The dreaded 348 clutch shaft

Your clutchshaft is a result of the loose ringnut. The problem is factory assembly. None that I have rebuilt or raced have come apart again but I don't follow ferrari assembly. I think I have welded the largest number of these and they all worked. It is a good kludge when you don't want to spend 1000's to do a proper rebuild. But please don't stick the next guy with it unless you inform him...be nice. There are reasons that I think mig is better than tig welding here. I have done both and have both welder types. There are some who have tried to tig the shaft and warped it. You need to weld it crisscross patterns like properly torquing your head. You are best getting about 50% pentration on the thin metal and bulking the bead. Those methods lend well to mig in my hands. TIG lends itself to a more elegant bead roll of dimes look and many start a bead and follow it right around the circle which warps the shaft.

 

You have been advised by the master and foremost expert on this subject AND 348 gearboxes in general! ^^

My clutch shaft was welded by someone other than FBB many years ago, and apparently because it was TIG welded, or possibly too much heat was used, my shaft eventually broke cleanly in half under the gear.
The aforementioned portly gentleman is largely responsible for my car being on the road today! So, either spend the money to replace the clutch shaft with the updated one for a 355, or follow his directions meticulously!

For the record, I was informed by the seller of this repair being done when I bought the car, but neither of us knew at that time, that the shaft was already broken! I drove the car for 3 years WITH the broken shaft, and who knows how long the previous owner drove with it like that.