430 manifold / warranty / inspection

[240Cup]

Hi guys, looking to come back into the fold and have my eye on a private sale 2005 car that had a cracked manifold change under warranty in 2008 which I believe is when the old design was changed to avoid the ceramic issue that could be hoovered into the engine. Thing is, how do I tell if they simply put a replacement manifold on that was of the old design or if they used the newer design which is less catastrophic if it cracks?

if I decide to change it altogether, which supplier and how much am I in for?

Also Ferrari inspections I believe are either 3 hours labour or 6 hours labour - anyone any experience of what is involved in each, I'm advised the bigger one involves compression test.

Can no longer warranty this with Ferrari, any good aftermarket ones and if so which and for how much per annum?

Thanks v much

[johnnyreggae]

https://aldousvoice.com/2014/03/25/ferrari-f430-ex...

Lots more relevant info on this site

[ANOpax]

AFAIK, Ferrari did not change the manifold design so you will still have the risk of cat ingestion.

The best aftermarket ones are Capristo - about 5k fitted from memory. But you’ll also need to change the mounting of the back box as that’s what puts a strain on the manifold. If you want a proper F1 scream, put the Kline back box on as it has an X flow pipe built in. Sounds awesome.

[240Cup]

Just coming back to this as next purchase is imminent....manual car with approaching 30k miles and FFH.

Proposing to use a Ferrari main dealer for inspection and they want 6hours labour for it. For this I would expect a pretty thorough going over of the car - anyone had this done and any comments for or against?

I've also done a bit more reading up on the manifolds and read some comments that people 'undo the lower bracket and remove' which is supposed to give the exhaust some more freedom of movement - anyone done this?

[ANOpax]

240Cup said:

Just coming back to this as next purchase is imminent....manual car with approaching 30k miles and FFH.

Proposing to use a Ferrari main dealer for inspection and they want 6hours labour for it. For this I would expect a pretty thorough going over of the car - anyone had this done and any comments for or against?

I've also done a bit more reading up on the manifolds and read some comments that people 'undo the lower bracket and remove' which is supposed to give the exhaust some more freedom of movement - anyone done this?

Why would you use Ferrari to do the PPI when there are cheaper/better alternatives out there. You aren't planning to apply the New Power warranty so paying main dealer labour rates gets you zip - and possibly a less conscientious inspection.

Find a well reputed independent near you or the car and get them to do the PPI and servicing if you buy it.

In terms of the exhaust, you are still looking at cat ingestion if you leave the OEM manifolds on, regadless of whether you tinker with the back box mounting bracket or not. Undoing the lower bracket leaves the back box unsupported, (I think) - so the issue is that you face a choice of cracking because the weight of the box is unsupported or cracking because it's supported rigidly. At a bare minimum, there are alternative bracket designs out there which support the back box but with a degree of compliance so as not to stress the manifolds.

If you're buying a keeper, bite the bullet and budget 10k for capristo manifolds and a kline back box. If you're planning to flip after a year or two then maybe you can take a punt or at the minimum fit some pliant mounts. The question is; Do you feel lucky?

[240Cup]

Thanks for the reply ..it has got 15 years of unbroken Ferrari main dealer servicing (every year) so it will be staying within the network. I just think it would be a shame to break that record. I do get what you are saying about the inspection though - is there a Ferrari equivalent of the 'Peter Morgan' Porsche inspection?

Car is going to be at Maranello Egham to have some minor remedial work done on the suspension which was picked up on last service so I figured it would make sense to let them carry on and do the full inspection.

I've read shed loads on this manifold issue but are they really ticking (literally) time bombs? There must be more people running around with cars on standard manifolds than an aftermarket one and you don't hear many 'engine ruined' horror stories, or do you?

[ANOpax]

240Cup said:

Thanks for the reply ..it has got 15 years of unbroken Ferrari main dealer servicing (every year) so it will be staying within the network. I just think it would be a shame to break that record. I do get what you are saying about the inspection though - is there a Ferrari equivalent of the 'Peter Morgan' Porsche inspection?

Car is going to be at Maranello Egham to have some minor remedial work done on the suspension which was picked up on last service so I figured it would make sense to let them carry on and do the full inspection.

I've read shed loads on this manifold issue but are they really ticking (literally) time bombs? There must be more people running around with cars on standard manifolds than an aftermarket one and you don't hear many 'engine ruined' horror stories, or do you?

I can understand your desire to keep the Ferrari stamps in the log book but it’s getting to the stage where it’s going to be more of a curio than make any material difference to service quality or market value. You can keep the stamps going by negotiating the annual service with Egham and get any major work done (e.g. brakes, suspension refresh and manifolds) by the indies.

For the 360 and F430 inspections, the Peter Morgan equivalent has to be Aldous Voice if you’re in the M25 catchment area.

Regarding the manifolds, my (very well respected) indie told me that it’s a question of when, not if, they fail. And if you don’t spot the failure in time, you’re looking at cat disintegration and possible ingestion. Like the suspension ball joints, the OE parts are simply not up to the task. His advice was to budget for replacement when buying.