| Author | Message | ||
| Carm Scaffidi (Cavlino)
New member Username: Cavlino Post Number: 8 Registered: 3-2002 |
Please do keep the posts coming :-) and thank you everyone for the great information. I am definitely going to have my car looked at based on your service suggestions and I will most certainly update you with the results. | ||
| Paul Hill (348paul)
Member Username: 348paul Post Number: 273 Registered: 12-2002 |
The cables on both ends have a clevis and locknut. The minimum amount of adjustment is half a turn. I have found that if you are even half a turn out in either direction on the clevises, it make the shifting feel far less than optimum. Didn�t the 360 go back to a cable shift? �anyone? We had a write up on our shift gate - for those who are interested here is the link. www.hill-engineering.co.uk/ferrari-slickshiftgatereview.htm Paul | ||
| billy bob (Fatbillybob)
Member Username: Fatbillybob Post Number: 275 Registered: 8-2002 |
adjust your cables. 348's shift crisp if you know how to adjust. Problems come with any car that has had a sloppy major service done. Most wrenchs just screw the cables back in. You either have to be very careful in disassmbly or readjust the shifter. the 348 355 360 all have the horth south orientation of the shifter. I have owned or had 308/mondial/348 they all shift the same and are highly subject to types of fluids in the gearbox. When doing modifications you really have to ask yourself if you can do it better than Ferrari. There is a big difference shifting slow on the way to the supermarket and pounding your gearbox on the track. Ferrari selects lots of compromises' Which ones will you select? | ||
| Mitch Alsup (Mitch_alsup)
Member Username: Mitch_alsup Post Number: 707 Registered: 4-2002 |
"the tranny is mounted transversely in the 348, rather than in line with the engine as in the 355" The F355 transmission is also transverse. It is a 6 speed version of the 5-speed found in the F348 with a fix for the shifter linkage. The F360 went back to a longitudinal transmission. | ||
| Charles Barton (Airbarton)
Member Username: Airbarton Post Number: 527 Registered: 11-2002 |
That's correct John. The adjustment I am talking about is directly under the shifter. Tim is also correct about the tranny. That is why the cable goes to a translator at the transmission. That is also what causes a lot of the friction in the mechanism and the reason it is important to keep it properly greased and adjusted. | ||
| john beaucher (Spider348)
Junior Member Username: Spider348 Post Number: 67 Registered: 11-2002 |
If I recall correctly, the 2 cables attach to a yoke, this is the adjustment location Charles references. The yoke is then mechanically attached to a rod. The force initiated by the cables turns and pulls this rod to changes gears. The rod action is similar to a 308 or Porsche action at that point. If the rod connection on a 355 is located at the same datum, the connection should be similar. Assuming the rods movements in the 348 and the 355 mirror each other, the 355 shifter will function. All theory of course, and sitting here at work, without any reference material, probably all wrong. | ||
| Tim N (Timn88)
Advanced Member Username: Timn88 Post Number: 3109 Registered: 6-2001 |
the tranny is mounted transversely in the 348, rather than in line with the engine as in the 355. This is most likely why they used cables instead of rods. | ||
| Charles Barton (Airbarton)
Member Username: Airbarton Post Number: 525 Registered: 11-2002 |
When I first got my 348 I had the same issues everyone is talking about so I decided to do something about it. I put the car up on jack stands and crawled underneath, removed the access panel under the shifter and discovered that the cables were adjustable. As it turns out with a little trial and error the shifter can be made to shift quite well. My car shifts just fine now. The adjustment needs to be done every 6 months or so, and you have to keep the mechanism well greased with wheel bearing grease to keep it shifting good. Believe me this will make a big difference in how the car shifts. One other thing was the addition of the Slick Shift Gate. Though the difference between the two gates is minor. | ||
| john beaucher (Spider348)
Junior Member Username: Spider348 Post Number: 66 Registered: 11-2002 |
I find this suggestion very intriguing. My 348 spider actually shifts fine. I read the various reviews of this model and admit I was a bit cautious. After adjusting the cables and linkage, my Ferrari shifts clean and sure. That said, there is always room for improvement. The 355 shift assembly design appears to be superior to the push/ pull cable 348 system. I am not familiar with the 355 but if the housing assembly mounts in the same location and the final coupling at the transmission housing is the same the modification is straightforward. The cost would be in locating and purchasing a suitable 355 shift assembly. There must be other complications or someone surely would have performed this modification. Do the 348 competition/track owners run the stock shift assembly? | ||
| Jens Haller (Jh280774)
Member Username: Jh280774 Post Number: 721 Registered: 9-2001 |
Dave, At least it makes it a unique car!  I just see it as an extravagant design for an extravagant car! Not everybody can drive the car perfectly with this shifting! I try to convince myself to see this as an advantage... Con saluti cordialissimi, Jens Haller | ||
| Dave Penhale (Dapper)
Member Username: Dapper Post Number: 684 Registered: 4-2002 |
..and in addition to Jens suggestions there is a 'debated' improvement to be had by changing the tranny oil. My own view is the 348 changer system design sucks period! regardless of optimised adjustment and oil in use and modified shifter gate plate. I just live with it, but to me its the worst part of driving a 348. | ||
| Jens Haller (Jh280774)
Member Username: Jh280774 Post Number: 719 Registered: 9-2001 |
Carm, I have never heard of such conversion! Sounds rather complicated and expensive to me, too! If you should have problems with shifting you can let your cables be recalibrated or checked and additionally install this "slick shift gate" from our sponsor P.Hill. These two measures should greatly increase the ability to shift with the 348. Con saluti cordialissimi, Jens Haller P.S I agree with you about your last comment | ||
| Carm Scaffidi (Cavlino)
New member Username: Cavlino Post Number: 7 Registered: 3-2002 |
Anybody thought of investigating if there is anyway to modify the 348 shifter configuration from a push-pull cable system to a shaft system like the 328 and 355? I had a 328 before and I miss the precise shifting it had compared to the 348. That is the only thing I miss though, the 348 is allot more fun in all other areas :-) |