| Author | Message | ||
| Paul Hill (348paul)
New member Username: 348paul Post Number: 8 Registered: 12-2002 |
The reverse stop also tends to wear away right on the very top. They are only case hardened and once you are through that it wears away like no ones business!  | ||
| Jordan Witherspoon (Jordan747_400)
Junior Member Username: Jordan747_400 Post Number: 104 Registered: 12-2002 |
Thanks for the information guys, I understand now! | ||
| Mike Charness (Mcharness)
Junior Member Username: Mcharness Post Number: 151 Registered: 8-2002 |
If your 308 or 328 doesn't require you to press down to get it into reverse, your SHIFT GATE is probably turned 180 degrees the wrong way. Take out the two screws, rotate it around, and screw it back in. You'll probably find that the extra metal piece is now where it belongs. | ||
| Bryan Phillips (Bryanp)
New member Username: Bryanp Post Number: 33 Registered: 8-2002 |
check out the "shoptalk" column on p.32 of the February Forza - all about the fine points of manual shifting in a Ferrari; new and old. | ||
| Dr. I. M. Ibrahim (Coachi)
Junior Member Username: Coachi Post Number: 168 Registered: 5-2002 |
i have never had any problems with the pattern on a ferrari... only hate the transmissions of these cars...shifting is not quick and second gear in most cars is difficult especially when car is cold. I also own a 90 corvette ZR1...though by no stretch of the imagination a Ferrari, it has a smooth as silk six speed transmission...why couldn't ferrari imitate that? I guess it they did it wouldn't be a ferrari... | ||
| Matt Lemus (Mlemus)
Intermediate Member Username: Mlemus Post Number: 1222 Registered: 8-2002 |
Jordan, To reverse the 308, you have to push the stick down and forward to get it in reverse gear. No sure about the other models. It is to prevent the driver from putting it in reverse by accident. Which brings up another point. It took me about 3 weeks to get use to the reverse in the "usual" 1st gear slot. Everytime I would want 1st I kept hitting the reverse lockout. Good thing. Now when I get in a standard car, I start off in 2nd. | ||
| Steve Magnusson (91tr)
Intermediate Member Username: 91tr Post Number: 1287 Registered: 1-2001 |
The up/down motion of the shift lever for the reverse lock-out gets sticky over time and in normal use there's often down pressure applied fairly constantly to the mechanism so it tends to remain in the down position. If your reverse lock-out doesn't seem to be working try pulling up on the shift lever -- it should move about 10~12 mm from full up to full down (although it's a "problem" that can be easily ignored). | ||
| joe saldana (Ironjoe)
Junior Member Username: Ironjoe Post Number: 142 Registered: 12-2001 |
Jordan,Throw it in 2nd or 1st before reverse for a sec,let it mixmaster a little lube, makes for a good smoothie shift.Hold the grind..... | ||
| Craig Dewey (Craigfl)
Member Username: Craigfl Post Number: 516 Registered: 1-2001 |
If you look thru the slots in the gate, you will see a small square piece of metal welded to the shift rod and a corresponding piece welded to the underside of the gate in the reverse position. Supposedly, the only way to engage reverse is to push down on the knob(it's on a spring) to clear these two metal pieces and get it in reverse. In order for this to actually work properly, you would have to align all these parts and have a working spring to hold the shaft in the upward position. Mine isn't and I suspect most aren't either. | ||
| Jordan Witherspoon (Jordan747_400)
Junior Member Username: Jordan747_400 Post Number: 103 Registered: 12-2002 |
Hm...thats odd. Ive never heard of that before. Is this on any specefic models of F-cars or just random cars as a weird quirk? | ||
| Tillman Strahan (Tillman)
Member Username: Tillman Post Number: 276 Registered: 11-2001 |
Apparently in some cars there's a detent for reverse that requires some downward pressure (in addition to forward) on the stick to go into the slot. Mine doesn't seem to require this. | ||
| Jordan Witherspoon (Jordan747_400)
Junior Member Username: Jordan747_400 Post Number: 102 Registered: 12-2002 |
Hey Pete, thanks for the reply, but what do you mean by press the stick down for reverse? Isn't there a slot for it in the gated box? Sorry Im a little slow  | ||
| '75 308 GT4 (Peter)
Intermediate Member Username: Peter Post Number: 2355 Registered: 12-2000 |
Jordan, remember to PRESS the stick-shift down to engage reverse. Other than that, you'll find its EASIER to shift a Ferrari than any other car (not in effort, but the gate makes it stupid-simple to select the proper gear. If you miss a shift in a Ferrari, you're retarded...). | ||
| Jordan Witherspoon (Jordan747_400)
Junior Member Username: Jordan747_400 Post Number: 101 Registered: 12-2002 |
Thanks for the replies guys! I can now sleep in peace Now the only problem is finding a car to test drive, the black 328GTB might not work out anymore...the seller has a couple people lined up with offers so he might not take it out with me. | ||
| DES (Sickspeed)
Member Username: Sickspeed Post Number: 789 Registered: 8-2002 |
Jordan, i was recently wondering the same thing, thanks for asking... If what Magoo is saying is true, great... then i'll look forward to my first drive a little less nervous, but how about downshifting...? (i'm not into slowing down ) | ||
| Jeff B. (Miltonian)
New member Username: Miltonian Post Number: 25 Registered: 12-2002 |
Jordan - That's not a silly question at all. Just look at all the magazine articles that moan and groan about how hard it is to shift Ferraris! I was really worried before my first test drive. The salesman took me out in the car (a 348) and he was HOPELESS with it. Grinding, stuck in neutral between gears, apologizing for it. I hopped in and had no trouble with it at all. Of course you should be careful not to force the box too hard when it is cold, but there isn't any real trick to shifting the F-car. Sure, it requires more effort than most other cars, but it isn't anywhere near as bad as "Car and Driver" would have you think. Things to think about? Well, you do have to remember that the shift pattern is different than most other cars (first to the far left and down). The lever tends to move directly front to back rather than pivoting at the base, if you can picture what I mean. There is strong spring centering into the 2nd/3rd gate. Speaking of the gate, you never notice it. And I have no idea why the magazines say the lever "clangs" into gear, that's silly. You may not shift like an expert the first time you try a Ferrari, but an obvious enthusiast like yourself will master it easily. | ||
| magoo (Magoo)
Advanced Member Username: Magoo Post Number: 3943 Registered: 2-2001 |
Jordan you should have no problem in going from one manual shift trans to a Ferrari trans. Depending on which model you choose like the older 308s without a slave cyl. on the clutch makes for a very strong clutch pedal. Most of them are a little cranky getting them into gear until they are throughly warmed up. The shift is a little more choppy than other cars but as you get used to it you learn it is the nature of the transmission. | ||
| Jordan Witherspoon (Jordan747_400)
Junior Member Username: Jordan747_400 Post Number: 100 Registered: 12-2002 |
Another silly question...Ive got a million of em I'm pretty good on a regular car with a manual transmission, but is a Ferrari different in any way? What sort of things should I be careful of or think about when shifting in an F-car? Coming from a regular manual transmission car, would I be ok driving an F-car for the first time when I ever get to drive one? |