Sounds like you've tried the Redline trick already to no avail. Perhaps look at your linkage - make sure there isn't a lot of slop and the linkage is adjusted and set up properly. Worn linkage issues are a frequent cause of shifting problems. There's the right way to sort out your linkage and then there's also the wrong way. Both my 3.2 mondial and my 308 had poor shifting when purchased and both had obviously had some hack trying to muck around with it - for example, both looked like about a quart of motor oil had been poured down the shifter gate, presumably to "free up" the mechanism. For the love of god, would the hacks please not take matters into their own (inept) hands. Sorry, I digress....do a search here and you'll find a couple of good threads dealing with common linkage issues in the 3X8 series. Good luck!
Assuming you are referring to me, I had it checked out extensively when I first got her by a top flight mechanic IMHO, who said it operates perfectly and kind of looked at me cockeyed. Other Ferrari owners have made the same comment, as did Phil T. drive when I first got her. At this point, I think the notchiness has more to do with my expectations of how the transmission WOULD feel vs. the reality that a 22 year old transmission is not as well designed as a modern BMW. Thanks for your suggestion, nonetheless. The next time I am at Algar, I'll have them check it out once again.
I was told by another 308 owner that the problem is termination that the 2nd gear linkage is shifting into. If it is full of cold oil its like trying to shove a hydraulic ram into something that has no outlet (and the oil doesn't squeese out around the linkage real easy when cold). During his engine rebuild he found the solution to be drilling a certain hole in a certain place to create a drain. There is a thread here somewhere where he gives the exact directions on how to achieve this. I haven't looked it up yet (not until my next major service). Understanding this as the issue...when i'm done from a drive, I clear the gears after turning off the engine so that the oil doesn't build up in the linkage pocket. Has worked great the last 2 weeks. Goes in much easier than before (1-2 mile warmup of gear box before).
What do you mean by 'clear the gears'? Shifting the gears with engine off? I'd like to give it a try.
Mine is OK (I voted usable very quickly). I usually just go from 1st to 3rd for the first couple blocks, but I don't really need to. Just an old habit from an old alfa guy... Dom
Were many of these cars actually like this new? Dealers had to tell people that the car could not engage second gear until the oil temp came up? That seems pretty crazy!
I found this problem years ago and when I tore my trans down to fix the synchros, the problem was obvious. When the shift into second gear is made, the shift shaft goes into a pocket in the end cover. When your lube is cold and thick you have to hydraulic all that oil back out the clearance between the shaft and the pocket. Mine was all torn apart so drilling the hole was no issue. Later, some of the (older, bolder) gents found they could do the same thing by drilling from the exterior into the pocket then through the other interior wall. They then threaded and plugged the outer portion of the hole. There is an old thread on this, sorry I don't seem to be able to find it. Some of the old timers will be able to chime in and point us to it for sure. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Thanks Rick. Very helpful. By clear the gears, I mean shift through them (at least 2nd) to push out any oil that is sitting in that pocket. Easy to see with the above pic. May not take care of all of it but it allows you to shift in from a cold start.
Thanks Johndahl and ramosel for the explanation. You've made it quite clear. It also sounds like the degree of difficulty can also be a combination of clearances. All machined parts are specified to be within a range of values. If one part is in the upper range of the spec while the other is in the lower range of the spec, that can account for the differences in shifting effort.
I am the old timer that posted that hole drilling thread article. I'll dig it up and scan it back in.
No kidding. Spider and Milano where brutal. EX-wife completely demolished the synchro on the spider. Maybe that's why I'm so careful with 2nd on the Ferrari.
When I got my 328, literally only a couple of months ago, the 2nd gear was tough as heck, even in when warm. When I bought the car to a few well know mechanics in the area, some said an adjustment was needed, others said it's fine. Now it's getting a major and a tranny shift boot with adjustment done, I'm getting it back soon and was told it's "much better" than before. So you'll probably get different opinions from different people. But I have to agree with you on the shifting "like hot knife thru butter" bit...there's no way in hell unless you've never driven a german or japanese car. My Acura shifts better than the BMW and both are light years ahead of the Ferrari. Ace
Redline helps but not on either car to the exten to 'fix' it: Perhaps my bay area is just too cold....SF Fog and all. As a matter of practice, it is only when first used, UNLESS the temp is very warm > 80F external temp. As I use them as daily drivers, I just do the ol' odd-shift pattern [ya' know, 1-3-+ ] for a few miles and good to go. Rik
I've read that thread, just last week: seems the verdict = didn't fix the problem. Might if your temp. is on the cusp of needing that extra space, but in my neck of the North Bay Area, where temps even as last week were near the 35F-40F range in the mornings, it probably truly guessing = no difference. IF you are in warmer spot, that extra hole may have some help. r
I test drove 6 328's before buying my 328 last year and 4 of them wouldn't go into 2'nd gear after a 20 minute warm up!...1st to 3rd baby ....my 87 effortlessly goes into 2'nd gear after a 10 minute warm up
I've never had a problem with 2nd gear (knock wood) even when cold. I guess it is my favorite to wind out the RPM's before hitting 3rd and gets a lot of attention when leaving redlights and stopsigns.
I'm 70 miles due east of you... weather not that different. I was advised to try Swepco 201 and it did help some, but still bothersome. I tore it down to do the sychros but was talked out of it when the trans guy saw the parts. I drilled the hole and no more problems, hot or cold. Different jury, different verdict counselor. Rick
I have found that with normal driving I let my 328 warm up then when I shift i get the revs above 4000. Then when I shift I match the revs and it goes in very smoothly. I think the key is getting the revs close to the next higher gear taking the strain off the syncros. This is the enjoyment of "mastering" the Ferrari driving experience lost with the paddle shifters. When I drove the 430 it was awesome but did not require mastering the nuances of the earlier cars. Not that I would say no to a 430 but for bang for the buck I find it hard to beat the earlier cars.
I baby the car for the first few blocks, and "test" second without forcing it, but just go to 3rd if it doesn't want to engage 2nd. After around 3 blocks, it will engage, but not quickly. I like to slowly go through 1st to 2nd to 3rd to get the gears used to the routine. At around 20 mins, the shifting is completely warm. I've had several BMWs and found my Z3 was the easiest manual I ever owned. It was a joy and fun to drive with the tips of my first and second fingers playfully nudging the shifter through the gears with no effort in a fun sorta way. So, I was very surprised to go from that playful way of driving to experiencing shifting the 308.
I understand matching revs on a downshift but I still can't figure out matching revs on the up shift. Could you describe your technique? Are you saying 4000 rpm is a good place to shift into second gear? I think I might resort to Joe's method of using 1st gear during my neighborhood taxiing to the highway. -F
I never had a problem shifting into 2nd on my 328 even engine was still cold but I live in California.
Mine still needs about 10mins to warm up before you can use 2nd. I modified my end plate with a drill hole to prevent any hydralic lock of the selector shaft, this had no effect at all. Redline 75W90 GB oil made the shift a little smoother when warm but did not improve the 2nd when cold issue. Some have used Redline NS and have claimed good results.
I am not sure what the previous owner of my 348 used, but it was very difficult and sometimes impossible to get it into second for the first 5 or 10 minutes of driving. I changed to Redline 75W90NS about 6 weeks ago and I noticed a very big improvement. Now it goes into second gear when cold, although not perfectly smooth, but after about 5 minutes it is smooth as silk. There is a thread in the 348/355 section not posted not too long ago if you wish to look it up and see what others had to say. I have also heard other members who use Redline Superlight Shockproof and they said they can shift into second even when still cold very smoothly.
