Is the external shift gate required for the transmission?

It's not needed.

 

I'd have to disagree, and say, that for "reasonably safe" operation, it is required.

It's a little like asking: "Do I need a windshield to drive on the freeway?" -- "no" is a technically correct answer (ignoring the vehicle laws), but that wouldn't be the safest thing to do -- JMO.

 

I was basing that on sitting in the garage without the shiftgate on. I guess I need to read the entire thread. I would never drive the car without it.

 

Having had a 308 gearbox in pieces I would say the gate is required. All transmissions Ive ever had apart need a gate somewhere (usually directly under the shifter inside the transmission housing). Ferrari chooses to expose it and its a brilliant idea.

 

Curious... What parts is a Ferrari transmission missing, that say a Fiat X1/9 has, that would require the external shift gate?

 

Ferraris are missing the internal gate (not all but a 308 sure is).

 

Considering that the shift lever never touches the shift gate, I don't see how it is 'required' or 'necessary for safe ops'. Sure, it guides you to the correct gear if you have a slipout or something, but that doesn't much happen. Most of the time, you never look at it and never touch it. Just my 2c.

 

I love the open gate design.

 

I've driven mine with the gate off, it works just fine. The problem is of course there is no reverse lock-out and it's much easier to select the wrong gear, like 4 or R instead of 2....the up side is the need to perfectly align the linkage goes away.

 

There's a reverse lock out on the 3x8?

 

You press down on the shifter stock to get into reverse.

 

Correct...well, at least, correct as long as your shifter tab and/or gate tab haven't been ground down or worn off.

The reverse lockout tab on my shifter looks as though someone dremmeled it off. Car goes right into reverse without pressing down on the shifter!

Yikes!

 

Huh???

 

Proper procedure to engage reverse on a 328 (assuming everything is factory)

1. Depress clutch, engage first
2. While clutch still depressed move up to the center of the gate, keeping on the left side of the gate (where there is R and 1st)
3. When you reach the center of the gate press gently down on the shifter stock, it should go down an a little (inch or so)
4. While still pressing downward, move the lever into reverse

If you don't first go into 1, sometimes you will get a grind since reverse isn't syncroed.

If you don't need to press down, you may have either a worn bushing or as No Doubt stated, the mechanism might have been modified from factory.

 

See this thread...http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=72416&page=2&highlight=308+shift+gate

It started out as a 348 thread but the gates are essentially all the same design.

 

What about those aftermarket gates that have the teeth beveled at an angle. Claims that it makes it easier grabbing the next gear and quicker shifts.

Doesn't this somehow force the tranny to wear?

 

There is no other gate inside the gearbox but the detent/lockout mechanism in the bottom of the gearbox gives you the engagment feel and holds the shifter/syncro hub in place. Without the gate, if you chose to, you could apply pressure to 2 shift rods at the same time and if you were a complete moron and were deliberate enough, you could engage 2 gears at the same time destroying your gearbox in an instant. The gate gives you dirrection and insurance that you wont screw something up so it is required and all cars have some sort of gate somewhere on the car or gearbox for this reason.

 

No, but it does ever so slightly reduce a safety factor. Without the plate in place, the internal linkage can operate 2 gear sliders at the same time. If the trans shifts into 2 gears at the same time, it will fail catastrophically. There are interlock pins inside the trans in addition to the external plate to prevent that...but the pins can wear. But I guess the most likely thing in selecting 2 at the same time is that the pin do work and you simply get no gear at all, the lever will feel stuck in neutral until you slide a little to one side or the other. You can also go too far to the side and miss all the gears.

The reason I had mine out without the shift plate is that I was having trouble shifting and wanted to see if it was a trans problem or just a linkage alignment issue....it was the linkage.

edit:
I need to learn to type faster, it looks like Newman posted the answer while I was still typing

 

Ooooops, almost verbatim.