355 gear lever vibration

A search of posts assures me that a rattle from the lever, vibrating in the metal gate, is not an uncommon feature in the 355. In my case it is mild, but getting progressively more annoying. f355spider mentions in a post dating from 2005 that the part concerned is silentblock #139555 but that there is also an adjustment process (and possibly an updated part). I would be grateful for information on how I can eliminate the fault, particularly how to perform the adjustment.
Thanks in advance,
Ron Brown

 

Hi No Doubt, Terry, gothspeed (and 285ferrari for his F1 "input"!)

Many thanks for such clear and concise advice; your combined knowledge is a perfect fit. Very fortunate for me that Terry took a pic of all the parts laid out a white cloth! Lovely job. Looks like I only have to order the two parts - from my manual #5 on the diagram is part no. 154745 and #10 is part no. 127446? Should I also order the two identical gaskets (seals?) shown as #26, part no. 145773?
I suppose that all the non F1 cars are identical in this area but, for info, my car was manufactured in the middle of 1997.
I now only need to be re-assured that my working on these outside gearbox controls will not result in gear selection problems (my gears select beautifully) - I presume that this work will only tighten up the mechanism and gear selection is governed by other parts (?).

Sincere thanks again for this knowledge transfer.

Ron

 

Thanks Terry for the additional pics and the very valuable detail on method of dis-assembly. Makes all the difference when one is warned of what can happen and one is told the order to dis-assemble to avoid damage.
I will be doing the job in a couple of week's time and I will update the post to close the thread out - at least for the time being.
I am beginning to realise that the most valuable tool available to me is the ferrarichat forum!

 

Yeah, we do talk a bit funny over here. I'll let you know when I have stopped tearing things down, changing things out etc.

 

Job done. Thanks to all. Replaced items 4,5,6 and 10 for completeness, but in my case, it was only item 10 (ball joint seat) which showed any wear. This seat supports a vertical as well as a horizontal motion (i.e. it slides up and down a bit inside the bore of the transmission rod item 9).
The cost of these parts is minor compared with many others, but it's worthwhile pointing out that the combined cost of the ball and its dowel pin (items 4 and 5) is 10 times that of the plastic ball housing (#6) + the plastic ball seat (#10). IMHO, the ball will never wear, only become polished as it "runs in" with use; same applies to the ball end of the gear lever (#2) which sits in the seat item 10. There was no discernable wear in the bushes (items #27). In my case, changing ONLY item #10 would have had the same effect there would have been no fiddling with circlips, detent plungers and hard-to-remove-without- breaking-the-plastic-housing dowel pin. Easy in retrovision mode but might be useful for others.
Net result for me (when driving the car) is that the gear lever vibrates less than before in the metal gear gate, BUT since the lever does not sit central in some of the gear slots (same space one each side of the lever) I can still make it sizzle on heavy over-run.
Since I am clearly paranoid, I COULD slot the 4 mounting holes and/or mill out the slots in the gear selector plate (#17) or fit a louder exhaust or wait until I go deaf. Slightly more seriously, I suppose that the lateral position of the gear lever in each of the slots in the gear selection plate is determined by the selection mechanism in the gearbox, transmitted through the control rods, linked by their couplings; the role of the plate seen by the driver merely aids the selection process and let's him (or her!) verify which gear is in use.........and reminds the driver that he/she is in a Ferrari.......
In short, I will have to live with the sizzle.......................or must I?

 

Thanks for that - my manual shows two variants for the "rear control bar". From your picture, you clearly have the first solution. Don't know what I've got, but I will certainly be having a look this weekend. Looks like I can, as you say, rotate things to position the gear lever in the gates. Makes sense, as they must have some way of setting things up at the factory. Why did I not take the third tray off the underside when I was at it..................................

 

Yes sir. I am certainly doing things in reverse order!

 

Adjusted as advised to give optimum positions of lever in the gate. Silly me. Learning every day. Thanks to all.
Ron

 

Yes. With the replacement of parts already described and the adjustment made such that the lever is centralised when in the slots for 3rd and fourth gear, there is no more sizzle and I'm a happy man. The "bar buffer" (item #44) - the shock reducing sandwich was like new. Enjoyed a vibration free run in the sunshine this morning giving as much overrun as would dare in the upper gears - 7500rpm is enough for me. Funny how the car looks even more beautiful than before....................