We have known a number of Ferrari 360 Modena’s over the years. On the whole, they are robust and maintenance costs are manageable (for a Ferrari). When a new customer contacted us regarding a grinding in second gear we would never have imagined the source.
This particular car was equipped with Ferrari’s F1 automated transmission. Similar to BMW’s SMG transmission, this is a manual transmission that is controlled by a computer (TCU). There is no torque converter, this is not an automatic. The clutch and gearshifts are completely automated and controlled via shifter paddles mounted behind the steering wheel. Great post about the 360 F1 trans: https://aldousvoice.com/2013/01/30/ferrari-360-f1-system/
After a short test drive and a comprehensive electronic diagnosis using our Leonardo scan tool it was determined that the cause must be mechanical and the transaxle must be removed.
Upon disassembly it was discovered that the second gear synchro block ring was worn. This was certainly the cause of the grinding complaint, but we needed to formulate a solution. Only two options were viable: replace the transmission with a factory rebuilt unit (a costly option, but one that offered a good turnaround time), or rebuild the transmission in house (a labor intensive job that required very deliberate disassembly and inspection to ensure there were not further problems). The 360’s owner decided to have us do the rebuild. It was not easy due to difficulties in sourcing parts.
There were more than a couple hiccups in the supply chain but eventually we were able to secure all the needed components. Fortunately, no further damage was found and we discovered the root of the failure. It was apparent the transmission had been out of the vehicle and had been serviced at some time in the past. Our technician found a retaining clip had been installed backwards! One side of a retaining clip is typically tapered and the other side is sharp. This one mistake caused the second gear bearing to fail, in turn binding the gear on the shaft and causing the excessive wear on the second gear blocker. The gear and synchro were replaced along with most of the bearings in the transmission. After reinstallation of the transmission, we reset the electronic clutch PIS (Point of Initial Slip) using the Leonardo scan tool from Accini. After a complimentary wash and wax the car was ready to roll!
