I am a new owner so thanks for any advice offered: 1) The shift from neutral to 1st is not always consistantly smooth !! Sometimes falls right in, then others might be a little tough ! If I go to 3rd, then 1st no problem! Also, no issues with other gears. Maybe clutch adjustment?? Just nervous about gearbox! Its a costly one! 2) Most of the threads I have read regarding oil pressure say apporx 85 lbs for normal oil pressure. Today driving I showed variations between 85 (center of scale) and the next higher mark. I was 70 mph in 5th. Later driving through the neighbor hood, showed the same pressure indications as mentioned above! Oil temp was fine in both situations! Possible sending unit going bad??? Thanks again ! Love the site and plan on being a regular contributer.
First thing to do if the shifting is not smooth would be to have the gear oil replaced with fresh. As far as oil pressure, it is probably fine. But you should confirm you have the proper weight. As higher viscosity oil could cause the pressure to be elevated. Also, the pressure CAN be adjusted by changing a spring. The oil pressure on my 328 was always reading high (over 115 psi at 6k rpms, confirmed with a mechanical gauge) so my Ferrari technician changed the spring to bring it to a max of around 90-95 psi at 6k rpms, which is the proper spec.
Thanks for you reply. I know the car has been serviced with Agip so I will have to discuss with my shop. Also, I will also plan to change the gear oil asap. Thanks again.
Re: 1st gear - It's possible for the syncro 'teeth' to be lined up opposite to each other preventing the gear from being engaged. Shifting to another gear will move things a bit, enabling 1st. You can usually duplicate this in just about any manual tran car if you try all gears with the motor off. Often you will find one a bit stubborn unless another is engaged first. I'm a bit unclear about your oil issues. Is is varying under constant operating conditions? I had pressure readings that would vary under such conditions. Worried me a bit, until one day I had 0 pressure for 30 seconds or so. Before going into complete panic mode, I replaced the oil sender and it fixed everything.
Re 1st: Spoke to my service guy who suggested that I might be "cutting the corner" when shifting from neutral to 1st. He suggested that I try accentuating completely to the left of the gate, then into 1st. Went for a 10 min drive today and gave it a try. The 4 times I shifted it appeared OK. I will be driving tomorrow on a longer trip and will see the outcome. Oil Pressure: Checked today and found that it would vary from 85 to just below the line above 85 ! I was only doing around 30 mph at around 3000 rpm. My service guy also thinks the sending unit it possibly going south. Granted that the pressure is proportional to the engine rpm. Just was curious what range the other 328 drivers would commonly see. Thanks again and I will post my results as they come in!
I have an Euro 328. On the owner manual it is reported that normal oil pressure with warm engine should be min. 4.5 max 6.5. My one ranges berveen 6 and 9... I use MOTUL synthetic based oil 10W40. Up to now it did not seem to be a problem but... I will check with my mechanic as well. By the way: how the engine could be damaged by an excessive oil pressure? If anyone has any idea, pleas let us all know. Ciao Eugenio
You should never make any changes based on an electric gauge. Warm up your engine and make notes of the gauge readings at multiple rpms. Then remove the sender and screw a cheap mechanical gauge into the socket and repeat the measurements. On my car I have to add 25 lbs/ sq in to the electric gauge readout to correct to the real pressure. You may have to correct downward. Do NOT adjust that oil pressure screw on your engine unless a Ferrari mechanic you trust agrees it's necessary. Jim Oddie '72 Dino
