98 Diablo SV now in garage after 1200 mile road trip

When at work I have a 10 1/2 work boot and can drive all year Diablos just takes some time to learn.

As far as the button for right side door release may have some crude in it or needs adj.. From Lambo the buttons have shims (washers) on some of the 3 mounting studs for the button. If not shimed right button will bind. Is not a lot of fun to get to but can be real cheep to fix.

Fot the windows going slow. It is very normal for the window channle seals to dry out and window bindes. Use a teflon dry lube or I also use Wurth easy glide (almost like vaseline but slippery). Vaseline is to thick and hot and cold affects it to much.

Now for the big one poping out of first. Best hope is the gate is out of adj. pritty easy to do. With the shifter in neutral is it centered in the gate. When you shift into 1 is the shifter touching the gate it should not. If it dose the first thing is adj. the shift gate. from the under side of the car there is 4 bolts that hold the gate in place loosen bolts move the gate box a little tightn and recheck. If still poping out may need engine/gear box pulled out and gear box nib and selectors adj.. You can test things if you move the gate box foward a bit this will allow the shifter to go into the gear more. When adj. also loosen the two bolts inside the car for the shift gate so you dont risk moving the leather around.

With the shifter in neutral is it centered in the gate. When you shift into 1 is the shifter touching the gate it should not.

 

@JeffLambo - thanks for the great tips and the specific advice! When in neutral, the stick appears to be centered in the gate. However, as far as I can tell, pretty much all gears have the stick touching the gate (e.g. when in third gear and driving, the stick is touching the gate).

 

First never pops out once it's engaged. It only pops out when you're starting from a stand-still. I can tell when it's not engaged correctly because there's not a satisfying "kachunk." Instead, if it's not engaged right, the stick will spring back a bit from the gate (a few millimeters). Then as soon as the clutch hits the friction point, the gear pops out. Re-engaging it a few times (from neutral) only sometimes works. Sometimes I simply have to start the car in second gear.

 

Do these symptoms sound like they'll be helped by the adjustments you recommend? I'll need to get a lift to really take a look. Are there adjustments (other than the gate itself) that can be done from the top side of the car?

 

@Albofaz - we now have sweet confirmation. One headlamp is Wagner Halogen, the other is Sylvania Halogen. Please PM me -- I'd like to chat further about your insights on the car.

However, as far as I can tell, pretty much all gears have the stick touching the gate (e.g. when in third gear and driving, the stick is touching the gate).

Correction: I've now confirmed when the car is off that the stick doesn't touch the gate in any of the gears (including first). I must have been mistaken, but I took a real close look just now.

 

I also discovered something that might be related. The stick no longer springs upward (towards the ceiling) like it's supposed to in order to protect you from ramming it into reverse. So essentially the stick is always in the pushed-into-console position. Could this potentially be why it doesn't engage first gear deeply enough? Perhaps I should try pulling the stick back up into its normal position (where the guard prevents it from going into reverse) when I next shift into first gear to see if that somehow makes the linkage work better. Hmmm.

 

Is there an easy way to repair/replace the upward-popping shift stick spring?

Correction: I've now confirmed when the car is off that the stick doesn't touch the gate in any of the gears (including first). I must have been mistaken, but I took a real close look just now.

 

I also discovered something that might be related. The stick no longer springs upward (towards the ceiling) like it's supposed to in order to protect you from ramming it into reverse. So essentially the stick is always in the pushed-into-console position. Could this potentially be why it doesn't engage first gear deeply enough? Perhaps I should try pulling the stick back up into its normal position (where the guard prevents it from going into reverse) when I next shift into first gear to see if that somehow makes the linkage work better. Hmmm.

 

Is there an easy way to repair/replace the upward-popping shift stick spring?

 

Its a little bit of work to replace the spring. Normal for them to wear out. To replace the spring the center suport bracket must come out and the you remove 4 bolts and the gate box comes apart remove the shift leaver and replace the spring then it goes back togeather. The spring should not make it pop out of gear. That being said I would do the spring before

removing the engine and gear box. Yes you can try to adj. the shift gate box a little foward and test to see if it helps.

It is sounding more like it may need the selectores and nibs inside gear box adj.. But I would try the other two iteams first.

A few technical questions for the gurus:

• The foot well and pedals are tiny. I literally have to take off my shoes in order to drive safely. And I'm only a size 9. Is there a solution to this? I hear about 6-foot people saying it's hard to sit up in a Diablo; I'd hate to think what would happen if their size 12 feet tried to operate the pedals.

*Size 12 is no problem, either use "slender" shoes such as Puma's "speed cats" or use racing shoes or bare feet

 

• The sound system is terrible. Alpine head unit and Alpine subwoofers sure seem like a good idea at first, and I'm sure they cost Lamborghini a pretty penny. But the sound system is pitiful. And I'm not even a purist!

*Silly rabbit, sound system is behind in the engine bay

 

 

 

• Fueling is painfully slow. I've seen other threads on this. Wow. Slooooooooow. Click. Click click. Click. Man.

Easy fix here, the "tube" is too long, I never had this issue with my 94 VT or SE30, but my 98SV did and I did a little surgery:

 

Number 14 in the image about was about quarter inch too long on my ride, cut it shorter, re-installed, presto, no more "milking" it to re-fuel

 

 

 

• Is there a way of getting in and out that looks more, um, professional? As it is, I pretty much fall into the seat trying to get in, and I climb out of the car with various contortions. At least I haven't fallen out yet, or bumped my head, but I guarantee that'll happen. Any techniques here? Ideally, complete with video.

Try this, when getting in, turn around and sit down on the edge toward the back, then slide your butt into the seat (yes, backwards) and then spin your feet around under the dash, done; when exiting, do the reverse.