Maranello Accessory Belt Access

Can anyone advise or point me to a thread or other resource that outlines the procedure for accessing the accessory belts...short of removing the entire front of the car? To say that access is tight would be an understatement. I have reviewed the factory workshop manual and owner's manual, which advise on belt tension only. They do not offer a step by step procedure, as my 308 manual did. These engine compartments are assembled in puzzle fashion, so I'd really like to know the secrets...if there are any. Looks like the air cleaners have to come off, but what else? Looks like the shouds have to drop out the bottom?

Note to search police: I did. I'm not interested in cam belts. I just want to get the freak'n covers off of the accessory belts.

Interesting Trivia: A 550 Maranello will travel approximately 20 miles (with headlights on) after failure of a belt or alternator. Other that the battery light, all systems will remain normal until you suffer immediate and total failure. If you have to make it through 25 miles of civilization that you really don't want to have to interract with in a disabled Ferrari, you are going to be screwed. It is best to time the exact location of your failure somewhere other than a long stretch of dark highway running through a high crime area. I strongly recommend timing your break downs to occur in the parking lot of your favorite Ferrari technician during business hours.

Note to fellow Maranello enthusiasts: Contrary to what some posted on the "unbelieveable" thread, the little Ferrari flashlight is an unbelievably valuable appliance during an electrical system failure. The tool kit, as we all know, is a joke. The cruelest feature of the kit is the inclusion of a spare belt without ANY of the tools necessary to access the belt. The flashlight is valuable because it allows you to confirm, on the side of a dark highway, that you are SOL. The only indispensible tool in the kit is the tow hook. Once you have resolved that a tow truck is the only solution to your dilemma, the fun really begins.

Background: If you didn't already know, Ferraris are akin to the plague among tow companies located in areas other than Beverly Hills and Palm Beach. When I called AAA, at 5:45pm last night and requested a flatbed, I was told that one would be there in 35 minutes. Whew, that was great because I had been trying to make it through Richmond, CA, an area known for an abundance of serious crimes of every variety and I didn't want to be there, helpless and vulnerable and looking very much out of place any longer than necessary. At 6:30pm AAA called me back to apologize for the fact that they would not be able to tow me that night. In fact, they could not tow me...ever. They have no one under contract in the Richmond area who could help me. When I asked what I was supposed to do, the customer service rep advised me to start looking in the yellow pages. When I reminded her that I was stranded on the side of a dark highway and didn't have a copy handy, she asked if there was anything else she could help me with. Since she had already advised me that there was nothing she could do to help me, I sarcastically thanked her and hung up. I phoned my wife, who searched the yellow pages for tow companies in Richmond, Berkeley and in Marin, where I live. I called five companies who all made excuses as to why they could not tow my car. Finally, one angel of a dispatcher finally advised me as to why no one would help me. Very few tow companies have nylon bridles (straps) that go over the wheels to secure the car to the flatbed, rather than the chains they usually just slap around the axles. They were all afraid of the liability of hauling such an expensive car. The other problem is ground clearance. (Note to those who strive for an ever lower profile, don't EVER break down.) This very nice dispatcher informed me that her company was given the original call by AAA and she was very sorry that she couldn't tow me. I went back to calling various tow companies, each one coming up with an even better excuse why they could not tow my car. At about 7:30 pm, my phone rang and it was the angel. She gave me the name and number for another company that did have the proper equipment and told me to call her back if they couldn't help me because she was worried about me sitting in such a dangerous place and wouldn't leave me stranded. I contacted that tow company and they said that they would be there in about 30 minutes. At about 8:30 pm, the Richmond police pulled up behind me. A very nice officer and his K-9 partner were able to radio the tow company and encourage them to get their asses down to my location, given that I had been sitting there, disabled, for almost 3 hours. A nice discussion about the officer's Corvette, along with his opinion that had I left the car unattended it would have been totally stripped by then, passed the time until the tow truck showed up at 9pm. He carefully loaded me up and got me home and unloaded at 11pm. Most of the time was spent carefully loading and unloading the car, as the drive was only about 25 minutes. Cost out of pocket was $224.50. I'll be contacting AAA. Believe me.

 

OK, got the cover off and found this. Feels old enough to be original. Sheesh. Who changes timing belts and not the accessory belts? I looked back at the service records and see timing belts itemized, but not accessory belts. Frustrating, to say the least. Another reason to buy a car that needs a major and then do it yourself (or supervise the work) to be certain that what needs to be done actually gets done. I will be purchasing and installing two fresh new belts. I will leave the worthless spare belt provided by the factory in the tool kit along with the rest of the worthless tools. Should I rub it down with Armor All to preserve it?

Last question: How do you get the nut off of the front of the right air intake filter? I'm totally stumped. Having worked on Hondas in the past, they have specific tools for specific tasks. Is there a Ferrari right air intake filter front attachment nut wrench?
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Didn't think of it. Don't you have to subscribe after warranty expiration? My understanding was that they tow you to the nearest Ferrari Dealer no greater than 30 miles. Would they have known which tow company had the correct equipment, or would they have had to call around like I did? Frankly, I thought that I had risk of breakdown covered with AAA. Obviously, I need to re-assess my roadside emergency plan. I'll checkout FRA. Thanks.

 

Looks like I jumped to conclusions about the failure of the belt. You can see where the belt scrubbed on the pulley when it seized. Just glad that it wasn't part of the other belt drives.
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I did it from the top. Had to take the two radiator hoses off, but that was far easier than coming up from the bottom. I'm going to reconsider getting a lift. Rifledriver has a shop with lifts, an ultimate set of tools that would make Sean Penn drool and could do the job in his sleep. I'll be making my reservation with Brian to do my major due in December very soon. Problem is, how would I get the car to him? He's about 50 miles away. Nobody wants to tow my car, remember? FSF is 5 miles from my house...all down hill. I could probably make it with the battery recharged. Seriously, I have it all torn down and I ordered the parts from Ricambi. Brian has already helped me out by warning me to tension the belt to exactly 124, per the manual. Looks like I have to buy a tensiometer, 'cuz I always just do it by feel.

I have four sets of nylon straps already. I carry two sets in my SUV to secure things like my sabot sailboat and ping pong tables to the roof rack. Regarding carrying straps in the Ferrari, I have my doubts that a tow operator would be willing to use owner-provided equipment. Even if you could talk them into it, you wouldn't have gotten past the AAA dispatcher, unless you lied and told her they were going to tow a Mercury Montclair.

 

20,000

 

I just might move up my plans for major service due in December. Don't need a ride all the way back to Marin...just to Walnut Creek. Ricambi shipped the parts necessary for this little job yesterday, so hopefully I can get the belts on, properly tensioned, and get those PITA shrouds back on and get my black beauty back on the road this weekend. I sent my claim into AAA for reimbursement with a little love note telling them exactly how much I appreciated their service. Can't wait to see how much of it they cover.