Do you have the Capristo part number? I need the brackets too, but I fail at navigating the Capristo site!
The MK2s are better built, Yes, because of the high number of MK1 failures. Some say there are no confirmed MK2 failures but it is hard to say because it is difficult to determine what version is currently on your car. It looks like my car has been through one set of MK1s and one set of MK2s, but then again I cant confirm (they were replaced in June 2008 right as the MK2s were available), but even the FNA service database did not have the part number on the service. Per my Exhaust blanket DIY thread and my comments in this thread, the MK2s will be on my car for a few hundred feet of driving. I have Fabspeed headers in my garage along with custom Kevlar heat blankets, and Capristo exhaust brackets all waiting for my F430 to be delivered home via flatbed. *I have asked the dealer service dept NOT to drive my car, and only to change the headers and flatbed it back. http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=380105 F430 and F430 Spider: http://www.capristoexhaust.com/index.php/shop-online?page=shop.product_details&flypage=vmj_color_plus.tpl&product_id=87&category_id=76
F430 and F430 Spider: http://www.capristoexhaust.com/index.php/shop-online?page=shop.product_details&flypage=vmj_color_plus.tpl&product_id=87&category_id=76[/QUOTE] This is the one.
Disagree totally. The 355 is a great car.. One of the best Ferr ari has ever put out... But it's a complete lemon compared to a 360/430. The 355 has so many more issues then either of the later cars that you can't possibly justify its short comings by just comparing manifold issues.
+1. I've had my 430 for 7+ years. Had the manifolds replaced under warranty at 3 years. This car has been stone cold reliable and cost less than 1K/year average for scheduled maintenance. Dave
I have 22K on it. That number is just for scheduled annual maintenance. I've spent more for tires and brakes since it's been tracked a fair amount. Dave
Update : 9/12/2012 F430 is back from Ferrari of Palm Beach with MK2 Exhaust Manifolds (headers) installed. Status: 1. Headers changed from MKx to MK2 [ kit 70001347 (per bulletin 1661)](have a Q in to see if they will tell me if the current set of failed headers were MK1 or MK2) 2. Cylinders inspected with borescope by FPB per FNAs request to the dealership, all clean, only some carbon buildup as usual. FNA made this request because I would not let them test drive the vehicle. This request not to test drive ended up being an issue and delayed the return of my car by one day. I am not upset with FPB or FNA, actually I understand the desire to test drive post header replacement. I just would like to do a pressure test (leak down) and compression test, and inspect everything myself before driving it more than a few feet. 3. Ready to start Fabspeed+Trents_Kevlar_Heat_Shield install (might start today) 4. Ready to start Capristo exhaust bracket install (might start today) Issues: 1. Both Ft Lauderdale and FPB both reported inspecting the throwout bearing and reporting it leaking and making a slight whine. Not good. I have not heard said whine and the clutch wear is fine. Likely try and wait until the clutch needs replacing and use the Ricambi sourced Hill Engineering throwout bearing (~$600). Image Unavailable, Please Login
Compression Numbers and Compression Test DIY for F430 (also will be its own thread, sorry for the duplicate) Compression Test DIY on 2006 F430 Estimated Time: 2-3 hours. (I took 3 hours, but had many distractions and really took my time intentionally) ============== 1. Buy good compression tester with 10mm fitting for 430 plugs : I bought the OTC unit from amazon -OTC 5606 Compression Tester Kit : $55 -http://www.amazon.com/OTC-5606-Compression-Tester-Kit/dp/B000R5CPAQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347538192&sr=8-1&keywords=otc+compression+tester 2. Remove 8 COPS (Coil Over Packs), better have at least the socket based allen set and a standard "L" set. Some allen heads are hard to reach. 3. Disconnect all 8 Fuel Injectors (FIs), so when you do a compression test by running the starter motor you wont squirt fuel everywhere, skewing test and making a dangerous, smelly, mess. 4. Remove all 8 plugs, marking them as to which cyl they came out of with sharpie. Note that this is a 1-2 HR job depending on pee and beer breaks, so may as well replace the plugs if they are getting old. I found them on Amazon for a song compared to the $50 each the dealer charges. -NGK PMR8B : $13/ea (free shipping, no tax via amazon prime) -http://www.amazon.com/NGK-PMR8B-Double-Platinum-Spark/dp/B001RLTTPI 5. Put car on charger to keep battery charged. 6. Screw in 10mm extended hose of compressor tester to plug N. Tighten by hand against o-ring, dont over torque. *Put 3M electrical tape on 10mm adapter so it wont unscrew from extension hose, you dont want that "stuck" in your plug hole, the 18mm socket wont fit down there to grab it! Compression Gauge-->18 inch hose with 14mm fitting--> tape -->14_to_10mm_adapter-->Plug Hole. 7. Have someone sit in the driver seat and push the start button until the compression gauge stops bouncing / climbing, like 4-6 revolutions, or 6-7 seconds. My battery was very low because of its long stay at the dealer uncharged, and my charger was the factory trickle, so no real amps. Notes: a. The engine should be at operating Temp. This is quite hard and makes for a harsh working environment and possible burns. Also of this is your first rodeo, you might not have enough time to complete all steps before the engine is cooled down. b. The Throttle body should be open and air filter removed. Without the SD2/3 I can not open my throttle body, reducing the compression magnitude (not accuracy). Remember you are looking for Cyl to Cyl deltas in most younger engines. In old engines you would be looking for overall magnitude. c. The battery should be at full charge with a high amperage charger attached. My Compression Results: 1. My battery was very low. 2. My throttle bodies were CLOSED (as in the idle position) 3. My air filters were installed 4. My engine was almost completely cold before I actually got to the test, maybe 100 deg F. 5. I have not yet calibrated my new OTC gauge using a known air source, I will buy fittings and complete this as soon as I feel like it. 6. The 14mm->10mm fitting that came with my OTC Comp Tester was bad, threads jacked up, so I used the adapter from my OTC Leakdown Kit. 2006 F430 Spider: 9/12/2012 Test Cyl...PSI....Deviation_%_From_Avg 1.....173...0.58% 2.....170...-1.16% 3.....170...-1.16% 4.....175...1.74% 5.....175...1.74% 6.....175...1.74% 7.....165...-4.07% 8.....173...0.58% Conclusion: ========= 1. The overall magnitude of the numbers will likely spark outcry, but please read notes, I expected lower overall numbers. 2. I am "interested" in Cyl-7 and will perform a leak down test on it. I am not "concerned" enough to tear down an engine for a 4% delta. 3. I will re-test at least one Cyl with a fully hot engine, with a fully charged battery, to get an idea of the HOT numbers. I might retest all cyl if I am not sick of working on my car after the header swap and exhaust bracket install. Remember I have been without it for 5 weeks waiting on the warranty MK2 headers from Ferrari. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Trent, New engines have leakdown numbers on the 2%-4% range. No engine has a 0% leakdown. In this case, you take the highest numbers (which repeated in 3 cylinders) and consider them your benchmark. Then use the delta to the other cylinders. If a F430 new engine has a 2% leakdown, you could use 178.5 psi as the baseline, and run down the numbers from there, so a 175psi cylinder would have a 2% leakdown, and 165psi would have 7.5% leakdown. Area of concern is 10% leakdown and up, with 15% and up being a problem. Leaks can come from intake valves, exhaust valves, piston rings or head gaskets. A cold engine is not good for leakdown tests, as the engine warms up the piston rings expand, so your leakdown numbers on a hot engine will be more consistent. More info on that HE throwout bearing?
Images of combustion chambers. All look good, no debris or foreign objects. Notes: 1. Scratched carbon due to probing with magnet on Cyl 6. 2. Even with my new 7mm wide angle high def (for a borescope) camera, I still am not getting great images, but "live" probing shows a lot more than the attached images. 3. Probing in Cyl with magnet yielded no metallic debris. Summary: All looks great! *Note that light scratching around with a telescoping magnet will show raw metal by scratching off carbon quite easily. If I had large chunks of anything getting beat about it would likely result in obvious scratching. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Thanks for your comments. 1. HE Bearing will be sourced from Ricambi for $585. It replaces the OEM unit and includes 6x seals pre-fitted. I have heard good things about it (on fchat). I will not be replacing until my next clutch job, unless the current OEM unit fails to the point I have to replace before clutch. http://www.ricambiamerica.com/product_info.php?cPath=600_100033&products_id=263920 2. These were compression not leakdown numbers (I realize you know this, just making it clear for everyone), but agree with your comments that the numbers would be more accurate and maybe in a tighter group with a hot engine. If I have time (aka tolerance) at the end of my wrenching, I will re-test hot. 3. From your comments it sounds like you think the engine is just fine. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Compression Test on medium hot engine 9/14/2012 It is quite hard to get a compression test on a F430 without a SDx tool. This is because you have to warm up engine (very hostile work environment under bonnet after this), then you have to remove 8 coil over packs, 8 plugs, and disconnect 8 FI connectors before the engine cools off. Then you have to move the compression fitting and test all 8 Cyl, this also takes time. I heated the engine up for 3-5 minutes or so, where there was little heat soak, yet engine block was quite hot. But still by the time I had it all ready to test it had cooled significantly. I retested Cyl 7 (suspected) and a control group Cyl 5. 2006 F430 Spider: 9/14/2012 Test Cyl...PSI....Deviation_%_From_Avg 5.....172...0.00% 7.....167...-2.91% So a 2% deviation from average. This is a bit better and down from 4% on cold engine. Summary: ======== Engine did not sustain any damage from header failure.
Trent, I like your 'very thorough' approach to solving the issues!!!! Keep up the good work and I hope all comes out fine.
General Update: I have removed the new MK2s installed by Ferrari of Palm Beach [FPB] and installed the Fabspeed headers with my custom heat blankets (see my blanket DIY thread). 9/13/2012 : Received F430 back from FPB with fresh MK2s installed 9/13/2012 : Performed compression test on engine (max deviation 4%) 9/13/2012 : Inspected all 8 cyl with 7mm video borescope (all looks good) 9/14/2012 : Removed MK2 headers (for sale on eBay may list on fchat at some point) 9/14/2012 : Installed Fabspeed headers and custom kevlar heat blanket 9/14/2012 : Installed Capristo exhaust brackets 9/14/2012 : Replaced all 8 plugs, reset ECU 9/14/2012 : Wrapped up and test drove car, all working great! The removal of the MK2s was quite difficult needing some special tools (image from page 248 of Workshop Manual F430 Spider.pdf). I did not have the special tool, so I used the tool [A] (stubby 3/8 drive 12mm wrench) and (short 12mm box wrench). Also needed is [C] a 3/8 torque wrench to tighten the header bolts to 25Nm. The ratcheting 12mm also speed things up [D]. Installing the Fabspeed headers was a snap compared to the removal of the MK2s. You could reach all but one 12mm with a standard 3/8 ratchet, and the one lone bolt was easily accessible with a 3/8 spring universal joint adapter. The Fabspeed headers are of excellent quality and were designed with ease of installation in mind. They came with new gaskets and bolts. The Fabspeed headers are 10x better engineered than the MK2s. The blankets smoked for quite a while as did the new headers and everywhere WD40 touched including around the Capristo exhaust brackets. I will probably throw together a Header Install DIY while it is still fresh in my mind. It was not that hard and only took about a half day. Fabspeed Sound? ======= VERY loud (stock CAT, stock silencer, stock tips, Capristo valve control module in LOUD mode). I just wish the wicked backfires would stay forever. They are so hypnotizing I might just reset the master battery switch often to hear them. The backfires at 5K gear change in Race from 1->2nd sounds like a 22 cal pistol going off! Fabspeed Performance? ======== Who knows, it has been 5 weeks since I have driven it. It feels a lot faster at 3-5k rpm range but its just a seat of my pants dyno and I really don't care so much. ALL DONE: ======== I am back on the road with a healthy, faster, and very loud F430. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Nice work and pics. It can indeed be awkward to get onto all the fixings. Let us know how your heat-blanket does/post results!
Good job!!!!! Enjoy the ride. Should have come to Milliken's Reef today. Good turn out of cars and people. Thanks JC!!!!!
Hi Trent All Fabspeed Ferrari race quality headers are equal length with F1 Indy car style high velocity merge collectors. The headers were incrementally dyno developed and dyno proven to add significant major horsepower and torque all across the RPM band. Fabspeed dyno results are true Dyno results uncorrected and not tampered. Any 430 360 458 with our headers will great out accelerate the same Ferrari model with stock headers like night and day. By eliminating the precat all Ferrari owners get enhanced F1 Ferrari soundtrack. The enhanced sound alone is agreat benefit! fabspeed Ferrari and Porsche headers Hand tig welded and a major improvement in both exhaust flow and scavenging for all these cars. The biggest problems with Ferrari 360 and 430 headers are the Precatalytic converter jammed into the collector. The expansion and contraction and resulting bottleneck in exhaust flow contributes to heat fatigue and failure of the entire header. 2ndly the materials That the OEM headers are made of are lesser quality and cost constrained/ limited by management budget based criteria costing. Basically the metals Ferraris suppliers are sourcing in conjunction with the design are just not working. From 355 360 to 430 the headers and revisions are inexcusable in terms that if the factory headers fail and happy Ferrari owner is unknowingly exposed to catastrophic engine damage. That is inexcusable and happens to other car manufacturers. Other than headers and exhaust failing these cars are a highlight in our passion. My 2003 360 spider always makes me smile and is timeless! Fabspeed Motorsports cordially invites everyone to our open house grand opening on October 13th
I planned to install Capristo Brackets. But FNA will not cover warranty if I have aftermarket brackets installed.(I have few months left on power cube, and a couple of years on emission coverage). Now I'm selling my Capristo Brackets $425 shipped anywhere in US. PM me if anybody is interested.
