FiFTY's Manual 4200 Build

FIFTY

Member
Messages
3,100
Hi Fernando, great thread and take my hat off regarding the jobs you've tackled.
Just my limited bit of knowledge I've gained through here, Maserati Life and my own recent experiences is that the clutch pedal even with a new clutch will only bite right at the top, the thrust bearing goes bad before the actual clutch wears out, the pilot bearing also seems to wear along with the thrust bearing.
I do believe in the right conditions the clutch could last into very high mileage figures but the bearings seem to give up earlier.
Mark

Point taken on the pedal, it's hydraulic so it would self adjust right? The bite point moving is a characteristic of a fully cable operated clutch. I am changing all associated parts clutch, flywheel, uprated hills engineering thrust bearing and spigot bearing - £2k parts bill just on those but no point leaving something buried in there that could fail

Picked the car up today and while i am not doing the write up yet I thought to make a quick post to clear this up... in the case of my car the bite point has totally changed. Before it was all right at the top of the pedal... Now I lift the pedal slightly, it starts to bite and is very progressive until the clutch is fully engaged.

The clutch pedal is considerably lighter than it used to be as before I had to almost karate kick it down to not hurt my knee because it was so heavy.

What has instead gone from light and loose to heavy and taut is the gear shifter. It now feels like it is actually linked to a Ferrari 360 gearbox :)
 
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Nibby

Member
Messages
2,027
Picked the car up today and while i am not doing the write up yet I thought to make a quick post to clear this up... in the case of my car the bite point has totally changed. Before it was all right at the top of the pedal... Now I lift the pedal slightly, it starts to bite and is very progressive until the clutch is fully engaged.

The clutch pedal is considerably lighter than it used to be as before I had to almost karate kick it down to not to hurt my knee because it was so heavy.

What has instead gone from light and loose to heavy and taut is the gear shifter. It now feels like it is actually linked to a Ferrari 360 gearbox :)
Sounds like ready for the Spring now Fifty, glad your all sorted.
I'm wrong again on the clutch pedal, not for the first time either,lol
 

FIFTY

Member
Messages
3,100
Right then... Plenty still going on with the car somehow. Currently doing some exhaust fettling for the last time I hope. Basically I am putting right the mess of a custom exhaust I had made up back in 2016 detailed on page 1 of this thread. Once I have a properly made x pipe and get it all buttoned up correctly i will post a write up on that

After the exhaust is sorted I need to do something about my wheels as they are in desperate need of repair/refurbishment, preferably done before le mans.

Then I have a freeze on spending for parts and maintenance (other than next year's service and if something fails) until I have put together some cash for a decent respray and some TLC to the bodywork. Although I do have a bag of little parts to fit and I want to drop the side skirts and rear bumper to check for any potential rust and clean it off if necessary... So lots to do without spending money on it.

The car now is mechanically superb. Since I have bought it I have fixed and improved all three pedals (brakes, more power and clutch/gear shifter) plus I have improved the handling with the uprated ARB kit and track rods. From a tactile point of view the car is totally different from the test drive before I bought it... I hope that not only does it feel like when it was new but much better with all of the better quality parts/modifications.





Going back to the chronology of this thread we have jumped to present day for a few pages but rewinding to just after I got the radiator/thermostat/temp sensor changed and front bumper refitted, only 10 days after that was completed it was my wedding day followed by a 3400 mile Grand Tour in the 4200 with the furthest point from home being Amalfi. Needless to say the car did not skip a beat - lucky considering the state of the clutch flywheel and bearings but that is another reason why manuals are more reliable they just keep going

Wedding day, some of you might recognise the backdrop
IMG-20181209-WA0025.jpg

Lake Como
20180905_165921.jpg

Tuscany
20180906_161540_HDR.jpg

Pompeii
20180911_193533.jpg

Sorrento
20180912_141631_HDR.jpg
20180912_141329.jpg


Brenner Pass
20180914_181538_HDR.jpg
 
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jimmymoss

Junior Member
Messages
58
Picked the car up today and while i am not doing the write up yet I thought to make a quick post to clear this up... in the case of my car the bite point has totally changed. Before it was all right at the top of the pedal... Now I lift the pedal slightly, it starts to bite and is very progressive until the clutch is fully engaged.

The clutch pedal is considerably lighter than it used to be as before I had to almost karate kick it down to not hurt my knee because it was so heavy.

What has instead gone from light and loose to heavy and taut is the gear shifter. It now feels like it is actually linked to a Ferrari 360 gearbox :)

Firstly, stunning thread. I am now going to have to stay late at work as an hour has disappeared...

Looking at the above comment, have you any idea what was done to the linkage? My manual is quite stiff and needs a bit of finessing but it is significantly better now I have spent some time adjusting it and replacing one of the bushes at the gearbox end of the linkage. I have also had a retaining clip made to sure up the cable - gearbox linkage connection which has helped but I am wondering if there is anything I have missed which will further improve things?

Cheers, James.
 

TimR

Member
Messages
2,656
Firstly, stunning thread. I am now going to have to stay late at work as an hour has disappeared...

Looking at the above comment, have you any idea what was done to the linkage? My manual is quite stiff and needs a bit of finessing but it is significantly better now I have spent some time adjusting it and replacing one of the bushes at the gearbox end of the linkage. I have also had a retaining clip made to sure up the cable - gearbox linkage connection which has helped but I am wondering if there is anything I have missed which will further improve things?

Cheers, James.
Sounds like you have the gist of it...
Perhaps the workshop schedule may help you adjust it to your satisfaction...?

https://drive.google.com/drive/mobile/folders/0B3CWXPqs0MoYdkRQcXAwZ0M3UUU

Scroll down- it’s st the bottom of the page...
 

FIFTY

Member
Messages
3,100
Firstly, stunning thread. I am now going to have to stay late at work as an hour has disappeared...

Looking at the above comment, have you any idea what was done to the linkage? My manual is quite stiff and needs a bit of finessing but it is significantly better now I have spent some time adjusting it and replacing one of the bushes at the gearbox end of the linkage. I have also had a retaining clip made to sure up the cable - gearbox linkage connection which has helped but I am wondering if there is anything I have missed which will further improve things?

Cheers, James.

Sorry I am not sure. I had a look at it a while ago and I decided to leave it to my specialist to sort on the next service as it seemed a bit beyond me. I can take a photo of it the next time I am under the car if it helps...
 

jimmymoss

Junior Member
Messages
58
Sorry I am not sure. I had a look at it a while ago and I decided to leave it to my specialist to sort on the next service as it seemed a bit beyond me. I can take a photo of it the next time I am under the car if it helps...
Thanks, no need for pics thank you. Giallo had a go at mine and then I've tweaked it and added a bit of security with a retaining clip. Pretty happy with it just wondered if there was more info I could glean.

Keep up the thread - it makes great reading.
 

MaserCoupe

Member
Messages
564
Right then... Plenty still going on with the car somehow. Currently doing some exhaust fettling for the last time I hope. Basically I am putting right the mess of a custom exhaust I had made up back in 2016 detailed on page 1 of this thread. Once I have a properly made x pipe and get it all buttoned up correctly i will post a write up on that

After the exhaust is sorted I need to do something about my wheels as they are in desperate need of repair/refurbishment, preferably done before le mans.

Then I have a freeze on spending for parts and maintenance (other than next year's service and if something fails) until I have put together some cash for a decent respray and some TLC to the bodywork. Although I do have a bag of little parts to fit and I want to drop the side skirts and rear bumper to check for any potential rust and clean it off if necessary... So lots to do without spending money on it.

The car now is mechanically superb. Since I have bought it I have fixed and improved all three pedals (brakes, more power and clutch/gear shifter) plus I have improved the handling with the uprated ARB kit and track rods. From a tactile point of view the car is totally different from the test drive before I bought it... I hope that not only does it feel like when it was new but much better with all of the better quality parts/modifications.





Going back to the chronology of this thread we have jumped to present day for a few pages but rewinding to just after I got the radiator/thermostat/temp sensor changed and front bumper refitted, only 10 days after that was completed it was my wedding day followed by a 3400 mile Grand Tour in the 4200 with the furthest point from home being Amalfi. Needless to say the car did not skip a beat - lucky considering the state of the clutch flywheel and bearings but that is another reason why manuals are more reliable they just keep going

Wedding day, some of you might recognise the backdrop
View attachment 55062

Lake Como
View attachment 55066

Tuscany
View attachment 55063

Pompeii
View attachment 55064

Sorrento
View attachment 55065
View attachment 55067


Brenner Pass
View attachment 55070
Stunning scenery, a Great looking car, a great looking couple and Guildford cathedral doesn't look half bad either. I think you've just raised the game and the neighbourhood Mr and Mrs Fifty!!! Again Great write ups and I couldn't have put it better re: having a manual. I love the simplicity of it, the built in robustness, the ability for anyone handy with a spanner to adjust linkages. I like a lot that with them and their inherent design, at least you've got a fighting chance to get to your destination if it's starting to wear. Pedal feel and feedback is obvious.....I love that you can modify an Audi SACHS clutch master cylinder if you can't find an original, So many plus' what's not to like.......

With the CC system, yes they have their place and appeal, however if anything is awry (and it could be a number of things) and it decides to go to lunch, then you're going out to lunch (or maybe not) with it, wether you like it or not. Personally I couldn't live with that type of uncertainty.... When they are singing and changing gears, yes they are a joy but when they decide to have a hissy fit (and they do), they let you know about it with little or no warning (to paraphrase Bruce Willis in Die Hard "Welcome to the Party Pal..!!!) and it is usually at the most inopportune moment. I just imagine being in the middle of nowhere and that happening to me.......Your trip is wrecked or to paraphrase Samuel L Jackson in Diehard 3....Mr you're about to have a very, very bad day......No thanks I'll take the 3 pedal oldie manual! Again CC's have their place and their fans and "choice" is a wonderful thing and something we can celebrate. How I wish Maserati would give us another 3 pedal manual.......Magnifico Maserati!!!;):):D:cool:

P.S What a lovely couple you both make.......Keep up the great posting and sincere apologies to Mrs Fifty if your boy is spending too much time on the forum.....But we love his posts!
 
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FIFTY

Member
Messages
3,100
@MaserCoupe thank you for your kind post. My partner of 14 years and counting is a very understanding woman I often wonder how she puts up with me lol.

Considering the mileage we covered during the Italian tour in 2 weeks I really bonded with the car, it was like our companion on the journey that devoured petrol - fuel is expensive in Italy €1.80/litre and more for super if you can find it. It is certainly better than flying to Italy and hiring a car - the cost is about the same including fuel, tolls and vignettes (driving a maserati vs flying and hiring a mid to top level hire car) and it makes for a great adventure.

It was very comfortable once I got the seat in the right position. Considering the majority of Italian autostradas are lined with average speed cameras set to 80mph I often held the throttle at a gentle pace of 65-70mph and it returned just under 23mpg (with formula dynamics ECM set to economy). I noticed that cruise control destroys mpg because it opens the throttle too much. Once we were done with driving through Germany on the way back the average dropped to 17.7mpg which due to smashing it up to 160mph a few times and cruising at 100mph - still not bad for a NA V8 pumping out so much power.

In order to enjoy the holiday we had decent stops with the longer journeys being on the journey back home. This was our itinerary:

Guildford to Freiburg -overnight
Freiburg to Bellano - 2 nights
Bellano to vinci, Tuscany - 4 nights (visited Pisa, Florence and modena motor valley)
Tuscany to Pompeii - 5 nights
Pompeii to Innsbruck - overnight - 9 hour drive with no traffic! It was actually a good drive for such long motorway schlep
Innsbruck to Stuttgart overnight
Stuttgart to Guildford

For the tunnel we booked flexipass both directions and it was definitely worth the extra
 

TimR

Member
Messages
2,656
Just as an aside. The guy who modified the back boxes is now trading on ebay. Seems that for £350, you can get a complete overhaul of them.
I pinged a few emails back & forth with this guy. He seems pretty genuine and spent time “adjusting” the first pair for a friends car, til it was what he wanted.... Unfortunately, he can’t provide a sound clip of his work so you don’t know how loud it 3nds up being...!
He had a set modified, polished and ready to go for £795. They aren’t valved. Expensive risk that they drone like a b1tch....
 

Mr S

Member
Messages
821
I havnt tried the links, but there are links in that page now, scroll down into details.
 

FIFTY

Member
Messages
3,100
Don't talk to me about exhausts.

Must be the fourth or fifth time I have fettled with the exhausts since January! today I dropped the cats, centre section and link pipes to install an autoshield x pipe. Hateful job to do using axle stands i spent all day doing it as I ended up getting stuck on the link pipes and pulling out the centre section by accident causing me to start all over...

What is even better I can hear a slight blow on the manifold so I might need to have yet another attempt.

On the positive side the new x pipe has dramatically reduced cabin drone and once the exhaust is hot it produces some lovely pops bangs and crackles. The old one is going to the smelter as the fitment is so off it will only work with my cat pipes

55687556885568955690
 

Gazcw

Member
Messages
7,696
Don't talk to me about exhausts.

Must be the fourth or fifth time I have fettled with the exhausts since January! today I dropped the cats, centre section and link pipes to install an autoshield x pipe. Hateful job to do using axle stands i spent all day doing it as I ended up getting stuck on the link pipes and pulling out the centre section by accident causing me to start all over...

What is even better I can hear a slight blow on the manifold so I might need to have yet another attempt.

On the positive side the new x pipe has dramatically reduced cabin drone and once the exhaust is hot it produces some lovely pops bangs and crackles. The old one is going to the smelter as the fitment is so off it will only work with my cat pipes

View attachment 55687View attachment 55688View attachment 55689View attachment 55690
Whoever made that first one should stay away from exhausts....forever