Ferrari Mailing List: Re: Timing Belt Parts Mystery - Calling Brian,

[Peter Rychel (dino308gt4]

I got both of your emails Rob, so I’ll just put this reply to the ‘List. I would appreciate some clarification too and I’m leaning more on the side that they sent you the wrong set of belts. More than likely, these are for the four-valve cars as the angle between camshafts were shallower than the two valve cars – ie: the camshafts are closer to each other on the QV engines than our old mills. Five less teeth is a considerable amount of difference.

 

Don’t put these on the engine and send them back. Tell them to examine their stock, sort them out properly and send you a set that has “101” written on them. I receive wrong parts on many of my orders, regardless from who. This is nothing, you should see the gong-show at my workplace... That, plus COVID delays on top, it’s a wonder we can keep the doors open.

 

Peter

 

Sent from Mail for Windows

 

 

From: Robert Garven
Sent: November 22, 2021 9:12 PM
To: PeterGT4
Cc: The FerrariList
Subject: [Ferrari] Timing Belt Parts Mystery - Calling Brian,

 

Friends,

 

I am doing a long overdue major service on my 75 308 GT4, and I have a mystery I think only Brian can solve.

 

First off a caveat, I order almost all my parts from Brian because he's my friend and has been for many years, but I ordered a set of tensioner bearings and timing belts from Ricambi America, because 10 years ago when I did my timing belt service they sent me a set of  fancyHill tensioner bearings for free. I'm not sure if you remember that time, but me and Peter were going back-and-forth about tensioner bearings, because some of them seem to have be made in China and they were failing prematurely, and were very shoddily made. Hence Hill Engineering in England started producing some pretty amazing heavy duty bearing for the 308. I always try to do what's fair and honest, so when I needed to buy a new set of tensioner bearings I bought them from Ricambi plus a set of belts, to repay the favor.

 

Everything's been going pretty smoothly but when I went to examine the new belts compared to my old ones I noticed they seemed a bit smaller. I counted the teeth and the new belts have 96 teeth, and the ones I took off my car had 101 teeth!!! Since I have been only person that does maintenance on my car for the last 27 years, I hang all my used timing belts on the wall like trophies, and all of them had 101 teeth also.

 

My question for Brian is what Ferrari model uses this belt with 96 teeth. One of my Ferrari tech friends said maybe these are the new belts frm Ferrari, but that can't be, as it is hard to get the 101 teeth belts on as it is, so I cant imagine Ferrari changing a part that is so critical. I am hoping Brian knows what is going on here, to solve my problem and so I can speak intelligently to the parts guys at Ricambi.  Also is there any secret date stamp on these belts and how do you read them????

 

I am not an engineer or a scientist like some on the list, but you could not swap out an engine pulley with one with fewer teeth and have the car run, so likewise you can't replace a belt with 101 teeth  with one 96 and expect the engine to function.

 

Dazed and Confused,

 

Rob

 

I think I self solved this noticing the Ferrari parts number on the Ferrari stamped belts see my last photo…..If I put an F40 belt on my GT4 will it increase the performance! haaaa

 

Here are some pictures below:

 

New belts 096 R 254

 

 

 

Belts I removed 101 R 254

 

 

Previous belts 101 R 254

 

 

Hill bearings

 

 

Mystery solved