**NEED ADVICE ON REPLACING TIMING BELTS ON A 79 308 GTB

Here's a tech article on the replacement:

http://www.cameragear.com/ec/timing.htm

Explains it all...

-Wayne

 

Search the old archives. Rob Garven detailed the proceedure fairly well.

 

Just because they have factory label doesn't mean they are original issue.

The new ones should have the label too, after all.
Tensioner bearings should be replaced at the same time.

Good Luck!

 

There is more to this than simply replacing the belts. The cam belt drive spockets most also be carefully inspected as the bearing go bad. If this happens the belts can/will skip one or more teeth with very, very bad results.
If the drive spocket bearings are bad the oil pan must come off in order to replace the bearings.

 

Don't forget to adjust your valves as well.

 

Christopher,

I recently had my 308 GTB in for a major service. My mechanic put his own yellow check marks in those same places. So yours might not necessarily be the factory marks.

If you cannot obtain you car's service records and the previous owner had not changed the belts and tensioners, then the 5 year rule can be applied. Change the belts and tensioners and drive with confidence.

Barry

 

That's a very healthy looking engine there Barry. Were the shocks and the gas tanks recently restored/refinished? They look great.

As far as the yellow paint marks on fasteners, I was always under the impression that that signified the bolt/nut has been torqued to a certain requirement. If you look elsewhere around the engine bay and car, you'll find other, non-critical fasteners which are not marked by yellow paint.

 

Hi Peter,

I recently had a major service done. In addition, the clutch was rebuilt as I had a partially-seized pilot bearing. Symptoms were intermittent difficulty getting into gear after start up. I would have to switch off the engine, put the car into either 1st or reverse and restart. Even with the clutch pedal all the way down, the car would creep slowly in the direction selected. I wound up replacing the main shaft as there was excessive wear on that part which fits into the bearing. As long as I was doing all that, I changed the throw-out bearing and clutch plate which had ~50% wear. Now I know how the car shifted when it was new.

I also changed all the original suspension bushings (they were shot) and 2 new front shocks were installed (they were original shocks and on their way out). The rear shocks were replaced 2 years before I bought the car, about 4 1/2 years ago and so they still look pretty new.

My mechanic uses a yellow marker for all his check marks and so they do not indicate torque values. It's his way of knowing what he did previously the next time he services the car. The gas tanks were never refinished. He power washed things as he did the servicing. While he had the suspension apart, he refinished the suspension arms and sway bars. the car looks new underneath while up on the lift.

Barry

 

Peter,

I posted some pictures of the clutch rebuid in this thread:

http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?p=250743

Barry

 

Chris, as other have suggested, if you just do the belts, then I guess keeping the engine in would be ok.
I was in a similar situation and I took the engine out. With the help of other members of Fchat, it was a fairly simple job and it made the various replacements of hoses, belts, bearings, seals and gaskets and the cleaning and valve adjustment an easy job.
Never worked on a car before in my life but, just like you, can follow directions and have common sense when it comes down to mechanical issues.
Mostly done with cheap Harbor Freight tools and some Craftsman.
See the engine before and after pictures.

http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13991

 

I found the hardest part about replacing my belts and bearings to be getting the damned AC out of the way. You can actually roll it over into the wheel well and not have to bleed it, or remove the gas tank. Both of which are big PITA for a DIY'r.

You'll have to double nut and remove some of the studs in the engine block but it can be done (I know, I did it). Once you get them out, and also take out the vapor separator and associated fuel lines above the gas tank, you should have enough slack in the AC lines to roll the compressor over the gas tank and into the wheel well. Now you can remove the belt cover, belts, etc. with ease. Best of all, you don't have to drain any fuel in your garage and remove the gas tank, nor worry about losing/replacing R-12 (unless the AC unit slips in your hand, smacks against the belt cover and all the refrigerant leaks out past the seal you just broke on the compressor pulley wheel - ask me how I know about this!!!).

 

Wow, that's great that they were in such good shape and were only cleaned. I restored my gas tanks since the covering had chipped off, plus there was overspray from a previous paint job.

 

Thanks for the link to those pics. Amazing how much wear it caused to the shaft...

 

Peter,

Things were pretty clean in there even before he power-washed.

Barry

 

i just finished changing the timing belts on my 1992 ducati 907ie.....

does that count??

just kidding(about it being the same,i really did change them,as i bought it they had never been changed,it was just sitting in a garage in pieces for the last 6 years)

doug

 

1976 Fiberglass, Christopher.

 

Thanks, Chris. 26,000 miles.

Barry