Ferrari F430 Spider
Discussion
I finished off the manifolds this evening and gave them a quick test: no leaks. I replaced all of the undertray and wheelarch fastenings with stainless versions - there are a lot of them.
There is a recess and nice pair of tan leather straps in the glove box to mount a Ferrari Maglite. My car was missing this so whether it is an optional extra or previous owners just keep them for a memento, I don't know, but they are probably the most expensive Maglite mini there is
I think its a nice touch.
There is a recess and nice pair of tan leather straps in the glove box to mount a Ferrari Maglite. My car was missing this so whether it is an optional extra or previous owners just keep them for a memento, I don't know, but they are probably the most expensive Maglite mini there is
I think its a nice touch.
Bungleaio said:
As with all your threads thanks for sharing the insight us mere mortals will never have even if we can afford the machinery we won't have the skills to pull it apart.
Thank you, though it's just nuts and bolts like any other car - anyone can do it leglessAlex said:
$130* for a Maglite?! Woha.
Now you've seen the build quality of the car, have you any more thoughts on modifying it and generally bring it up to your standard? Or will it be a case of just fixing things as they become a problem/if they annoy you?
*according to Amazon at least
I just want to drive this one and not do too much other than maintain it to a high standard. In terms of maintenance the ball joints, manifolds, and to a lesser degree roof and clutch are the points to take care of. The roof and manifolds are ticked off of my list, leaving the clutch and ball joints, both of which are fine at the moment but will be changed next year for peace of mind. Now you've seen the build quality of the car, have you any more thoughts on modifying it and generally bring it up to your standard? Or will it be a case of just fixing things as they become a problem/if they annoy you?
*according to Amazon at least
In order to bring it up to a better standard I'd have to go through the whole thing like I've the Fiesta, and I think one of those projects is quite enough
I will finish the front underside of the M3, the Fiesta as a whole, then start to think about a classic.johnfm said:
Given you work in IT in the city (I assume), when do you find the time to do this? I assume you just get on with it after work, have no kids and your girlfriend doesn't live with you?
YOU LUCKY b
d!
Haha! My g/f has an even more demanding job than I do and hence works long hours, which if I'm not working late obviously prsents a great opportunity for me to work on the cars YOU LUCKY b
d! She's also been extremely patient and understanding when it comes to what I do for a hobby; I've probably pushed it a bit far truth be told - I tend to get quite absorbed in whatever I set my mind to. No kids yet - we're both just working to make way for a more relaxed life back in the country in the not too distant future. I dream of a nice barn to store the cars!
Thank you all!
I've been around mine with vibration absorbing material but the bloody centre console has cracked again and is squeaking - it seems to be a design issue.
itcaptainslow said:
Will you DIY service it or send it to a specialist?
I had planned to keep up the full Ferrari history but now I'm not so sure - more details at the bottom of this post...MJK 24 said:
Great photo that shows just how incredibly low they've managed to mount the engine. Benefits of a dry sump lube set up. If I get the chance, l post the same photo of my Elise and you'll see the engine towers ever upwards!
Yes they really have done a good job; it's well within the confines of the wheels at normal ride height!Limpet said:
Fantastic thread!
Beautiful car and great to see it from a different perspective. Congratulations and keep it coming!
Thanks, so your 130 has trim rattles too? Beautiful car and great to see it from a different perspective. Congratulations and keep it coming!
I've been around mine with vibration absorbing material but the bloody centre console has cracked again and is squeaking - it seems to be a design issue.I went out for the afternoon/evening yesterday to various places and noticed that throughout the time we were out the gearchanges were getting a lot more physical, and second to third particularly required a special nack. The change has never been what you'd call silky but this was something else! It got progressively wrose and held out until we'd finished a meal, left and set off for home. It then crapped out alltgoether: no clutch actuation whatsoever. We were in the middle of the countryside and the roads were pretty much deserted, so I managed to get us home by starting the car in first - it's a powerful starter motor - and easing into second when the speed was right. I went to bed seriously fed up with the car.
I woke this morning with a clear head and started to check the obvious:
- Fluid level fine;
- No visible leaks from the clutch master cylinder;
- No visible leaks from the bottom of the gearbox (there's a large inspection opening that would let and fluid out from the bell housing).
I started with the simple option of bleeding the clutch and what came out of the bleeder was pretty shocking: fluid that was many years past its sell by date. It was grey/water saturated! I flushed the system through and bled it and took the car for a good run. I now have a gear change smoother than it ever was.
I decided to check elsewhere on the car, and the pollen and air filters have not been changed for a while. It had a service at Ferrari only two months ago, and in fact the car has full Ferrari history - both annual and mileage based. It's basically lived at Ferrari all its life and this was something I confirmed as genuine prior to purchase by phoning all the dealers in the service book, who confirmed all the stamps/services.
I had planned to keep up the full Ferrari history but I’ve now got to give that some serious consideration.
On a more positive note I had one of the best drives of my life in it tonight: beautiful evening, decent roads, massive smile on my face.
I woke this morning with a clear head and started to check the obvious:
- Fluid level fine;
- No visible leaks from the clutch master cylinder;
- No visible leaks from the bottom of the gearbox (there's a large inspection opening that would let and fluid out from the bell housing).
I started with the simple option of bleeding the clutch and what came out of the bleeder was pretty shocking: fluid that was many years past its sell by date. It was grey/water saturated! I flushed the system through and bled it and took the car for a good run. I now have a gear change smoother than it ever was.
I decided to check elsewhere on the car, and the pollen and air filters have not been changed for a while. It had a service at Ferrari only two months ago, and in fact the car has full Ferrari history - both annual and mileage based. It's basically lived at Ferrari all its life and this was something I confirmed as genuine prior to purchase by phoning all the dealers in the service book, who confirmed all the stamps/services.
I had planned to keep up the full Ferrari history but I’ve now got to give that some serious consideration.
On a more positive note I had one of the best drives of my life in it tonight: beautiful evening, decent roads, massive smile on my face.
rdodger said:
What is the service interval on clutch fluid? I don't remember changing any on a car that didn't need a replacement slave or master cylinder.
The clutch and brakes share the same reservoir so really both systems should be flushed through and bled at the same time. I will flush and bleed the brakes this week as a matter of course.Talkwrench said:
On the positive side, Ferraris are generally beautifully designed and engineered and an absolute delight to work on. Very well laid out and thought through, even major work is made much easier by clever design. When a Ferrari appears, I look forward to doing whatever is required. When a Porsche turns up (especially a 911!), I look forward to bleeding knuckles, many rusted bolts and frequent use of "why the fk did they put that there!"
I agree on the space - there is is considerable room around the engine once the undertray and diffuser is off. I could even remove and refit the accessory belt within five minutes and that's at the most cramped end of the bay. I know packaging on the Porsches is a nightmare!k did they put that there!"crosseyedlion said:
Apologies if its already been asked but,
Aside from servicing costs, whats the car like day to day? Could one practically own one as their only car? (parking, multi stories, visibility, inclement weather, starting in the morning, speed bumps etc...)
Yes, I think it would be viable as a day-to-day proposition. Not ideal, but possible. It wouldn't fare at all well being used in all weathers and especially the winter months; the aluminium body has a tendency to corrode as it is and this would be exacerbated by the salt. The Spider roof isn't perfectly water tight and occasionally the front luggage area can leak too. Aside from servicing costs, whats the car like day to day? Could one practically own one as their only car? (parking, multi stories, visibility, inclement weather, starting in the morning, speed bumps etc...)
There are three suspension heights from the factory: red, yellow, and white; mine is red - the highest setting - and I still have to take it slowly over speed bumps otherwise the front under tray scrapes. Parking it is a doddle.
Visibility is excellent left-to-right and to the front but the rear duck tail does create a blind spot around a car length behind. Starting it is never an issue; despite some quality issues they aren't an unreliable car. Compared to Ferrari's of old they are a big step ahead, but fundamentally it's still a weekend car. I think something more in the GT stable - like the FF - should be more of a user friendly model.
It is a phenomenal, though – the only car that's ever made me laugh out loud. It's properly intoxicating
Cheers!
Some photos from today:
I've now covered approximately 600 miles since the manifolds went on and they are performing faultlessly. The sound on full chat is rawer than stock and quite simply incredible.
I'm still getting used to arriving back at the car to find people looking around it or taking photos, the biggest surprise so far finding a wedding party having their pictures taken. The attention thus far has all been genuine and quite pleasant, which is good as it's not something I really seek out, though I've been happy to oblige the photo taking.
Some photos from today:
I've now covered approximately 600 miles since the manifolds went on and they are performing faultlessly. The sound on full chat is rawer than stock and quite simply incredible.
I'm still getting used to arriving back at the car to find people looking around it or taking photos, the biggest surprise so far finding a wedding party having their pictures taken. The attention thus far has all been genuine and quite pleasant, which is good as it's not something I really seek out, though I've been happy to oblige the photo taking.
Edited by mwstewart on Tuesday 15th March 13:14
Some routine and preventative maintenance this afternoon.
My car had the 'early type' wheel centres so I ordered a set of the 'new type', which are a darker yellow that is essentially Giallo Moderna, which is a better match for my rev counter and Ferrari bdages.
Fitted.
Whilst renewing the brake fluid I wanted to address another potential problem area which is the distribution block for the clutch slave cylinder. The OEM part can suffer hairline cracks which are usually caused by over tightening of the bleed union, but sometimes they can appear on their own. I had also read online that the OEM part was plastic.
To pre-empt any potential problems I bought a Hill Engineering uprated version, which is billet aluminium part, anodised black. Hill were great as usual and worked with me to pin down a postal service that ensured it was with me today - I onlt ordered yesterday, late morning. Thanks Diane!
With a duvet protecting the rear of the car, I leaned over and managed to replace the part from above with the engine bay lid open. It took around 25 minutes to do. The securing hex on the rearmost union was slightly rounded suggesting that the part may have been replaced before, so I may replace that line in due course.
Here's the original part: it's alloy, albeit of a lower grade than the Hill part, and it can be noted that for some reason the bleed union has been milled short which obviously will contribute to a weakness should the bleed nipple be over-tightened.
On to renewing the brake/clutch fluid. I use a pressure bleeder as it makes the operation so much simpler.
Calipers are fairly common-or-garden Brembo items with a bleed nipple for each side.
All done. The old fluid in the calipers was very clean so in fairness to Ferrari the fluid had been changed at some point, and it was just the clutch aspect which was overlooked.
My car had the 'early type' wheel centres so I ordered a set of the 'new type', which are a darker yellow that is essentially Giallo Moderna, which is a better match for my rev counter and Ferrari bdages.
Fitted.
Whilst renewing the brake fluid I wanted to address another potential problem area which is the distribution block for the clutch slave cylinder. The OEM part can suffer hairline cracks which are usually caused by over tightening of the bleed union, but sometimes they can appear on their own. I had also read online that the OEM part was plastic.
To pre-empt any potential problems I bought a Hill Engineering uprated version, which is billet aluminium part, anodised black. Hill were great as usual and worked with me to pin down a postal service that ensured it was with me today - I onlt ordered yesterday, late morning. Thanks Diane!
With a duvet protecting the rear of the car, I leaned over and managed to replace the part from above with the engine bay lid open. It took around 25 minutes to do. The securing hex on the rearmost union was slightly rounded suggesting that the part may have been replaced before, so I may replace that line in due course.
Here's the original part: it's alloy, albeit of a lower grade than the Hill part, and it can be noted that for some reason the bleed union has been milled short which obviously will contribute to a weakness should the bleed nipple be over-tightened.
On to renewing the brake/clutch fluid. I use a pressure bleeder as it makes the operation so much simpler.
Calipers are fairly common-or-garden Brembo items with a bleed nipple for each side.
All done. The old fluid in the calipers was very clean so in fairness to Ferrari the fluid had been changed at some point, and it was just the clutch aspect which was overlooked.
I've done some quick temperature tests in the engine bay following fitment of the aftermarket manifolds/headers, and despite them being coated, temps are in places 50 degrees higher than with the stock manifolds in place. It's not a huge issue, but I'm not happy with it so over winter I will remove the manifolds and send them to be triple coated. I will use http://www.camcoat.com/main/coatings2.html for the work; they offer a 'RaceSpec' version which is a triple exterior coat and single internal coat - which is tried and tested in Le Mans cars - but I'm cautious of introducing any possible failure modes within the exhaust primaries, which is of course the very reason for removing the stock manifolds in the first place, so in view of that I will stick to a triple exterior coat. This should bring bay temps lower than with the very well insulated stock manifolds in place.
I did mention in a previous post that I would at some point revisit the engine bay clutch line which was knurled at the clutch distribution block end, which is the likely result of a previous clutch block change. Whilst making the line I decided to address another potential problem area: the steel hardline on manual gearbox F430's takes a rather tortuous route which exposes it to the heat of the manifold primaries without the benefit of any heat insulation whatsoever. The orange lines in the following photo illustrate this:
In view of the above my replacement line will be of a different construction and take a different route. Thankfully the master cylinder to slave cylinder line that runs the length of the car is composed of multiple pieces, and the section I want to replace is joined at a very accessible location at the front of the engine:
The hose of choice is -4 Aeroquip PTFE inner/stainless braid covering. I'm using a Banjo fitting at the clutch block end to allow the hose to pass directly downwards from the block.
I have some 'extreme' hear barrier (bottom) that is a snug fit over the -4 hose, and for maximum protection some fire sleeve (top) on top.
Here's the OEM clutch line removed (top) and my replacement (bottom).
Replacement line in situ, showing the new route. Green arrows indicate hose connections and the smaller blue arrows indicate the stainless fixings I used to secure the new line to the gear change cables.
The clutch was bled through and test. Fluid of choice is Motul RBF600
Whilst working on the clutch hydraulic system I wanted to provide some protection for the distribution block. Regardless of what type of manifolds are fitted, the block is within 50mm of the neck of the stock catalytic converter, which obviously is not coated - none of the stock system is - and also falls outside the reach of the stock heat shield. I had noticed that the clutch block can be hot to the touch after a run, which obviously isn't ideal, so my plan was to create a heat shield in a similar vein to the stock part protecting the CV boots.
'Nimbus' was my material of choice, but rather than buy the branded product I located a heat shield on eBay from a mass produced car. It's the same stuff, but brand new only cost a small amount. The part I used was from a Citroen!
A few cardboard mock-ups later I had a pattern that would work. I also fabricated a bracket from 2mm aluminium that would mount to the clutch block and utilise its mounting bolt.
Close up of bracket and shield. The shield looks a little messy here because I designed it with overlapping sections that will be held together by the sheet metal screws used to affix the assembly. I also designed the shield so that overlap join sections face away from the heat source.
Bracket in situ. Clutch bleed block still easily accessible from above, below, and directly in front.
Shield in place. This photos show how it looks much neater once clamped down to the bracket.
Engine bay view. The photo shows how the shield follows the contours of the gearbox, and also just how close the clutch block is to the cat.
I did mention in a previous post that I would at some point revisit the engine bay clutch line which was knurled at the clutch distribution block end, which is the likely result of a previous clutch block change. Whilst making the line I decided to address another potential problem area: the steel hardline on manual gearbox F430's takes a rather tortuous route which exposes it to the heat of the manifold primaries without the benefit of any heat insulation whatsoever. The orange lines in the following photo illustrate this:
In view of the above my replacement line will be of a different construction and take a different route. Thankfully the master cylinder to slave cylinder line that runs the length of the car is composed of multiple pieces, and the section I want to replace is joined at a very accessible location at the front of the engine:
The hose of choice is -4 Aeroquip PTFE inner/stainless braid covering. I'm using a Banjo fitting at the clutch block end to allow the hose to pass directly downwards from the block.
I have some 'extreme' hear barrier (bottom) that is a snug fit over the -4 hose, and for maximum protection some fire sleeve (top) on top.
Here's the OEM clutch line removed (top) and my replacement (bottom).
Replacement line in situ, showing the new route. Green arrows indicate hose connections and the smaller blue arrows indicate the stainless fixings I used to secure the new line to the gear change cables.
The clutch was bled through and test. Fluid of choice is Motul RBF600
Whilst working on the clutch hydraulic system I wanted to provide some protection for the distribution block. Regardless of what type of manifolds are fitted, the block is within 50mm of the neck of the stock catalytic converter, which obviously is not coated - none of the stock system is - and also falls outside the reach of the stock heat shield. I had noticed that the clutch block can be hot to the touch after a run, which obviously isn't ideal, so my plan was to create a heat shield in a similar vein to the stock part protecting the CV boots.
'Nimbus' was my material of choice, but rather than buy the branded product I located a heat shield on eBay from a mass produced car. It's the same stuff, but brand new only cost a small amount. The part I used was from a Citroen!
A few cardboard mock-ups later I had a pattern that would work. I also fabricated a bracket from 2mm aluminium that would mount to the clutch block and utilise its mounting bolt.
Close up of bracket and shield. The shield looks a little messy here because I designed it with overlapping sections that will be held together by the sheet metal screws used to affix the assembly. I also designed the shield so that overlap join sections face away from the heat source.
Bracket in situ. Clutch bleed block still easily accessible from above, below, and directly in front.
Shield in place. This photos show how it looks much neater once clamped down to the bracket.
Engine bay view. The photo shows how the shield follows the contours of the gearbox, and also just how close the clutch block is to the cat.
Wing/fender shields courtesy of Denver308 on Ferrari life. These are a high quality replica of the OEM shields.
My temporary gel badges removed and replaced with the high quality versions.
Another cosmetic detail I really like was the Cavallino Rampante ("prancing horse") that comes fitted to the optional carbon fibre fuel flap.
I'm not really a fan of the contrast of CF in the middle of a panel hence I didn't want to fit the entire accessory flap, so I tracked down a genuine Ferrari prancing horse in the correct size which I will affix to the standard fuel flap.
This weekend also heralded the start of my F430's winter hibernation which brings with it a chance for me to spend time addressing a number of the more significant potential problem areas on the model. At this point in time the car is great, but it has just hit 30k miles and this was a factor in me taking the decision to spend time and money pre-empting any issues so that I can - hopefully - enjoy the car for the next few summer periods to come. My winter list in priority order is:
- Replace clutch with a new OEM version, and the release/throw out bearing & flange with Hill Engineering versions;
- Triple ceramic coating on manifolds/headers;
- Replace front track rod ends with Hill Engineering versions;
- Replace all ball joints and boots with Hill Engineering versions;
- Replace all arm bushes with Superformance versions;
- Replace anti-roll/sway bar bushes and links.
Given I've already addressed the manifolds I should end up in a good position. I will carry out all the work myself.
Clutch replacement
I will document my work in case it is of use.
My plan of attack is to leave the transmission within the engine bay and simply slide it back to provide access to the bell housing and flywheel. I will support the transmission with a hoist or a transmission jack/cradle. I am quite sure I can complete the job without removing the transmission support frame.
To start I removed, in order:
- Left and right rear side panels;
- Exhaust silencer - the studs snapped which was expected;
- Airbox;
- Catalytic converter heat shields; optional but provides more visibility of the transmission;
- Transmission mount heat shield.
This provides the following clearance - right side:
Left:
Overall view. I have placed some cloth underneath the header tank to protect it.
Rear diffuser removed.
Car jacked up and under tray removed. I have this off to a pretty fine art now: 15 minutes or less.
Gear change cable ball joints disconnected from mechanism, and cable bracket removed from the gearbox with cables attached. Three of 7mm nuts.
Driveshaft CVs unbolted. 13mm 12 point nuts.
This next job was the worst so far. The E-Diff solenoid and sensor multiplugs are covered in adhesive foil-backed fiberglass heat insulation. The insulation has to be carefully cut off as it can't be removed in one piece without risk to the fragile cables underneath, so as a result one needs to be careful of many fibreglass strands which are liberated once the foil backing is cut.
The car is a pleasure to work on. Some of the trim items are flimsy as I previously noted, but the mechanicals are well laid out and there are levels of space around the components that would be a pipe dream when working on a regular vehicle.
This is as far as I got this afternoon so another update will follow soon.
My temporary gel badges removed and replaced with the high quality versions.
Another cosmetic detail I really like was the Cavallino Rampante ("prancing horse") that comes fitted to the optional carbon fibre fuel flap.
I'm not really a fan of the contrast of CF in the middle of a panel hence I didn't want to fit the entire accessory flap, so I tracked down a genuine Ferrari prancing horse in the correct size which I will affix to the standard fuel flap.
This weekend also heralded the start of my F430's winter hibernation which brings with it a chance for me to spend time addressing a number of the more significant potential problem areas on the model. At this point in time the car is great, but it has just hit 30k miles and this was a factor in me taking the decision to spend time and money pre-empting any issues so that I can - hopefully - enjoy the car for the next few summer periods to come. My winter list in priority order is:
- Replace clutch with a new OEM version, and the release/throw out bearing & flange with Hill Engineering versions;
- Triple ceramic coating on manifolds/headers;
- Replace front track rod ends with Hill Engineering versions;
- Replace all ball joints and boots with Hill Engineering versions;
- Replace all arm bushes with Superformance versions;
- Replace anti-roll/sway bar bushes and links.
Given I've already addressed the manifolds I should end up in a good position. I will carry out all the work myself.
Clutch replacement
I will document my work in case it is of use.
My plan of attack is to leave the transmission within the engine bay and simply slide it back to provide access to the bell housing and flywheel. I will support the transmission with a hoist or a transmission jack/cradle. I am quite sure I can complete the job without removing the transmission support frame.
To start I removed, in order:
- Left and right rear side panels;
- Exhaust silencer - the studs snapped which was expected;
- Airbox;
- Catalytic converter heat shields; optional but provides more visibility of the transmission;
- Transmission mount heat shield.
This provides the following clearance - right side:
Left:
Overall view. I have placed some cloth underneath the header tank to protect it.
Rear diffuser removed.
Car jacked up and under tray removed. I have this off to a pretty fine art now: 15 minutes or less.
Gear change cable ball joints disconnected from mechanism, and cable bracket removed from the gearbox with cables attached. Three of 7mm nuts.
Driveshaft CVs unbolted. 13mm 12 point nuts.
This next job was the worst so far. The E-Diff solenoid and sensor multiplugs are covered in adhesive foil-backed fiberglass heat insulation. The insulation has to be carefully cut off as it can't be removed in one piece without risk to the fragile cables underneath, so as a result one needs to be careful of many fibreglass strands which are liberated once the foil backing is cut.
The car is a pleasure to work on. Some of the trim items are flimsy as I previously noted, but the mechanicals are well laid out and there are levels of space around the components that would be a pipe dream when working on a regular vehicle.
This is as far as I got this afternoon so another update will follow soon.
Nano2nd said:
great thread, having recently bought a 430 coupe theres a few jobs on here i'm keen to do myself!,
how closely matched are your new shields to the new style wheels centres? mines got giallo callipers so the centres look washed out in comparison, one of my sheilds is crazed so looking to replace them all ar some point, i guess that just leaves the bonnet badge which is also the duller yellow
Thank you. The new shields are an almost perfect match to the new OEM wheel centres. I also need to replace my bonnet badge as it has a small stone chip on it, but I didn't know it was also changed to Giallo - thanks!how closely matched are your new shields to the new style wheels centres? mines got giallo callipers so the centres look washed out in comparison, one of my sheilds is crazed so looking to replace them all ar some point, i guess that just leaves the bonnet badge which is also the duller yellow
Max_Torque said:
To be honest, that clutch block is "miles" from the cat/exhaust by modern car terms. Typically a 10mm air gap is considered sufficient between metal parts on the engine and something like a catalyst. Also, being aluminium and bolted directly to the engine block, it cannot over heat from thermal radiation energy because the thermal path to the block is the dominant factor. In fact, you heat shield may actually INCREASE the temperature of the clutch fluid! Also, replacing the OEM metal clutch line with a nylon alternative (ok, stainless sheathed which helps) also may have the same effect.
The point about the interface with the block is very interesting. The angle I'm taking is that having experienced a fluid issue with the fliud bled off being very dark in colour, at a point in time after fitting the new manifolds, I really didn't want to take the risk that the incrased heat is detrimentally affecting the clutch. The PTFE hose and shield has solved clutch fluid overheating issues in other cars with aftermarket manifolds.Max_Torque said:
Generally speaking, clutch fluid goes black because it oxidizes and because rubber seals in the system degrade (they are "wear items" as they slide past the m/cyl & s/cyl bores as the pistons move), releasing carbon compounds into it.
Sure, but the seals at the gearbox end are all bright green and the bad fluid was concentrated there. The entire release bearing floats on a flange unlike a regular sealed release bearing with an internal piston:
There wasn't enough of the dirty fluid to be further up the line towards the master, which likely does have rubber type seals.
For what reason do you think the shield will increase fluid temp rather than decrease it?
Edited by mwstewart on Tuesday 15th March 13:15
Steve7777 said:
Awesome car and great thread but frightening to see how much preventative maintenance these things need.
Thank you. They are essentially a race car for the road; the clutch diameter for example is reduced so that the powertrain can sit lower to the chassis thus lowering the CoG. The downisde is that even with the double plate clutch service intervals are anywhere between 8k and 14k for the F1 gearbox, and up to 30k for the manual - which is why I've taken the decision to change mine as a preventative measure even though it's approx £2.5k in parts.The ball joints and manifolds are the other main issues: the manifold failiures are unacceptable as this has been happening on various Ferrari V8 models for over 20 years now! Ball joints are just another area of the car that do not suit the inclement weather here in the UK - I wouldn't want to run one of these all year round
smithyithy said:
Ditto, it's so refreshing to read someone taking apart a car like this, doing work themselves, and thoroughly enjoying ownership.
Just shows that an enthusiast is always an enthusiast regardless of what they drive
Cheers Just shows that an enthusiast is always an enthusiast regardless of what they drive
johnfm said:
Great thread - but what's the point of replacing a clutch that hasn't yet exhibited signs of failure?
Unless clutch failure causes further damage to the drivetrain, why not just wait until it goes?
Thanks. 30k on the original clutch is seriously good going so I'll have to replace it at some point during my tenure anyway; I CBA with it going half way through the summer when I just want to get in and drive it, or even worse when on a big road trip somwhere, so I'm doing it now.Unless clutch failure causes further damage to the drivetrain, why not just wait until it goes?
C7 JFW said:
It's threads like this that give me confidence to have a go at the areas on my own cars (and inspire me) that I might otherwise shy away from.
Please, please persist with all of your projects & thank you ever so much for sharing it all with us.
But mostly, serious respect for taking tools to your own Ferrari - it's so good to see that people still remember cars are just nots, bolts, plastic, metal and fluids in essence.
Bravo.
Please, please persist with all of your projects & thank you ever so much for sharing it all with us.
But mostly, serious respect for taking tools to your own Ferrari - it's so good to see that people still remember cars are just nots, bolts, plastic, metal and fluids in essence.
Bravo.
Thanks! You’re quite right – they’re all mostly just nuts and bolts
Durzel said:
Great read. You must've saved yourself a small fortune doing those jobs yourself, and the fact you found a crack on manifolds that had previously been replaced must've been both a shock and a relief that you were already minded to replace them!
I wonder whether or not you'd put off potential purchasers by admitting to them that you've replaced the manifolds, etc yourself. Not that Ferrari themselves would necessarily be any better at it (the clutch fluid being a prime example of that, believing that because you're paying 3 times as much for a service that you're getting some kind of commensurately elite attention to detail is a fallacy imo), but I wonder.
Props for getting stuck in though!
Thank you. I just couldn't relax driving the car with the Ferrari manifolds. It felt like a ticking bomb.I wonder whether or not you'd put off potential purchasers by admitting to them that you've replaced the manifolds, etc yourself. Not that Ferrari themselves would necessarily be any better at it (the clutch fluid being a prime example of that, believing that because you're paying 3 times as much for a service that you're getting some kind of commensurately elite attention to detail is a fallacy imo), but I wonder.
Props for getting stuck in though!
I appreciate that my DIY will put off some buyers who couldn’t entertain the idea of anyone other than Ferrari working on their car, but conversely there will be savvy buyers out there who will see that I will maintain the car to a higher standard than one within the dealer network. I will certainly link to this thread in any advert I place, should I ever sell
My angle on onwership is based on a decision to write off the car as an asset, forgetting whatever equity I had in it thus liberating me to enjoy it without consideration of depreciation, mileage increase, or selection of a spec that I thought any future owners - rather than I - would prefer. It’s just way too much fun not to drive and make 'mine'.
C7 JFW said:
You've hit the nail on the head. It's also a little like people who own Bugattis and never drive them - you chose the best engineered car, swallow the hefty running costs/depreciation & then don't actually drive it? More man maths are required in this world.
Cheers, though I'm not totally free of guilt (M3 project) 
sealtt said:
Did you have any luck with the red roof? That just looks too good, you'd have to get it if it's doable. Let me know if you have any luck with a quote, I think the red roof would look pretty nice on my black 430 too!!!
It's on my list for next spring. I found two options:1) http://www.kbaggstrimming.co.uk/Gallery_Marque/Gal...
2) http://www.ebay.com/itm/110911432661?item=11091143... - confirmed they can make the roof in the OEM red material.
Option 1 is £3k made and fitted.
Option 2 with fitting by Ed Blasi at Dove House cars comes in a few hundred cheaper only if you avoid import taxes, which these days is unlikely.
I’m going for Option 1.
Shadow R1 said:
I think we should call it preventive maintenance, rather than modifying.
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