F355 with 458 Engine

Manual or DCT?

 

Cool project. It won’t sound as good (imo) but it’ll be a lot quicker. Ferrari 458 ECU or standalone?

 

The first thing you need to realise is that the 458 engine will have a flywheel on the end of the crankshaft, which the 355 engine does not, so you need to engineer an adapter to fit where the flywheel sits on the 458 motor to allow direct drive to the propeller shaft of the 355 box, that runs through the box to the clutch etc, this adapter also needs to act as a seal where it enters the 355 gearbox.

The bolt pattern of the 355 box will not match that of the 458 engine either, so a gearbox adapter plate is also required.

You would be unable to use the 458 engine and gearbox combo as it is too long, the 355 uses a transverse box, if you matched the driveshaft outputs of the 458 box to those on the 355 driveshaft location the engine would then need to sit where the fuel tank resides, and there is a crossmember in the way as well which sits just in front of the 355 crank pulleys.

Anything can be done though.

 

Fuel tank in the frunk and modified cross member might get the 458 drivetrain in, but assuming you want a gated manual you'd have to adapt a 430 gearbox (which should have similar mating to the 458 as they were the same engine family). That'd probably be easier than trying to adapt the 355 gearbox to the 458. Having done one or two Frankenstein adaptations like that in cars (much) less complex, it never is straightforward and never seems to properly work the first time... Unless it's a small block Chevy, they have adapters for almost anything.

 

It would be much easier to put a 355 body kit on a 458

 

So has this been done?

 

I hope you do this. I would like to see it done

 

You would still need to remove the fuel tank and chop out the crossmember as the drive outputs on the 430 box will have the same issues as the 458 box.

 

In which case if you are going to do such then why bother with a v8, go the full monty with a v12 and stick with the 355 box, as I said anything can be done !

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Isn't the 458 wheels base like 18 feet longger than the 355?

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It fits fine in the area you will have to create anyway where the fuel tank sits, no one I am aware of has v8 swapped any engine into the space occupied by the 355 engine without such modification to it and the crossmember.

 

348 with an Enzo engine in it.



430 engine in a 355.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.334261416672912.71590.313304648768589&type=1

 

Read the comments on facebook, it never happened!

Look closely at the photos, they have simply plonked the 430 engine and trans in the hole where the 355 engine and box was.

The output on the box is at least 8 inches further back than where the driveshafts are located.

As I said, never going to happen unless the whole thing is moved those 8 inches into the space occupied by the fuel tank.

Also take a look on the pic I posted, that is a bare 355 chassis in the background, I do know what I am talking about here.

 

355 gearbox fully mated to the 575 v12 engine and correctly affixed as per original location within the 355 engine cradle.

The front pulley of the v12 is about 10mm behind the original 355 firewall. If a 430 box was used instead that front pulley would be 8 inches into the cabin!
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If you need any measurements just let me know, good luck with the project, keep us updated.

 

What was needed to mate them together?

 

This is right up my alley, as I love engine swaps. There's just something about a beautiful car with a more powerful engine or engines that aren't supposed to be there. I own a twin Yamaha R1 engined (mid mounted and essentially a V8) Mini that revs to 11,500 rpm and makes over 300 hp.

A 500 hp (or more) N/A V8 in the F355 would make it modern quick. I hope you follow through with the build!

 

All listed on post 6, removing the flywheel and engineering a method of permanently fixing the crank to the 355 propeller shaft and a custom engine block to gearbox casing adapter plate.

The plate is 20mm thick which would need to be added to the overall engine length, I do not have to hand the distance between the crank pulley and the crossmember but from memory it is very close, assuming a 458 engine is at least the same length as a 355 one then the 458 pulley will more than likely foul on such.

Not many 355 owners will want to take an angle grinder to their cars and also have to also refabricate such structural elements, the back end is floppy enough as it is!