Ferrari 348 Clutch - Single or Double

From what I understand its a lot more work than just that and can be quite costly.

Do you know what exactly is wrong with the clutch? have you had it inspected? Is the flywheel ok?

There is a chance you could have your clutch resurfaced and that is a lot cheaper than replacing it. I'm no expert mechanic, but since the clutch on my 348 is my biggest problem in life, I know a little about it.

 

Welcome to FerrariChat Justin.

You probably cant source the flywheel for the single plate 348 clutches anymore. And even if you did..........you would have a heart attack when you see the price of it Justin.

Have both your clutch plates re-surfaced. Its a cheap way to get you back on the road.

There is no real proof of the single clutch being any better or lasting longer than the dual clutch. It all comes back to the way you drive the car.

 

I was told that the flyweel for a single clutch is unobtanium, and even if available the cost is well over $2500 IFIC

 

Good man, its the way to go.

Sounds about right Mike.

 

Single clutch was the last iteration of the 348 unit. Doubles came in 1989 with the first 348's. It is the singles that are available and the doubles that if any are disappearing. One thing that keeps flywheels healthy is to stick to organic plates. The plates are cheap and still last forever. In a low horsepower and low torque 348 nothing can be gained with kevlar plates. The single was always considered an upgrade. To me however the single is a downgrade. Also remember that a flywheel can be resurfaced and refaced with various surfaces like brass. So even if your flywheel is toast it really is not. I'm pretty sure I could get 1,000,000 miles out of one.

 

Both single and double disc clutches are widely available. The flywheel on the other hand is a big problem. Double disc flywheels still exist, but the single disc ones are basically extinct.

Word! (or is that expression dated?) I meant to say A+ !

 

The 348 ran from 1989-1994. Does Ferrari realize they started changing to single plate clutch and flywheel in 1991? Do they also realize they converted many double units to singles of the 1989-1991 cars? Only Ferrari can explain why there are no single flywheels. Anyway if your flywheel is not cracked I know it can be refaced (different from resurfaced ground). In other words forget Ferrari you never really need a single plate flywheel anyway.

 

Fictitious numbers:

Imagine 1000 double disc flywheels were made for 500 manufactured cars. (89-91)
Then imagine 1000 single disc flywheels where made for 500 manufactured cars. (92-94)

Now, imagine 400 single disc cars needed a new flywheel during the past 15 years for whatever reason. Finally, lets say that 101 people with double disc cars wanted to convert to a single disc. Voila!


I can't possibly explain their replenishment logic. I live with it daily, and I must say, it baffles me daily.

 

I don't believe anyone else can either

 

But hey, the single disc replacement is less SPEEENSIVE

 

How can I tell if my March 1991 348 has a single or double fly wheel? Any help much appreciated.

 

If you really want to make sure, take off the inspection plate on the bottom of the housing and you can see the clutch plates. If you need take a photo and post it here and we can validate it for you.

 

The 348 SPC indicates that engine SN 24980 and before is double-disk and engine SN 24981 and after is single-disk (you should review SPC pages 21 and 21A) -- but Cristof's suggestion is best as it may have already been mucked with .

 

Thank Christof & Steve. I'm a beginner DIYer and want to avoid removing the inspection plate. Hence, is there a sticker that shows the engine number? Or is there some way of cross referencing a Ferrari database with my VIN?

 

The 348 engine family and engine serial number are shown here (see your 348 OM Section A):

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The F... is the engine family.
The number between the "stars" is the engine serial number.