CAMBELT REPLACEMENT EXPOSED

The flywheel marks align with a metal index plate which is bolted down to the block. The plate is adjustable, and both my engines were 3 degrees off from true TDC using the piston stop method to locate true TDC. IMHO this is the first place to start. After setting all 4 cams up on thier marks with rear bank on TDC, you then degree the cams using a degree wheel as the marks are not meant to be very accurate. The flywheel has markings for the front bank. The OWM is a very good source of information regarding these questions.

 

I would really like to hear just answers to the Question posed!
But that just tan't gonna happen here so, as long as everyone else is giving there view and not just the facts:

From a life-time wrenching here is my view.

The Stamped Ferrari belts installed correctly (factory or smartly) will last well past the 30K / 5 yrs. mark PROVIDED:

1. No contamination (leek over time)
2. Min. run the car once every 2 weeks.
3. In door ( 54 to 95 degrees) parking.
4. Listen for bearing noise at start-up

These belts are made to go for a long time under tension but, they are a rubber band (of sort) and they have a useful time frame. they can go well over 5 years but for me is a max. All you have to do is make sure that they are installed correctly (this is a biggie), move them every once in a while, and keep them clean. Simple right?

The tensioner bearings are the next variable and they are a hit or miss kind of thing from what I have seen. Get the best (Timmings for my 355) and LISTEN to your car. I have never seen or heard of a garaged, regularly driven car having a bearing failure with out a SCREEM from the bearing before hand.
Change the dang bearings with the belts, OK, enough said.

Lock and load, I'm ready, shoot..........

 

Sounds Ok to me but for the temp part. Those of us in the northern states, without a heated garage (Oh God, how I wish I had one) will see much lower temps. But 5 years works for me.
Bearing scream: One of my drive pulley outer bearings let go (16 valves) and there was no scream, just a kind of tinney rattle that I attributed to a loose exhaust pipe heat shield. Surprise!!!!

 

Gee, I can't believe I forgot to go back & correct this, not long after I made that post it dawned on me that the different P/Ns are for 2V vs 4V engines, not plastic vs metal gears(DUH).

Stearman22,
I can see how high operating temps can affect belt life, but fail to see why indoor parking at no less than 54 degrees would affect belt life as compared to dry environment parking at say 20 degrees.

 

How can you possibly preclude that wherein the cambelt housings are not sealed?

BTW, as far as I see it regardless of 10+ pages of chatter, these threads are invaluable for knowledge purposes as well as for maintenance, and all the pros and cons are very, very valuable.

Had NASA had more pros and cons the Challenger would never have been lost!

Keep up the good work, wizards!

 

I recently purchased my 456M GT and while it's been regularly serviced for fluids and assessory belts and such, it's never had a cambelt change. It's only 6,900 miles and lived in a climate controlled Santa Barbara garage, but obviously it needs the service. The car was put in service on 4/28/99 so it's a full decade. The inspector I hired out there checked everything out and said the belts and bearings and such looked fine, tension was measured on spec and everything was nice and dry with perfect appearing camseals.

Anyway I couldn't sleep with it so I immediately got it in here in PA. The mechanic called me and let me come down and check it out when all opened up. Everything looks new- in fact if I wasn't there and didn't trust the guy I would've thought he skipped the work and I'm looking at the brand new stuff! Pictures don't show it as well as in actual view (sorry for quality of my BB), but anyway I guess I'm lucky with this one because the old stuff looks pretty new after 10 years.

Of course it all could have gone bad (and probably would have...) if I tried to stretch it another year.

I know every case is different but here's another data point.
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Holy smokes!

Was that car ever driven?

Those belts and tensioners look new.

What about pictures of the car?

 

Nope, only 6,900 in ten years ... what a waste of a car!

Pete

 

Right- but I'm fixing that and have 400 miles in just 3 weeks! Anyway to each his own- the previous owner had a lot of toys and not enough time to enjoy them but he did have them taken good care of and I'm in appreciation for all that depreciation otherwise I wouldn't own it at this point in my life. What I have changed is the tires/wheels- the orignals are perfect but the P-Zero (yellow lettered) are cracked and hard as stone. I'll keep those for the right reasons and maybe at some Ferrari gathering I'll wear those shoes but I didn't like the look with the 17's - while I love the Challenge style 19s I'm not paying $10k for rims for this car. Maybe if it was a 599... So before I found this site and got to know some of you guys I bought replicas- all was well and the transaction was fine. The wheels look awesome to me - I was surprised with the quality/finish and the car sits better. Yeah they're fake- but they'll work for now and they balanced up perfectly and ride great.

This site is great- If I had read all the postings before hand I would not have bought them- but frankly they weren't a problem at all after the initial deal was made. Have others had problems with the equipment? I've read horror stories about the merchant but again I had no issues at all with "Peter".

I'll keep all informed if something changes.
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This model Ferrari is proof that Ferrari used to be able to do elegant. Wonderful looking car. Makes the 612 in particular look as ugly and oversized as it really is.

Enjoy
Pete

 

/\ Love the wheels, keep them.

 

I change the cam belts in my Boxer on a 7-10 year interval whether it needs it or not...

 

My 2'nd favorite F-Car.
(Mine is the Mondial-8....4 seats rock ....!)
Enjoy....!

 

Something seems askew .. (tossing up red flag)


Here is the link to my photos of my belts with less miles & shorter time frame. Look at the outside belt wear from the idler pulley (5 years & 7,239 miles)
plus one of the bearings came apart

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=209609

 

Your components look like lots more than 7,239 miles to me, or you had an oil leak.

Pete

 

The outside of the belts deinitely show wear- you can barely see the printing and part numbers and such- there are shallow axial grooves and they look like no issue but I can't tell how deep they might be. Bearings and carriers look great and there is zero play that I can feel. Because it was so clean up there and the seals still fine I think that saved it.

And oh yeah- I got mmy new license plate yesterday- check it out...
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Let me guess, VisitPA.com is the new part?

 

I thought the same thing the moment I saw the pictures.

 

Just did mine and they had 3 years and only 7,000 Kilometers (4,320 miles) on them. Changed both the bearings and the belts. Best $1,200 I every spent.

 

No actually the bearings were shot, one literally came apart.