Newbie with Odd 348 Question

TOTALLY normal in virtually all the 3x8 cars. My 328 GTS never sees 2nd gear
until the gear box is fully heated. Nothing to worry about.

A MUCH more serious question: When were the timing belts last changed? Does the seller
have documentation? THAT'S a time bomb waiting if it's not been done in the last 3-5 years...
along with all the other "Major Service" items - tensioners, water pump, critical hoses, etc.
It's an "engine out" service on a 348 and can run $5,000 up to $10,000 every 3-5 years, and is a MUST DO.

Welcome to F-Chat!

Jedi

 

Don't scare the poor guy off.

Jedi made a good point that documented recent maintenance can affect the price quite a bit. A 348 is a great car (mine shifts like crap when it's cold just like the rest) but you need to have "eyes open" regarding the cost to own.

The 348/355 forum here is a treasure trove of information on these cars. Spend some time looking at threads there before you spend any money on a car.

 

Sorry... but it IS serious stuff, not to be taken lightly.



Jedi

 

It's typical for the 2nd gear in a 348 to be hard to get in gear when it's cold. If I have to shift into 2nd when it's cold I'll get the rpms above 4500 then double clutch it. It has to be something with the design of the syncros for 2nd gear, or the oil specs the factory recommends.

A lot of people switch to Redline gear oil and that seems to help the 2nd gear shifting problem.

 

+1 on the Redline oil fix for 2nd gear. Surprising the cure isn't more well known.

 

Redline was a huge help, but even then I still do the 1st to 3rd thing for the first 5 or 10 minutes of driving. Once I see that temp needle start to move, then all seems to work as it should.

I guess I just trying to reinforce what everyone else is saying: completely normal behavior for the model.

 

A 'stiff" second gear is a Ferrari tradition going back decades....but it shouldn't take that long for the gear lube to warm and improve shifting.....

Good luck and continue reading threads!!

 

Because I'm SPONSORED by ROYAL PURPLE!!!


Wacka wacka wacka.........

 

Welcome to the Forum Mike

As other have said nothing to worry about, mine was the same until I replaced the oil, have a read of my Thread below and good luck with your purchase

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=101885&page=8

 

+1 Welcome, replace with Redline transmission shockproof improves it dramatically.

 

Just a 4th or 5th chiming in that it is perfectly normal. I also agree, strongly, that you use Redline gear oil.

Welcome, and good luck in your search.

 

Why does it cost so much to do a Ferrari cam belt service in the USA?

I've heard this $5,000-10,000 cost estimate before. I have a Mondial t and the quotes from Independent Ferrari specialists in the UK are circa £1500 (approx $2300) for the full engine out belt service including all parts, plus it includes tappet check/adjustment.

The annual service is £500 (approx $750) including parts.

 

The parts alone for an engine out on a 348 is $1,500 from Ricambi. Add 3 days of labor to that, $2500, and you get $4,000. Anything else is extra. Some shops charge for rags, cleaning materials, disposal fees, shipping fees for parts, and extra mark up for parts, water pump is extra, oil, AC recharge, coolant are all extras. You get to $5K very quick.

May be mechanics in the US are more expensive, I don't know.

 

I had a 1990 348ts for the last 16 years and live in Los Angeles. I never experienced anything like what the seller is saying. Going from first to second is the same if the engine is cold or warm. I am in the process of selling the car as I just purchased a 360. Loved the 348. It is now 21 years old and most people who see it think it is new. Best of luck

 

You are one of "the few, the proud, the ones who can shift to 2nd while cold"

 

WHO does it is also a factor. My 328 was $4400 or so for the Major (engine stays in the car).
But I also had a rebuilt waterpump done, and all critical hoses (anything with pressure or
gas in it!) replaced - which added another $1000 or so. But this was with IMO, one of
the best F-wrenches in the country - Carlo Durante, who was a pit mechanic for both
Ferrari and Lotus in the early 60s in Formula One. So I suspect his rates might be
a tad higher than other places might be. He's told me a typical 348 similar full Major
would run close to $10k to have the same stuff done because of the "engine out" bit.
But different regions & different mechanics are a HUGE factor in the variation.

Jedi

 

Uh oh, mine shifts perfectly from 1st to 2nd when cold... I better go have it checked out.

Hey Mitchell, did you get your 348 yet???

 

In North Texas, a 348 major service (without water pump), done by a reputable shop, will cost you at least $6000. I had a few "surprises"; ended up around $8200. ...And that was back in 2010, when $8200 was a lot of money.

Seriously Mike, from what I *hear* on this board, the cost for a 348 major is much lower in SoCal.

 

LOL!

 

LOL! You actually CAN do it with even a minor amount of mechanical sympathy.......

I think it's one of those things some owners "convince themselves" is the case and becomes legend and lore...

 

I like that expression... fits the situation quite nicely

yes, I CAN do it with a minor amount of the above. But it's such a little thing that
doing 1st > 3rd for 5 or 10 minutes just isn't any big deal - where I live, I actually
just shift once to 3rd and just drive - I can go pretty far without needing to shift
again, regardless of heat in the gears. 3rd gear in a 328 is almost like having an
auto transmission.... my favorite gear actually

"mechanical sympathy"... love it!

Jedi

 

It was a phrase often used to describe the driving of Phil Hill.

While others would drive the cars into the ground, point of failure, Phil would adjust his inputs to the problem and continue on, to finish.

He's not using it any more so I will.......

 

The snow in Texas is preventing me from completing the transaction, but it is going to happen. Thanks for your help Jarrett.