Major Service "Upgrades"... While I'm In There

Do it or you will be pissed at how much it costs


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What do you consider a major service?

Next time my car goes in, I'm replacing all of the exhaust valves in both banks with stainless steel valves. Probably do valve guide seals at the same time as well, and cam shaft seals.

 

If you're talking about a belt service and want to get your hands dirty, go to birdman's web site (not sure I can post it here) and check out the tutorials. Now, if you're talking about dismantling the engine, there are a lot of little tricks that seasoned pros know, which can't be found in manuals. I wouldn't recommend changing valves, pulling heads, complete engine re-seal (all good items in a "Major-Major) on your own, if you're not thoroughly experienced. I DIY'd replacement of every hose and piece of rubber in the car, the complete suspension, and restoration of the entire braking and fuel system, plus a bunch of powdercoating. Sent the car to my mechanic for the motor's top-end rebuild and re-seal.

On a personal note, welcome back. My car is just back from restoration, so I'll fetch that paint label for you to replicate

 

I had a Ferrari mechanic do all my stuff. I didn't want to put the engine back in to find out I have a dumb leak. Intake and Exh valves 'guides, seals, carbs rebuilt, intake gaskets, head gaskets, head and valves machined, dist seals ,gaskets and bearings, shift shaft seals, pan and cambio pan gaskets, misc helicoil, waterpump, tensioner bearings, belts, cam seals, cam drive seals, valve cover gaskets, crank seal, rear seal, cage and drop gear bearings ,and some misc spacers and bearings. all while I was in there. and the car ran perfect before taking the engine out except for a small cam seal leak

 

Having just gone through all this, I'd also ask yourself why you need a major. If it's because things are worn out or not properly functioning, then fix what you need to. Otherwise, if it's just because you've hit a regular service interval, I wouldn't dismantle or try to "upgrade" anything that ain't broken. Once you start taking it apart, the list of "while you're in there's" grows out of control.

That said, some common upgrades:
- Replace suspension bushings (some prefer stock for the smooth ride, others polyurethane for alleged improvement in handling/firmness)
- Uprate your alternator for more amperage (see MNExotics)
- Replace your fuel and vapor hoses with ethanol-safe lines (Ferrari Service of Bedford sells hose kits, and Scuderia Rampante Inc. (SRI) sells wildly expensive but superior-to-stock silicone hoses.
- Upgrade to Hill Engineering belt tensioner bearings (full belt service kits can be had from AWItalian, among others)
- Upgrade to a gear-reduction start motor by Gustafson (more reliable starts)
- Change out OEM sodium-filled exhaust valves for solid stainless ($$$$)
- Nick's forza offers all kinds of "upgrade" goodies, from high-flow water pumps to aluminum radiators

 

JUST during the belt service, that would be the Hill Engineering tensioner bearings (unless you want a Nick's Forza water pump, which is completely unnecessary on a stock road car, but a very nice piece of machinery).