Documenting the Modena Lucerna manual swap on my Challenge Stradale

I have been posting often on IG as I do this conversion myself in my home garage, but I realize that many people are not on IG.

Overall, the swap is very simple. Just time really, and I am taking my time and doing things correctly a few hours on days and nights when I have time. I have the complete and interactive workshop manuals on my computer and also have the help of a few people over the phone when I have questions. As of right now, I am about halfway done and should have the transmission within a few days.

Overall, the Modena Lucerna kit is incredible. The quality of the parts is superb, and I really could not be happier. Little details, like the frictionless shift cables, to the titanium pedals so they do not flex, to the magnesium shift tower really make this a great kit.

I hope to half this conversion done within the next month and will just post things here along the way. Please ask me any questions at all, and I'll answer as best as I can.

I first decided to install the pedals, install the clutch master cylinder, and remove the TCU.

Couple points-

Clutch master cylinder - removing the plate covering the hole where this goes is easy, and the master cylinder pops right in. You will need a very short wrench or a swivel socket in order to tighten the top bolt, but besides that, it’s extremely easy.

Pedals - The pedals with the kit are titanium, which do look different than the factory aluminum pedals because of that. I do have a source to have a matching CS looking clutch pedal made and can buy and cut down a new CS brake pedal. The aluminum pedals can and do bend though, and that is why this kit comes with titanium pedals. To me, since it is purposeful, that is a really cool thing, and in a weird way the slightly different look of those two pedals almost fits the theme of the CS where it is function over form. Just my opinion and for now I will keep it as it.

For the installation of the pedals, you will want a very small and dense hammer in order to tap the shaft out of the pedals for removal because there is no room to swing. Light and small taps and it will slowly move out. Then, when you are tapping it back in with the new pedals, it might feel impossible to get the shaft lined up and rotated perfect to screw in the two set screws from the top. All I can say is to just take your time and don’t rush it. It will all eventually line up and then you are all done to hopefully never have to remove them again!

I then removed the seats and interior panels that needed to be out of the way to do this conversion. After that, I removed the TCU and the various brackets needed for the F1 system. Once done with that, I installed the loop plug that Modena Lucerna supplies with the kit, and zip tied away all the connectors that will not be needed after this conversion is complete. That is both TCU plugs, the reverse button plug, and the Launch Control plug.

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Next up, I was finally ready to install the part I’ve been most excited about installing this whole time! The shifter housing!! I installed it, torqued the 4 nuts down to their required 25NM and, I have a gated shifter in my car and am one step closer to having a manual Ferrari Challenge Stradale! I definitely sat on the floor of the car and pretended the shift through the gears. Who could resist doing that?!

Next up was the center console. It took a few hours of fine adjusting the holes and button mounting points on this new carbon console, but eventually I got everything fitted and mounted on to it. Very pleased and it looks 100% factory. Then I put the wires in wire loom to protect them better than the factory does, and it was time for a test fit. It all fits and looks absolutely perfect! I still need to make the alcantara inserts for the two “storage holes” on the top of it, but that’ll be later. Now time to remove the console for now, and move onto the next part of the conversion.

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Now for what I did yesterday. I amazingly had several hours to just work on the car and took full advantage of it.

I dove into the engine bay to start getting to where I can pull the transmission to change the T.O. bearing and inspect my clutch. I also went ahead and took the opportunity to clean stuff and remove the actuator and full F1 system for now. With all the other pointless (IMO) systems I have deleted on this car already, it is actually starting to become a very simple car in the engine bay, and this now makes it even more simple. Just that F1 unit system right there alone removes 12 more electrical connections too. Pretty wild. All original parts are being kept, bagged, labeled, and boxed up in storage bins. Just incase.....

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Some more minor progress today.

Got the interior installed. Yes! . I will probably have to remove the center console to do minor shift cable adjustments once everything is done, but that’s a few minute job to remove so really no big deal. I just wanted to get the interior back together just to see it. WOW!! And who knows? maybe i won't have to do minor adjustments with the shift locking plate Modena Lucerna includes. Fingers crossed.

I also ran the entire clutch line from the master cylinder to the back. The front section is steel braided line. I believe factory is a hard line, but this kit is steel braided. I got 1/4” fuel hose that I cut a slit in, inserted this line into, then zip tied is closed around it to triple protect it in spots where I guess it could occasionally touch something else. I'm paranoid always, which is good IMO. I also used good quality rubber C clamps to hard mount it in place. C clamp on steering rack bolt and C clamp on brake master cylinder. The thing is mounted SOLID and not touching anything. Unlike other conversion kits though, the entire middle section is then a hardline like factory which is great. It's absolutely terrible to install, but nothing beats a hard line and once you drop all the other lines running front to rear in the car, you can actually see that there is already an existing channel hole there on the car for exactly this hardline. Awesome! Just have to get it in that hole and that absolutely sucks, but it will get done. Just take your time.

Also, I obviously ran the shifter cables and then got back to getting ready for the transmission pull itself. Removed the cooler lines on it and am letting the fluid drain overnight.

That’s it for now!
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Thank you. HAHA. Good eye. 50BMG is small play. These are 20mms.

 

Haha definitely a tie with that!

 

A little more work done. Exhaust, oil tank, etc all removed. Have everything removed from the transmission for me to just pull it out tomorrow. I also took the opportunity to just remove a few things from the transmission that are not going back on, such as the actuator heat shield and F1 speed sensor heat shield. The studs also need to be replaced for the new actuator, so I went ahead and pulled those. Less things poking out while we pull this thing never hurts. Might not look like a lot was done, but a lot was done.

I also decided to redo the clutch steel braided front line. I decided to enclose the entire thing in 1/4" fuel hose for additional protection, instead of just sections of it. Looks better and if you did not know, you would think it was just an OEM line.

Kind of random, but I also got a nice bore scope to use and had to play with it some. Took a peek inside the transmission. This tool is freaking COOL!

Once this transmission is out I have a TON cleaning to do, and I'm also going to repaint the half shaft heat shields and the fuel tank heat shields. This engine bay is gonna look nice!

Thanks for looking.

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I pulled the transmission yesterday and that was actually super easy. Now I am going to take my time, clean the engine bay, clean the transmission, repaint the axle shaft heat shields, repaint the gas tank heat shields, and swap over all of the manual parts over to the transmission.

So far, I have cleaned about half the transmission, and have stripped it completely down, installed the F1 speed sensor delete, installed some of the actuator, and also flushed all of the F1 fluid out using an entire can of brake cleaner to flush the system. Now all I have to do is get everything mounted to the transmission and I'll have it reinstalled once I'm done cleaning the engine bay and painting the heat shields.

It will be a few days, but the next time I post, it should be of a clean engine bay and a beautiful transmission ready to go back into the car. Wish me luck!

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