2nd gear when cold

I have no issues going into 2nd when cold. Not sure what gear oil was in it when I first got the car early last year, but then and now (with MTL) it shifts smoothly and easily into 2nd when cold. Of course I don’t drive it when it’s below about 50F outside, so cold is a relative term.

 

When my '79 308GTS was delivered with 21,000 miles on the odometer, 2nd gear was tough to engage. Hot or cold, it made no difference. I had the transmission rebuilt with new syncros installed. Shifts like butter now, hot or cold.
Second gear on vintage Ferrari models was always a bone of contention. So no, not a myth.

 

Not really. 2 factors. Many are using oil that is not conducive to good cold shifting. The car has iron syncros. On a new syncro and new gear the acting surfaces do not match up perfectly reducing the syncros effectiveness. Since it is iron it takes a little longer to break in properly. If a poor oil is chosen during this process it can glaze surfaces and just not work well. If it all is well adjusted from the start, a proper oil is chosen and well broken in they can shift very well cold. Neither our TR or our 328 is reluctant at all to shift to 2nd stone cold. And I really do not warm up engines. 30 seconds after it starts I'm driving.

 

Mine was difficult to get into 2nd until I switched to Redline.

 

My car shifts smoothly into second cold or hot.

I still do the 1 to 3 shift when starting cold just because I was told it was good for the gearbox.

You mean it doesn’t matter???

 

I was just mentioning this yesterday in another forum. I never had an issue shifting into second when cold always slid right in. In addition to oil I would think that shifter alignment would factor in also.

 

Also worn shifter bearings.

 

No issue shifting into 2nd gear at all, cold or not.

 

78 GTS US well over 100k miles
After sitting for 14 years was a little difficult to shift into 2nd when cold. Switched to Red Line and adjusted clutch (original and had never been adjusted). Shifts great now.

 

Owner of '87 328 for 36 years. Sometimes it is slick as butter when cold. Sometimes it is not slick as butter when cold. Never have figured it out. I use Redline MTL. When cold and not slick, I skip the gear. We all have our idiosyncrasies (pun intended).

 

Almost certainly a linkage adjustment issue.

 

As a QV owner who had 2d gear issues, now resolved, there are many common variables: condition of shifter box, shift linkage (incl. seals and bushings), motor mounts and clutch, proper adjustment of shift fork and clutch, and choice of lubricant. There are design and break-in factors as well, as Rifledriver mentioned, plus a number of FChat posts about people strategically drilling a hole to relieve pressure with cold oil. So not an urban myth. Mine now "shifts as it should," which, by the way, is not the forgiving snick-snick fingertip shifting you have in a modern Honda or VW. The trans is an old, robust design, and there is still some deliberateness and skill/timing to have always-smooth shifting. My excellent Ferrari tech likes to tell me it's because my transmission "isn't even broken in yet," at 31,000 miles.

PS - In my case, an unusual bend in the shift rod (from the factory, given where I found it!), and subsequently-caused wear in the shifter box bore, was the root cause. Rebuilding and realigning linkage A-to-Z solved my issue completely. Also went to MTL, simply based on majority of recommendations on FChat. One observation about MTL is that in cold weather (below 40F), with cold oil, the LSD behaves like it's locked. Not an issue for me, but if it was, I would probably give the Red Line 75W90NS blend with 1 quart of 75W90 (which has friction modifiers) as try. Many posts about this.

PPS - In very warm/hot weather, I don't need to do the 1-3 skip. In moderate temps or less, I do feel more effort is needed for shift into 2nd for 1-2 miles, so I do the skip. This is even mentioned in the Owner's Manual.

 

Drilling a hole in the case only applied to the very first GT4's. The design was modified not long after GT4 went into production.

 

Its mentioned in the owners manual partially because of the Victorian era lubricants in use at the time and because many cars were sold in very cold climates.

LSD additive can be added to MTL or any other oil.

 

Thanks - good to know. I'll try adding some to my MTL, versus trying the 75W90NS / 75W90 mix.

 

I was curious too and did a deep dive some years ago. I found transmission cut-away diagrams for the 308 and it showed part of the linkage went into a narrow u-shaped section in the transmission when placed into 2nd gear. Clearly higher viscosity oil and/or colder conditions increasing the viscosity of a multi-weight oil would impact 2nd gear engagement. I don't know if/how this was addressed in later models (note "2nd gear resistance" being a relative term).

 

You didn't study close enough. That has no effect. A very old often repeated wives tale told over and over by those that know nothing about the transmissions instead of paying a little attention from those that actually know.

 

My owned since new 85 has always had the cold 2nd gear issue, regardless of what oil I used. However, once the oil gets some mileage on it the issue goes away and it takes 2nd easily when (summer) cold. Go figure. When I picked up the car new the, delivered by Stan Nowak, he told me that would be the case and just to let it warm up for a few minutes before driving. Generally, if I don't let it warm up it's good in 2 or 3 miles.

There was also a fix in an old issue of Prancing Horse to drill and oil passage hole in the trans. Don't know if that worked or not. I haven't found it an issue in 38 years. Much ado about nothing, IMO.

On a side note, my Porsche Cayman S with PDK takes a second to shift when I pull the paddle if it cold. Once it warms up it shifts as soon as the paddle is pulled. Personally, I don't worry too much about what a mechanical thing does when not up to operating temp.

 

Many are using oil that is not conductive to cold shifting. Victorian era lubricants. As someone said.

The transmission cross-section I saw might have been in the Prancing Horse with the hole drilled to relieve the pressure in that section as a possible fix.

 

As I recall there was a shaft that slid into a dead end hole that trapped oil. The drilled hole allowed the oil to vent.

Here you go. Prancing Horse #127, page 45.

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Same here! Always easy - 23,000 mile 1984 GTS


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I use MTL and do drive into cold temperatures. I have not noticed the lock up feel, but then don't drive so hard when its colder and have not been looking for it. I will see as we head into the fall temperatures if this is so in my car.

 

Great information!

 

I owned 3 Ferraris, a 328, 550, and a Daytona. I never had any problem shifting into 2nd on any of them.

However, one day, Patrick Ottis mentioned something about some people having that problem, and recommended I do not shift into 2nd when cold. After that, I went with this procedure.

Start car. Do not leave parking spot until water temperature came alive (made the first mark), shift 1st to 3rd until oil temperature came alive. I just viewed it as a way to be good to my transmission even though I never had a problem.