CC Gearbox Actuators

[zagatoes30]

I was chatting to Martin at Emblem today about the Spyder (should be ready for collection at weekend) and we got onto the subject of gearbox actuators. As most of you know mine failed whilst at Le Mans last year and a replacement Maserati part was £2490 plus Vat We eventually got one from Eurospares for £1800 which still eye watering was cheap. This was only the second actuator Emblem had done on a 4200.

Since then Emblem have had a further 5 4200s with the same problem the last being a couple of months ago which the owner requested that a used item be fitted. Emblem contacted Greg in Ireland who informed them that he had 7 owners waiting used actuators and that demand had outstripped supply. This owner eventually plumped for a new unit from Maserati, now £2800 plus Vat, as he wanted to use his car. Emblem checked the Ferrari part number and they are £5000 plus Vat for the same part.

The issue here seems to be that actuators are starting to fail, must be age related as the cars with problems had covered various mileages so be warned that if this happens you could be looking at a big bill or a rather long wait for a used item to appear.

This raises the problem that our cars may become scrap or breakers due to the cost of replacement parts where available. The early 4200s are now 13 years old and as age increases part failures will become more common, not a good scenario

 

[jluis]

Isn't there any specialist out there that can repair them?
I don't know the system in detail but it seems to me that it's basicaly a set of hydraulic actuators and the most likely failure is going to be seals perishing.

 

[zagatoes30]

Isn't there any specialist out there that can repair them?
I don't know the system in detail but it seems to me that it's basicaly a set of hydraulic actuators and the most likely failure is going to be seals perishing.

You would have thought so but Emblem tried to get a Lambo one refurbished but without success. I kept my old unit just in case we ever needed one for some one to experiment on.

 

[jluis]

Was yours losing oil or did it just failed completely without warning ?

 

[zagatoes30]

Just failed without warning, nothing obvious externally. The main shaft needs to move froward and backwards and side to side to select the gears mine was only moving fore & aft hence I could only select 1st & 2nd - Le Mans to Silverstone on the rev limiter in second would probably have blown the engine as well as my ear drums

 

[Roger]

Isn't there an Alfa equivilent?

I'm sure there was something on here or on the dark side about an outfit somewhere that can refurbish them...

I'll have to have a look and dig it out, bear with...

 

[jluis]

Any hydraulics specialist out there to take one apart?
There is a selespeed unit for sale on eBay that can probably be used to take apart and see what can be serviced.

It will probably be very similar to the maserati unit

 

[mjheathcote]

A used item (at what price?) could potentially fail for the same reasons at short notice once fitted. A reconditioned unit certainly is the solution, if it can be done. Well it can be done I am sure, like anything, but needs investment for the first one.

 

[voicey]

Since then Emblem have had a further 5 4200s with the same problem

.... SNIP.....

The issue here seems to be that actuators are starting to fail, must be age related as the cars with problems had covered various mileages

Ferrari actuators are not that prone to failure so I'm wondering if it is a mileage thing - Ferraris tend to be barely driven. Apart from a handful of manual cars with over 100k, I know of one car at 50k and the rest are sub 30k miles (with some sub 20k).

Isn't there any specialist out there that can repair them?

There is a guy in Florida called Serkan who used to advertise he could refurbish the actuators. His company was called GT Autos (IIRC). However he's been pretty quiet recently so I'm not sure of the current status.

The main shaft needs to move froward and backwards and side to side to select the gears

Being pedantic, the actuator moves forwards/backwards for engagement and rotates for selection.

Isn't there an Alfa equivilent?

There will be an similar Alfa part, just as there is a similar Ferrari part. However, as far as I know, they are not interchangeable.



You guys are pretty good at getting yourselves organised for the good of the community - perhaps there's a hydraulic specialist amongst you who could open a broken one up?

 

[zagatoes30]

Being pedantic, the actuator moves forwards/backwards for engagement and rotates for selection.

I stand corrected will go and stand on the naughty step for 1 min for each year of my life - I might be some time

 

[voicey]

I stand corrected will go and stand on the naughty step for 1 min for each year of my life - I might be some time

I didn't mean to offend! Here is a video of Serkan's refurbished actuator being tested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeHPsHrzQbo#t=38s

Note that I have no personal experience with him so cannot say one way or the other if the refurbishment is any good or not.

 

[mjheathcote]

I didn't mean to offend! Here is a video of Serkan's refurbished actuator being tested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeHPsHrzQbo#t=38s

Note that I have no personal experience with him so cannot say one way or the other if the refurbishment is any good or not.

The web address in the video is now a Ferrari California T promo vid!

 

[adam01]

^
Huh?
Mine linked ok

 

[conaero]

The Selespeed actuator is totally different from the Mas/Fez one I am afraid.

 

[Vincere]

The actuator in my car failed, 04 with 83kms (51k miles),

The robotic arm was jammed in the upright position (selection), and no gears were able to be selected, the engagement shaft was still working though

I searched ebay and found some, but most of them were close to the same mileage as my car or higher, and priced close to a new unit. I emailed some UK wreckers and they were all out.

I then started searching for quattroporte actuators (as they are the same up until 06), and then complete gearboxes for both the coupe and quattroporte, this produced a lot more results and options.

I found a complete quattroporte gearbox in the US (05 17k miles) and asked the seller if they would separate the actuator, they agreed and I purchased it for $1000US including delivery to Australia!

 

[adam01]

Heard that Benica in Melb. may rebuild them, havent inquired

 

[Vincere]

Heard that Benica in Melb. may rebuild them, havent inquired

I rang three places in Melbourne, one didn't want to touch it, another quoted more than the actual price of a new unit! and the other was to busy and still didn't really want to do it

With the amount of experiences I have read in regards to rebuilding, It still seems to be hit or miss with the unit functioning properly afterwards and failing again, if you can get it rebuilt for under $1500 (even that's a stretch) then maybe, bear in mind the labour charge to R&R, and it fails again there even more money and hassle, better to just to buy a good used low mileage unit or brand new

 

[CraigWaterman11]

I have replaced a few Maserati actuators now. I always see the problem in selection or not clocking, but able to engage fine. Usually it's 1st and 2nd gear. This seems to be in line with Aldous' conclusions I think. I have tried a couple of times with different people now who stated they knew how to re-furbish the Actuators to get the information on how to do it. It seems it's a closely guarded secret if they can actually do it.

I have even agreed to pay for the information if they gave it to me. I consider myself to be pretty apt to read and take apart various things with various degrees of difficulty. But I've not found any information in which there's a manual to describe exactly how it should be taken apart in order not to misplace, loosen, or otherwise destroy the actuator. I have had previous dealings with Serkan, and to be quite blunt he's an ***. He might know how to rebuild them but he's basically charging right under what a new one costs to do so.

Ironically, that's why I ended up buying an entire brand new F1 system that I have sitting in my spare bed room. It was a great price and figured that sooner or later I was going to need it or someone else was going to. But, if I had the information on how to rebuild the actuators, I wouldn't have done so.

I've studied that video Serkan put up a few times. To be honest his test system would be easy to duplicate. I do have the manual that tells me which solenoids fire for which gear selection/engagements, I'm just not sure of the actual actuator itself. I even have the centering block for the actuators. (They will definitely need to be re-centered after taking them apart.) Let me see what other information I can gather. I'm willing to take a shot at these. Wouldn't it be nice to have a forum member rebuilding actuators on his kitchen table that worked better than a new one? I bet we can find the weak link in why it's the selection/clocking part of the actuator that fails and have a better part machined to make up for it.

 

[zagatoes30]

I didn't mean to offend! Here is a video of Serkan's refurbished actuator being tested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeHPsHrzQbo#t=38s

Note that I have no personal experience with him so cannot say one way or the other if the refurbishment is any good or not.

No offence taken besides the naughty step is quite comfortable

 

[voicey]

I have replaced a few Mas. actuators now. I always see the problem in selection or not clocking, but able to engage fine. Usually it's 1st and 2nd gear. This seems to be in line with Aldous' conclusions I think.

I've only seen one failure and that was on a 360 with over 130k on the clock (it was an experience car). As you write, it was a problem with selection - you could hear the valve opening and the fluid priming inside the actuator but it didn't move.

Unfortunately, the owner didn't accept my diagnosis of a problem with the actuator and took it to someone else to have the clutch changed...