Do I Need Belt Service 512 BBi

Depends on your risk tolerance. You need to weigh the cost of preventive maintence against the cost of repair after a catastrophy. Is it better to spend $5,000 today to avoid a $10,000 repair later, or is the $5000 today just wasted money?

Some people will tell you to not start the car until you have new belt installed, push it up the rollback, you are are within seconds of implosion. Other will share their experience of having avoided maintence for long intervals w/o a problem.

The debate revolves around the change of service intervals Ferrari instituted about a decade ago. Did Ferrari realize they had put owners at risk by suggesting longer service intervals? Or did they see altering the schedule as a cash cow for dealers?

Do a "search" using the words "belt" and "service" and you can read a hundred threads on the topic.

 

Im willing to bet the belts look like new once you take them off, I wouldnt bother and with those kind of kms I would stretch my service to 7 years.

 

An engine out cam belt service for a BB512i is closer to $7000 than $5000. And, if a cam belt fails on a Boxer, the repair will be more like $35,000+ than $10,000! I had my cam belts replaced on my BB512i in Feb 2003 and will have it done again in the winter of 2008...five years is a good time IMHO.

 

Replace them. If you have to ask...the it means they need to be done.

 

Then that says you don't bother since it would be 40% of the value of the vehicle. At that point part it out or buy a non-matching motor. May I ask where you came up with your figure? I have never heard of an engine rebuild costing over $15,000.

 

Replacing the belts beyond the service interval doesnt effect resale if the belts are done at time of sale. Other services do matter, like fluid changes. I know of a boxer that went 15years with use before a belt service and the logic behind it was the money saved over those 15years paid for an engine if in the event he bent valves. He was lucky but 7 isnt going to hurt and it doesnt cost $35K to replace valves. Ferrari has successfully scared the crap out of ferrari owners into over maintaining their cars, belts at 5 years with regular use and only 4000kms is a waste of money - period.

Michael, I even have the pic for my phone wallpaper.

 

Frank has owned a couple of 512´s.....and IIRC he rebuilt an engine in one of them....but he´ll elaborate on that if he comes back to this thread.

Over the four years of reading technical posts here related to engine failures and rebuilds due to time, the numbers sort of fall into a band of between $30-35K for a 12 cylinder engine IMHO (Rifledriver did a great post on this topic IIRC).....one that is done properly with no holds barred. I am sure that there are guys who will leave galled valve guides in, not rebuild the heads...not bother to balance and measure everything...etc...and slap your engine back together for much less.

 

Please tell me where you can get a Ferrari 12 cylinder rebuilt for $15,000...maybe the heads, but not the entire engine. I just spoke with Ron Reineke today and said he just completed an engine rebuild on a 355 that dropped a valve which cracked a piston and split a liner and it cost the owner $32,000! And that was for a V8 car!

 

I feel five years, is way too early. I feel one can easily push seven years without much worry.



Engine rebuild will cost much more than 15K. I have heard of typical engine out major services with a new clutch, costing in that area.

 

Because I do all of my own work cost is quite cheap. A 355 is also a different animal - 5 valve/cyl and valve guides wear out fast. Dropping a valve is very different from bending one. Besides, going 7 years aint going to throw a belt so all of this talk of $32K in repairs is moot and over reacting - ferrari paranoia.

 

I had an 8 cylinder 328 and was told that if the belt broke it would be a minimum of $18,000 to get it fixed. Don't know if you own a Ferrari or not, but yes they are insane on repairs.

 

I have a 328, not a Boxer, so I can't comment on the costs of Boxer service and rebuilds, but I had the belts/bearings and water pump done on mine because it was a new car to me.

The car had good service records with a 15K service in late 2000, but I couldn't tell when everything was done (the water pump may have been 15 years old for all I know...) It was imperative to me that someone who really knew the 3.2L V-8's go through the car.

If you're doing the work yourself, I don't see why you wouldn't do it now. I'm probably far less mechanically skilled than you are, so I paid for the major service. The only valid reason I could see to wait would be the stiff cost of an engine out major service.

 

This sums it all up perfectly.

 

I am on the other end. I change my belts and tensioner bearing every 3 years. Some think that is early and crazy to do it that often. However since I do my own work it makes complete sense to me. For me 3 years is fine. I had a tensioner start to fail at 1 year and a 1/2. So, it can happen. I caught it in its early stage. I have never owned a boxer but I would be even more paranoid with the price of a rebuild on it. (my cars 348, 308s, Mondial) IMO I think you should go ahead and get it done.

 

Personally, I would get them done.

I did it to my Boxer last summer, right at 5 years. I was going to let it go for another year, but the carbs had to come off and get rebuilt anyway, meaning the car was going to be sitting in the shop for a month, so I went ahead and had the belts done.

I'm sure you could let them go for another year or two, so you might consider if you have any other stuff you want done and do it all at the same time.

 

One might consider belts today are made much stronger/better rubber compounds than 20 - 30 years ago.

 

LOL. yep. I did mine because it was more than 5 years. Prob a mistake. It is only a Mondial 8 and I have seen new QV engines for less than 15k. At 5k a pop for the belts I would be better off letting it go??

 

I have been quoted $13k to $20k just for a BB engine rebuild, the biggest costs are the gasket set for over $2000, add new JE pistons $1200.

Concerning the belts I think 7 years is about right unless you are trying to sell the car, every 5 years is a bit extreme just for a time frame not miles.
Also keep in mind with BBs you remove the motor and risk body damage everytime, things get banged around removing the motor as well in the engine compartment such as the heat shields so you risk that also.

 

I called my local independent Ferrari service guy. He use to work at the autorized Ferrari dealership where I purchased my Ferrari. I explained to him my car had a major service in 2001 @ 6000 miles and that I now have 13,000 miles. I asked him what he thought, he said call him back spring 2008. He said he had never seen a belt break from wear in 7,000 miles. He explained that he had seen defective belts break, ironically usually very soon after the service.

He said that Ferrari dealers hype the need for repairs and that it made him very uncomfortable so that is why he went independent. In an nutshell, working for Ferrari required him recommending service work he felt was unjustified. He also said that the internet has helped fuel the hysteria. He was at the Ferrari dealership still during the 355 head issue and said that internet hysteria was very lucrative for the dealers. He even went so far as to imply that some of the people promoting closer service intervals maybe the ones benefitting the most from it, the dealers.

The conversation ended with him telling me to pay attention to any weird noises and to get a service done if I hear anything. Otherwise, he felt 7 years or 15,000 ACTUAL miles was more than sufficient. He cited many other car manufacturers use the same brand belts in similar high RPM situations and they feel safe recommending belt "checks", not replacement, at 30,000 actual miles. He said he would take my money if I wanted to give it to him but he could not recommend me "needing" a service at this time.

 

Without even entering into the debate about the service interval (everything that can be said about that already has, many times over) I find it interesting that anyone would advocate driving the car until the belt breaks.

We "know" someday it will. It is after all rubber. But for me, I have no use for a car, any car, or motorcycle for that matter, that I cannot count on to drive coast to coast at the drop of a hat. That kind of reliability to me is the minimum expectation for any vehicle and I cannot fathom driving around with cotton in my ears waiting for a belt to break and hoping I don't have to resort to walking.

 

I dont think anyone here said drive it till it breaks the belt. 5 year old belts with 4K on them means its ready to drive from coast to coast, dont really care what ferrari says "should" be done, they are only lining their own pockets.