Does the 1995 F355 have the brass valve guides or not? | FerrariChat

Does the 1995 F355 have the brass valve guides or not?

Discussion in '348/355' started by Sandy Eggo, Jul 18, 2009.

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  1. Sandy Eggo

    Sandy Eggo F1 Rookie
    BANNED

    Jun 4, 2009
    3,636
    Encinitas, CA
    Full Name:
    Rick
    Hi -

    I'm considering the purchase of a 1995 F355 and want to confirm whether or not this model year came from the factory with the brass valve guides. The current owner (sounds quite knowledgeable and likely an f-chat member) insists that the 95 did *not* have the issue.

    I've done plenty of searching but seem to get some conflicting answers on this topic. Can anyone clarify this once & for all?

    It's ok if it does have brass...I just want to go into the proposition with eyes wide open knowing what to expect (and budget for).

    Many thanks in advance.
     
  2. FullChat

    FullChat Formula Junior

    Jan 1, 2007
    339
    San Antonio, Texas
    Yes, the 85s have the old guides.
     
  3. UConn Husky

    UConn Husky F1 Rookie

    Nov 11, 2006
    4,422
    CT
    Full Name:
    Jay
    '95's do have the bronze valve guides and are in fact at risk of failure. I wouldn't let that be a deal breaker by any means though; not all fail, and if they do and you fix them at the same time as the engine out major it's 'only' an extra few $k to have them replaced with sintered steel.

    For the record, I firmly believe the problem wasn't just a bad 'batch' of guides as many state. Ferrari actually UPGRADED the guides from the 348 spec to handle the 355's higher revs, higher temps, and narrower valve stems. Unfortunately the wear proved too severe and even the upgraded bronze guides failed prematurely. This was recognized late in the production run so they switched to sintered steel, which is less forgiving to the valve but can better handle the heat.
     
  4. Sandy Eggo

    Sandy Eggo F1 Rookie
    BANNED

    Jun 4, 2009
    3,636
    Encinitas, CA
    Full Name:
    Rick
    Thanks for the feedback guys - quite helpful.
     

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