Should I Change My Belts Or Just Forget It Until They Brake?

Interesting idea, problem is, what if they DONT break for another 45000 miles?

The good point would be that would end (or at least put a big hole in) the "great belt debate", but the bad point is that you would have to wait, maybe another 10 years, to modify your car.

James in Denver

 

If you plan on replacing the top end anyway, I like the idea. We need a real-world analysis of the 308 belt issue!!

Go for it!

Greg
77 GTB

 

if when something breaks it trashes the head, it's big money; trust me, I know....
don't break it; it will cost more!

 

Just the thought makes me cringe....... what if you seriously damage the heads? I would not assume the heads will be fine.... just needing a little clean up and then porting. What if it happens when you're in the passing lane with oncoming traffic? Tiny chance probably but.....

I agree with some of the others.... you could be waiting years for a belt or bearing to go but again, the thought of purposely waiting for it to happen doesn't sit well with me :-(

How much would just a belts and bearings change cost (not a full major)?

 

great idea......... run it till she blows capt!! meanwhile start looking for a spare set of heads .......... hhmm!! anyone for valve salad don't forget the dressing.........

 

No matter how many miles it goes, or doesnt go, has no bearing on the fleet. Its more like playing russian roulette than finding out anything scientific. Maybe if you put 20 or 30 engines in test cells and ran them till they broke you would have some answers, but one car is totally meaningless. The belts break at all intervals, we know this already.

As to what you want left, odds are your only going to lose one bank. But if it happens at high rpm out on that track you like, it could be a real mess. Normally you bend some valves, the engine quits, your done. But if I remember, you have a QV? I dont think those work so nice at high speed, as the valves are more directly inline with the cylinder than a two valve. Anyway, I seen one a TRutlands some years ago that really grenaded. I guess its hard to know if it broke a belt or dropped a valve, but it freaken blew apart. A piston shattered, broke the liner out through the block, took out a rod, and the rod whipped through the gearbox. But hey, he still had one good head and some good gearbox parts left. And personally, I dont like welded up heads. I want them unmolested.

If your just trying to protect the engine, just replace the belts and tensioners without pulling the cam covers. Except for the AC compressor, its barely an hour job.

 

John Apen, A Ferrari dinosaur and former FAF owner told me years ago that as long as your cam seals are not leaking and you hear no unusual noises from the cam belt tensioner bearing area that Ferrari cam belts should be changed every 7 to 10 years....and he has practiced what he preaches on his own 365GT4/BB as well as his numerous other cam belt Ferrari's over the years such as 308s, ect...

 

If you dont want to do a 30k then just change the belts and tensioners. That should be well under a thousand. Your probably ok for another few years anyways.

 

Just an Idea, but all of us who want to know how long those belts will last can pitch in $10 to help cover the cost of damage to the engine when they do break.

I think everyone should send me the $10 and I'll hold it until you need it.

 

Every morning I wake up, walk outside, and sprinkle some salt over my right shoulder. My neighbor asked me the other day, "Jim, why do you shake salt over your shoulder every morning on the front lawn?" I told him that it keeps the elephants off the lawn. He replied, somewhat incredulously, "But Jim, there's not an elephant within a 1000 miles of here." I replied, "I guess it works."

So too for belt changes.

Jim S.

 

Do it Tommy, just run the hell out of her.


I have had 2 308's in the shop for service that had a belt snap. None of the three had damage that was not repairable. I keep a bent valve on my desk to show customes what happens when you don't change the belts.




Wade

 

I'd take the belts to 7 years and then see where you are in terms of doing the performance modifications. I've done that with a number of 308's. I did my Boxer belts at 6 years only because I had to split the transmission due to a differential break which necessitated an engine out. I would not spend the money next year.

 

+1, and when combined with major exhaust tubes, power is huge @ 5000+RPM!!

 

I would think the belts should be good for 7 years under normal conditions. You could always change them yourself. They make a tool for dual overhead cams that locks the intake and exhaust gears together without damaging them that keeps them from moving when you take the old belt off. You would need to buy two of them but you could change the belts yourself without removing the valve covers.

 

Beautiful car Dr. Tom! I'm not sure the risk is worth the reward. I'd either just do the belts as you planned (2008) or go a few additional years while you plot your modifications. You'd be able to focus your attention on the performance upgrades and usual maintenance items rather than repairing damage. Admittedly it would be an interesting experiment to see how long they last, but I'd rather upgrade a healthy car on my own time table.

 

In part, Doc, it depends on what the engine is doing when the belt goes. If it is just sitting and idling, you might be lucky and not do too much damage. But, if you are screaming along at 7K rpm under heavy acceleration and it goes (which is more likely the case), expect to see a lot of damage.

IMHO, if you intend on modifying this engine, don't take the chance. If you plan on lumping the car and putting in a small block Chevy engine, then it doesn't matter. I suspect you want to use the existing engine, so my recommendation would be to change the belts and tensioners. It is not a huge job if you do it yourself and you are only changing the belts and tensioners, and you are leaving everything else alone. Basically, all you have to do is remove the belt covers, lock down the cam gears, loosen the tensioners, install the new tensioners, take the old belts off, put the new ones on, retension the tensioners, put the covers back on, and off you go. Piece of cake; can of corn. Now isn't that better than sitting there and looking at a twisted hunk of metal??

As much as I'm tempted to say, Hell yeah, run it til it breaks so we can see how far these belts really go, if you want to keep this engine alive for future mods, don't do it. Just do the belts and look to future mods.

 

"When the time comes I am not looking for radical changes. I have done that before with other cars and there is always a trade off somewhere in the mix. All I want is a few changes in the rebuild that will get me a half a car length to a car length or so on a 328. That's it, nothing more. I'll be forever happy with that." - YEAH, RIGHT. I've never seen someone happy on the track with being just a half a car length ahead ... except at the finish line.

Now regarding the "debate" about not changing belts until one lets go - that about the craziest thing I've read on Fchat - and there have been a lot of crazy comments here. While you're at it, why not drop all your car insurances - think how much money you will save. And then, when you run into someone, you'll have the money to put on that GTO body. And, if almost forgot, get rid of the seat belts - less weight means faster acceleration. And you can save more weight by drilling holes in the chassis.....

 

Does anyone have experience with this tool? What are the risks of using it? Where to buy, how much, etc.

Thanks.

 

I would go ahead and do it...308s are so solid it may go a while before you feel the need to do the rebuild. If you think you will rebuild by 2009, then I might let it go...otherwise, do the service...it is more than just belts, you want to have the valves adjusted, timing checked, seals replaces (there are a lot of them, check the list of items on a 30K service kit for a 308).