360 SamCrac showing how easy the manual swap is…

A bit of manual action for Friday. I think that at some point I'll convert my current 430, but do it in a way that I can switch back to SF2 easily later on.

 

I've been eyeing EAG's manual conversion options for a while now and I discovered the Dr S kit on here a couple weeks ago, but I until I ran into this video the other day on youtube I don't think I realized how easy this looks. At least the peddles anyway. I figured you have to have to drill a hole in the firewall for the clutch master cylinder and come up with some sort of mounting solution for it. If everything ends up being as relatively straight forward as this it looks like it might actually be easier to do than the fabspeed headers I'm looking to install in the next few weeks. Although I'll reserve judgement until I see how the rest of the project turns out.

 

It is not a difficult job. Just time consuming. Anybody with 1/2 a brain could do this swap at home. Only thing that would need to be sent out would be the ECU's for reprogramming.

 

I did it myself using an EAG kit in 2 weekends. Very straighforward especially if you get a clutch master rated for ATF/F1 fluid because then the gearbox doesn't even need to come out. I managed to program the dash and ECUs myself. I just took the car for it's first decent drive today since completing the conversion. Some slight cable adjustments to make to get the alignment perfect on the lever, but overall it's working pretty well.

 

The ATF rated clutch master, is that the "wilwood" one I saw on youtube?

 

If you leave the paddle switches (removing the paddles alone is 5 minutes using a Philips screwdriver) and leave all the hydraulic hoses and pump etc tucked away in the right rear fender space, switching between F1 and gated is not that much of a problem. I have thought about doing a dual transmission car (including a built-in reprogramming module to switch between F1 and gated for ECUs and instrument cluster), only needing a few hours to swap the actuators when changing the mode.

But gave up thinking the market is small and people will get confused which mode of the car they are driving, having both the stick and the paddles.

 

Sorry, unfortunately not, keeping it to complete the kits.

 

Incorrect. All the mounting holes are pre-drilled at the factory in all 360 and almost all 430. Shown in the SamCrac video as well.

(All mounting parts are included in my kit).

But since we are at this topic, seems Ferrari gave up on the manual transmission when manufacturing the last F430 cars. As a result, I've seen late model F430s WITHOUT holes for the clutch master cylinder etc. If someone is unlucky to have such a car for the conversion, just let me know and I will send an original Ferrari pedal mount/firewall part from a 3 pedal car at no charge with the kit.

 

So I e been wondering about this, is that how a factory 3 pedal car does it?


Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat

 

No, wilwood is rated for Dot 4 brake fluid which is the more difficult installation. I purchased this master cylinder, https://www.malpasonline.co.uk/itm/Brake-Master-Cylinders-Components/Brake-Master-Cylinder/42267
It's the correct bore and stroke for the Ferrari application, and is made to run on LHM or similar fluid (e.g. pentosin CFH11S). It just needs a small reservoir for the oil, and as a bonus the banjo bolts from the F1 unit are the correct thread for the master cylinder.

 

Hey George-
I’ve been considering the purchase of an F1 360. Where in FL are you? Maybe we could do a full video with one of your trusted installers down here?

 

Wilwood cylinders made with custom machining and custom seals work in Ferrari with hydraulic fluid, as used in Dr S hydraulic fluid kits.

@Uberpower - I'm near Tampa. Thanks for the video idea and congrats on your plan to get a 360, but I'm not good at making videos and I don't want to get involved in making them. There are already a lot of video/YouTube experts out there. So it's up to anyone getting the kit to do a video by themselves or with anyone they want and however they want

Speaking of which, one of the people interested in purchasing the kit has just told me yesterday that Epicenter Garage has posted Dr S kit conversion video two weeks ago for a 360 CS:



That video is from a customer who has purchased a kit which requires transmission removal (Samcrac's is the "easier" one without transmission removal), so both approaches are already being shown.

 

Thanks. For those not mechanically inclined, do you have an installer recommendation in FL?

 

Yes, two options, PM sent.

 

I've got my Dr. S kit arriving tomorrow. Purchase process went very smoothly. I'll update this thread with notes on the process

 

Thinking about getting the kit. Has anyone here installed it? Comments, please?

 

Yes 2 times on the floor of my own garage. With No lift and it's a piece of cake. Search some of my posts

 

Would be nice if he could stop being obsessed with the totaled 599 he bought and get with part 2....

 

Can it be done with the cat in place? Can you remove the F1 actuator with the cat in place?

 

1000 times easier with the cat removed. It's very easy to remove, I didn't even need to remove the exhaust can to do it.

 

Yes, but to remove F1/install gated actuator I undo the 4 bolts holding the muffler supports to the car frame, and lift the whole exhaust system a bit with an engine hoist to give enough clearance. If your cat bolts are not very rusty, it's much easier to remove (or at least disconnect on one end) the cat. If you have to use a torch and impact wrench for that, lifting the muffler could be easier, as those muffler support bolts typically don't rust much and have a very easy access

The above is for keeping the original actuator mounting studs (problem - cat is in the way to get actuator over the studs). If you remove the original studs and install new bolts instead, you could probably do everything without touching the exhaust. But there is little space to work with and you could easily break a stud trying to remove it with both actuator and cat in place.

 

@modificator - Does bumper cover need to come off before doing the above?