Some 'major' questions

I hear what you are saying but if I wasn't doing it myself I would take it to a mechanic that specializes in Ferraris. Do you value your friendship because if he is a good mechanic he will find more things to fix and without experience and specialized tools it will take him longer. You might both get frustrated with the amount of time required.

 

Take a look at this website and you will see what is done during a major. It has all of the parts listed. http://emelbon.tripod.com/eugeniosferrariservice.html Also these cars are no big deal on service. Anyone with basic wrench head knowledge and a good set of tools can work on them. There are only a few special sockets but you can either make , buy or get loaners. I would say that labor looks more like 40 hours. Mine took me 2 weeks but I am retired and only worked on the car after golf.

 

when I took mine in the service also included an inpestion of everything that relates to the engine,fuel lines,filters,brakes,just everything and at the same time pictures are taken for documation,its just best to know when your at that point of tearing the engine down that everything is looked at and not just replacing the belts hell anyone can do that,my machanic also checked the valve clarences,which are not adjustable but shims are used,and you should do a leak down becuase at that point you can do more cylnders at one time,

 

hose's are very important,there are so many and many of them are for the cooling system and ferrari mahanice we know how to check them and know what type of hose to get or where to get them I've been going with silicon even though it won't get points at a concorso,these cars do get hot under the hood and very hose should be checked every year after the winter b4 driving that summer,can you say oh no a fire help,that hose that goes between the tanks should also be looked at,thats why every year when my fliuds are changed I do a complete inspection of all hoses,so if your freind does your major,make sure its a major thats done

 

And if you look closely at Eugenio's website, you'll see my little GT4 in a couple of the pics...

JIM

 

It is not rocket science, but it does take some experience to do things right. Just like anything else I guess. If your friend has not worked on a Ferrari 3x8 before, then you need to consider this is his learning project, on your car. Still, if he is good, then he is ... good.

 

Really! I'll have to take another look!

Jeff

 

I tackled my major on my 77 GTB last week, after putting it off for too long.

I put in new cambelts and tensioners. I first had to remove the A/C compressor--which was disconnected due to a leak anyway,,

The rear belt cover came off easily--3 bolts, the front cover is more complex, but no big deal--2 studs I think...

This was my first ever 308 belt/tensioner service. I probably spent 15 hours total over 3 days. I could do it in 5 next time!!!!

This is NOT rocket science, but you cannot afford mistakes in valve timing/belt placement on the teeth. I knew my timing was spot on, so I used Verell's cam locks,
and marked the old belts with a gold paint pen in several places on all 3 pulleys-each belt. (I also marked the pulleys with corresponding reference marks.) I transferred the gold marks onto the new belts, put them on the exact same teeth position. You may have to rock the lower pulley a fraction to get the new belts on. Use clothes line clips to secure the belt onto each pulley, makes it easier to install.

The old tensioners need to be pressed out and the new ones pressed on, using a press. Remove the entire tensioner assembly with 3 bolts. I did not remove the cam covers, because I was not going to adjust cam timing. If you are unsure about your timing, you need to include this step!!

If I can do this job, and I'm a professional musician, your mechanic buddy can do it no prob!! I did use Ric Rainbolt's guide to help me, btw...

Enjoy!

Greg

 

I count 10 major svc's I've done between 7 different cars.

This question is broad. How much does it need? Based on age, has it had the cam drives (the lower gears - bearings & seals) done? Cam seals? Water pump? Axle drive seals, CV boots, injector service, A/C recharge in addition to belts, valve adjust. Does it need fresh gear oil? Check out shift shaft O-rings. This requires the gear and engine oil to be drained. Also, the shift shaft bushing (silent bloc P/N 106814). Has it had the 12'+ heater hose coming off the rear bank replaced? This requires the drive side rear suspension partially dissassembled to take out the driver side fuel tank. Since the tank is out, this is the time to swap out tank crossover hoses. None of this is especially difficult, but it eats time. If the bulk of this is in good order, then a minimal T-belt change with plugs and motor oil can be done in ~20 hrs or possibly less.

A friend who's a great mechanic tells me he doesn't like Ferrari work because of the time involved, and the owners usually begrudge the bill when it arrives. No matter how much time he eats cleaning, ordering etc. He can't make a service come out reasonable. I'm facing a "major" major service right now, and am trying to figure out if I can pay someone to do it. I figure I'm looking at 10K to have someone make it right. My work schedule is bad now. Another buddy know's my predicament and offered to lend a hand. I'm planning on taking him up on the help, and just having the garage tied up for a while.

When the deck is off, the job starts looking more reasonable.

I wish us both luck and look forward to drive with confidence.

 

I am having a hard time removing the oil plug on the transfer case so I may change the oil in it. I took it to the dealer and they could not get it lose, has anyone had this problem and what did you do to get it lose.

 

These cars are getting-on in the years, and it still amazes me the more I work on my car, the more I want to fix/swap-out/renew every time I go into something. What goes into a Major? There are the well-documented basics (Eugino's website is one of the FEW places on the web where the 15/30K Major services are spelled-out, with a pricetag affixed to each service per car model), but there are also the 'time sensitive' items like ignition components, fuel delivery/recovery, oil lines, electrical stuf....any generic mechanic mindful of timing-gear precision could do belts and bearings. But will that guy be knowledgable to tell you your evaporator hoses look old, or new plug wires are due, or 'X' needs attention? Doubtful. Guys who know old cars, 308 drivetrains, AND Bosch/Weber systems COLD are worth the extra $$$/hour. These are the guys who won't spend 14 hours to troubleshoot a 2-hour fixable problem.

 

what you describe is just replacing belts and bearings, the full job is quiet a bit more involved. the cams are removed from the engine and all the seals and o rings replaced along with gaskets. the valves are checked and shims replaced if needed. rotor and cap inspected and cleaned as needed. spark plugs replaced, water pump rebuilt or replaced per customers choice if needed. drive gear bearings are checked and replaced if needed. etc... the list is long and it takes an hour just to do a comprehensive inspection.

then you have the time for every part removed is cleaned and inspected, it's a labor of love really. my only concern with most mechanics is not having the background with these cars and the idiosyncrasies the pose, if he takes his time and pays attention to what he's doing he'll do fine, but he'll also loose money on the job. having a mechanic you trust is a good thing but if they don't service the car you own then most times it'll be more expensive and strain the relationship you have.

I don't work on Japanese imports, could I? sure, but it wouldn't be fair to anyone involved so I decline on those jobs.