60K miles), the chain must be replaced.
     
  3. Pyrford Ranger

    Pyrford Ranger Formula Junior

    Jan 21, 2011
    306
    Surrey UK
    Full Name:
    Rob
    #3 Pyrford Ranger, Jan 31, 2011
    cheers Ashman for the clarification Ashman, I was surprised when he said that. What are the main changes/benefits of a 412 over a 400 apart from age and colour coded bumpers? I read somewhere that from 1984/5 ish , zincrox (a type of galvanising i guess) was used to protect bodyshells, if so was this only to 412s? or 400s too as the one i'm going to look at is an 1985 400 auto and this could be important
     
  4. Highmiler

    Highmiler Formula Junior

    Dec 8, 2010
    414
    Missouri
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    Greg
    #4 Highmiler, Jan 31, 2011
    I want to make sure I have this right. The chain tensioner gets to the end of its adjustability around 60K miles, not 60,000 kilometers on the odometer. Is this correct?

    Greg
     
  5. Ashman

    Ashman Three Time F1 World Champ
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    #5 Ashman, Jan 31, 2011
    Last edited: Jan 31, 2011
    This is very anecdotal from people who have had to replace their timing chains. They seemed to be around the 60K miles mark. When there is no longer any adjustment possible, it means that the chain has stretched too far to have the slack in the chain be taken up by the tensioning adjustment.
     
  6. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jul 19, 2008
    39,175
    Clarksville, Tennessee
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    Terry H Phillips
    #6 tazandjan, Jan 31, 2011
    Most of the early Ferraris, including the SOHC production models and the 275 GTB/4, Daytona, Dino 246GT, 365/400 series cars had chain drives. The 412 was actually the last chain drive car until the F430.

    Chain drive was like shim adjustable suspension, Ferrari deviated from it for a while (belts and eccentrics), but then went back to what worked best. Maybe next will be electro-mechanical or electro-hydraulic valve actuation with no cams required.

    Taz
    Terry Phillips
     
  7. GrigioAlloy

    GrigioAlloy Karting

    Sep 28, 2009
    112
    Netherlans
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    Peter
    #7 GrigioAlloy, Feb 6, 2011
    I had the chain on my car replaced at approx 100.000 km.

    As the car got a full service access was no problem. There was sufficient room to adjust the chain but replaced it anyway. The valve play was adjusted at the same time and had hardly changed from previous service.
     

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