[Rorytiger]

I drive a '99 355 F1. I read somewhere that the clutches nearly always need to be replaced after each 8000 miles. Gulp !

When in traffic I switch it to manual religiously all the time to avoid burning the clutch. Is there anything else I can do ?

Is there any truth in the above and how much does it cost ? Also any sign s that its going to blow ?

 

[manu]

Rorytiger - the F1 needs to be driven properly - particularly on the F355. My cousin went through two clutches in 9 months through being a) an unsympathetic driver and b) an unsympathetic driver.

In traffic - at a stop - pull both paddles and into netural.
Let a large enough gap open in front of you so you can give enough throttle for the clutch to disengage completely when you pull away. Tiny throttle openings and crawling forward in traffic fry the F1 shift.... So move forward in traffic in "lunges" (if you know what I mean).

Basically don't ride the clutch - If you are gentle with the throtle that meant the F1 shift cannot disengage the clutch - you're not doing the car any favours.
Traffic opens up - don't CRAWL - Step on the gas - clutch out and your rolling (all good) - traffic stops hit the brake pull for neutral .

DO NOT CRAWL. Don't feather the throttle on upshifts - it confuses the computer (however there is a trick to doing this, if you do it ever ever so slightly you get a very quick shift with maximum smoothness). Downshifts take care of themselves.

Used properly the F1 shift makes a clutch last longer than the normal shift.

 

[Rorytiger]

F1 Clutch

Thanks Manu I was doing a lot of this but I'll concentrate on it even more.

 

[Dj Dirk]

Manu

isn't it easyier to just put it in Auto Mode then when you are in a traffic jam?

 

[manu]

hey DJ - actually mate - I don't actually know...... I'm too familiar with the Auto mode on the F1 shifts but to be honest I wouldn't trust it as much as I could trust myself to drive the car correctly......

We know that without a careful touch the F1 shift in the semi-auto mode WILL fry its clutch - I don't expect this to change in auto mode if you still drive the car incorrectly!

 

[Dj Dirk]

I'm a bit confused.
When you put it in Auto, isn't it then like ANY other automatic gearbox out there??
or is there still a difference

 

[manu]

Auto mode just takes gear selection out of your hands. Thats the only difference between the F1 mode and the auto mode.

Unlike other so-called F1 shifts, Ferraris one actually DOES have a clutch (instead of a torque converter?) so putting it in auto mode and driving improperly (crawling around) will still leave the computer to roast the clutch.

 

[SpaceBoy]

Manu,

A question : what do you mean with "clutch out" ? when do you know when the next gear is used ? I have a lot of traffic here and often I crawl keeping the 1st-2nd gear..it's not easy to do full stop-and-go's.

Do you really advise to step on the gaz ? is there is no gently way to "crawl" in traffic jams ? Of course, nothing is mentionned in my F360 user manual :-?


BTW, is the F360 clutch the same as the F355 one ?

Didier.

 

[manu]

Didier - when crawling at very low speed (after being stood still) the computer rides the clutch to make sure the car doesn't stall - as a "human" driver would do

If you give it more gas and hence increase your speed a little more then the computer can disengage the clutch entirely as the car has effectively pulled away..

Basically if you sit still in traffic and let a small gap open up in front of you then give it enough gas to disengage the clutch and then come to a complete stop again when you've caught up with the car in front then that would be ideal: Clutch out then clutch in.
Alternatively if you crawl forward at very low speed following the car in front then the computer will ride the clutch all the way until the traffic is moving fast enough for you to give it enough throttle to disengage the clutch fully.

Being gentle and crawling is not actually doing the car as much good as moving forward in small quick bursts. We're not talking about LAUNCHING the car forward - just enough speed to not ride the clutch ~ 5mph?

I know the F355 has a twin plate clutch but I'm really not sure about the 360... (it's a lot lighter in the manual than the 355 for sure).

 

[paddle_shift]

I own a '98 355 F1 that now has 6000 miles and I just had to replace the clutch this summer. The cost was approximately $5000 in parts and $4000 in labor. Not cheap...

I agree with the posts that state not to baby the startup, that just makes
the clutch slip rather than grab. I have learned that the best way is to left foot brake and right foot gas.

 

[Tifoso_Boy]

$5000 in parts and $4000 in labor!?!?! Does that mean you had to spend $9000 on the new clutch?

 

[paddle_shift]

Sad but true...To get to the clutch, is not an easy task. You have to dislodge the engine mounts and slide the engine back. Also, Ferrari only sells an "updated" clutch pack which has a very different design.
I even got a quote from multiple dealers.

 

[SpaceBoy]

Is the replacement not taken under guarantee ?

 

[Dj Dirk]

Depends on what happened with the clutch
and normally garages have different waranty's for certain pieces