2nd gear isn't playing nice . . .

2006 F430 6 speed (3 pedal), 7500 miles.


Once fully warm, I can shift from 1st to 2nd with relative ease every time, if I am shifting under 5500-6000 r's.

If I am shifting from 6000-7000 it's a considerably more difficult and once in a while I feel almost as if I am forcing it into gear (no noises or grinding happen though)

Same if I am shifting at 7000-8500 r's, with it resisting even more - and sometimes, it just refuses.

Sound more like a linkage issue - or a synchronizer issue - or some other issue?

 

get that garbage shell oil out and replace with 75W90NS Redline and you'll notice the difference ASAP!

Do it every year minumum.

 

That's more then an oil problem. Sounds like worn out synchros, the previous owner was probably a donkey.

 

try redline oil and shifter bushing

 

There is nothing to worry about. I never bring the first gear up to 8000 rpm! The first gear has a reduction ratio of 14,13 (engine rpm to wheels)!!! If you want to keep your gearbox a long time, I would shift to the second gear at max 6.000 rpm which has a reduction ratio of 9,28.

As for the gearbox oil, I agree that changing oil every year + filter cleaning is a good practice. The Shell oil is a very good oil and especially the new Shell Spirax S5 75W90. I have a Shell barrel of 20liters in my garage. Don't waste your money in expensive oils. What counts most is to change is every year.

 

Well, from my experience from the 360 6-speed manual gearbox, 1st to 2nd High RPM changes are always tricky to manage.

At low rpm, as you mention, it is easy.

But at high RPM the revs drop so fast that you actually need to shirt into neutral, release the clutch pedal, rev the engine and slot 2nd gear in... You actually need to double de-clutch on the 1st - 2nd upshift (I know it already too much effort to do it on the downshift !!!), if you are doing in at high RPM...

It works everytime this way... Otherwise I will sometimes miss the shift and go from 1st straight to 3rd... :-( Not good if you want maximum performance..

Don't worry about you gear syncros... my guess is that they are fine... The 6-speed manual just requires the extra effort and skill... But in my opinion, that's where the magic / fun factor comes in !!! Enjoy ! ;-)

 

I have a 6 speed and have no issues once the car has warmed up for a minute. I am have the shifter bushing changed in a week. Probably will do gear box oil as well.

 

Have to agree that I would do the oil first. It is a quick and easy change and makes a world of difference. If it doesn't help you can move on to more difficult things from there.

 

Shifter bushing I would say is your problem.

 

shifter bushing is the problem. i have same issue. it is fairly common in 360-430s. easy fix.

 

All great points made indeed, but chaning out that tranny oil FIRST will narrow down the determination if any additional problems need attention.

 

The greatest likelihood is the shift linkage. If you are not grinding when you shift the syncros are probably OK. Probably not the oil either. However if Ferrari is still using the POS plastic bushing in the shifter that they used in the early 360's then that's a possibility also. You should be able to shift 1-2 at red line quick and hard.

 

Updated and interested in gathering opinion:


It's at the dealer, fluid change helped cold shifting (1st & 2nd), am told it's still very difficult once it warms up. I was told the fluid that came out was "black" (was supposedly changed at dealer upon purchase last July and 6k ago). Car has 9500 total.

They are eliminating "exterior" problems before opening anything up (still have not installed the hill bushing), am told they are concerned with possible clutch related breakage.

I did notice the car getting a bit grabby sometimes when first starting out in the lower gears, but it was a hit and miss thing.

Will parts in the clutch make shifting between only 2 gears hard? No grinding, just some intermittent "grabbiness". No update from them on wear just yet.

 

The hard into second shift is like tradition for Ferrari, my 2006 had it just like my 328gts did. But once the car is warm the 1st to 2nd should be as soft as butter.

 

Just to update on my previous post... I used to think that the Ferrari 360 manual shifting was hard and requested special techniques to manage 1st-2nd changes...

Last month gear changes had become almost impossible due to a failing clutch bearing.
I took my car to a specialist and changed the slave clutch pump (next to the pedal) in order to check the system... Fluids were changed too, but not much of a change...

Finally we decide to take the gearbox down and change the clutch bearing / pump...
Once there, we also replaced clutch disk.

The mechanic told me that he also lubricated the gearbox linkages and he said something like he "put the gearbox linkages back in their sleeves" making the the movement of the linkages more controlled and ensuring their longevity...

Wow !!! My car completely transformed... Very easy to shift into any gear... 1st-2nd gear changes very easy , smooth and requiring little effort...

Maybe your car just needs the gearbox linkages to be checked and lubricated...

Hope it works out !

 

Had the same issue, changed bushing to hill art and had linkage adjusted, it's a night and day difference.

 

So final update:

After fluid change, E-diff was active when it should have been off. They disconnected the valve and the car was stated as "drives much different".

They then used a friction modifier and I am told it now shifts great. They plugged the e-diff back in and all is well.

They did tell me the fluid that came out was pure black..... which is curious as it was supposed to be changed when I had the annual done (and done early as well) prior to delivery just 7 months ago..... and I know I was told that was going to be changed.

So now I'm left wondering, was it changed, do I need to change it more often (which I'm thinking isn't it), or is there something else going on that caused it to fail prematurely.....likely and hopefully the first option (though I'm not exactly happy I was charged for something not completed).

 

Glad you're sorted Indy.

As regards the black fluid, I wouldn't be too concerned. It's not possible to drain "all" of the fluid out on any change and as such the remaining fluid will change the colour of the oil pretty quickly. The only way to know for sure if it's been done is to DIY or witness (or perhaps pull a wee sample soon after a car is returned).

Having recently had my gearbox heat exchanger spring a leak it's apparent to me that it was quite considerably clogged with oily crud. As such I would be all the more inclined to recommend an annual gear-oil change and also an annual coolant flush. Both are very easily and cheaply done by comparison to a swap out of the exchanger and can only have positive effects for the long term health of both systems.

 

Wow. Glad you are back on the road. It's sad that we have to perform our own check ups despite a supposed fluid change. So sad.

 

Put the car in neutral. Look down the shifter shaft below the gate. Observe the dark gray plastic ring surrounding the shifter shaft about two inches below the gate. Gently move the shifter shaft to the left and to the right. If you see any hairline cracks in the plastic bushing, then it needs to be replaced.

If you want to shift really fast, the friction modifier is not going to do it for you. The modifier inhibits your ability to shift quickly. If you try to shift fast with it in there, the bushing will eventually fail if it has not already done so.
But if you don't have the friction modifier in there, the drivetrain will chatter like crazy, especially with straight Redline.

Here is the cure: Redline Lightweight Shockproof Gear Oil.
http://www.redlineoil.com/product.aspx?pid=43&pcid=8

The chatter disappears with this stuff, and I can shift faster than the 430 F1 system, and I have let others drive my car who can shift even faster. The only thing is that you must replace it around once a year. In fact, the 1st-2nd shift will tell you when it's time to cycle it out. You can do a search: others will attest that this indeed the cure.

 

Now is the hard part, waiting to get her back, especially since there are some new RE-11's waiting to be scrubbed in