ENGINE OUT SERVICE;CONSEQUENCES

I can't tell if you are kidding or not.

If the broker/dealer can't provide more information it is safe to assume it never happened.

The worst case scenario:

Water pump siezes up, timing belt breaks when you're on the freeway, you bend a bunch of valves, get rear-ended by a gasoline tanker, burst into flames and are incinerated in the conflagration.

No "check engine" light involved.

 

Do you have a defect on chromosome 21?

 

Damn that is worse case.

 

If you can't confirm proof of service record/history and can't contact the previous owner, then safest thing to do is to have the car go through the major service again.
This way you'll know it's been done and done right and most important you'll have a peace of mind.

 

Yea, the service was not done. What to do next?
It seems like you have the financial means to do the service "again" or roll the dice and wait 5 years. If you not going to drive it a lot and its kept in a decent environment, then wait a few years and then service it. All you hear are worst case scenarios. I would pick somewhere in the middle as far everyones opinions. Sometimes you have more problems the more you mess with something. Instead of waiting 5 years, Iwould do it after 3 years of non track driving.

 

Engine out service on a TR by the owner sounds scary. Very scary. You are in better shape if he lied to you and did not do the service. Leave that job to a pro. Good luck.

 

ROFLMAO still, after 5 minutes. I'm pretty sure that the "check engine" light does come on, however. It really should say "chuck" engine at that point.

Gustan, if you bought the car without service records and the broker "can't find the prior owner" I hope you got a discount on the price you paid for the car. If you want peace of mind, have the belts done. If you are a gambler, roll the dice and drive the car. As 2NA so colorfully points out, if a belt lets go you essentially destroy the engine, which would be an extreme expense as a percentage of the value of the car. That is why you see so many low mileage cars with 3 or 4 engine out services. In either case, however, if you ever sell the car, it will be assumed that the belts have not been changed and the price you get will again reflect the cost of that service at that time.

 

Now I'm laughing too.

 

Do cars from 1988 even have check engine lights? I thought that was all part of the 1995 and later emissions packages required by the EPA. When it blows, you will not need a light to tell you.

 

FWIW when the last service was done on my TR it had been 8 years and 2500 miles since it was last serviced the belt looked new when it was removed. On the other hand my ex 348 had been maybe 10,000 miles and 4.5 years exactly since the major had been done and the belt had splits in it. Would it have lasted another six months? Maybe, maybe not. I'm glad I didn't find out.

 

I'm a Testarossa owner and I've done 3 engine-out services in my little shop at home - this job is possible by a do it yourselfer. I agree with everyone that it is best to just assume that no service was done, even if the previous owner did do it. That is just a "used car salesman's line" to comfort the buyer a little without having to prove it or back up the statement. So take the car to a good independant shop or a dealer for the belt service, and then you can sleep soundly at night. Expect to pay anywhere from $4,500 to maybe $8,500 for the whole job. You will have peace of mind then.

 

When I had my TR engine-out service done (after owning the car 5 years), we found that the original undercoating/sealer on the rear wheel well splash panels (rear section) had never been disturbed, telling us the engine had probably never been out of the car (18 years!!). The valves had been adjusted for sure, but apparently that can be done with engine in place. Similarly to your case, the seller swore the service had been done but never produced documentation in spite of repeated houndings. The service shop he named, who also swore the job was done, mysteriously had lost the records. Anyway, you could look at the splash shields for an indicator if it has ever been done, but a 1988 should have had the belts changed about three times by now. Another indicator would be the magnitude and number of oil leaks. A TR overdue for service would be seeping from about six places: cam covers, cam seals, oil return fittings. I plan on a five-year service interval.
Good luck.

 

So you have lots of cars in your collection. 8k for an engine out service on a TR should be a mere drop in the bucket for you. Change the belts. Simple as that. Its not hard to do, and you should have the car back within a week.

 

Some people change out tensioners with new parts during the 30k service. Some change out the waterpump. Most change out the belt (i.e. a new part rather than just tightening the old).

Without records, you don't know what if anything was changed. And it would be a rare do-it-yourselfer who would fail to document a self-done 30k service (lots of effort and pride to skimp on a little tiny piece of documentation).

So pretty much what you've got is a TR that hasn't been serviced.

If the waterpump fails its seals, then you'll get some warning in the form of coolant leaks. If it seizes, then you'll get high engine temps that won't cool down...before the cam belt melts.

If a tensioner bearing seizes or a timing belt stretches then you aren't going to get any warning before the pistons bend your valves.

If a valve drops or shatters then at least one piston and related components will grenade.

So the damage could vary from a top end job all the way up to a full engine rebuild.

 

Hello Gustan...your Testarossa will NOT set off a "check engine" light or any other indicator for the timing belts or other maintenance. "Engineer" mentioned some very good points to check. Another spot to check would be the engine sub-frame bolts, if they have been removed for service you will be able to tell. But even if they show signs of removal, you can't be sure how long ago this occured. If your not going to drive the car much over the next few years you may be okay, but there are no guarantees. It could be a time bomb....but nobody can really say either way. At worst if a belt breaks you will bend a bunch of valves and need about $20,000 worth of work done. I would probably spend the money up front, get the service done, and eliminate all doubt. Too bad your not near me, I'm looking for something a project to work on over the winter months....

 

No it's not a marketing ploy, service the car and you'll sleep better, if your asking these type of questions you shouldn't even have one. It's like owning a race car and putting 12 race weekends on it in 3 years and wondering geez I don't race it that much should I wait until I hear a noise or the oil gauge drops to zero before I rebuild it. As the old saying goes "You can pay me now or you can pay me later".

 

We haven't seen these for a while.
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Sorry Gustan, for all of the 'exotics' you say you own, you don't seem to know anything about them......

"I have over a dozen exotic cars. I always get different answers when I ask an auto professional what is the proper way to store a vehicle. Some tell me to turn the ignition and let each car run for ten minutes every other week. Others tell me to disconnect the battery and not to bother starting the car. A Ferrari tech told me to just install a battery maintainer and I will be set for the season. I was also advised by some to fill the tank while others told me to drain the tank and take out the spark plugs. Some Ferrari gurus told me to over inflate the tires while others told me to have the car on jacks. After listening to all of these Ferrari Gurus, I am more lost now than when I first started to ask for advise. I have never ever had such contradicting feedback on a simple question from so many different professionals. I am really a mega idiot when it comes to mechanicals. I do not know how to change oil on any vehicle nor did I ever try to learn. If I can get a feedback on the best way to store a vehicle, I would greatly appreciate it. I met some great people on F-Chat and have a great deal of respect to all of you. Thanks again, and looking forward to your response.

Gustan
[email protected]"

I'm beginning to think you might just be a troll. Anyone else agree?

 

I think this is a giant slap in the face to a lot of owners. When doing a major service, you seldom see an owner cut corners that a paid mechanic would. They clean and adjust things meticulously, restore finishes and replate parts that wouldnt normally just be cleaned, and in many cases return the car back to an almost like new state. Any shop could certainly do that level of work, but the costs are far beyond your run of the mill servicing. The truth of the matter is that any owner with the balls to pull the engine out of thier Ferrari, and a TR at that, more than likeley knows enough to do a good job, or will get some help on those items that give them trouble. And for all the BS work we keep seeing come back from all these so called "pro's", I would seriously question just exactly what shop your sending your work out to. Just because someone has a shingle up saying they work on Ferrari's, dont mean they do GOOD work.

On a 20 year old car, I think most mechanics could tell if the car has had some major service during its lifetime, or at least within the last few years. On a major engine out service within the last three or four years, hoses and clamps should be relatively clean, the engine should be pretty dry, if not actually clean, etc.. In other words, if down in the nooks and cranies its filthy, if it looks old, you can probably assume you were fed a line of BS about the service. Seriously, most owners keep records or something of work they performed, and when they sell they generally pass it along. Who wouldnt be proud to admit they did a full engine out service on thier Ferrari? By the threads started here by proud owners, I would say most would.

As to the possibilities that could arise should you not service the car, you have been warned quite assuredly from more than a few posts within this thread. As to the advice given by an old school mechanic, and the "opinion" its all a marketing ploy, ask yourself the following.

1.) When the engine strips a timing belt, is he willing to buy the parts and do the work its going to require?

2.) If hes not willing to back up his "opinion", are you going to have the $20-30K its going to take to repair it?

You think $20-30K seems rediculous? Call a dealer and have them quote you the cost of a valve job on a TR. It will be all of $20K. You damage so much as one piston and you can add another $10K to your costs. And because you have no records, the car is probably due to destroy the differential soon, so be ready to inject ANOTHER $10K into the car. Save your money. Do the full service and start off on a fresh calendar. Youll sleep a lot better.

 

Yes, but I give everyone the benefit of the doubt till they prove me right.

Sounds like a troll.