355 F1 clutch

How long have you had the car? If it's new to you, you may just be learning to drive an F1 car. If, on the other hand, you have had the car for some time and this is a recent development, then the clutch may need adjusting, or may be worn and in need of replacement (although you mention slip only at take off, rather than in gear at speed). If you are new to your 355F1, the following is a brief explanation of what the car is doing, and how to make the car drive more smoothly.

Remember, F1 cars still have a normal manual transmission, with a normal clutch. You have full control of the gear selection via the paddles, but the clutch action is the automatic part of this system. You must, therefore, learn how the ecu will manipulate the clutch at takeoff (and especially while reversing) to achieve a "normal" lifespan out of the clutch disc. Taking off in 1st gear, it is better to give the car a fair amount of throttle (30-40%) quickly and smoothly, and the clutch will dis-engage also quickly and smoothly. Small, gentle gas input here will result in a LOT of clutch slip, which may be what you are describing. Remember, this still is a manual transmission car. You wouldn't start out in a car with a clutch pedal with small gentle throttle inputs (at least not a 355, because it doesn't have 500 lb-ft of torque) unless you slipped the clutch like crazy to keep the motor from stalling. The ecu is merely doing the same thing by slipping the clutch.

In reverse, the clutch never fully dis-engages. Rather, it mostly dis-engages. Picture "riding" the clutch pedal with your left foot while backing up. This is probably the biggest wear your clutch will see. Best solution is to "pulse" your gas applications, resulting in a "pulse" dis-engagement of the clutch, followed by coasting backward to where you want to be. Repeat as neccessary. Not smooth, but much better for clutch disc life. Importantly, AVOID parking situations where you have to reverse uphill. This murders F1 clutches! Back into these spaces, save yourself the grief.

If your upshifts are jerky, check that you aren't in sport mode. If so, you will get VERY firm shifts, increasingly so as the shift point rises in the RPM band. This is undoubtedly fast on a track, but to me overly jarring on the street. Though I haven't heard of this damaging transmissions, it just seems like it is stressful to the internals. Lifting slightly off the throttle will smooth these shifts. The flip side of driving the car in sport mode all the time is that the clutch will most definitely slip less, so presumably less disc wear.

Finally, as to the jerky downshifts, this is because the 355, as opposed to later Ferraris, has a mechanical throttle linkage. In other words, the revs won't rise unless you make them rise with your right foot. So, you must tap the throttle with the rightmost side of the right foot just as you are downshifting to "match" revs in the new, lower gear, all the while braking with the ball of your (same) right foot. Yes, you are operating 2 pedals with one foot. This is called heel-toe downshifting, though it does not really require use of the heel of your foot. You must do this in a manual transmission car with a clutch pedal, and you must also do it in a 355 with F1 transmission. Remember, only the clutch is automated; gear and throttle are still up to you. Note that in later F1 systems (360 & later) the car had a "drive by wire" system, whereby the throttle pedal only acted upon a potentiometer, which in turn told an ecu what you have requested, and a computer actually applied throttle at the engine level. These cars automatically add in throttle for F1 downshifts. Easier to be smooth, but much less driver involvement.

Best luck,

John

 

What about left foot breaking and blipping the throttle with your right foot? I've never driven a F1 but I would have thought it easier once you have mastered left foot breaking.

Harry

 

That would work also. Just my left foot is not as sensitive at brake-feel as my right. Lots of racers do this, though. In Formula 1, the steering column goes between the gas and brake pedals, so those guys MUST left-foot brake. Maybe someday I'll do it.

John

 

That sounds like the clutch engaging as the car comes to a stop. My car is a bit "clunky" doing this until it warms up, typically the first few stops. Once fully warmed up, though, this is almost imperceptable-- probably imperceptable to someone not "tuned in" to the car, anyways. Just moving around a shop, you may not get the car that warmed up, though.

John