Major Service Belts that last longer

Is it true that there is a type of belt that last longer?
I have a 360 and it is due for the 30K service. I asked the guy at the shop if I was going to have to do it every 3 years. His reply was that he was going to put the new kind of belts with ( I think) Kevlar.
He is going to charge me $5K for the service.

Is this true?

How often do you need to change the belts?

Thanks

 

I was told every 3 years. I changed the belts on my 360 & CS on the cars 3 year anniversary. Never heard of longer lasting belts, but it would be good to know.

 

I think Rifledriver needs to chime in on this one!

 

I dont care if the belts came of the space shuttle. I tell clients 3 years, because thats what Ferrari advise as the service time line, and I would be out of line as a tech if i told some one different. Go as long as you want, but its your risk.

 

A year or so ago the manufacturer changed yet again the belt material in much the same way they have been making incremental improvments since their invention. They are not Wunder Belts. Change them in 3 years.

Ferrari does not say the car needs a major every 3 years. The say it needs a belt service every 3 years and a major service every 30k miles. There is a world of difference, not the least of which is money.

5G's is a lot of money if all you need is a belt service.
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Ferrari recommends belt change every 3 yrs. regardless.

Nielsq
NY

 

It's not only the belt that can be an issue. You should consider changing the bearings in the tensioners as well as the tensioners. The charge you were quoted seems rather high.

 

Thanks a lot for your help

So about how much is it to just do the belts?
Should I wait until my car has 30k miles to do the major service?

Thanks

 

5k?? Geez..I'm doing something wrong. I need to slow down a bit I guess. lets see at a ferrari dealer hourly rate that works out to about 30hrs labor and 1300 bucks for parts? They do know that the engine stays in the car right?

 

If all it needs is a belt service $2k can cover it. Fluids are also time sensitive so that will add to it if it is time.

You are in LA. More than any other area in the country you have a great many choices of shops. FAI in Costa Mesa is a good choice but maybe a ways away. I also know Euginios gets a lot of good support from his customers. Don't know where he is but you might look into it. With a 360 you really should find someone with an SD2 and I don't know if either of them have one but if your car is due for belts it is out of warranty, blow off the dealer.

 

Tom, their business is built around the old cars with the huge labor bills. They are unwilling to give that revenue stream up and just charge like crazy. I have a local dealer that quoted a now customer of mine $15,000 for a major on a 550. Can you believe it? I am glad I was sitting down and it wasn't my car.

Have you done a clutch on a 360? If you have then you know the $8000 estimate for a 360 clutch is just a little outragous too.

 

I need to get my belt done too....I've got a 2001 with 8k miles and no service records to speak of, so I have to assume the worst. I have no problems changing the belt and it sounds like the tensioners and a few other things need to be done as well....but I'm curious about the fluids.

Shouldn't the fluids just be checked? Why drain & replace perfectly good super-green/clean radiator fluid when its' in fine shape? Or perfectly clear/clean brake fluid? The engine & tranny I can understand, but other fluids should last more then 8,000 miles??

(Damian...I know I could just ask you, but this way other F-Chatters have the opportunity to read & learn as well)....

 

I called Norwood to schedule a belt change and they told me that 3 years is big time overkill. I'm pretty impressed by a shop that talks me OUT of spending money with them!

 

That's cause they are sizing you up for the BIGGER-TIME valve/head rebuild instead. Why change a belt when they can give you a welt?

JJJJust kidding Big-C, I've heard the same thing....which is exactly why I'm running a 2001 on it's original belt. Heck, the 355 had specs calling for every 5 years and each belt that came out of those engines looked as good as the one replacing it!

There's a great question...if the engine in the 355 and 360 are pretty darn similar, how come the interval on belt maintanence was reduced from 5 -> 3 years??? I'm sure there's a reason, just wanna hear it.

 

Because we have had belt failures. I had a 355 in the shop 3 weeks ago with belts almost exactly 5 years old. Guess what? One didn't make it. Ain't the first one, won't be the last.

I save customers money by unselling them all the time but not on timing belts, thats just stupid.