F355 max milage limit

i dont see why it wont go to 150k miles and beyond

 

taking the miles/value equation out of the picture.. I think the 355 engine itself can take indefinite miles.. as long as its well maintained..
oil, fluids, spark plugs, clean the injectors every major etc..

however that does not mean other components will not break along the way.. water pump, radiator fans.

I think one of the highest reported was at something like 150k miles..

 

That’s my goal: 150,000

 

I seem to be the slacker
Coming up quick on 42,000.

 

42.

 

Peoples "perceptions" are sometimes based on misunderstandings or lack of knowledge.
F355 engine does not do well when not run for long periods of time. That and proper maintenance (resolving issues promptly) will ensure the engine lasts for a very long time.
The nikasil coating in the bores EXTREMELY durable compared to a standard iron/steel cylinder liner in most engines. For this reason alone these engines should last far longer then most as far as cylinder and ring wear is concerned.
I think many people buy these cars as a Collectors Car that they drive once in a while. This mindset seems to drive the valuation.
If you understand the cars and buy them to drive and not collect then thats a different story but since everyone wants a higher sale price/valuation then the collector mindset seems to drive the market price.

 

I just passed the 50k (miles) milestone last week. I bought the car early 2015 with 44300 miles on the clock. I wanted a 355 to drive so searched out a higher mileage car with recent major completed and the known 355 issues resolved. This is my first Ferrari so I was nervous about maintaining it as I am not close to a Ferrari shop. So far apart from regular maintenance the only issues I have had are -
1. Replace failed cooling fan fuses once.
2. New battery (one cell in the old one failed.)
3. Precautionary replacement of the F1 pump relay.
4. Replaced 1 broken anti vibration mount on the left air intake filter boxe and on the air duct.
5. Replaced the original 82 deg C. thermostat with an 87 C deg. unit to increase the engine operating temperature to 175-190 F (cool Canadian weather)

No leaks, always starts. all systems, including the roof work. Motor pulls like hell when the revs pass 6k and sounds fantastic!!

So far so good.

Ken
PS. I saw a post on FC last year of a 355 with +167K miles on it in the UK. Hope she is still running strong.

 

My guess, based on what I've seen here and on for sale ads, is around 70-100k miles before an overhaul is required. That's for the average car; the 355 engine is a high revving engine which isn't good for longevity but great for excitement.

 

I agree with your statement in that it really has more to do with how the engine is used. If the tach spends more time above 6k the earlier you will need to tear it down. I would think that if it is moderately driven, but somewhat regularly the engine should last well past 100k before oil consumption becomes a problem. And that is of course considering regular servicing using high quality oil.

 

Most critical engine wear happens at startup when there is no oil in the bearings. The longer the car sits, the longer time between starts, the more damage. I'd rather have a car that was driven a few times a week with higher miles than one thats sat for weeks and months between starts with low miles.

As for RPM relating to wear, you're primarily taking about rings. These cars dont have a real overdrive. My c6 z06 cruised around at 1700 rpm. The 355 is always 3k-4k. I would imagine a 355 with 50k miles has had twice the engine rotations of a corvette with 50k miles etc. Trips to 8500rpm do not hurt it in any way in my opinion. Like mentioned before, the 355 engine has very good rings and cylinders.
I'd been very curious if anyones had any compression issues actually related to bad rings. I would bet carbon buildup on the valve seats from lack of good use causes more compression problems.

 

Some years ago, I put my 355 up for sale. I found a buyer and agreed a price, subject to a PPI, which was performed at the buyer's cost. The inspecting garage found low compression on one cylinder (20psi down, IIRC) and the buyer understandably pulled out, while I contemplated the cost of a rebuild. I drove the car home, picturing pound notes flying out of my wallet and, some months later, eventually got around to having the engine sorted out. The previous low compression reading was no longer present! Where am I going with this... the garage that performed the PPI, who are very respected here in the UK, said they'd previously seen a similar reading on a 355, which turned out to be a bad liner and rings, due to bore wash caused by driving the car when it was only firing on seven cylinders. So, it does happen.

I do wonder how many people rebuild a Ferrari engine purely because the compression numbers aren't quite there, rather than because there are actual symptoms present - misfiring, lack of power etc. I was about to do the very same thing myself.

 

Trips to 8,500 RPM definitely hurt any engine, regardless of whether it has very good rings and cylinders or not. More RPMs is more wear, simple as that.

 

Yes and no.

8500 RPMs before the oil is warn hurts the engine.
8500 RPMs with the oil over 275ºF will slowly harm the engine.
8500 RPMs with the oil at 210ºF does minimal harm.