Ok...Based on some of the comments I have seen recently regarding Service Costs and the like, I'm a little afraid to post this, but here goes. My car needs replacement cam belts due to time, not mileage. (5 years) I intend on using Ferrari of NE for the Service as it is not only the "major" but also a MAJOR pain in the arse to DIY. Lots of things to consider, parts to obtain, things to touch, clean, move out of the way, and reassemble. To many differant systems are affected and I would just as soon leave it to the experts. I'm expecting somewhere ariound 8K to accomplish this task. My Issue is that I also need a 3rd gear synchro. While I am quite sure it will be easier to perform with the engine out, I have no idea how much "extra" its going to cost. My question for you guys....can the 3rd gear synchro be replaced without engine out? I.E can I do this myself? I have not seen the parts blow up of transaxle. Does the case need to be split? Am I better off just letting them do it? What is a fair price? I want to be more mechanically involved with my pride and joy. A major service is just too deep, but a tranny job might be just the ticket. Opinions please Lane
I HIGHLY recommend you do BOTH yourself. You will save thousands, if not tens of thousands, by doing the work yourself, no kidding. There are several guys here that have done their own engine out majors, me being one of them. I can honestly say it really isn't that bad of a job. At first glance it looks scarier than it really is. Once you get over the name, it's pretty much the same as working on any other engine. Of cource, every manufacture has it's quirks, but there really isn't anything special about fixing these cars. If you have the dealer pull the gearbox apart you are looking at some BIG TIME bucks, possibly bigger than for the belt service. The gearbox must come apart to change the snychros. You can pull the gear box with out pulling the whole sub-frame, again another job I have done myself, as have others. Run a search of the archive for both subjects and you'll find plenty of read material.
If you're going to open the transmission, please budget an adequate amount for other necessities. Ring nuts, bearings, other synchros, etc. Odds are, if the 3rd gear syncho is shot, there is other stuff in there which needs immediate replacement. Believe me, I know. My 348 transmission turned itself into hamburger meat this autumn. You can see full exploded diagrams for the 348 g'box here: http://www.ricambiamerica.com/articles.php?tPath=7_8 look for tables 27-32. Click on the pics to see a blow-up (no pun intended!) view. Best resolution 1280x1024.
Just my worthless opinion but if you are hesitant to do a major service I would not advise rebuilding a gearbox. The gearbox is an order of magnitude more difficult than a major. Best of luck in your decision.
Ah, grasshopper, David-san and I have been working furiously to get it fully launched by 1-1-2008. We have many more features to add, but the core functionality is up and working now. What's to come? I'm not sure I want to share too much of the detail yet, but one of the single most useful features will be a "where used" capability. If you're looking at an item, a quick table will show which cars/locations the part is employed. We also are in the midst of loading about 10,000 new parts into the store which currently show on the diagrams, but not in the "store". (it's mostly 430, 599, and 612 stuff). The limitation to 1280x1028 screen size also is due for update because I know many of our customers work with smaller monitor sizes. Zoom/scale will be coming soon too. Finally, we'll be working backwards into the earlier cars. At the moment, we've only uploaded 1990+ years. I realize our website blows monkey butt in terms of search functionality. I've heard it from thousands of customers, and their opinions DO matter greatly. We're trying to make the Ricambi experience better for everyone, browsers and customers alike. http://www.ricambiamerica.com/articles.php?tPath=7
Daniel, Regardless of your self-critisim, I know I have found your site to be a valuable resource, just as you are...I know I speak for a lot of guys when I say "Thanks....I appreciate it." I've always gotten exactly what I ordered on time. Not everyone provides that level of service. And, I do appreciate it. Mike in Kuwait
+1.... ...... +2 Great job Daniel !!!! Now I can just call in a crapload of part numbers ........ !!!
LOL! That was pretty good. Gave me a nice chuckle. A may have to go give David-san a visit, if only to make sure the boy has not o-d'd on Diet Pepsi. LOL!
So...in summary One says...Do it all yourself. 2 say...let the pro's do it. Any estimates of what the cost should be? Can it be done without Engine out? Isn't their anyone thats done this before?
I've done it 6 times or so...lost count. Ernie done it 6 times on his gearbox. What do you want to know?
Yes, you can pull the tranny without pulling the engine. In fact, many people say it's easier to pull the tranny with the engine still attached to the car than with the engine out. See the 348 Primer (link in signature) for a step by step tutorial on pulling the tranny (and engine, for that matter) for a first-timer with almost no tools and a tiny budget.
