Gate Shift kit with 901/930 trans.

911pcars · 03-11-2003, 07:20 PM

Last weekend, Curt was brave enough to let me experiment with a 915 shifter conversion on his 901 trans. ('70 911S). I installed it with the Gate Shift kit (adv. plug). A brief road test with it seems to work well enough to say (perhaps prematurely) there is now another shifter alternative for those using a 901 transaxle. I asked him to try it for a couple of weeks just to be sure.

We're also going to try the shifter that's on my car (w/915). This one has the factory short shifter in it. That means a 901 w/short shifter. It looks like it should work for 930 shifters as well.

Sherwood Lee
http://members.rennlist.org/911pcars
www.seinesystems.com

DByers · 03-11-2003, 07:40 PM

So when are you taking orders?

911pcars · 03-11-2003, 08:08 PM

My dear friend Wayne can provide this fine product to you.

http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/shopcart/911M/por_911M_pedals_main.htm

However, the instructions are geared (no pun intended) for a 915 installation. There may be other issues I don't know about at this time, especially with the various short shifters that haven't been road-tested yet. Send me a PM and I'll tell you more about the 901 install. Curt and I will know more after this weekend as well. If things go as planned, I'll update Wayne and other resellers regarding the required modification(s).

Sherwood

arrivederci · 03-12-2003, 01:42 PM

I've heard that this won't work with the 915 shifter in the '72 911s. Can you give me any insight into the reason?

911pcars · 03-12-2003, 02:06 PM

'72 911s used a variation of the 901 shifter assembly for the 915 gearbox. In '73, all 911s were equipped with a new shift housing that provided a lockout mechanism for reverse that the earlier housing didn't have.

You can install a 915 shifter housing ('73-'86) in your '72. The Gate Shift kit is optional but highly recommended

Hope this answers your question,
Sherwood

arrivederci · 03-13-2003, 04:55 AM

Yea, I had heard that I can simply bolt up a later shifter housing. Is it safe to say that the latest ones (85, 86) are better? The Hershey swap meet is coming up...

911pcars · 10:03 AM

".. I had heard that I can simply bolt up a later shifter housing."

Josh,
You can bolt on the 915 shift housing. However:

- Since the 915 shift housing isn't spring loaded like the 901 shifter, you have to be very careful shifting from 1st to 2nd. As you know, reverse is directly above 1st and we all know what happens then. The Gate Shift kit adds the necessary spring tension to guide the lever into the 2nd/3rd gear shift plane (3rd/4th on 915).

- The gearbox won't shift from 4th into 5th because of the reverse lockout lever. You have to remove it.

Sherwood

PS: Forgot to add: the '86 shift housing has reduced lever travel; not quite as much as the factory "short shift kit". This is the so-called factory "semi-short shifter". Earlier 915 shift housings can be adapted with the factory short shift kit as well as the ones from Weltmeister and Target. Hope this is not too confusing.

dad911 · 03-14-2003, 10:03 AM

Sherwood, I was told (but have not tried it yet) that the plate with reverse lockout can be rotated and made to work?

911pcars · 03-14-2003, 10:06 AM

Alan,
You might have something there. I'll try it and see what happens.

Thanks,
Sherwood

arrivederci · 03-14-2003, 10:07 AM

Looks like I'll just take anything that's not a '72 shifter on my 915 tranny. Then I'll be able to add the gate-shift kit. Just a clarification, my '72 has a 915...just with some sort of older/early 915 shifter that's not compatible with the gate-shift.

911pcars · 03-14-2003, 10:15 AM

Josh,
That is correct. The first 915 ('72) has a 901-type shifter. You can (should) remove, then install (bolt on, no mods, maybe some shift coupler adjustment) any 915 shifter housing from '73 up to '86. From here, you can optionally install a Gate Shift kit and/or short shift kit.

Sherwood

techguy · 03-14-2003, 12:00 PM

Hey guys, just following this post with some interest over a gated solution with a short shift kit. I also have a 1972 911 however, I am not sure if I have an early or late shift tower. Am I to assume I have a later tower if 5th is in the upper right v.s. above 1st gear? The engine in my car is from a 75 911S so maybe my transmission has also be updated? Hope this is not a silly question.

911pcars · 03-14-2003, 08:16 PM

Techguy,
All 915 gearboxes ('72-86) have the same shift pattern:
1-3-5
2-4-R
901 gearboxes have this shift pattern:
R-2-4
1-3-5

Your car may have the stock '72 901-type shift housing or a later '73-86 shifter.

Lift the shift boot and take a look. The 915 shift housing is aluminum as in the pic above. The housing OD (outer diameter) is also larger which is why Curtis' center carpet is peeled back.

The 901 and '72 915 shifter housings are painted black, have a much lower profile and a smaller housing OD.

Sherwood

RSupdate · RSupdate's Garage

Sherwood, This doesn't surprise me in the least. I mean, Curtis has had to listen to me always spouting off how great my gateshift kit is.........

I knew he would come around !!!!

cheers!!

911pcars · 04-08-2003, 10:21 AM

Just to follow up on the installation on Curtis' 911S - the test period proved successful with both factory and factory short shift versions installed. In fact, he did a few 8/10ths laps at speed on the local racetrack a few weeks ago. The conclusion was a thumbs up. That's good.

Thus, the Seine Systems Gate Shift kit is now a fully-tested upgrade path for 901 gearboxes. You can replace your factory 901 shift housing with a 915 shift housing, aided by the Gate Shift kit and an optional, but recommended short shift kit (factory or aftermarket). The same benefits experienced by 915 owners are now available to those with a 901 gearbox.

There's additional product information on the Seine System website. If you'd like more information, please contact me.

Regards,
Sherwood