1999 355 F1, need advice

I would NOT avoid the F1 transmission on the 355's. It is a great car and way to shift.

That being said, If the F1 pump goes out, it is a $3000 fix using the part from a 360 F1 system.

The gearbox other than that is the same mechanically as a gated car.

It is a quicker car around the track than a gated 6 speed.

Just depends if you want to use your left foot and right hand in combination.

After owning my gated '95 berlinetta for 2 years - I would be good to go with either system.

Hopefully the owners here can let you know what specifically to listen for, feel, or check to see if it is having any trouble.

Robb

 

And there is no way to slow the gear change down in lazy traffic situations when you don't particularly want a kick in the back.
Nor is there a way to come out of 6th; slow; and stick the gear in 1st without going back down the whole set.

 

I think Mitch is biased but to each their own. If you want to go from 6 to first the only dif is you pull neutral while your on the brakes then first when your going slow enough like under 20 works. I have had an f1 for 10 years love it and still on original pump. I have had a transmission problem unrelated to the f1. I have also had a transmission problem directly related to the f1 where under the direction of my mechanics stating the engine mounts were getting bad but I did not change them. Cost me extra 2500 to remove transmission because the f1 actuator caught the cross member. Other than that it has been trouble free. Keep in mind after ten years you may be adjusting linkages, bushings whatever on a reg transmission.
Due the PPI and make sure the tranny works good and do not let it effect your decision. It may or may not need maintenance but its not a daily occurance.

 

If the gear changes are giving you a "kick in the back" then it is not adjusted properly.

 

Here's one F1 advantage that I've never seen posted before... The non-existent shift gate never gets rattly with the F1 system like it does in many M6 trannys (mine did it horribly until fully disassembled and relubed).

 

I've not had a single issue with mine over the 3+ years that I have owned it, nor have there been any from the previous owner. Not sure what Mitch is talking about in regards to shifting. The only time mine kicks is shifting out of first when its cold other than that, its as smooth as I could imagine I could make it with a pedal. Once warm its smooth there as well. If however your at WOT in sport mode, then yeah... you get a kick in the back but I'm sure that's by design!

 

F1 system is awesome

 

As a 2-year F1 owner, I believe this statement is incorrect. Shifting at 4k RPM results in a ~very~ different experience for me than shifting near 8k RPM (which I describe exactly as a kick in the back). I do not see how this can be a function of worn motor mounts.

Could you describe in a little more detail?
Ken

 

Not true
They are to be shifted at higher rpms

 

He said "And there is no way to slow the gear change down in lazy traffic situations when you don't particularly want a kick in the back"

The shifts should be smooth unless you're in sport mode at high RPMs
You can match the gear box RPM to engine RPM's on up-shifts in normal mode by letting off the throttle a bit right before up-shifting and give it a little gas right before you down shift.

When I bought my car 4 years ago, the seller and the shop representing the seller were all hyped up about how "great" the car shifted. It was immediately clear to me during the test drive that no one would design a transmission to throw your head back on every shift at every RPM, but they were very proud of it. I was looking in the rear view mirror for parts that might have been expelled from the car, it was that violent. It turns out that I was absolutely correct. They munged with the F1 settings and manually set some very important parameters totally wrong. The system would not calibrate w/ the SD2 so they jacked up the numbers. The problem turned out to be the throttle position pot for the F1 ECU was wired backwards and the system would not calibrate. Once that was fixed and the system calibrated correctly it has been smooth as silk ever since. If I want a kick at high RPMs I go into sport mode. It's an absolute blast at the track, etc.

 

Rob
If your F1 pump goes out its a $1050.00 in parts for 360 update if you do the labour yourself which is not a big deal at all.I've done three updates take's about 5hr's.

 

Huh. Mine must be broken becuase it doesn't do that. I'll have it looked at during my engine out this month

 

Michael,

Great clarification. Thanks. I definitely am not trying to spread disinformation.

Robb

 

Wow, it's so refreshing to hear members not only heaping praise on the F1 transmission, but actually offering solutions to the "kick back" phenomenon. I have heard nothing but bad things about this transmission until today, and I have been researching this car for over 6 months. Thanx guys. I think you are expanding the horizon of my search......... Cheers.

 

Well Ducati guy (great bike, great color, I had a yellow 998).

You hear a lot from the F1 guys because the 6-speed guys are busy driving their cars instead of fixing them.

Buy a 6 speed.

 

I think it's totally unecessary to split hairs like this and create this artificial division between F1 owners and manual owners that I've only came across with US members. In other parts of the world I've never came across this speculation that manuals carry a premium on the market and so on, people just love the 355 regardless of transmission. It's like stating people with blue eyes are smarter. Where's proof? Does it really matter? It also scares people away from the F1 transmission for absolutely no reason. This is exactely the kind of talk that lacks scientific and/or technical arguments to prove a claim that scare people off the F1 system, just because. A newbie looking to buy a 355 will then think and say to his mates: "Oh I've visited FChat and guys over there take a swing at the F1 gearbox whenever they can, I don't know why but I'm sure they'll know best so I'll run away". Why? No explanation, no statistics, no maths, no data, no science, no mechanics involved.

It's a matter of personal taste. Period. If there's solid proof that the F1 system in unreliable and that it fails more often than the manual gearbox, please by all means post it. Otherwise it's just not a serious discussion at all.

Kind regards,

Nuno.

 

Yeah, I sold my yellow 999 a couple years ago, but hold onto the name for the memories. It was awesome. I originally wanted the 998 (better styling without question) but I couldn't find any when I was ready to buy.

Your comment is funny!! Arrrggggg...... Just when I thought the clouds were lifting......I really want this whole Ferrari ownership experience to be as enjoyable as possible, but I'm very cognizant of the potential problems that await. It's kinda funny....I never thought choosing they type of transmission you want in your car could be so complex.....welcome to the world of Ferrari eh?

 

I don't know what possesses people to denigrate something with such reflexivity.
It's like a Pavlov's dog.
Say something about the F1 transmission and huge insecurities come out from the manual stick shift crowd, like they feel threatened or something.
The internet is full of people like this.
It would come as no surprise if that person never owned, drove, or knows anyone with an F1 transmission. It just triggers negativity for no apparent reason, maybe they feel better doing so, like they belong in a special manual stick crowd or something.
It only shouts out the insecurities of the person, not the car.

 

Oh yeah, and when confronted about it. It's usually some lame excuse like I was making a joke. Didn't you get it?
The fact is when someone says something disparaging about anything without facts it brings nothing to the table.

 

I agree to a certain extent. I'll give you my thoughts based on my professional background.

I'm a criminal defence attorney, and I like to deal with "evidence". At the same time, I respect the fact that people have their "opinions" about a particular issue, and unless the opinion is backed up with evidence, it is opinion and not "fact". In the Canadian legal system (and I believe the same holds true in the U.S. since both are "common law" based)we have people who are qualified as "experts" who are then permitted to provide "opinion evidence" which is then potentially accepted as "fact(s)" by the Court. If an individual who is testifying as a witness begins to stray into the area of "opinion" and they are not qualified as an "expert" the opposing side will object to their testimony, and that objection will be sustained by the Judge.

At the end of the day, I guess my point is, we all have to assess the source of the information we receive, and the evidence used to support a particular claim. This type of analysis has just become "common sense" to me, but it may not be for others.

Based on my research into the F1 transmission vs. Manual transmission debate, it seems to me that a few issues have been raised on a fairly consistent basis regarding the F1 transmission (please feel free to correct me if I am wrong, my feelings won't be hurt ):

1. The wear rate on the F1 transmission seems to be higher than on the manual;
2. The F1 pump on the F1 transmission is prone to failure, which of course does not exist on the manual (i.e. one more thing to fail);
3. The car doesn't like to reverse up hill with the F1 transmission.
4. The F1 transmission likes to be "warmed up" (I'm not sure that this is F1 specific necessarily)
5. The shifting with respect to the Ferrari F1 transmission is viewed as inferior when judged against the dual clutch systems found in other brands such as Porsche etc.

On the positive side, my understanding is that the wear index can be obtained with respect to the F1 transmission which allows a potential purchaser to assess whether or not replacement is imminent. And, the bushings with respect to the manual shifter can become worn so the shifter gets loose.

At this point these seem to be the common considerations/issues that I have come across in my research. I am not saying that any of them are "facts", because clearly I am not an "expert". I am simply relaying my understanding of the issues the best I can.

 

Remember, the 6 speed transmission and the F1 transmission are identical save for the F1 shift change sensor inputs. All the F1 system does is move the gear selector input shaft hydraulically instead of manually. Backing up, warming up, etc are all the same.

Yes, more things to fail than 6 speed. Pump, actuators, ECU.... no doubt. But the F1 system is a blast to drive.

 

Well said. Concise, on point, and factual. Duly noted sir.

 

Look at threads that address f1 problems , and threads from owners asking for help / advice with f1 problems , there are many , vs very few threads that relate to the traditional 6 speed. Its very clear and obvious , if you have a left foot and right arm you can accomplish gear changes just fine.
It should be easy to read the threads and decide if its for you . Ask yourself if the potential for failure outweighs the so called advantages

1994 ferrari 348 spider , third owner purchased may 2013 w/ 27804 miles

 

I agree. The "thread count" appears to be higher in relation to the F1 transmission. I guess the I would summarize the dichotomy between the two transmissions as follows: Are you willing to accept the additional risk of failure due to the increased complexity (which I don't believe can be denied) in exchange for an alternative driving experience over a manually operated transmission?'

I currently own a Honda S2000 and a Subaru WRX STi, both of which, of course, have a manual transmission. I generally swear by manual transmissions with respect to all vehicles simply due to the simplicity of the transmission itself. I am a strong believer in the Keep it simple stupid (KISS) philosophy. Yet, the purchase of my Ferrari will be an entirely new experience for me and maybe it's time to try something different. I think if you at least go into the purchase with a clear understanding of the issues and potential problems, there shouldn't be any regrets down the road. You base your decision on the information you have at the time, and deal with the consequences.