Outstanding Shan, As Shan pointed out you do have to mic each shim. It seems like when the cars are at the dealer, the mechanic just goes by what is stamped on the back of the shims. They are just looking to get the gaps in between the specs. Well the problem is when they put the new shim in, without mic-ing it, is how the tollerances get out of wack. Those hundreths of an inch can be the differance between being in and out of spec. If you don't check each shim it could make your gap too tight or too loose. One other thing Shan. After you replace the shims, and put the cams back on, recheck the gaps. You may find that a few need readjusting. I had to change out 27 of the 32 shims initially. After I put everything back, I had to redo only four. Also make sure the you put the cam caps back on the same way they were facing when you took them off. The numbers that are stamped on the head and the caps should match, and be facing the same way. Keep up the good work.
ShanB, you are absolutely doing the right thing by pulling the motor. It makes life so much easier when you can SEE everything right in front of you. I've tried to cut corners in the past by being stubborn but it has almost always ended in something going not the way you want it but in some cases, disaster. When you try and work on the valves in tight spaces, there is always the chance of dropping or leaving small parts or tools where you don't want them. Another thing I think is very important when working on any car is to have complete consentration on what you're doing with no interuptions. No phones ringing, or honey-do's right in the middle of a valve adj., or kids screaming or pulling on your pants. I've found that if interupted while you're working on your car you will almost always forget to tighten something, or put something back on. Also as Ferrari UK Tech says it definately is better to replace the shims than to turn them over, but not critical, IMHO.
I'm still almost year away, based on mileage and time, so I'm contemplating doing it myself to reduce my "Ferrari Anxiety" even further. The more that I wrench, the more comfortable that I've grown with the car. So far, everything that I've touched on the car is a simple bolt-on, bolt-off (or trivial electrical connection). In my head, there is still some sort of fear factor that I'll get into something that has too many small parts that once apart I'll never get back right, or that something will be under pressure for which I'm unprepared at the moment, or that something will be too heavy just for me to handle, etc...but I haven't actually encountered any of that yet, it's just in my head. I suspect that doing my own Major Service would either clear my head of such fear or else turn me into a permanent "checkbook mechanic" based upon the outcome. I don't really see a big downside to doing this overall, so I'm doing the research now before crunch time hits.
hi Shan. please do re-post your pictures , or just put them up on www.photobucket.com thanks and this thread has been a DIY revelation.
Great Thread, I'm just about to do the same work on my 348. For some reason the pic links are missing, any chance you could email the pics showing the engine ready to be removed and the engine out. Thanks
Since most of you are woundering what needs to be done here are two threads to help. http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=32653 And this one has a great write up with pics in pdf. They are on a 355 but it is almost the same proceedure for a 348. http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=53351 Happy Wrenching
